† 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟲𝟴 †

Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the late update. But I think it'll be worth the wait bcz this chapter turned out to be the longest one in the whole book so far…

Almost 12k words!! 😭

Trust me, writing from 8k to 12k words was honestly exhausting. I can't even explain how tiring it was but i still pushed through because of the way you all engage, vote and support this story. Seeing your excitement genuinely motivates me so much and makes all the hard work feel worth it.🤧💗

So I really hope you'll give this chapter the same love and engagement as always. It means a lot to me, more than you know.

Enjoy reading loves!

GOAL;280+ VOTES & 400 COMMENTS!!!

(Since the chapter is way too long, I'm increasing the comment parts too. Please just don't spam random comments)

╭─━─━─━─━─━─╮𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟲𝟴†❝𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞❞╰─━─━─━─━─━─╯

༺ ☠︎ †  𝖁 𝖎 𝖘 𝖎 𝖔 𝖓  𝖎 𝖓  𝕯 𝖆 𝖗 𝖐  † ☠︎ ༻

Jungkook should've walked away.

That was what decent people did, right?

People always said it was wrong to listen to conversations that were never meant for you. That overhearing someone's private moments was disrespectful, invasive and immoral.

But Jungkook had never really given a fuck about morals.

And now?

Now he couldn't fucking unhear any of it.

The moment he heard voices coming from inside the living room, he should've turned around and left. He should've ignored it and walked away like a normal person would.

But the second he realized Evie was inside with Ethan, something ugly twisted inside him and instead of leaving—he stayed. Hidden in the shadows of the hallway like some obsessed maniac, listening to every single fucking word.

By the end of it, Jungkook was seeing nothing but red.

His jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, fists balled at his sides while every word coming out of Evie's mouth burned deeper under his skin.

She told Ethan everything— how broken she felt, how exhausted she was from trying to save their marriage, how she was finally done holding on and then came the part that made something violent snap inside him.

Divorce.

She wanted a fucking divorce?

The thought alone made rage crawl violently through his chest.

How the hell dare she?

Every word leaving her mouth carried months of silent pain, confusion and heartbreak. She talked about leaving him like it was already decided. Like he no longer had any say in it.

She told Ethan about her plans too—how she wanted to move back with her father, how she wanted to leave the city once she became financially stable again, how she wanted to disappear from his life completely.

All while believing nobody else was there to hear her.

What she didn't know was that Jungkook had heard every single thing.

Earlier that evening, he had stormed out of the house in anger after their argument. The moment Evie looked at him with those shattered eyes and told him she was done, something inside him had nearly exploded.

But instead of staying and fighting with her, he left because the emotions crawling through him at that moment were too intense, too chaotic. He needed air, space and distance.

Most of all, he needed to stop seeing that look in her eyes. That broken, exhausted look that somehow disturbed him more than her screaming ever could.

But his peace hadn't lasted long.

While he was driving around trying to cool off, one of his guards informed him that Ethan had entered the house and just hearing Ethan's name was enough to make rage flare violently inside him again.

Jungkook hadn't called him at home, which meant only one thing—Evie had.

That thought alone was enough to piss him off beyond reason. The image of Ethan rushing over like some fucking hero every time Evie cried made something dark burn inside his chest.

So Jungkook turned the car around immediately and drove back home without even thinking properly. He didn't know what exactly he planned to do once he got there, all he knew was that he couldn't ignore it, he couldn't ignore them.

When he arrived, the front door was slightly open, the moment he stepped closer, voices drifted toward him. Ethan's voice and then Evie's.

And for some reason, Jungkook stopped right there at the doorway instead of walking in, maybe it was instinct, maybe curiosity. Or maybe something inside him already knew he wasn't going to like whatever the hell he was about to hear.

He could've walked inside and demanded answers immediately. He could've dragged Ethan out of his house right then and there. But instead… he stood there silently.

And unfortunately for them he heard everything.

He heard Evie say she was filing for divorce. He heard her say she was planning to leave the city and go back to her father. He heard her say she didn't want to carry his name anymore and with every word leaving her mouth, Jungkook's jaw clenched harder.

At first, rage exploded inside him all over again.

A violent, uncontrollable kind of rage that he wanted to storm into the room immediately, slam the door shut behind him and remind Evie exactly who the fuck she was married to.

How could she make such a huge decision behind his back?

How could she sit there calmly planning to walk away from him like he meant nothing?

And worst of all—How the hell she could bring another man into their fucking home and trust him with all of this?

Their marriage. Their problems. Their private life.

And seeing Ethan touch her—

That was almost his final straw.

The moment Ethan pulled her into his arms to comfort her, something dangerously dark snapped inside Jungkook.

For a second, he was inches away from barging inside and dragging Ethan away from her by force. He could already picture himself grabbing him by the collar—or maybe even his hair—and slamming him straight into the glass table until that idiot finally understood where the hell his limits were.

Who the hell did Ethan think he was? Comforting another man's wife like that? Touching her? Holding her while she cried? As if he'd forgotten that he himself was married too.

The sight alone made Jungkook's blood boil so violently that rational thinking completely disappeared from his mind.

All he could see was Evie in Ethan's arms while Ethan rubbed her back gently and whispered comforting words to her.

And it made Jungkook want to break something. Maybe someone. Today might genuinely become Ethan's last day if he kept crossing lines like this.

Jungkook's body had already started moving toward the living room, anger practically dragging him forward but then he stopped, completely. It was her voice that stopped him. Something about it rooted him to the spot before he could take another step and against his own anger, against every violent thought running through his head, he found himself listening instead.

Then he heard her say things that made his entire body slowly go still.

"I was vulnerable when Jungkook came into my life… and seeing how he treated me back then, I couldn't help but fall for him."

"I loved him—truly, selflessly. Even when he used to say he wasn't perfect… he was perfect for me."

"I don't even know what I did to deserve the way he treats me now. I honestly just loved him, but he made my life hell in return."

"I tried. I really tried to fix things because I loved him. I wanted a happy life with him." Her voice cracked painfully through tears. "But it feels like he doesn't want me anymore. It feels like he's punishing me for something I don't even know about…"

"It feels like he regrets marrying me."

Those stopped him completely.

Like someone had suddenly pressed pause on all the rage burning inside him.

He stood there without moving an inch, rooted to the same spot as every word leaving Evie's mouth, forcing him to keep listening no matter how badly part of him un-listened to them.

There was something in her voice that felt different. She sounded exhausted. Completely exhausted. Like someone who had spent months trying too hard, holding onto something far longer than she should have until there was simply nothing left inside her anymore.

And something about that feeling unsettled him deeply.

That strange sensation returned again—that same uncomfortable tightness crawling beneath his chest that he had been trying to ignore for weeks now. Except this time it felt worse. The more her voice shook with tears, the more that ugly rage inside him slowly dissolved into something he couldn't properly name, something far more uncomfortable than anger itself.

Because anger, Jungkook understood.

But this?

This strange uncomfortable feeling sitting inside him whenever she acts like this…

He didn't know what to do with it and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to face her anymore.

So he didn't walk inside.

He didn't slam the door open or interrupt the conversation the way he had planned to just moments ago. He silently listened while the conversation between Evie and Ethan slowly came to an end.

Then eventually, Ethan stood up to leave.

The moment Jungkook heard footsteps approaching the front door, his body stiffened instantly.

For a second, he froze completely.

Because now that the anger had cooled down enough for rational thought to return, another realization hit him all at once—if Ethan saw him standing there like this, listening outside the room like some obsessed lunatic, what exactly was he supposed to say?

How was he supposed to explain why he had been hiding there instead of simply walking inside? And worse… after everything he had just heard, Jungkook suddenly found himself not wanting to deal with Ethan at all.

Not for now.

Not when his own thoughts already felt too loud inside his head.

So before Ethan could reach the hallway completely, instinct took over.

Jungkook stepped back quickly and disappeared around the corner, careful not to make any noise. He stayed hidden there silently for the next few minutes, waiting until Ethan finally left the house and the sound of the front door closing echoed through the silence.

Only then did Jungkook slowly step out again.

Now alone, he stood quietly in front of the living room entrance, staring toward the door without actually going inside.

For the long time, he hesitated.

Part of him wanted to walk in and pretend none of this had happened. Pretend he hadn't heard a single word.

But another part of him suddenly didn't know if he could handle seeing her right now—seeing her after hearing everything she said.

He stood there for several long seconds, struggling with himself before eventually taking a slow step back instead of forward.

No.

He couldn't do it.

Whatever had just happened inside that room… whatever those feelings were that had started clawing beneath his chest while listening to her cry…

He wasn't ready to face them yet.

He got back into his car, slamming the door a little harder than necessary. His jaw was locked, and his knuckles whitened as his hands wrapped around the steering wheel. The engine hummed to life, but he didn't drive right away.

Her words were still playing in his head. Not just one or two sentences–everything. Every damn thing she said.

"I was really vulnerable when Jungkook came into my life, but I didn't say yes to him immediately. I wasn't foolish. I waited. I gave it time. I watched him carefully… the way he behaved, the way he kept showing up for me every single time. He didn't disappear when things became difficult. He didn't walk away like everyone else did.. He stayed.

"When Taehyung left me, he didn't even give me a proper reason. No explanation. No closure. Just silence… and then that cruel letter..So when Jungkook stayed, I kept waiting for the moment he would leave too. I thought maybe one day he'd get tired of me. Maybe he'd get bored and disappear just like Taehyung did. But he never did."

"For more than six months, we were together. And during those months, I was genuinely happy. Jungkook made me smile again. He was patient with me. He showed me sides of himself no one else ever talked about—his softer side, his playful side. He made me believe love didn't always have to hurt."

His foot pressed harder against the gas pedal and the car shot forward through the empty streets, speeding past traffic lights and blurred buildings. But it didn't help.

No matter how fast he drove or how tightly he gripped the steering wheel, her voice refused to leave him alone.

Fuck.

He didn't want to remember any of it. Her words. The look on her face. But the more he tried to push it away, the louder everything replayed inside his head.

It twisted there relentlessly, refusing to stop.

He fucking hated this feeling. Hated how uncomfortable it made him. Hated how something as simple as hearing her out had managed to mess with his head this badly.

He didn't want to sit there replaying her words over and over again. Didn't want to think about her feelings, her pain or the way she sounded so genuinely broken while talking about him.

None of that was supposed to matter to him.

So why the hell was it?

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel again, the muscles in his jaw clenching hard enough to ache. He switched lanes aggressively before taking a sharp turn without even properly thinking about where he was going.

Only when bright neon signs flashed across his windshield did he finally realize where he had ended up.

The club district.

He didn't hesitate after that.

Honestly, he knew this was the absolute last place he should be right now, especially with his mind already this messed up but he didn't care because what he needed right now wasn't silence. It wasn't thinking and it definitely wasn't more of Evie's voice echoing inside his head.

He wanted his anger back.

Wanted that violent rage again—the same rage that had nearly made him storm into the living room and slam Ethan's head into the table for touching his wife.

That feeling made sense to him.

It was familiar and simpler.

But this?

This strange heaviness inside his chest… this uncomfortable feeling clawing at him every time he remembered her words…

He couldn't fucking stand it.

And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force the anger to overpower it again.

Which meant only one thing.

Maybe alcohol would finally shut his head up for a while.

A few minutes later, Jungkook was inside, downing his first drink. Then another. Loud music pulsed through the floor, people moved around him but he didn't care. He wasn't here for company. He wasn't here to enjoy anything.

He just needed to shut his mind up—needed the noise to be louder than her voice in his head.

Even if it was just for a little while.

After drinking, he left the club and drove through the near-empty streets, one hand on the wheel, the other clenched tightly in his lap.

The alcohol had dulled his senses, but not enough to stop the storm in his head. Her words were still echoing—pounding, actually—against his skull. Every sentence she had said to Ethan kept coming back, whether he fucking wanted it or not.

Divorce.

Leaving.

Saying she didn't need him.

Telling someone else not to inform him.

As if he wasn't even part of her fucking life.

He gritted his teeth hard, trying to force her voice out of his head but it kept crawling back no matter how aggressively he shoved it away. That was exactly why he had come to the club in the first place—why he kept throwing back one drink after another without even tasting them properly. He had wanted noise, alcohol, distractions… anything strong enough to drown her out.

But none of it fucking worked. Not even for a second. Irritation burned violently through him as he slammed the empty glass back onto the counter with more force than necessary, jaw clenched tightly. What a useless fucking thing alcohol was if it couldn't even do the one thing he needed right now—erase her from his head for one damn minute.

The more he thought about it, the more something dark twisted inside him. She was seriously going to walk away. Just like that. Without a word. Without even talking to him properly. She went behind his back. Told Ethan. Packed her bags. Made her plans. It felt like she had already erased him. Like he didn't own her.

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. No, she didn't get to do that.

She was his. She married him. She wore his fucking ring, carried his name. She was the one who came into his life and messed with him when he never even asked for that.

And now she wanted to leave?

He pulled into parking as he reached the house and stepped out of the car. His steps were uneven, heavy, his balance slightly off from the alcohol but he didn't stop. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, his jaw tight, shoulders tense. He pushed open the door without thinking twice. It was late, nearly past midnight, and the house was quiet, lights dim, but he didn't care.

He walked in like he owned the place—because he did.

And more than anything, he still thought he owned her.

†

Evie sat quietly on the sofa, silent for what felt like forever, while the packed bags near the door stood like painful reminders of everything she was about to leave behind.

She still hadn't left yet.

Everything had happened too fast, too emotionally and packing all her belongings had taken much longer than she expected. There were too many bags for her to carry alone, so she had booked a cab to take her to her father's place. It was getting late but considering this was a huge city, she tried to convince herself the delay was probably because of traffic.

So for now, all she could do was wait.

She could've called her father for help. He would've come without hesitation if she had asked. But she didn't want to drag him into this mess yet. As far as he knew, she and Jungkook had only gotten into a heated argument—normal husband-and-wife problems, nothing more. And until everything was fully over, until she officially ended this marriage, she didn't want him involved in any of it.

Now, sitting alone in the suffocating silence of that house, she prayed for only one thing—That Jungkook wouldn't come back before her cab arrived.

She had already gone through too much emotional turmoil today. More than she could handle and right now, she wasn't prepared for another confrontation, another argument, or another cruel word from him.

She was exhausted, completely exhausted. All she wanted was to leave this place as quickly as possible and reach her father safely.

As far as she knew, Jungkook wouldn't come back tonight anyway. He had stormed out earlier in anger like he usually did after their fights, and she doubted he would bother returning anytime soon.

At least, that's what she hoped.

Leaning her head back against the sofa slowly, Evie closed her eyes for a moment and let out a tired breath.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the couch while tears threatened to spill from her eyes again.

Her chest felt unbearably heavy.

This house.

This life.

This marriage.

Everything around her was about to become part of her past.

And tonight…her life as Jeon Evie was finally coming to an end.

The feeling inside her was too complicated to even explain properly.

It wasn't that she didn't want the divorce—she did. Deep down, she knew leaving was the right decision. But that didn't make any of this hurt less.

What broke her wasn't the ending itself.

It was the way everything had changed so horribly.

The way the love she once believed in had turned into something painful and unbearable.

The way the life she once dreamed of had fallen apart so quickly in front of her eyes.

That was the heartbreaking part.

But all her thoughts came to an abrupt stop when the front door suddenly creaked open.

Evie stiffened instantly, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes snapped toward the entrance.

She wasn't expecting anyone.

Not at this hour.

And definitely not him.

The moment the familiar figure stepped further inside and the dim light finally revealed his face clearly, her breath caught in her throat.

Jungkook is here.

She genuinely hadn't expected him to come back tonight after the way he had stormed out earlier in anger. She had convinced herself he wouldn't return anytime soon.

But there he was.

He stepped inside slowly, shutting the door behind him with unsettling calmness and the sight of him immediately made her heartbeat quicken.

His hair was messy, his clothes slightly disheveled and even from a distance she could tell something was off about him. His steps were uneven, his posture unstable, and the moment he started walking further into the room, she realized why.

He was drunk.

Not completely wasted but drunk enough for it to show clearly in his movements and the dark, unreadable look in his eyes.

And those eyes…

They locked onto her immediately.

Like she was the only thing he could see.

He didn't say a single word, just stood there staring at her silently and somehow that silence felt far worse than yelling ever could.

Evie slowly stood up from the sofa, her throat tightening painfully as nervousness spread through her entire body. Her gaze flickered nervously over his face, trying to read his expression, but it only made her anxiety worse.

His jaw was clenched tightly, shoulders tense and the way he kept walking toward her with those heavy, uneven footsteps made her pulse pound harder with every second. The sound of his shoes against the floor echoed loudly through the silence of the room.

Instinctively, she took a small step back but the sofa behind her stopped her immediately, leaving her with nowhere else to go.

Jungkook was close enough now for the strong scent of alcohol to hit her instantly. His eyes remained fixed on her, dark and intense—not completely glazed over but unstable enough to make her uneasy.

And suddenly, all the exhaustion she had been feeling earlier was replaced by pure anxiety.

At this point, she genuinely didn't know what to do. Her mind felt frozen.

God… why did everything always have to get worse?

Her chest tightened painfully as fear and nervousness climbed higher and higher inside her. She had no idea why he came back after leaving earlier in anger. Was he here to question her again about the packed bags? Was he going to start another argument? Another scene?

Especially in this condition.

The fact that he was drunk only made everything more terrifying. She just prayed he wouldn't do anything reckless.

Unable to handle the suffocating tension anymore, Evie reacted on pure instinct.

The moment Jungkook took another step toward her, she pushed lightly against his chest and quickly turned, trying to move past him and get away.

But before she could take more than a single step, his hand shot out immediately. His fingers wrapped firmly around her arm, stopping her in place. Her breath caught sharply.

Her heart slammed violently against her chest as Jungkook pulled her slightly back toward him, forcing her face-to-face with him once again.

Her anxiety spiked the moment his grip tightened around her arm when she tried to pull away from him. A wave of overwhelming emotions crashed into her all at once, so sudden and suffocating that for a second she forgot how to breathe properly.

Her lips parted slightly as she looked up at him despite herself, her eyes meeting his—and the moment she saw the intensity staring back at her, every bit of pain she had been trying so desperately to suppress came rushing back without mercy.

Oh God.

Not again.

Please, not again.

She wasn't ready for this.

Not after everything she had already gone through today. Not after spending hours crying, breaking apart, forcing herself to finally accept the fact that her marriage was ending. She was exhausted emotionally and mentally. Right now, all she wanted was for her cab to arrive quickly so she could leave this house quietly without another scene.

But the longer she looked into his eyes, the harder it became to stay emotionally detached.

Because no matter how much pain he had caused her… no matter how much she hated what he had turned her life into… controlling her feelings in front of him was still painfully difficult.

Every emotion she had spent months burying started clawing its way back to the surface.

And the worst part?

Jungkook had absolutely no idea—no fucking idea how deeply she had loved him.

How hard she had tried to make things work between them. How many nights she stayed awake silently hoping things would get better again. How many times she had swallowed her own pain just to protect their marriage from falling apart. He had no idea how desperately she had held onto him even while he slowly destroyed her piece by piece.

But he ruined everything.

Not just their marriage but her.

And now here he was standing in front of her as if none of it mattered.

As if he had no idea what he had done to her.

She stopped struggling against his grip after a while, partly because she knew she didn't have the strength to fight him right now and partly because the emotions crashing inside her had already left her feeling weak. Her arm remained trapped in Jungkook's hand while her body stayed tense but her expression slowly started crumbling despite all her efforts to hold herself together.

And then she looked at him properly—really looked at him—maybe for the last time.

This man— she had fallen for without meaning to. The man she had loved with everything she had inside her. The man she cried for, waited for, prayed for. The same man she once believed had come into her life to save her… only to become the person who hurt her the most in the end.

Her eyes slowly moved across his face as if she were trying to memorize every detail one final time.

She tried not to cry.

Tried to stay strong.

But the ache inside her chest had become too loud to ignore anymore.

Her vision blurred as tears slowly welled in her eyes again. She bit the inside of her cheek hard, desperately trying to stop herself from breaking down in front of him, but it was useless. The pressure building inside her chest felt unbearable, so heavy it almost felt painful to breathe.

Her heart felt like it was being pulled apart in every direction at once.

She wanted to scream at him. Wanted to grab his collar and shake him until he finally understood what he had done to her.

Wanted to ask him why.

Why did he destroy her like this?

Why did he spend months giving her hope only to turn around and crush it with his own hands afterward?

Why did he slowly push her away after making her believe she was loved?

She wanted him to understand that she never wanted things to end this way. That she didn't want to leave him. That she didn't want this divorce but she had no choice anymore. She had reached a point where staying with him hurt more than leaving ever could.

This wasn't about giving up on him. It was about surviving him but in the end, she said none of those things aloud.

She just stood there silently, looking at him while tears gathered helplessly in her eyes.

And somehow… she felt like he understood every single word she wasn't saying.

Jungkook didn't move either.

His hand still gripped her arm firmly, his fingers tightening unconsciously from time to time as though some part of him needed the reminder that she was still standing there in front of him and hadn't disappeared yet.

But his body remained stiff.

His jaw clenched tightly while tension visibly spread through his shoulders.

At one point, he even looked away for a brief second—as if whatever he saw in her eyes had become too much to look at directly but only for a second because despite himself, his gaze found its way back to her again almost immediately.

He didn't want to look at her. Didn't want to let whatever was hidden in those tear-filled eyes get under his skin but no matter how hard he tried—he couldn't stop looking.

Something about the way she was looking at him was cutting through every wall he had built inside himself. He had come home with one goal in his head—to remind her who she belonged to. To put her in her place. He was angry, furious even, at the idea of her leaving. At the fact that she thought she could just walk away and erase him. He wanted to make her stop. Make her feel and break her down.

But now, standing this close to her, none of those thoughts came out, instead, there was only silence between them.

Jungkook's grip around her arm still hadn't loosened and Evie couldn't bring herself to look away from him either. They just stood there staring at each other while the tension between them quietly swallowed the entire room whole.

Then slowly, without a single sound, a tear slipped down her cheek.

Jungkook saw it immediately.

His eyes followed the tear silently as it rolled down her skin and disappeared near the curve of her jaw, and for some reason, watching that single tear fall affected him far more than her crying earlier had.

Something shifted in his expression—almost unconsciously, he lifted his free hand toward her face. The movement alone made Evie's heartbeat quicken again.

Her emotions, already barely hanging together, twisted painfully inside her chest the closer his hand got to her. Then his fingers brushed gently against her cheek, wiping away the tear with surprising softness that only made everything hurt worse.

And all the while, he kept staring into her eyes, even drunk, he was fully aware of what he was doing—that was the dangerous part.

There was nothing careless about the way he looked at her right now. Nothing careless about the way his fingers lingered against her skin a second longer than necessary.

And while looking into her eyes like that, Jungkook didn't even realize he had started leaning closer until his face was suddenly only inches away from hers.

His head dipped lower slowly–almost uncertainly, like even he wasn't fully thinking about what he was doing anymore –it just happened.

Evie's breath caught sharply the moment she realized what he was about to do.

His lips parted slightly as his eyes slowly fluttered shut and he leaned in toward her carefully, like he was drawn to her without meaning to be.

For one brief second, everything inside her froze and then reality crashed back into her all at once.

Her eyes widened slightly in panic and before his lips could touch hers, she turned her face away sharply. At the same time, her free hand pressed firmly against his chest, stopping him before he could get any closer. The push wasn't aggressive but it was enough—enough to make him stop.

Jungkook froze instantly.

His breathing turned uneven as he slowly opened his eyes again.

For a second, he stayed exactly where he was, close enough for her to still feel his breath near her skin, his gaze lingering silently on her turned face before he finally leaned back just enough to properly look at her again.

And somehow, the rejection stung far more than he wanted it to, not because she physically pushed him away but because it reminded him of something he had been avoiding this entire time—

Whatever hold he once had over her… it wasn't enough anymore to erase what he had done to her.

Evie finally looked back up at him slowly, her eyes still wet with tears, her lips slightly parted from the shaky breath she had been holding in.

She didn't say a single word and she didn't need to, everything was already there in her eyes and somehow, that silence frustrated him even more.

Jungkook's grip around her arm tightened again unconsciously, this time more out of frustration with himself than anger toward her and before either of them could process the moment properly, he suddenly pushed her backward in one sharp movement.

Not enough to hurt her seriously—but enough to make her stumble.

Caught off guard, Evie lost her balance slightly and fell backward onto the edge of the sofa behind her with a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Still, she said nothing.

Jungkook stood there breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly while his hands slowly curled into fists at his sides.

For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something. Anything, but no words came out, and maybe that frustrated him most of all.

So instead, without looking at her again, he abruptly turned away and walked off down the hallway, his footsteps heavy and uneven against the floor.

Then a second later—the loud slam of the bedroom door echoed through the silent house, sharp and violent.

And Evie remained sitting there frozen on the sofa long after he disappeared, her chest aching painfully while her arms slowly wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold together the few broken pieces of herself that still remained.

†

The night had passed in silence.

After slamming the bedroom door shut, Jungkook had thrown things off the dresser, kicked a chair out of frustration, and paced the room like a caged animal. The alcohol in his system was hitting him hard now—too strong.

His thoughts blurred, his anger pulsed through his veins, but the weight of everything finally pulled him down. Somewhere between rage and helplessness, he passed out on the bed, still dressed, the room left in a mess around him.

Morning slipped in quietly, soft light spilling through the curtains, but Jungkook didn't stir. It wasn't until closer to late morning–around 10 a.m.–that he finally opened his eyes, groggy and disoriented. His head was pounding, a sharp hangover making every movement feel slow and painful. He blinked a few times, sitting up and holding his head in his hands.

The room was still. Too much still.

Slowly, the memories from the previous night started coming back to him one after another, each one hitting harder than the last. Everything replayed vividly in his mind—Evie standing in the house packing her bags, the way he had left in anger, only to come back later and overhear her talking to Ethan about divorce, her crying, her words, the pain in her voice.

Then came the memory that stung the most: the moment he had leaned in to kiss her and she pushed him away without saying a single word. And finally, the way he had left her sitting there on the sofa before storming off himself.

Every memory left a bitter feeling inside him, but the rejection… that part lingered the deepest.

He rubbed his face and forced himself out of bed. His steps were heavy as he walked out of the room and into the living room, expecting–hoping–to maybe see her still there. Maybe she hadn't gone through with it. Maybe she was in the kitchen. Maybe—

But the living room was empty.

No sound and no presence of her.

His eyes scanned the room before he turned and checked the kitchen. Nothing. Not even the faint trace of her perfume. His heart started to beat faster. He moved quickly now, heading down the hallway, checking the guest room. Still nothing.

Then he turned to his own bedroom again and opened the wardrobe. His hands froze.

Her side was empty.

The shelves that once held her neatly folded clothes were bare. Her skincare bottles, her books, the little things that made this space feel like she lived here–they were all gone. Even the small framed photo that used to sit on the dresser was missing.

Before he could fully process it, the maid walked by, holding a laundry basket.

"Sir," she said quietly, unsure if she should even speak, "Mrs. Jeon left late last night. I think she called a cab herself… she took all her bags with her."

Jungkook didn't respond, just stood there silently and sensing the intensity radiating from him, the maid quietly excused herself and walked away.

He didn't move for a long moment, his jaw slowly clenching tighter as the reality of her absence sank deeper and deeper into him.

She had really left.

She hadn't just threatened to leave, hadn't packed her bags out of anger like before—she actually walked out of his life.

And this time… he hadn't stopped her.

His throat tightened slightly but instead of sadness, something far more dangerous slowly began boiling inside him. His fingers curled into fists before he suddenly slammed one hand hard against the wardrobe door, shutting it with enough force to make a loud noise echo through the room, the violent sound exposing the rage bubbling inside him.

She left.

She really thought she could just fucking leave him like that.

Walk away as if she wasn't his.

As if she wasn't bound to him.

As if she could survive without him.

As if she truly meant it.

He couldn't accept that—he wouldn't.

His breathing grew heavier, his jaw locking tightly as he stared at the mess around him while his thoughts spiraled faster and darker by the second.

She thought she could live without him?

Fine. Then he'd make sure she realized exactly who she had walked away from.

She was nothing without him and he would make sure she felt that—every second, every single day.

⋆༺𓆩♱𓆪༻⋆𝔙 𝔦 𝔰 𝔦 𝔬 𝔫  𝔦 𝔫  𝔇 𝔞 𝔯 𝔨⋆༺𓆩♱𓆪༻⋆

It had been four days since Evie walked out of the house and walked out of his life. Four long, suffocating days.

Jungkook hadn't heard a single word from her. Her number wasn't reachable anymore, probably changed. That alone made his blood boil.

How could she even think about cutting him off so easily?

Like their marriage, their fights, the chaos between them—like none of it ever happened? She was really trying to disappear, trying to live without him? And worse, she was trying to divorce him?

That word made his jaw tighten every time it crossed his mind.

He could have gone to her father's house already—stormed in, dragged her back, reminded her exactly who she belonged to. He was still her fucking husband. She was still his fucking wife. He had every right too.

But something stopped him.

It wasn't fear or any kind of weakness.

It was her.

Her voice. Her words. The way she broke down in front of Ethan. The raw emotion in her eyes that night–the heartbreak, the exhaustion, the quiet desperation–it had all hit him in a way he hadn't expected. He told himself it didn't matter. That he didn't care. That she was being dramatic, soft but no matter how much he tried, her words kept echoing in his head.

"I love him so much but I can't live like this anymore..."

He hated that sentence. Hated it because it stuck with him. It clawed at him from the inside.

He married her for revenge.

At least, that's what it was supposed to be in the beginning.

A twisted plan meant to destroy Taehyung in the cruelest way possible by taking the woman he once loved and turning her life into a mess. Jungkook manipulated everything with terrifying ease—lies, misunderstandings, broken trust, ruined relationships. He burned every bridge around her without hesitation and pulled every string necessary to make sure she eventually ended up with him instead.

And once he finally had her, he thought that would be enough.

He thought eventually he'd grow bored of the game, leave her emotionally ruined, and walk away without caring about the damage left behind.

But somewhere along the way, things stopped feeling like a game.

And that was the problem.

Because now, despite everything he had done to her… despite knowing exactly why he married her in the first place…

He couldn't let her go.

And now the idea of her leaving him—actually walking away—was eating him alive.

He couldn't go back and force her. Not this time. Something told him that if he crossed that line now, if he dragged her back against her will, she wouldn't come back the same. Maybe not at all. Maybe she'd never forgive him. He didn't care about forgiveness—but damn it, he needed her with him.

So, he waited.

He didn't wait well.

The house felt dead without her any trace. Too quiet and too cold. He couldn't take it. That's why he hadn't gone home in four days either. He crashed at the office instead–on the couch, on his chair, anywhere that wasn't their home. His nerves were shot, his head buzzing with tension.

He couldn't focus on work. Couldn't sit through meetings. Couldn't care less about the messages or missed calls coming up on his phone. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Everything about his day kept coming back to her.

Her face. Her voice. Her last words.

He was sitting in his office, slumped back in his chair with his head tilted slightly against the leather, eyes closed in exhaustion. All he wanted was to finish the remaining work in front of him and go home to sleep because the last few days had already drained every bit of patience and energy out of him.

But his faint moment of silence didn't last long.

A loud noise suddenly echoed from outside his office, making him frown slightly in irritation. Before he could even open his eyes properly or check what was happening, the door burst open with a sharp slam loud enough to snap his eyes open instantly.

And standing in the doorway was the last person he wanted to deal with right now—Raven.

A displeased look immediately crossed his face.

Ugh. He really wasn't in the mood for this.

Despite the obvious displeasure written across his expression, Raven walked inside like she owned the place, irritation clearly visible on her own face as well. Her eyes were sharp, lips pressed tightly together, and her entire posture screamed annoyance. Bold, unbothered, and as direct as always, she didn't even bother asking for permission before entering. She simply stepped inside and shut the door behind her with another loud thud.

Jungkook slowly straightened in his chair, already letting out an exhausted sigh as disinterest settled visibly across his face.

"I told them not to let anyone in without my permission," he muttered flatly, clearly irritated.

"Yeah, well," Raven snapped immediately, crossing her arms, "maybe you should've answered your damn phone then."

Jungkook dragged a hand down his face tiredly, looking like he already regretted this conversation before it had even properly started.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, voice dull with exhaustion. "I didn't call you. And I don't think there's anything important enough for you to come barging into my office like this."

Raven ignored the irritation in his tone completely and walked further toward his desk, her brows furrowing harder.

"That's exactly the problem," she shot back. "What the hell is going on with you, Jeon? You've been ignoring me for days. No calls, no replies, nothing. You seriously think I'm just going to sit around while you act like I suddenly don't exist?"

Jungkook resisted the urge to groan aloud because honestly, he already knew this conversation was going to happen sooner or later.

He had seen the endless missed calls and the messages–not just from Raven, but from several other people too but with everything already happening around him lately, replying to anyone had been the last thing on his mind.

And right now, he definitely wasn't in the mood to explain himself either.

He just wanted to get this over with somehow and make her leave before she started digging too deeply into things he didn't even want to think about himself.

"I've had a lot going on," Jungkook finally replied, his voice low and noticeably tired. "Stuff I need to deal with. And honestly—" he gestured vaguely toward her with clear frustration, "—this is the last thing I need right now."

But Raven didn't look bothered by his irritation at all.

Instead, she walked closer, pulled out the chair in front of his desk, and sat down comfortably like she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

"You used to call me every single time your life got complicated," she pointed out bluntly. "Every time one of your plans started falling apart, I was always the first person you ran to. And now suddenly you're ghosting me? So no, I'm not leaving until you tell me what the hell is bothering you."

Jungkook leaned back against his chair again, crossing his arms as his expression turned unreadable.

For a few seconds, he didn't answer. He simply stared somewhere past her shoulder, his eyes distant with thought. Part of him wasn't even sure if telling Raven anything was a good idea.

Would she actually listen?

Or would she just become another headache?

Raven narrowed her eyes at his silence before crossing her arms more firmly. "Just tell me what's going on already," she said stubbornly. "You know I'm not walking out of here without answers."

Jungkook sighed heavily before leaning back into his chair, looking like he was trying to escape the weight pressing down on him. He rubbed his forehead tiredly with his fingers, staying quiet for a moment before finally speaking.

"Evie left."

The words came out quieter than expected.

Raven blinked immediately, caught off guard by how bluntly he said it.

"What do you mean she left?"

Jungkook let out another slow breath, his jaw tightening slightly before he answered.

"She walked out," he said, his voice lower this time, almost like the words themselves tasted bitter in his mouth. "She left the house. She wants a divorce."

For a few seconds, Raven simply stared at him silently, her expression unreadable as she tried to process whether she had heard him correctly or not.

"Divorce?" she repeated slowly.

Jungkook gave a small nod before continuing.

"She went back to her father's house after we had a fight. Things got heated… way too heated. She stormed out that night, and honestly, I didn't think she'd actually go through with it." He paused briefly before speaking again, his expression darkening. "But a few days later, she came back only to talk to Ethan. I overheard everything. She was asking him to help her get out of this marriage." His jaw clenched harder. "I didn't stop her. I couldn't. And now it's been four days. She took all her things with her. She's serious this time."

Raven continued staring at him for another moment, clearly surprised, like her brain needed extra time to fully process what he had just said.

Then suddenly, a grin slowly appeared on her face.

"Oh my…" she said, sounding almost amused. "Well, congratulations. That's actually good news after all this time. You finally got what you wanted."

The second those words left her mouth, Jungkook's expression darkened noticeably.

And immediately, he regretted telling her anything at all.

"Care to explain what the hell you mean by 'I got what I wanted'?" he asked coldly.

Raven lifted a brow at his reaction.

"I mean exactly what I said," she replied casually. "Wasn't this your whole plan from the beginning? Sounds to me like your grand revenge finally worked perfectly." She leaned back slightly in her chair before continuing. "You didn't leave her because you wanted to test her limits—to see how much she could take before finally breaking. And clearly, you succeeded because now she wants a divorce." She shrugged lightly. "Honestly, isn't that a good thing? You got your revenge, and now you're finally free from her mess too."

Jungkook clenched his jaw tightly at her words but stayed silent.

Raven studied him carefully for a second before her expression shifted slightly, curiosity replacing the amusement in her eyes.

"So…" she said slowly, narrowing her eyes at him, "you are going to give her the divorce, right?"

Jungkook's head snapped toward her instantly.

"Fuck no," he hissed sharply, his voice filled with immediate hostility. "Why the hell would I let her leave me like that?" His tone only darkened further the more he spoke. "She's not getting any fucking divorce. She's my wife. She married me. Her name is tied to mine now, and she can't just walk away like none of this ever happened."

The grin on Raven's face disappeared completely, replaced with visible confusion. "What the hell do you mean?"

Jungkook leaned forward slightly in his chair, frustration and something far uglier simmering underneath every word leaving his mouth.

"She can't just run away and suddenly think she'll be fine without me," his voice low but dangerously intense. "She thinks she's done? Thinks she's going to move on somewhere else and live happily after walking away from me?" A humorless scoff left him. "Not happening. She became mine the moment she said yes to marrying me and now she thinks she can just erase me from her life? Start over somewhere else like I never existed? I'll make sure she realizes she can't. She belongs to me. She's nothing without me."

His entire tone carried that same possessive edge Raven had seen in him many times before—but this time there was something else mixed into it too.

Something restless or desperate and maybe the most unsettling part of all was that Jungkook himself didn't seem to fully realize it yet.

And just like that, all the amusement Raven had felt earlier after hearing the news completely faded away because this reaction from Jungkook was not what she had expected at all.

She had expected anger, maybe irritation, maybe even satisfaction that his revenge had finally worked.

But not this.

Not whatever this strange possessiveness was.

Still, she stayed quiet and let him continue.

"I'm going to make sure she comes back to me," Jungkook muttered, though it sounded more like he was speaking to himself than to her. His gaze remained distant as he continued, voice low and firm with certainty. "She'll come back on her own. I won't have to drag her back. Eventually she'll realize it herself." His jaw tightened slightly. "She'll understand she can't survive without me. Not out there. Not like this."

Raven slowly frowned, letting him finish completely before speaking and by the time he was done, her expression had changed entirely. Now she looked like she was openly judging him.

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?" she asked slowly. "Or do you just speak without thinking anymore?"

Jungkook finally looked at her properly, clearly confused by the look on her face.

"What's with that expression?" he asked irritably. "I'm thinking perfectly clearly."

Raven leaned back in her chair and folded her arms tighter across her chest, staring at him silently for a long moment before shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're out of your damn mind," she said bluntly, her tone filled with pure judgment. "Let me guess—you've been sitting here thinking of ways to emotionally trap her so she runs back to you? Thinking about how to mess with her head again and remind her of everything she supposedly 'owes' you?" Her brow lifted mockingly. "Is that it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jungkook snapped immediately, irritation flaring up again.

Raven let out a scoff, looking at him with open disbelief now.

"You're talking like some obsessed teenager, not a man who's supposed to have everything under control," she shot back sharply. "And honestly? It's pathetic." Her eyes narrowed at him. "You seriously sound like that girl got completely inside your head."

Jungkook stared at her like she had just said the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

"What the fuck are you even saying, Raven?" he asked in disbelief. "Don't start throwing your shappy bullshit at me." His expression darkened instantly. "You know exactly what this marriage was from the beginning. You knew why I married her. So don't start acting like I suddenly turned into some pathetic love-struck idiot."

But Raven didn't back down even slightly.

Instead, she leaned forward across the desk, her eyes sharp and challenging like she had no problem being the one to throw the truth directly into his face.

"Don't 'what the fuck are you saying' me, Jeon," she said flatly. "I'm saying exactly what I'm seeing." She pointed toward him slightly. "The way you're acting right now, the way you talk about her—this stopped being about your stupid revenge a long time ago. You don't sound like a man who's angry because someone escaped his plan, you sound like someone who can't stand the thought of losing her. You sound like a man who's falling for the same woman he was supposed to destroy."

The second those words left her mouth, Jungkook slammed his fist down hard against the desk.

The loud bang echoed violently through the office, startling even Raven for a brief second despite herself.

"Shut the fuck up, Raven!" he snapped furiously, his jaw clenched so tightly it almost hurt. "Don't start with your fucking nonsense." His eyes burned with frustration. "And if you say that bullshit again, I swear to God I'll throw you out of this office myself."

But Raven clearly wasn't intimidated by him.

She knew very well Jungkook was capable of doing exactly that but she also knew him well enough to know he wouldn't actually do it.

So instead of reacting to his threat, she simply raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair again, completely unfazed by his outburst.

"Don't be such an ass, Jungkook," she said dryly. "You're the one standing here sounding like you want to have a future and kids with her, not me." She scoffed mockingly, still visibly annoyed. "I only said what it sounded like. So maybe next time think before you start yelling at me for pointing out the obvious."

Another scoff left her lips before she added mockingly,

"If you don't want people thinking you're some heartbroken husband who got rejected by his soulmate… then maybe stop acting exactly like one."

Jungkook said nothing at first, but the tension in his posture never eased. His jaw remained tight while his fingers tapped once against the armrest before going still again.

He hated to admit it, but a part of him knew the way he had been acting lately made it difficult to defend himself completely. Even he could feel how irrational it sounded when spoken out loud.

Raven watched him carefully before speaking again, her tone sharper this time, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Let's be real for a second," she said. "You married Evie to settle a score. You made that very clear from the start." She tilted her head slightly. "You told everyone you wanted to play with her feelings, ruin her completely." A dry scoff left her lips. "You used to say she wasn't even your type. Not your standard. Hell, you even said this marriage wouldn't last more than three or four months."

Jungkook's expression darkened immediately. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Raven gave him a pointed look that silently told him to shut up and listen first.

"But now?" she continued. "It's been over six months, and instead of ending this whole thing, you dragged it out." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And suddenly, now that she's actually leaving you for real, you can't handle it?"

Jungkook finally spoke, irritation slipping into his voice because he absolutely hated where this conversation was heading. He hated whenever Raven dug too deeply into his business, but she had always been too stubborn to stop once she started.

"That's not what this is," he muttered coldly, though even to his own ears, the excuse sounded weak.

"Then what is it?" Raven shot back immediately, almost amused by how desperately he was trying to deny something so obvious. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks pretty damn clear."

His jaw clenched harder. God, he just wanted her to shut the fuck up already.

"She's my wife," he said flatly. "Of course I'm not going to sit there and act like I don't care when she walks out."

Raven let out a humorless laugh, more mocking than amused.

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Don't try to make this sound deeper than it is. You sound like some pathetic husband in a drama whose wife finally got tired of his bullshit and left." She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "But don't forget why you married her in the first place."

Jungkook shot her a sharp glare instantly.

"Watch your mouth, Raven," he warned, voice low with irritation. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, so either drop it or get the fuck out of my office. You don't need to dig into my business. I'll deal with it myself."

"No, you watch yours," Raven snapped back without hesitation. "And I'm not fucking leaving until I knock some sense into your head." She leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "And as for 'not digging into your business'? Let me remind you who helped you with this mess in the first place."

Jungkook looked away in annoyance, but she continued before he could interrupt her again.

"You keep hiding behind this whole 'settling a score' excuse," she said bluntly, "but honestly? How long are you planning to use it?" She raised an eyebrow. "You really think you're going to stay married to her forever just to continue some revenge fantasy?"

"She doesn't get to leave whenever she wants," Jungkook muttered through clenched teeth. "That's not how this works."

Raven stared at him for a moment before shaking her head slowly, like she genuinely couldn't believe what she was hearing anymore.

"See?" she said quietly, almost in disbelief. "That right there. That's exactly what I'm talking about."

He frowned. "What?"

"You don't sound angry because your plan failed," Raven replied. "You sound angry because she left you first."

Jungkook looked away briefly, annoyed at himself, at her, at the whole situation he had gotten himself into. "You wouldn't get it."

Raven scoffed at how dumb he sounded, like he had left his brain on vacation. "There's nothing to get. It's stupid."

That immediately made his eyes snap back toward her. "Careful, Raven. I'm warning you. I swear, don't take me lightly."

But she ignored the warning completely.

"You're Jeon Jungkook," she continued firmly. "You've got status, money, influence, a reputation—an entire future lined up in front of you." She gestured toward him in disbelief. "And instead of acting like the man everyone knows you are, you're sitting here obsessing over a middle-class girl who was never even supposed to matter this much."

Jungkook's jaw flexed visibly.

"It does matter," he muttered before he could stop himself.

The words slipped out too naturally.

Too honestly.

And the second silence fell afterward, even Jungkook realized what he had just admitted.

Raven stared at him for a moment before letting out a low scoff.

"There it is," she said quietly, almost mocking. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Jungkook immediately leaned back in irritation.

"Don't start."

"Oh, I already started," Raven replied bluntly. "You're not angry because your revenge failed. You're angry because she left before you were ready to let her go."

"That's bullshit."

"Is it?" she challenged instantly. "Because from what I see, Evie already learned her lesson." Her tone turned colder now. "She's emotionally destroyed. She's leaving quietly instead of fighting back. Her pride's gone. Her strength's gone." Raven folded her arms tighter. "Isn't that exactly what you wanted from the beginning?"

Jungkook stayed silent.

And his silence itself irritated him because, no matter how much he wanted to make sense of it, he couldn't make anything rational out of what he was thinking.

Because part of him hated how accurate her words sounded, and he didn't even know what the exact answer was.

"We already ruined both of them," Raven continued. "Evie and Taehyung are suffering. They lost everything." She shrugged lightly. "Your so-called revenge worked. So why are you still sitting here acting miserable?"

Jungkook exhaled slowly through his nose before muttering bitterly, "Because it doesn't feel finished. It didn't get any conclusion."

Raven frowned slightly.

"And what exactly would make it feel finished to you?" she asked.

He didn't answer immediately.

His fingers curled tighter against the chair while frustration built visibly across his face.

"I don't know," he admitted finally, quieter this time. "I just…" He stopped himself before continuing. "I can't stand the thought of her leaving like this—not without any proper closure."

Raven stared at him carefully, not knowing how someone could sound this dumb. God, it genuinely felt like this man had sent his brain on vacation. She shook her head slowly.

"God, you really are losing it."

Jungkook clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Stop exaggerating."

"No, you stop acting like this," she shot back sharply. "You're wasting your peace of mind over someone who shouldn't even matter anymore." Her expression hardened. "Think logically for once, Jungkook. This whole thing was supposed to end months ago. She left. It's over." She gestured around the office. "You won. They're suffering. So what exactly are you still holding onto?"

Jungkook rubbed a hand over his face tiredly but said nothing.

Raven leaned back again, crossing her arms.

"There's an entire world outside this drama," she continued. "A world where you can actually move on and live normally instead of sitting here acting like your life ended because one girl walked away from you." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "You were never made for this emotional mess."

Jungkook let out a long breath, his shoulders finally dropping slightly for the first time since the conversation started.

Because as much as he hated hearing it, part of him knew Raven wasn't entirely wrong.

And that was exactly what frustrated him the most.

Raven was the only person who could read him like an open book. She had always had a way of forcing reality directly into his face when nobody else could. She never sugarcoated things. Never dragged emotions into it.

That's what he liked about her—she had the ability to get under his skin and pull him back to his senses.

And after a long silence, Jungkook leaned back fully into his chair again, exhaustion finally settling visibly across his expression.

He was tired.

And somehow, despite all the arguing, Raven had managed to crack through the wall his pride had been desperately trying to hold together.

Seeing his expression soften, Raven let out a sigh before standing up from the chair and walking toward him.

Stopping in front of him, she lifted a hand to his hair, fixing the messy strands gently. Jungkook let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, allowing her touch.

"Go home, Jungkook," she muttered softly, her fingers grazing lightly against his skin. Her tone was calmer now, less mocking than before. "Get some rest. Clear your head. This isn't you." She shook her head slightly. "Sitting here drowning in your thoughts doesn't suit someone like you. Move on. You're not some heartbroken idiot."

He gave a small nod, leaning back further into the chair while letting her touch linger because, somehow, it helped him loosen up a little.

Yeah… he really was tired.

And no matter how much he tried to push everything away, Raven always had a way of dragging him back to reality. She always had.

A faint smile crossed her lips when she noticed him relaxing under her touch. Slowly, she pulled her hand away, and a quiet chuckle escaped her when his brows twitched slightly at the loss of contact.

Jungkook opened his eyes to look at her.

Raven leaned down a little closer, her voice dropping lower. "I'll come over tonight," she murmured, brushing her fingers lightly against his shoulder. "So stop overthinking. By the end of the night, you won't even remember she exists anymore."

His lips parted slightly like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only gave her a quiet nod, exhaling tiredly as if silently agreeing to wait for her.

Satisfied, Raven pulled back and gave him a small wink before lifting her purse onto her shoulder.

"I'll see you tonight," she reminded him teasingly before finally turning around to leave the office.

But as she walked away, Raven didn't feel relief.

She felt something else creeping beneath her calm expression—something darker that she refused to acknowledge out loud just yet.

For a while now, she had been watching Jungkook closely. The weak excuses. The sudden distance. The way he kept dragging this so-called revenge far beyond the point it should've ended. The way his eyes changed every single time Evie's name came up.

Something in him had shifted.

And Raven hated it.

Not because she was jealous of Evie. No.

It was because she knew Jungkook better than anyone else did. She had known him since childhood. She knew how his mind worked, how to read every mood written across his face, how to pull him back under control whenever he started slipping away.

And she wasn't about to let some emotional middle-class girl ruin that.

Evie might have gotten into his head, but Raven wasn't going to let her stay there. She'd bring him back under her control. No matter what it took.    Because Jungkook wasn't just anyone to her–he was hers. And she wasn't letting go.   

★ ★ ★

—𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗏𝗈𝗍𝖾         𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖽𝗋𝗈𝗉 𝖺 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍···୨ৎ