Author's POV:
Taehyung sat on his grand chair in the office room accompanied by Jo who sat on the chair across the desk.
"Sir. These are the files. Choi Y/N's father is indeed related to the whole situation." Jo said. Taehyung checked the papers as a muscle in his jaw jumped.
"Your father, Mr Kim... Mr Lee and Mr Choi were in this together. And Mr Choi's death is definitely related to this matter. This gold mine wasn't only Mr Kim's target..." Jo said.
"It seems like it. Maybe there is more to this gold mine than we know. Once Lee Taereul discloses the location to us, we have to hurry. My father's waiting exactly for the moment Lee discloses it. If he gets what he wants, he'll kill his own family."
"You.." Jo trailed off as Taehyung nodded, looking at the papers. He kept them inside a drawer before locking it.
"Sir, we have 2 months and a week until Choi Y/N's release. Lee Taereul hasn't answered us yet. What should we do?" Jo asked as Taehyung looked at him.
"Until he answers, we have to keep sending him fake proof of his daughter being tortured here."
"She's being anything but tortured."
A moment of silence until Jo spoke, "Sir, she doesn't know anything about this gold mine, does she?"
"No, she doesn't."
"Sir, will we really be able to get the gold mine before anyone else? Lee Taereul is the only one who knows the location now."
"I suspect him."
"What?" Jo sounded confused.
"If he knew the location, why would he let a girl who's just like his daughter be tortured in a mafia's house like this? It's been 23 days of her being here."
Jo's face turned into a shocked frown as Taehyung stared at him, raising a brow.
"But... we have proof that he knows where the mine is," Jo said. Taehyung clicked a tongue while playing with his pen.
"What if the proof isn't real? I've called him thrice in the past 23 days. Sending the location to us or meeting us would take a week. But it's nearly 4 weeks now."
"What if he's just abandoning Miss Y/N?"
"If he did, we'd know it. He would prove it. But he didn't. He's buying time... more and more time. It all proves only one thing."
"Maybe... he isn't the one who knows about the mine."
"Not my father... not Lee Taereul. The only one who knows about the mine then is..."
"Someone close to this..."
Jo gasped as Taehyung clicked his tongue, sighing.
"Is that why Lee Taereul is delaying? Because he's working on finding the mine as well."
"Does Miss Y/N know?"
"If she knew, Taereul would be owning it already... with my father."
"But sir.. why does Mr Kim work with Lee Taereul?" Jo asked.
"When two lions are hunting for the same prey, working together is the best option for the job to be made easier. And after they succeed..."
"They kill off each other... for greed."
"But s-" Jo was speaking but stopped seeing Taehyung showing him his palm as a sign to stop. Frowning, he looked in the direction behind him where Taehyung's gaze was. Jo's mouth gaped seeing a shadow near the room, he immediately turned to Taehyung asking, "Should I go and see?"
"It's her. The dumb fox of the house." Jo gulped, realizing it was no one but you.
Yes, you were standing near the room, listening to everything—eavesdropping.
Taehyung shook his head and whispered, "Get her ass in front of me, in the basement."
"Sir are you-" Josh was about to ask but stopped seeing Taehyung's stare. He looked annoyed, hella annoyed.
You, who were standing there while processing everything you just heard flinched hearing the door open. You were about to run away but a hand pulled you back as you turned around to see Jo standing there with a frown.
"OH... hey!" You waved, smiling widely. What a fake smile it was! He sighed and looked down saying, "You shouldn't have put yourself in trouble..."
"What?!"
———
"What?!" You asked for the 2039036th time as you were sitting on a chair, surrounded by two big men around you. You looked up at them who had pretty sour faces right now. You gulped and stared at them with a frown.
"What is wrong with you all?!" You asked.
"The wrong is with you," Taehyung spoke, clicking his tongue. You looked at your lap knowing well you just got caught while eavesdropping in a mafia's business. A mafia business. Serious gold mine talk.
You cleared your throat before looking up again but that cold face and those intimidating deep brown eyes were making your throat go dry.
"You really have too many bad manners for an adult. Childish bad manners." He said. You knew what he was talking about.
Your habits of talking while eating, assuming, screaming and throwing tantrums, being stubborn, lying and... eavesdropping. Yeah, he kind of saw those by now.
"You aren't anyone to say a thing! I just randomly heard my name so I thought you were badmouthing me but... you're worse." You rolled your eyes, looking away.
"Not like you ever answer me when I ask a thing. It's always 'You don't need to know' 'You just need to be safe here' 'It doesn't matter to you'. I do not care about those shitty lines, okay? I do not care. I need answers. I need to know why I'm kidnapped here... and why I'm kept safe though I'm a hostage in here. And most importantly, why on earth is Uncle Lee related to you?"
"She didn't hear everything I guess. She wouldn't be quiet if she heard her father's name." Jo whispered as quietly as he could in Taehyung's ear who sighed.
"You deserve to be punished, sweetheart." Not that nickname again. He only used it when he was in the mood for seriously making your life living hell. You squirmed in your seat a little, feeling uncomfortable just by the thought of him grounding you.
You hated the idea of him making the meals about grass again. It really turned you into a depressed person.
"You don't get to play with Azure for 5 days."
"That's psychological pain!"
"Be it, then."
"Hey, no! You can't do that!"
"I can."
You looked at him with a look which was definitely a sad puppy face. Well, no glaring this time though you were dying to. You were actually helpless. You were the wrong one this time.
"I'm not a kid... I do not need punishments."
"Act like an adult then."
You sighed, looking down.
"Why can't I know about the reason for my own kidnapping?!" You asked.
"It's nothing you gotta worry about, as I said already."
"I told you I didn't want that answer."
"That's the only answer you'll get."
You rolled your eyes and looked down. You saw his figure standing close to you. A part of you realized that he also had a scent and you kind of wanted to smell it. You hated him, of course. His scent too. But, you wanted to smell it once. It was a weird want in you that you couldn't really understand but you gulped, trying to shrug off those thoughts until you actually smelled that scent, the dark woody scent which belonged to him.
A soft tingle spread across you again as you squirmed in your seat, trying not to react. Gosh, what's even wrong with you??
"You're unbelievable." He said and shook his head saying, "Look. Don't try to get involved in adult matters."
You frowned, staring up at him in disbelief.
"What?! Adult matters? For your information, I'm an adult. I am 26."
"Too young to talk."
"Hey, stop! Hey, you there! Stop!" You were yelling but he left the room along with his dark woody scent. Jo, who stood there looked at your toe and said, "I'm surprised you can walk with that toe."
"Umm..." You gulped and looked away as he smiled saying, "I hope you do not eavesdrop. Trust me, I don't know what you're thinking but the only thing I can tell you is that... your uncle is not as innocent as you think. Though you probably won't believe me but... I hope you can survive these 5 days... if Mr Kim is kind enough, he might shorten the time. But you can try being nicer to him, he's someone who actually melts. Trust me."
You saw his figure leave as you sighed. Really? That's all he had to say?
He was someone who'd melt? He looked like a literal boulder who wouldn't even move an inch if you kicked it with all your might.
"Well... he isn't all that rocky." You said, staring at your bandaged foot.
—Time skip
You chewed your chicken dumplings while staring at the two men in front of you. Azure was not even in the frame. Taehyung sent her to the vet again for a checkup and asked to keep her in special care for 5 days.
He was ruthless.
"I didn't even overhear anything serious... it was the same shit again." You said as he raised a brow before continuing eating.
"Other than your father being involved in some gold mine along with my uncle... Why is your entire family related to him?" You asked. You couldn't keep in the curiosity.
"You do not need to k-"
"Gosh, you're so annoying! I do not need to know, I know! But just tell me? You don't always do everything you need to. Sometimes you do stuff because you want to, you know?"
He stared at you with his mouth gaping a little. He didn't talk, just stared at you as you gulped, focusing back on your food.
"Why do you want to know so bad? I told you it's dangerous."
"Because... because I want to know. I mean, people have their curiosity and knowledge about certain stuff is a need. You're keeping me away from home... it's been 23 days since I'm with you all. I haven't gotten fresh air or anything, I'm literally captive here. I, at least, have the right to know why I'm in this situation. Moreover, I am kidnapped. What you're doing is a crime, only because you've fed me properly and kept me safe and sound doesn't justify how wrong this whole thing is. Even if you all have some secret motives or whatever bullshit you'll talk about, it's still a wrong thing that you've done as a victim, I hold the right to know."
"You shouldn't-" Jo was speaking but got interrupted by Taehyung who placed the fork on his plate making a noise.
"I'll tell you. But you have to gain my trust first."
"Your trust?! I don't even trust you, how will you trust me?"
"Exactly. Trust me first, then make me trust you. Only then will you know the reasons... the answers to all your questions."