Broken Paths || Wen JunHui

Chapter 27: Round & Round

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Da-Rae's footsteps echoed through the hospital corridor as she ran, her breath ragged, her heart pounding in her chest. The sterile white walls seemed to close in around her, each shadow stretching and shifting as if Jun's presence lingered everywhere. Her thoughts were a cacophony of panic, guilt, and fear.

She rounded a corner and nearly collided with a nurse.

"Dr. Song, what's going on? Are you okay?" the nurse asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

Da-Rae struggled to catch her breath, her words tumbling out. "Jun Hui... patient in 413. He—he's in his room. I need someone to secure him now."

The nurse's expression darkened, and she grabbed Da-Rae's arm to steady her. "I'll call security. Stay here."

But Da-Rae shook her head. "No. I need to... I need to check on something first." She didn't even know what she meant. All she knew was that she couldn't stand still, not when Jun was loose in the hospital.

As the nurse hurried off, Da-Rae forced herself to slow her breathing and think. What was Jun's plan? He couldn't stay hidden forever—not here. Was he trying to intimidate her? To prove a point?

Her mind raced back to the way he'd spoken to her, the possessive edge in his voice. Not now. Not ever.

A chill ran down her spine, and she felt that same oppressive weight she'd felt in her apartment—the feeling of being watched, of being marked.

She moved cautiously now, her shoes making deliberate, muted sounds against the linoleum. She had to regain control of the situation. She was a doctor, and Jun was a patient. No matter how tangled their relationship had become, she couldn't let him dominate her thoughts.

Reaching the small office she sometimes used to review files, Da-Rae pushed open the door and slipped inside, locking it behind her. The room felt safe, quiet. She sank into the chair, her hands trembling as she reached for her phone.

She dialed Hyun-Woo, her fiancé, for reasons she couldn't entirely explain—perhaps out of desperation for normalcy, for someone to tell her everything was going to be okay.

"Da-Rae?" Hyun-Woo's voice came through the receiver, clipped and impatient. "Where are you? I've been trying to reach you."

"I'm at the hospital," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"At this hour? You shouldn't be there alone. I told you—"

"Hyun-Woo," she interrupted, her voice sharper now, frustration bubbling up despite herself. "Please, just listen. I had to come. One of my patients... he's unstable. I thought he was missing, but he wasn't. He's hiding somewhere in the hospital."

There was a pause on the line before Hyun-Woo spoke again, his tone dismissive. "This is exactly why I've been telling you to leave that place. This kind of work—it's dangerous, Da-Rae. You shouldn't have to deal with people like this."

Her grip tightened on the phone. "I'm not calling for a lecture. I'm calling because I'm scared. I needed to hear your voice."

Hyun-Woo sighed, the sound laced with exasperation. "You're putting yourself in these situations, Da-Rae. If you'd just listen to me—"

She ended the call abruptly, her hand shaking as she placed the phone on the desk. Hyun-Woo's lack of empathy felt like another weight pressing down on her. She was utterly alone in this.

A sound.

A faint creak, like the groan of the old wooden chair in the corner of the room.

Da-Rae froze, her eyes darting to the shadows in the far corner. The dim light from the desk lamp didn't reach there, but she could feel it—a presence.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she rose slowly, her gaze fixed on the darkness. "Jun?"

No answer.

"Jun, if you're here, you need to stop this. Right now." Her voice wavered but held a trace of authority.

Silence.

And then, from the shadows, came a soft chuckle. It sent a shiver down her spine, the sound low and unsettling.

"You ended the call so fast," Jun's voice said, his tone almost teasing. "Was he not what you needed after all?"

Da-Rae's blood ran cold. He had been here the whole time, listening. Watching.

"Jun, this isn't a game," she said, taking a cautious step back. "You need help. We can figure this out, but you have to stop hiding."

He stepped forward, his face coming into view under the dim light. His expression was calm, but his eyes held an unnerving intensity. "I'm not hiding," he said softly. "I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

"Jun, please." Her voice cracked, the fear creeping in despite her attempts to stay composed.

He tilted his head, studying her. "You keep saying 'please.' As if I don't already know what you want. What you need."

Da-Rae clenched her fists, fighting the urge to run. She had to stay strong, to outlast him. "This ends now," she said firmly. "I'm going to get security, and we're going to—"

"You're not going anywhere," Jun interrupted, his voice low but forceful.

Before she could react, he reached out, his hand brushing hers—not a grab, not a forceful move, but enough to root her to the spot.

"I told you," he murmured, his gaze locking with hers. "You're mine. And I'm not letting you leave."

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