JUNGKOOK'S POV

She sat beside me, her lips curving into a smile as I surrendered to the pull of sleep. Yet, that smile-so carefully crafted-never touched her eyes.
It was a façade, a hollow mimicry of joy.

False.

I wanted to ask her why, to peel back the layers of that deception and uncover the truth. But before the words could form, exhaustion claimed me, dragging me into unconsciousness.

Why would she feign happiness in my presence?

Why hide it from me, of all people?

-

My eyes flew open at the sound of voices-one familiar, the other foreign.

The light was harsh, blurring my vision, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw her standing before me. My heart leapt, desperate.
"Angel?" I murmured, but as my sight adjusted, reality struck.

I was still in my room. Still alone.

Instead of her, a man who appeared to be a doctor was seated near a computer, a syringe filled with blood resting ominously beside him. To my left, Eunwoo stood rigid, his expression etched with worry.

"Boss, you're awake!" he breathed, relief washing over his face.

I raised a brow at him, skipping pleasantries. "Of course I'm awake. What's going on?"

The doctor's gaze flicked from his computer to me, hesitance in his eyes. "Sir," he began, then glanced back at the screen before continuing cautiously. "Have you eaten anything today?"

Confused, I glanced at the window, noticing the golden hues of sunset. How long had I been asleep?

"Just soup," I replied, my voice clipped.

The doctor stood, his face grim. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the soup you consumed... it was laced with a heavy dose of sleeping pills."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My chest tightened, and my mind raced.

"You almost overdosed," he added quietly.

The air grew heavy, suffocating. She wouldn't do this to me. Would she?

Eunwoo's voice broke through my haze. "Jungkook, tell me who gave it to you. We'll track the culprit down immediately."

I locked eyes with him, my face betraying no emotion. "Y/N," I deadpanned.

Eunwoo's face twisted in shock. "What?"

Ignoring his disbelief, I turned to the doctor as I swung my legs off the bed. "Check the pill storage. Run further tests with the DNA you've collected."

The doctor nodded, and I stormed out, Eunwoo close on my heels.

"What do you mean Y/N?" he pressed. "She didn't know it was drugged, right?"

"She has no reason to," I muttered, more to myself than to him.

We searched the mansion, combing through her favourite places, but she was nowhere to be found. My frustration mounted with every passing second.

"Inform the guards. I want her found," I commanded. Eunwoo relayed the order, his voice booming down the hall.

As I walked towards my office, darker thoughts gnawed at the edges of my mind. Why would she do this? Had she been forced? Was she in danger? Had she been... kidnapped?

Bursting into my office, I grabbed my phone, ready to call for reinforcements, but something caught my eye.

An F.

It was scrawled neatly in the corner of one of my contracts. My grip on the paper tightened. I didn't write this, and no one entered my office without my permission.

The handwriting was hers.

As I stared, something else caught my attention-a crimson O on another page.

A pattern began to emerge. Frantically, I searched my desk, uncovering more letters scattered across various documents: F, O, K, C, U, Y, U.

What was she trying to tell me?

I pieced the letters together, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You..." I whispered, my voice trailing off as I completed the message.

My jaw clenched. My fists tightened.

Fuck you.

Why? Why would she do this? Drug me, then leave this cryptic message behind?

Raking my fingers through my hair, I struggled to steady my breathing. The sound of frantic barking outside snapped me from my thoughts.

The dogs. Her dogs.

I flew down the stairs and out into the yard. They were tied to a post, pulling at their leashes, barking wildly, their desperation mirroring my own. Without hesitation, I released them.

"Find her," I urged, and they took off, noses to the ground.

I followed closely, weaving through the forest as they searched for her scent. But after several minutes, they slowed, their excitement fading into confusion. Whining, they looked back at me helplessly.

"She's not here," I muttered, my voice hollow.

With a sharp whistle, I called them back. Reluctantly, they returned, their heads hanging low.

Back at the mansion, I paced my office, my thoughts spiralling. She wouldn't leave. Not after everything we'd been through, after everything I'd given her.

Not after I showed her my true self.

Would she?

-

Walking through the mansion, I could feel the oppressive weight of the tension I had created lingering in the air, thick and palpable as it wove through the halls. Every step I took echoed in the silence, a stark reminder of the chaos brewing beneath the surface.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tap on my shoulder.

"What?" I snapped, spinning around sharply, my voice harsher than intended. My gaze landed on Eunwoo, whose face was etched with deep concern-a worry that only seemed to deepen when he noticed I was alone.

"She's not with you," he murmured, almost as if confirming his worst fears. His brows furrowed, his voice low and urgent. "We couldn't find her anywhere, Jungkook." He paused, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "But one of the workers might know something-where she is, or even who took her. Someone has to know something."

The muscles in my jaw tightened as my fists clenched at my sides. The idea of her being out there, vulnerable, without me to shield her, gnawed at me like a relentless ache. My mind churned with possibilities, none of them comforting, all of them laced with dread.

I took a steadying breath, forcing myself to think clearly. Nodding curtly, I gave the order with a voice laced with authority.

"Round everyone up. Bring them to the hall."

Eunwoo nodded without hesitation, already reaching for his radio to relay my command.

As he moved to carry out the task, I remained rooted in place for a moment, my gaze sweeping over the endless corridors. My home, once a fortress, now felt like an empty labyrinth-a place where her absence echoed louder than any sound.

-

Within minutes, every single person in the mansion was gathered in the grand hall, their eyes fixed on me as I stood upon the centre stage. I glared down at them, my presence commanding their attention.

Any one of them could be responsible for her disappearance. And whoever it was, I would ensure they paid dearly for it-one way or another.

The room was deathly quiet, a sea of faces staring up at me, their expressions a mixture of confusion and apprehension as they pondered the reason for this sudden assembly.

"Today," I began, my voice cold and deliberate, "it has come to my attention that your Queen has gone missing."

Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by hushed whispers. The sound grated on my nerves, each murmured word stoking the fire of my anger.

"And I know that one of you had something to do with it," I accused, my voice slicing through their chatter like a blade.

This declaration stirred the room further, a wave of murmurs swelling once more. My fists curled at my sides as I fought to contain my rage. Not one of them dared to come forward, but then, what did I expect? These people-humans-were too afraid of me to admit what they might know.

But fear could be a useful tool. The whispers that spread like wildfire were precisely what I needed.

I let their murmurs carry on, my sharp hearing picking up fragments of conversations exchanged between workers, guards, maids, and trainers. Among the rumours circulating, one theory stood out: she may have been taken by the second-ranked gang, seeking leverage to topple us from our place as leaders of the criminal underworld.

My thoughts were racing when a sharp scoff cut through the noise.

"You wish," came a voice, quiet yet defiant.

My gaze snapped to the source, narrowing in on a small girl standing near the back of the room. I recognised her-Lia. She had been working here for two years and had been tasked with assisting Y/N during formal events and with her wardrobe. Quiet, reserved, and seemingly timid, she was the last person I would have expected this from.

"Lia," I called, my voice booming across the hall and silencing the room once more.

Her eyes met mine as I descended from the stage, striding through the crowd, which parted for me like a tide.

"Yes, sir?" she replied, her tone void of the fear I expected. Instead, it held something else-annoyance.

My eye twitched at her lack of submission, but I kept my composure. "Would you mind repeating what you just said, so the entire room can hear?" I demanded, holding her gaze, daring her to defy me.

"You wish," she repeated, spitting the words like venom.

A slow, sardonic smile spread across my face, though it did little to mask my growing irritation. I could feel the vein in my forehead pulsing.

"Meaning?" I asked, stepping closer, my voice dropping a dangerous octave.

She didn't flinch, didn't back away. Instead, she squared her shoulders and snapped, "Oh, you know what I mean." Her voice dripped with defiance. "You're the one who made her run away."

Her words froze me in place.

What?

"And just why," I asked through gritted teeth, fighting to keep my temper in check, "would you assume such a thing?"

"Because Y/N came crying to me after the party," she said, her voice rising. "Any of the guards outside the party can confirm it-but you can't, can you? You were too busy. Too busy, right?" Her tone grew louder, echoing through the hall.

"Too busy sleeping with that bitch-" she shouted, her voice trembling with fury, "Shin Ryujin."

The room erupted in collective gasps, the sound reverberating like a shockwave. My eyes widened in fury and disbelief as her accusation hung in the air, suffocating me.

I scanned the crowd, my mind reeling. Eunwoo and Jennie stood to the side, their faces etched with hurt and anger. My guards-the ones who had been present that night-nodded in grim confirmation.

"She loved you!" Lia screamed, tears streaming down her face. "She thought she could trust you! And what did you do? You betrayed her! You slept with someone she thought was her friend-you're the one who drove her away!"

Her words were like daggers, each one sinking deeper than the last. I stood there, frozen, as the weight of her accusations bore down on me.

Tears continued to streak her face as she added, her voice breaking, "And I didn't stop her."

The hall was filled with a cacophony of whispers and murmurs. Rumours. Lies. That's all they could be. Lies.

"ENOUGH," I bellowed, my voice thundering across the room.

The crowd fell silent instantly as I turned and stormed out, my steps echoing with barely restrained fury.

All of those accusations-those lies-they couldn't be true.

They had to be lies.

-

Running to my office, my breath came in short, uneven bursts as I yanked open the door, my eyes immediately landing on her letter.

My trembling hands reached for it, and as I held the paper, a distorted grin stretched across my face-a twisted, desperate attempt to keep the tears streaming down from overtaking me. My vision blurred as I read her words again, over and over, searching for meaning, searching for something-anything-that would tell me this wasn't real.

"She wouldn't run from me," I whispered to myself, my voice breaking. She wouldn't.

But a cold, unrelenting voice in the back of my mind whispered otherwise, urging me to check my safety. Against my better judgment, I obeyed, pulling it open with a mixture of dread and defiance.

The sight before me sent a chill racing down my spine. Tens of thousands of dollars-gone.

My chest tightened as a sharp pang of betrayal settled in. No, no-there had to be an explanation. She wouldn't just...

The shrill ring of the phone on my desk shattered my spiraling thoughts, and I lunged for it, praying, begging, pleading that it was her.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly, my heart thundering in my chest.

But it wasn't her. Instead, the doctor's familiar voice came through the line, calm and clinical.

"Mr. Jeon," he began, his tone steady, oblivious to the chaos in my mind. "I was calling to inform you that, upon conducting further tests, we've detected another drug in your system-Ecstasy. It's commonly used to spike drinks. The initial dose appeared to have been extremely potent, though it has since faded. When was the last time you had something to drink?"

His words hit me like a freight train, dragging me back to that night. My mind raced, my memories scattered and fragmented-until one image crystallised with painful clarity.

Ryujin.

She had offered me a drink.

My grip on the phone tightened, and a sickening crack split the air as the plastic shattered in my hand. I barely noticed.

"Sir-" the doctor's voice was abruptly cut off as the line went dead.

"FUCK!" I roared, the word reverberating off the walls as I slammed my fists onto the desk. Papers scattered, the sound of wood groaning under the force of my blows filling the silence.

I pressed my palms flat against the desk, leaning forward as I tried to steady my ragged breaths. My thoughts churned, chaotic and unforgiving.

I need to remember that night.

My eyes squeezed shut, my fists clenched tightly as I fought to piece together the broken fragments of my memory.

What did I do to her...?

The question hung heavy in the air, unanswered and suffocating.

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Words count - 2408

Your author's hand is no more guys 😭😭😭😭... Anyways do comment if u like the chapter 💓