The morning air in Jojo’s flat was tense, like the quiet before a storm. Rhea sat at the desk, scrolling through files on the laptop. Thunder and Buddy dozed uneasily near the couch, their ears twitching at every creak in the floorboards.
Alex was pacing. Arms crossed. Jaw tight. “You’re not going alone.”
Jojo tied her hair back with practiced calm, not even glancing up. “I have to. One handler slipping into their system makes sense. Four people and two dogs? We’d stick out like a sore thumb.”
Alex stopped mid-stride. “And if you’re caught?” His voice was low, harsh. “Jojo, this isn’t some puzzle you can outsmart. They’ll kill you the second they sniff something off.”
She zipped up her jacket, steady and deliberate. “And if I don’t try, we’ll never know what’s happening inside Gamma. We need intel, Alex and it’s the only way.”
For a long moment, Alex just stared at her. Thunder whined softly, as if echoing his worry.
“You always do this,” Alex muttered. “Charge in like you are untouchable. What if one day you don’t make it?”
That one cut deeper than she expected. Jojo reached out, catching his wrist. “Hey. You’re my best friend. My anchor. But if I don’t take this risk, more dogs end up like the ones we’ve seen. Trust me, I'll come back."
Alex’s jaw tightened, but his eyes softened. With a sigh, he squeezed her hand. “Fine. But if you’re not back in two hours, I’m coming in guns blazing.”
Jojo smirked, just a little. “Deal.”
---
The gates of Site Gamma loomed ahead, razor wire glinting in the pale light. Disguised in a handler’s uniform, Jojo walked with measured confidence, clipboard tucked under her arm. Her forged ID passed the scan without a blink.
Inside, the air was suffocating. Sterile, cold — but beneath it, the stench of fear. Dogs barked from steel cages, some lunging at the bars, others too broken to move. Their eyes followed her. Pleading. Hollow.
Her stomach twisted, but she forced herself to keep walking, blending with the other handlers. Each step echoed against concrete, every shadow a threat.
She was just beginning to map the layout in her head when it happened.
That feeling. A weight.
A stare.
Jojo froze mid-step.
Across the training hall, a man stood with his hands tucked casually in his pockets. His black hair fell just enough to shadow sharp, assessing eyes. He wasn’t just watching her — he was dissecting her, peeling away the disguise she’d so carefully built.
Her pulse stuttered.
He moved.
His stride was unhurried, but commanding. Guards shifted uneasily as he passed, their silence a clear marker of his authority. He stopped just short of her path, gaze unwavering.
And then—
“Hey.” One of the thugs near the wall narrowed his eyes at Jojo. “Never saw you here before. New face?”
Another stepped closer, suspicion sparking.
Jojo’s hand twitched toward her pocket knife—
But before she could move, a hand clamped around her wrist, dragging her into the shadows. Her back hit cold concrete.
A low voice brushed her ear. Smooth. Dangerous.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Detective.”
Her breath caught. He knew.
But she kept her mask on, chin high. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His lips curved, faint, sharp. His eyes glittered in the dim light. “You’d have blown your cover in thirty seconds.”
Jojo’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t wrong. But she refused to let him win. “And you? Who exactly are you?”
For a fraction of a second, something flickered — a crack in his cold mask. Then it was gone, replaced with that unreadable smirk.
“You ask too many questions. But since you insist... Taehyung.”
The thug from before rounded the corner, suspicion still thick. “You two know each other?”
Without missing a beat, the stranger slid an arm around Jojo’s shoulders, pulling her close. His voice was smooth, practiced, silk with an edge.
“Of course. This one’s with me.”
The thug hesitated, eyes narrowing.
The man’s grip on Jojo tightened — protective, territorial. “Unless you want to question me?” His tone was a dare.
The thug muttered a curse under his breath, then backed off.
When he was gone, Jojo exhaled slowly, shifting to pull free. But the man didn’t let go. Not immediately.
“You’re welcome,” he murmured.
Her glare was sharp. “Why help me? You could’ve exposed me.”
That faint smirk returned. “Because brave doesn’t mean smart, Detective.” He leaned in, voice barely a whisper. “And you’re lucky I don’t want you dead. Not yet.”
Finally, he stepped back, releasing her. The shadows seemed to fold around him as he retreated, his presence vanishing as swiftly as it appeared.
But his name lingered, dropped like a warning and a promise.
“Taehyung.”
Cold. Commanding. Unreadable. The kind of man who could burn you alive with a look, yet give nothing away.
Jojo stood frozen, her pulse racing, her disguise suddenly heavier than ever.
And she knew—
This was only the beginning.
---
Hey Sparkles ✨️
Finally, the moment you were all waiting for, Taehyung is here! Jojo had her first real clash with Taehyung— dangerous, magnetic, and already blurring the lines between friends and foe. Meanwhile, Alex’s protective bestie side 💖 chief's kiss. But who is really in control —
Taehyung or Jojo?
Stay tuned 😉
VOUS LISEZ
Veil Of Secrets
Fanfiction📖 Veil of Secrets (The Veilbound Series - Book 1) When a prized show dog vanishes, rookie detective Jojo and her golden retriever Buddy find themselves on a case that spirals far beyond a simple disappearance. With the sharp-witted Alex by her side...
