ALPHA | BTS FANFICTION

Alpha - Murder Trial - Chapter 26

Sora's POV

I shifted my position on the cushioned chair to ease my sore back as the warm lamp light illuminated the plain room, just enough to keep me awake by the medical bed. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The health monitor continuously chanted within the muted room, making my inside stir uncomfortably at the thoughts of the tragic incident. I sighed deeply, redirecting my weary gaze to Taehyung as he peacefully rested in his medical attire. He fainted on our way home from Jae Yangcha's villa. The gash on his upper left forehead bled nonstop without proper treatment, so the doctor had to bandage his entire head to contain the blood flow.

The medical team assisted my minor wounds, but I wasn't even that injured, except for my sprained ankle. It's very swollen. I could barely walk. Jungkook left to sleep in his room with a few bandages on his cuts and scratches.

Taehyung absorbed the most damage during the conflict.

What will happen to us once the sun rises tomorrow? I'm uncertain. I'm afraid the star's warmth will be blocked by the shaded clouds, casting a disastrous shadow on our households. There was nothing I could do to evade the crisis and I knew... we'll be swept off our feet into the dangerous storm. Creak. I blinked out of my thoughts, turning to find eomma standing by the doorway in her nightgown. She didn't look at me but stared at Taehyung's adverse condition.

"Did he... kill... the alpha?" Eomma whispered, apprehensively glancing at me from the door. We didn't have time to clarify the situation to the elders earlier.

"No. But it'll be difficult to prove his innocence to the council," I shook my head. Eomma sighed and leaned her head against the door frame.

"Do you love him?" Eomma asked, blankly staring at Taehyung. I turned to look at her soulless body with a numb mind.

"Of course," I responded. Eomma didn't respond to me. She examined Taehyung with her sunken eyes.

"If Kim Taehyung fails to defend himself in the game... we'll be in danger," Eomma finally spoke up.

"What do you wish to do? Stay quiet?" I asked, unsurely eyeing eomma.

"Jisoo is suspicious of her late husband's murder. I'm afraid the Jeon will detach their involvements from us... once they uncover the hidden truth," Eomma muttered. I blinked and turned to stare at Taehyung's awfully yellowish skin. He killed his average uncle, and everyone is dishing about it. Taehyung has to battle... two fronts in the war. The society and his own alliance.

"If we fall apart... the society will seize the opportunity to terminate us," I shook my head. We can't risk fighting amongst our own households. Mrs. Jeon can't find out about Taehyung's crime against her late husband. The truth must be buried to sustain a peaceful alliance between the allies. 

"You're right. Our only hope is Kim Taehyung. We must protect him at all costs," Eomma nodded, straightening her body. She told me to rest and left after the brief chat, so I turned to stare at Taehyung's injured body with a discouraged face.

Jae Yangcha supplied the society with too much information... to strike Taehyung. I'm afraid... we won't make it out in one piece. Sora. You should be ashamed! Taehyung is enduring the deadly turbulence because I chose to protect the silent killer! I bit my lower lips, shakily reaching out to hold Taehyung's hand. I have to help him. I dragged him into this mess.

A subtle breeze brushed my hair as I napped in an uncomfortable position after accidentally dozing off beside Taehyung's medical bed. Poke. I felt a soft tap on my nose. Grumbling softly, I opened my sleepy eyes to find another pair of pupils staring directly into mine, causing my heart to thump hard against my ribs.

"You scared me!" I gasped, shoving Jungkook away in a panic as he awkwardly crouched on the floor to watch me lean on Taehyung's bedside with my arms tucked under my chin.

"You're drooling," Jungkook grunted, rising to his feet and slumped on the couch. I groggily rubbed my damp chin as Taehyung remained cold on the bed.

"Are you okay?" I asked, apologetically staring at Jungkook. He darted me an irritated glare.

"You should get your mentality checked. You didn't actually believe it was a wise decision... to hide the murderous prick? You could've died if I didn't hijack Do-hwan's car!" Jungkook huffed.

"I wanted to sort out the issues on my own account," I shrugged. Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"Sora. I didn't know you'd be this stupid. He's a serial killer," Jungkook grimaced. I sighed at his upset frown and lowered my face to stare at my hands.

"Taehyung is in trouble," I muttered. I'm frightened. What if I can't save Taehyung from this madness? My decision to protect Yangcha will likely destroy my household and our alliances.

"I don't pity him," Jungkook darkly shifted his gaze to his cousin.

"Jungkook-"

"Was the alpha telling the truth? He murdered his uncle?" Jungkook dimly searched my pale face for answers. I pursed my lips. I never told Jungkook about the murder because I feared Taehyung would harm Jungkook if I disclosed his crime.

"I don't know,  but I'll trust Taehyung more than the post," I shrugged.

"Yeah. After the alpha almost killed all of us-"

"It was a suicide. Yangcha ended his life to stage his death as a murder," I shook my head. Yangcha had it all planned. And that was to eliminate Kim Taehyung from the game. The alpha knew he was too weak to compete with a top rank, so he smeared blood on Taehyung to provoke Kim Seokjin. He knew... only Seokjin could challenge Taehyung on the chessboard.

Jungkook left with a nurse afterward to treat his injury. I showered in my room and eventually returned to the medical room to find Taehyung sitting up against the headboard with a grim look.

"Does it hurt? Your head? Should I alert the medics?" I asked, worriedly sitting on the edge of his bed. Taehyung didn't answer me but kept his downcast gaze on the window.

"You should've rested last night," He muttered without looking at me. I gently took his hand in mine.

"I was worried about you," I sighed. Taehyung swallowed his adam's apple and turned to stare at me in exhaustion.

"Why were you at his place? I told you to stay away from him," He asked.

"I was angry. Yangcha promised me to stay silent about our family affairs, but he revealed your secrets to Seokjin... so I thoughtlessly went to confront him," I lowered my face. Taehyung gently rubbed my knuckle as we held hands over the warm blanket.

"Jae Yangcha knew?" Taehyung asked.

"Haerim. She told the alpha about your past," I nodded, looking up at him apologetically. Taehyung frowned at me with a weary look.

"You knew? That he was the killer?" Taehyung asked, staring at me with a startled look. I gulped in fear and nodded in extreme guilt.

"I was afraid he'd ruin our household if I notified anyone about his crimes-"

"You somehow stormed into the villa? Even after you were aware of his crimes?!" Taehyung snapped, suddenly tensing his body in irritation. I pouted at his fuming red face.

"He said he wouldn't hurt me-"

"You never trusted me when I said I'll never hurt you, but you believed that fucker's words?" Taehyung coldly stared at me, causing my chest to ache in remorse.

"Taehyung-"

"Get out. I don't want to speak with you," Taehyung rudely interrupted, turning to glare at the window after yanking his hand free from my grip. I stared at my empty hand on the blanket and back at his clenched jaw in tears. I wanted to apologize to him, but I knew... we'd only worsen our dispute if I tried to put out his raging flames with my fuel. Sighing in defeat, I got up to exit the room, granting Taehyung the space he requested.

"The boy isn't dead!-" Mrs. Kim gasped, causing me to halt in the living room. I lifted my sulky face to find the elders... gathered in the living room with Do-hwan. They were reading the news in the article on their devices.

"But he's brain dead. He's basically dead," Jungkook shrugged as he sat beside his father on the couch.

"Kim Seokjin can't charge Taehyung with murder if the boy is alive," Mr. Kim sighed with a hint of hope in his dark pupils.

"But he'll still be accused of committing homicidal offenses," Mr. Jeon responded.

Taehyung can't avoid Yangcha's unforeseen ambush because the alpha is the only living witness. Without him, no one will acknowledge Taehyung's statements. Eomma glanced at me with a stony stare as I unsurely listened to their discussion. She abruptly shot off the couch, stormed towards me, grabbed my wrist, and tugged me with her. I turned to look at Jungkook's confused expression as I followed eomma to her private office.

"You have to see Seokjin," Eomma demanded, roughly shoving her door shut.

"See Seokjin?" I blinked.

"Did Taehyung kill that boy or not? Be honest with me! Why were the three of you at the alpha's place?!" Eomma snapped. I gulped. Sora... maybe you should really... ask for your mother's guidance.

"It was me," I gulped. Eomma slightly widened her eyes as if she heard me wrong.

"What? You killed-"

"I tripped off the stairs. Yangcha tried to support me... and he... fell. I led him to his demise, eomma," I tearfully stared at her. If it weren't for me... Yangcha wouldn't have succeeded with his suicide plan to disable Taehyung. Eomma's face drained in dread.

"Why were you there? At his place! The Kim uploaded the footage of you three fools entering the alpha's villa on your own will!" Eomma snapped. I tried to speak but failed to utter my justification as a hot lump clogged my vocal cords. Eomma scoffed at my guilt-ridden behavior, wildly turning to rub her red face in discontentment.

A moment later.

My mother granted me time to appease my cluttered mind because she wanted me to confess my wrongdoings. She couldn't handle my childish attitude and left me to cry alone in her office until I recollected my unstable emotions. Taehyung grunted in discomfort as he sat beside me with Do-hwan's assistance. The elders grew hushed as they remained seated in their place. Jungkook nervously glanced at me from across the room.

"Sora, love. Taehyung will get in trouble if you refuse to-"

"I killed Yangcha," I confessed. Jungkook and Taehyung immediately frowned at my shocking confession. Mrs. Kim gasped in surprise as appa turned to stare at me with a bewildered look. Eomma remained expressionless.

"The alpha technically fell to his death trying to help her. You didn't kill him," Eomma shook her head.

"Then why is Taehyung-"

"Jae Yangcha loathes Taehyung... for some unknown reason. It might be Kim Seokjin's scheme to use Taehyung as a scapegoat," Jungkook shrugged.

"No. The alpha is obsessed with the supreme alpha. Yangcha has been stalking Sora without her awareness. And he hated me because... he couldn't have her," Taehyung muttered, grumpily folding his arms. Taehyung kept his dark expression on the coffee table, so I nervously studied the elder's startled reaction.

"That boy? He's obsessed-"

"Jae Yangcha has been... tracking my whereabouts with a bracelet he gifted me, but Taehyung broke it during a heated fight between us," I nodded in defeat. Taehyung abruptly turned to me with a stunned look. I never told him about it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Taehyung asked, fully turning his body to face me in irritation. I pursed my lips at his disappointed dark pupils and glanced at the elders.

"Jae Yangcha... is the killer," I admitted. The elders didn't react but stared at me as if they didn't hear my confession.

"The killer?" Mr. Jeon repeated. His mouth dropping open in disbelief.

"He killed the chubby lower rank with rat poison and the girl when she had an asthma attack. That's why we couldn't find any resistance wounds on her body. And the other boy... Seungho... Yangcha drove him mad until the kid hung himself," I tearfully explained. Taehyung scoffed in frustration while glaring at me. I didn't dare meet his gaze. The elders were also... dumbfounded by my confession.

"H-How did you-"

"He told you?" Jungkook asked, straightening his back in realization. I bit my lower lips and nodded at him.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Eomma snapped, firing me an angry look.

"He threatened me! The Jae runs an infamous media outlet that spies on society! His mother- She's obsessed with our households, and they've been gathering information about us! Jae Yangcha knows everything about us! He knows the fire incident was a stunt to kill Park Jihyun! He knew Jeon Jungkook is a half-blood! He knew we seized the supreme alpha's power!" I cried in frustration. Eomma exchanged a startled gaze with Taehyung before directing her attention to me again.

"So it's true? Jae Yangcha's claims... you killed our uncle?" Jungkook turned to stare at Taehyung, whose face darkened upon his cousin's off-limit confrontation.

"Of course not! Gae Haerim told Jae Yangcha lies! Because she resented Taehyung!" I defended Taehyung. He briefly glanced at me in surprise as my mother grew tense in her seat. The elders exchanged stern looks as I sniffled beside Taehyung.

"Sora, sweetie. Are you sure it was Yangcha who killed the lower ranks?" Mr. Jeon questioned. I nodded.

"But he's dead," Jungkook shrugged, leaning back to cross his arms over his chest.

"One is forced to be an accomplice and the other is falsely accused of murder, " Eomma grimaced, lowering her face to rub her nose bridge in distress as she struggled to resolve the dire case.

"We must deny their charges until we gather concrete evidence to refute the council," Appa sighed, dimly staring at me in dissatisfaction. The elders knew... we were tripping on our own tails in the game. How can we present the shocking silent killer incident to society without getting me in trouble?

After all, I hid the killer. I'm Jae Yangcha's accomplice in his crime. Jae Yangcha killed the lower ranks because he wanted to please me. I'll be the root cause of his crimes, and the council will punish me. And everyone will accuse Taehyung of implanting a spy in Seokjin's household. We're fucking screwed.

Fast Forward

It's not a dead end. Not yet. There is still one potential solution left. Thud. Thud. Thud. I quickly strolled through the quiet corridor until I noticed a few guards patrolling a door.

"Miss-"

"Announce my presence to Kim Seokjin," I coldly spoke, trying to push my way into the room, but the man easily held me back with his strong arms.

"No visitors are permitted-"

"What are you doing here?" Seokjin asked, suddenly stepping out of the room. I glanced at the guard's hand on my upper arm, so he quickly released me.

Seokjin invited me inside the royal medical room after I insisted on seeing Jae Yangcha. I nervously followed Seokjin inside the room until I found the alpha resting on the medical bed with an oxygen tube installed deep inside his nostrils. He was on life support. It's been three days since he fell.

"Is he... really brain dead?" I whispered. Seokjin sighed and handed me the medical files, so I flipped through the reports until my face drained in fear.

"My parents will order the medics to take him off life support," Seokjin muttered. I slowly shifted my startled gaze to Seokjin.

"W-What? Seokjin-"

"We can't revive a brain-dead patient. He won't survive without life support, and there's no point in sustaining his unresponsive body," Seokjin softly shook his head.

"You can't kill him!-"

"Why? Because Kim Taehyung will face the murder trial if Jae Yangcha dies? Isn't that why you came here? To beg me? To keep the alpha alive?" Seokjin dimmed his eyes, causing my cheeks to flush red.

"Seokjin! It wasn't Taehyung! I did it! It was me! I hurt him- Oh? Ask Namjoon! We were fighting on the stairs- and I tripped, so Yangcha tried to help me-"

"Really, Sora? Are you seriously defending Kim Taehyung with your petty lies and excuses?! You're willing to take the fall for that asshole? It isn't only about Jae Yangcha! You know it. You were Kim Taehyung's victim once!" Seokjin fired a disappointed look.

"Yangcha killed his friends! All three of them, and I knew! I knew he was the killer, but I stayed silent on the matter because-"

"Whether or not Jae Yangcha kills the lower ranks... no one cares! Because Kim Taehyung is the prime suspect! You, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook stormed inside a weak alpha's home, and he's dead now," Seokjin gritted, firing me a sharp glare. I gulped at his stern face.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me-"

"I did. But I won't let you protect a murderer either. If you want to protect Kim Taehyung. Then stand on his side, and don't try to sway me to please him. Alright? I've had enough of you- exploiting my kindness! I desperately wanted to help you, considering our past relationship but I've realized... I'm only a puppet to you! The person you come crying to when you need help- is me! Why? Because that's how you manipulate me! With your pitiful tears! I've given you a chance, Sora. A chance to free yourself from your corrupted family, but you fled. And now you expect me to defy my family for you? I've already lost two friends because of you! Because I chose to raise a cursed orphan for you! I should've saved Haerim- but I ignored her pleas because of you! Because I trusted you!" Seokjin snapped, furiously glaring at me in tears. I grew hushed as I stared at him with glistering tears. He saw right through me. Sora. What have you become? Kim Seokjin is right about your intention. I'm ashamed.

"Yangcha... he had your contracts after seizing them from Haerim. She intended to save you. I partly stayed quiet because... Yangcha promised to safeguard your household from Kim Namjoon's oppression. I assumed the alpha would hand the contracts back to you," I whispered. Seokjin's eyes flushed with tears as he glared at me. I took a deep breath and left before he spoke. I've repeatedly used Seokjin for my own gain and was never considerate of his feelings. How can I be this greedy? I wanted to safeguard the orphan's life, so I begged Seokjin to get his hands dirty with my family's affairs... and as a result... we're all spiraling into the dark abyss.

_____________________

The judgment day ultimately arrived after I desperately prayed to avoid it. Kim Seokjin's household publicly requested Kim Taehyung's presence at the council to address the incident. We had no evidence to counter the Kims. Nothing. There was nothing. Yangcha did not leave behind any notes or evidence for us to oppose the accusation.

My anxious heart started thumping in my ears as I gripped my fingers with my eyes fixed on the crowded council room. Taehyung sat at his third-rank seat with the Jeon and his cousin in their neat attire. He's been avoiding everyone at the mansion for a week. He didn't eat or drink the meals prepared for him. He refused to meet or speak with anyone and completely shut himself out from the world.

Taehyung resents me for concealing Yangcha's crimes, and he probably hates me even more now... for being the scapegoat for a murder he never committed.

"Let him deal with it. Okay?" Eomma nudged my arm. I turned to stare at her and nodded as I repeatedly tapped my shoes against the carpet floor. My parents warned me to avoid direct involvement with the case. Only Kim Taehyung will handle the trial.

I'm forbidden from meddling with the affair, even if it meant... he'll be the person to take the bullet. The moderator started briefing the objectives to familiarize the council with the murder trial until I felt really lightheaded. Taehyung, however, remained composed in his place with a blank expression. I can't tell if he's nervous or not.

"Kim Taehyung, the leading heir in the Kim household... is accountable for Jae Yangcha's death at his villa-"

"I heard the alpha is still alive! He's not dead!" Jimin snapped at Seokjin. The room grew hushed.

"Jae Yangcha passed away last night," Seokjin announced, causing me to stiffen in place. What? The council erupted with the devastating news.

"What do you mean he's dead-"

"Jae Yangcha has been brain-dead since the day of his injury. Our household made the most rational decision to take him off life support," Seokjin sighed. My eyes suddenly swelled with tears. I knew Seokjin wouldn't listen to me, but it still crushed my heart. Yangcha is gone. He left us all in a wreck.

"Aren't you the killer if you're the one to suspend his life support?" Taehyung asked dully, causing the council to grow hushed.

"A person who is brain-dead... is legally confirmed as dead, Taehyung-shi," Seokjin responded calmly. Taehyung clenched his jaw and glanced away in discontent.

"Kim Taehyung did not kill the alpha," Mr. Kim defended her son.

"There's evidence of your son entering the alpha's villa-"

"My fiancé was missing. I went to pick up Sora but Jae Yangcha... was holding her hostage in his room," Taehyung countered Seokjin. I nervously chewed my thumb.

"The supreme alpha willingly entered his place," Seokjin's mother countered, sternly glaring at Taehyung.

"Well. The only logical assumption is to staple me as the prime suspect because the alpha posted a photo of his beat-up face. But there were witnesses. Where's Kim Namjoon? If you don't believe Sora or Jungkook's statements... then question Kim Namjoon. He'll tell you Jae Yangcha is a killer," Taehyung dawdled. Seokjin briefly glanced at me.

"Are you accusing Yangcha of murder-"

"Yes. Jae Yangcha is the silent killer we've all been searching for. Jang Wook, Yoona, and Seungho died at his hands-"

"That's absurd! They're his friends!" Hoseok snapped, glaring at Taehyung skeptically.

"That's why we didn't suspect him. If you're going to accuse me of murdering Jae Yangcha... then you should unearth his crimes first," Taehyung shrugged. The council grew hushed as they uneasily observed the top ranks.

"You're speaking without proof-"

"The day Yoona was brutally murdered. Jae Yangcha's name was not on the attendance list. He snuck in using Haerim's identity. Check for yourself. The day Jung Hoseok witnessed the alpha handing me the black raincoat... I never accepted it. Ask for the camera footage to confirm for yourself," Taehyung shrugged. Seokjin dimmed his face and glanced at Hoseok, who was taken aback by Taehyung's claim.

"The trial isn't about Jae Yangcha! It's about you! You murdered the alpha!" Seokjin's mother snapped in irritation. Taehyung let out a hefty sigh and fired me an annoyed look. The moderator eventually concluded the meeting after the fruitless arguments, permitting Taehyung to accumulate evidence to defend himself. They granted him a period of two weeks to prepare for the forthcoming trial.

"Tae-" I tried to speak, but he hastily got up from his seat and stormed off without acknowledging my existence. I pursed my lips and glanced at Jungkook, who fired me a disappointed look and left after his cousin. They're all upset with me. Maybe I should confess to being an accomplice? Taehyung shouldn't shield me like this! I sulkily followed the elders back to our car and left to stay at the mansion.

I didn't attend school afterward because I was feeling extremely unwell. No one spoke to me as I quietly grieved my foolish actions. Yangcha... What have you done? I gave you so much love... Why did you turn my sincere feelings towards you into resentment against my lover?

Taehyung still didn't speak to me. He'd shut himself in his room, and I didn't want to upset him anymore... so I didn't bother him. Imo would complain about Taehyung's cold dishes after the maids returned with the meals. It felt like my world was spinning out of control.

"What's wrong?" I asked while leaning against my bedhead as eomma strolled inside my room without a notice. She closed the door and sat down at the foot of my bed.

"Taehyung won't survive the trial without sufficient evidence to back his innocence," Eomma restlessly sighed.

"I can help him. I'll confess. Okay? I'll tell the society about Yangcha's obsession and tell everyone it was my fault-"

"No. Don't be stupid, Sora," Eomma firmly shook her head. I pursed my lips.

"Then let's skip the engagement? I'll get married to him and assert our influence in the council-"

"I wish to postpone your engagement ceremony," Eomma muttered. I blinked at her with a blank mind.

"But it's in a week-"

"It's a day before the second trial. The council and our people will switch to Seokjin's side if we assist Taehyung. If we blindly wed you to him- the society might seize the chance to fire us down with him," Eomma explained. I stared at her in shock after I understood her intent.

"Eomma-"

"I desperately want Taehyung to be your partner because I've always had faith in him, but this is a critical case. The Kims ended Yangcha's life, so they could officially accuse Kim Taehyung of murder. There is no proof to defend Kim Taehyung from the charges, not when Kim Namjoon refuses to stand as a witness, and you can't take the blame for Taehyung either. The society will target you too if you aid Taehyung... and we'll collapse," Eomma firmly shook her head.

[Ga Aera Official Picture Reference]

"What is it that you want from me, eomma?" I asked. My heart is heavy, and I know she's after me for something.

"I want you to speak with Kim Seokjin-"

"Eomma! That's enough! You can't keep on using me to fool Seokjin!" I whined in distress. She sent me to convince Seokjin to keep Yangcha alive, but he knew my intention! He's not an easy target to fool!

"Sora! You have to survive Jae Yangcha's scheme! Seokjin probably still favors you! You- just have to soften him a bit- Just enough to save our household!" Eomma snapped. I scoffed at her demand in disbelief.

"You hated Seokjin! You've never once shown him your approval, but now you're sending me after him just because he used to love me-"

"Kim Seokjin isn't a powerful man! Not without his complete contract alliances! He will become powerful if he manages to disable Kim Taehyung! We can't risk losing our power, so if he favors you- You can reconcile with Seokjin and potentially marry him. We'll still have access to our power either way! You have to be smart!" Eomma snapped, glaring at me from the foot of the bed. I whimpered and lowered my head in frustration until warm tears flooded my lash lines.

"You told me to steer clear of Kim Seokjin when I loved him, and now you're telling me to deceive him with my love to acquire Taehyung's lost power?" I whimpered in tears. Eomma sadly watched me cry in distress. She slowly got up to sit beside me and warmly took my hand in hers.

"Beautiful women... lives the most... miserable life because of men. Hmm? Sora, sweetie. Be clever and live to see tomorrow, okay? A sacrifice is needed for the greater good," Eomma whispered, gently wiping my tears. I sucked in my breath and sobbed in frustration, so she pulled me into her arms. My mother eventually left my room after I cried myself to sleep, and you guessed it, I woke up with a terrible headache from squeezing the sorrows out of my system. The elders weren't on good terms as they floundered with the upcoming trial.

"What? Postpone the engagement?" Mrs. Kim glanced at eomma with a startled look.

"The trial is a day after the ceremony. We should focus on the issue first," Appa smiled as my mother calmly sipped her tea. Mrs. Kim exchanged nervous looks with her husband.

"But the official engagement is a crucial event to solidify our two households' cooperation in the council," Mr. Kim uneasily chuckled at eomma.

"Of course, but I don't want Sora to face unnecessary trouble because of Taehyung-"

"What do you mean? Our son is enduring the fall for his fiancée!" Mrs. Kim raised her voice but immediately pursed her lips at my mother's deadly glare.

"My daughter did her best to stop the silent killer from exposing our household affairs to society," Eomma calmly spoke, placing her teacup down.

"But Taehyung-"

"We'll postpone the engagement until the case is settled," Eomma declared, getting on her feet and strode away from the living room. She halted when she found Taehyung standing by the corridor with an exhausted look. I nervously stared at him as he darkly glanced at me, but before I could speak, he hastily stormed off.

"Taehyung!-" Mrs. Kim called for her son, but he ignored her, marched into the garage, and left with his sportscar. I nervously glanced at Mrs. Kim's dark frown and hurriedly left the living room in guilt. The stormy sky started pouring after Taehyung left the mansion.

This isn't right. How can my mother expect me to be so heartless? She might've given birth to me from her womb, and her blood might run through my veins, but I'm nothing like her! I restlessly tossed and turned on the mattress. What should I do? Do I obey eomma's order? Or do I defy her?

"Oh? Young lady," Imo greeted, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I blinked and glanced around until I realized I was inside the kitchen.  I unconsciously walk here...?

"You're cooking alone?" I asked.

"I'm baking a cake for Taehyung. He hasn't been eating... anything at all lately. Aigo~! The poor thing~! How can anyone accuse him of ending another alpha's life?" Imo groaned. The maids had finished preparing the meals for the elders and had left to fulfill their other duties.

"I want to help," I offered, rolling up my sleeves as imo washed a basket of fresh strawberries in the sink.

"I heard your mother insisted on postponing your engagement?" Imo asked.

"Neh," I nodded.

"Aigo~! Your household support would significantly benefit the Kims in the trial. Taehyung's situation won't be guaranteed anymore with the uncertainty. It's understandable... as to why your mother chose to delay the ceremony... to protect you from being dragged with Taehyung. But my poor boy... he's isolating himself from the world again," Imo grumbled as I helped her chop the strawberries.

"Taehyung doesn't give up easily," I smiled.

"You're right. That boy is resilient to all sorts of catastrophes. Let's make him a delicious cake and hope... that it'll give him the strength to oppose his enemies?" Imo weakly nudged my arm. I nodded and smiled at her, so we spent time in the kitchen together. She was overly excited about Taehyung's return after preparing the dessert for him.

A moment later.

"Taehyung! You're back?!- We made your favorite strawberry cake- Aigo?! Why are you wet!?" Imo rushed toward the front door with a slice of cake on the plate to greet him but gasped in shock when Taehyung appeared... drenched from head to toe.

"Get out of my way-"

"Sora decorated the cake- Ah!" Imo lifted the plate, but he unexpectedly shoved the plate out of her hands. CRASH. My eyes widened in shock as the fluffy cake splattered onto the marble floor. Imo wildly turned to stare at the mess as Taehyung limped into the mansion with his dirty feet. He's... covered in mud. What the hell happened to him???

"Kim Taehyung!" Mr. Kim bellowed, angrily storming toward his son. Taehyung lifted his swollen eyes to glare at his father with a drunken face. My jaw dropped when I noticed the injuries on his face.

"Taehyung? Are you alright?!!" Mrs. Kim appeared, rushing towards her son.

"The trial is in a few days, and you're returning home drunk?!-"

"What am I supposed to do, abeoji?! I didn't kill anyone- yet I'm accused of being a killer! I'm doing everything I can to save your fucking ass- ARGH!" Taehyung screeched but grunted in pain when his father struck him hard in the face. Imo gasped as Taehyung slipped and fell onto the floor in his dirty clothes.

"Save my ass?-"

"I'd rather die than live to be the fucking heir! But I'm still alive today because I have a fucking household to sustain! A society to lead! A woman to please! I'm only alive for the benefit of others!" Taehyung yelled, angrily scrambling onto his feet.

"You rascal-"

"Honey! He's drunk! Let's speak with him when he's sober!" Mrs. Kim grabbed her husband's arm to stop him from beating her son.

Taehyung spat a mouthful of blood-infused spit onto the stained floor and limped away in anger. I quickly stepped aside to let him pass as imo rushed to alert the nurse. The Kims eventually left to reside in their room and the mansion grew hushed again. I sighed and turned to pick up the broken shards.

"Oh! Young lady! Please leave the mess to me!" A maid rushed forward to grab my wrist. I smiled as she carefully took the shard from my hand. I didn't leave and helped her mop up the place before striding toward my room. Ah~ I should shower. I halted when I found a nurse comforting imo, who was sobbing by Taehyung's closed door.

"Imo. Please rest-"

"That little brat! He keeps breaking my heart! I made him everything he loved, but he refused my efforts! He's bleeding so much, and yet he refused to be treated! How can he be so harsh on himself?!" Imo whimpered as the nurse supported her weak body. The woman wailed in distress as they strolled away, so I slowly walked up to his door and glanced at the medical tray left on the cart.

Sighing, I lifted my finger to press the door pin. He probably changed his password- Click. The door slid open. I stood at his doorway... dumbfounded. He didn't change the passcode? After shutting himself out for so long? Taehyung was not inside his room, so I lifted the medical tray and entered the room. The shower in the bathroom was running... and his door was slightly ajar as I settled the tray on the nightstand. I turned to peek through the small gap. Shaaa~! Taehyung was standing under the shower with his head hung low. He didn't budge and remained like a statue under the harsh downpour.

I carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. Creak. Taehyung didn't seem to notice my presence as he stood with his back turned on me, so I nervously slipped my gown over my head and tossed it into his dirty laundry. What if he chokes me for invading his privacy? Gradually, I walked toward the glass enclosure but sucked in my breath as soon as I realized he was showering in freezing cold water. The cold droplet drizzled lightly onto my bear body... causing me to shudder from the cold tingle. Should I announce my presence? He might beat me if I startle him.

"Leave me alone," Taehyung muttered with his back turned as I pondered by the stall. Oh? Did he notice me? I gripped my fingers as I watched him press his strong arms against the wall with his head hung low.

My body trembled in discomfort as I placed my feet into the icy shower, stepping onto the soaked tiles as the dirty water washed from his bulky body. I inched towards him with a tense feeling. Taehyung didn't budge and kept his face down. I couldn't see his expression. This is probably not a good idea but he won't kill me, right? Not when I'm naked like this? Nervously... I walked up to his muscular back until the freezing shower streamed on my head. I shuddered in difficulty but refused to give in and took another step closer. Why is the water so cold? He'll catch a cold at this rate!

I lifted my arms to wrap them around his firm waist, gently pressing my naked body against his solid back to back-hug the man in the shower. Taehyung let out a frustrated sigh as I embraced him under the downpour. I snuggled my face against his shoulder blade and tightened my arms around his warm skin. We stood in utter silence until the glass enclosure fogged up, but I didn't release him and clutched his buff trunk tightly as water saturated my vulnerable flesh.

I softly stroked his torso to comfort him with my eyes closed when he suddenly lowered his hand to draw my arms from his waist and rotated his massive body to face me. I gulped in fear as he darkly loomed over me with his sharp eyes... partly hidden under his soaked black hair. Taehyung intensely stared at me without speaking as my heart pounded in fear, but I refused to surrender and tip-toed on my feet to peck his lips. Still. He didn't react... so I pressed my lips against his again.

"I don't want to leave your side," I whispered, pulling away to stare at his blank face as I struggled to keep the cold shower from my blurry sight.

"You don't have to pretend-"

"Pretend? To do what?" I asked, gently interlacing our fingers between our nude bodies. Taehyung dimmed his eyes at my damp face. I felt a surge of goosebumps sweeping my skin repeatedly as I fought to tolerate the freezing shower.

"Your mother plans on abandoning my household-"

"She can run as far as she wants, but I'll stay here. Right by your side," I smiled, weakly lifting my hands to cup his firm cheeks.

Taehyung unsurely observed my face, so I chuckled and leaned upward to kiss him again. His steady breath... gradually grew heavier as I inserted my tongue into his mouth to tease him. He gently held onto my waist as I tilted my head to swirl my tongue between his lips. Taehyung pressed my body against the cold wall to align my arching spine with the frosty tiles, so I lowered my hands from his face to encircle it around his thick neck as he gently groped my firm breast, making me moan softly between our wet kisses.

"Are you doing this because you feel sorry?" Taehyung asked, drawing his lips away to stare at me. I didn't respond and gently kissed him again, so he gave in and kissed me back until I slipped my arms from his buff chest to grab his private part, causing him to stiffen against my body.

"I miss you," I responded, panting steamily against his moist lips with one hand in his hair as I gently rubbed his hard bulge with my other hand. Squelch. Squelch.

Taehyung grunted against my lips as he pinned me against the wall and lowered his face to kiss my neck, so I tugged his hot body against mine in the shower while pleasing him with my hand until he grunted in difficulty, slightly twitching against my naked body. He ejaculated after ten minutes. I gasped, slowly withdrawing my saliva-soaked lips from his as I stood under his manly body and glanced down at his slimy semen between my palm and fingers with a flustered face. He usually takes longer to... finish. He must be super strained to finish this quickly.

"Urgh..." Taehyung screwed his fuming face and lowered his head to rest on my soaked shoulder while panting heavily. I reached down again to help him unload his remaining discharge. Taehyung sucked on my shoulder as he pinched my sensitive tips, causing me to whimper in pleasure.

"You're pent up. How long have you been holding it in?" I smiled, gently kissing his ear. Taehyung finally lifted his head and gently took my dirty hand to place it under the shower. He quietly washed his semen from my palm until I was clean and turned to make out with me again. I gave in to his assertiveness and hugged his naked hips as our slippery skin slip and slide over each other... causing my body muscles to stiffen... under the warm bathroom light. 

"Can you scrub my back?" He asked, turning to shut off the shower. I smiled as he sat down on the tiled bench, so I grabbed his soap and sponge to scrub his dirty back. Why is he so dirty?

"You didn't change your passcode, so I figured you wanted to let me in," I giggled.

"I forgot to change it. It wasn't intentional," Taehyung scoffed. I grinned at his weak smile and kissed his cheek as I scrubbed his firm skin.

"How can you ignore such a cute girlfriend for so long? It breaks my heart," I joked, tilting my head to observe his irritated face.

"You mean an annoying girlfriend?" Taehyung fired me a playful glare, roughly slapping my buttcheek. Smack!

"Oppa~!" I cutely whine, reaching down to rub my sore buttcheek. Taehyung laughed and pulled me onto his slippery lap, so I clutched his neck to stabilize my weight and gently licked his lips.

"Let's hurry up! I'm hard again!" Taehyung complained, roughly kissing me. I giggled at his claim until I felt his hard bulge poking between my wet thighs. I got up to shower with him and quickly left the bathroom in a towel, but he didn't give me time to get ready.

"Ah!" I gasped in a panic when he suddenly swept me off the floor and tossed me onto the bed in my towel. Taehyung quickly crawled over the mattress to tear the towel off my body, impatiently nudging my legs apart to position his body against mine.

"You weren't so shy a while ago~! Why are you flustered now?" Taehyung smirked as he kissed and sucked on my sensitive breast. I gripped his wet hair and tilted my head backward while curling my twitching toes.

"Shouldn't we treat your wound first?" I pouted, gently rubbing the scratch on his cheekbone.

"Let's relieve our bodies first. I'm throbbing so badly... it's starting to hurt," He smirked, softly grazing his lips over mine.

"Don't tickle me~!" I whined, pushing his hand away from my waistline.

Taehyung didn't answer me and reached down to press his fingers between my inner thighs, causing me to shiver at his touch. I inhaled in difficulty as he heated up my sensitive areas until I was soaked with his finger activities, but that wasn't enough. He moved his body down south to position his head over my groin, making me jerk intensely as he held my hands over the bedsheet to stop me from pulling his hair. I panted in heat as I felt his slimy tongue rubbing against my pleasure spot, arousing my feverish body with his slick movements.

"I'm sore all over, so you'll be in charge today," Taehyung mumbled, finally lifting his face to stare at me from between my legs while licking his sexy lips. I pushed my body upward with my elbows as he crawled over the mattress to lay down, so I swung my legs over his torso and leaned down to kiss his chest as he adjusted my hips over his crotch.

"Hah~!" I gasped, screwing my eyes in pleasure after he slipped inside me.

I stiffly perched over his toned body as Taehyung massaged my fleshy hips, so I bit my lower lips, raised my hips and sat back onto him until I felt my crotch boiling with the burning warmth. Taehyung tilted his head back on the pillow as I rode him, steadily thumping over his hard bulge until the suffocating pleasure consumed my nerves. I didn't want to make any sound, so I leaned down to meet his lips, deeply kissing the man to muffle our moans.

"Sora-" Taehyung tried to speak but gritted his teeth and slumped on the pillow in pleasure. He grunted with his mouth wide open as he reached down to press on my lower stomach. I gasped and grabbed his hand to interlace our fingers instead. The pressure on my lower torso is triggering an uncomfortable urge to pee!

"Hmm?" I asked while humping him until tears filled my eyes as I felt my body flaming with the thrilling tingles.

"Don't leave my side," Taehyung panted, averting his intense gaze to my flustered face. I giggled while holding his hands to stabilize my position and lowered my body to press my chest against his wet torso. Taehyung wrapped his arms around my waist, reaching down to squeeze my bouncy buttcheeks as he repeatedly penetrated me from underneath.

"Should we make babies?" I asked, whispering into his tears.

"What?- Urgh-" Taehyung groaned, turning to frown at my absurd claims as I sped up the pace of my hip movement.

"I want to have your babies," I smiled, shifting my keen gaze to his startled pupils.

"What are you- Sora- Wait! I'm not done-! Not yet- Sora!" Taehyung snapped, trying to stop me from quickening our rhythm as I grind my torso over his to stimulate the burning sensation. I gripped his hands, pinning him against the pillow as I swiftly rocked over him until I felt a hot surge between my thighs.

Taehyung tried to push me off his body, but I refused and pressed down on his abs until he exploded messily inside me. Taehyung grunted in distress, collapsing weakly onto the mattress as I orgasmed on him. My body quivered in distress as the explosive juice splattered out of my system. He groaned under me after I ended our intimacy... earlier than he desired. I coughed in exhaustion while slipping his throbbing bulge out of me. Taehyung closed his eyes in extreme exhaustion as I massaged his pulsating chest with my palm.

"You came fast~!" I teased while rolling off his body and slumped beside him with my soaked thighs as the thick semen dripped from my crotch.

"What were you saying? Babies...? Aren't you on pills?" Taehyung quickly lifted his face to stare at me in bewilderment. I smiled at his timid behavior.

"Why? You don't want to be a father?" I asked. Taehyung scoffed, quickly rolling over the bed to grab the tissue box. He sat up between my legs.

"Sora! This isn't funny! We're not ready to have a baby yet!" Taehyung scolded me as he wiped his semen from between my thighs. I closed my eyes in exhaustion as he gently dabbed my sticky groin.

"Aigo~! My boyfriend doesn't even want to have babies with me- AH! Oppa!" I grumbled when he suddenly rolled me over onto my stomach to spank my buttcheeks. Smack! Smack! I screamed in shock as he slapped my fleshy bum.

"Are you nuts!? We're in a dire situation right now- Argh! Yah! What are you- ARGH!" Taehyung repeatedly spanked my butt, so I shrieked at his harsh treatment and tackled the man backward. He screeched in pain as I sunk my teeth into his shoulder. Taehyung tried to push my face away, but I refused to let go and bit him harder until he surrendered to my aggression.

"My butt is sore because of you! Who taught you to slap my ass?!" I snapped, sitting up on his torso with a grimace. Taehyung groaned under me as he rubbed his shoulder but halted in shock when he found blood on his fingers.

"Sora~!" He whined, sitting up to squeeze his wound as I sat on his lap with a dark frown.

"You're not the only one with a feral attitude! I'm just as wild!" I glared, quickly pinching his nipple. Taehyung shrieked and shoved me away, making me laugh. His bright red handprint is plastered on my ass!

"I'm sorry!" He whimpered while rubbing his chest. I sideways glared at him and crawled off his bed.

"So annoying~!" I grumbled as I bent down to pick up the towel. Taehyung watched me with a slight grimace.

"Why did you have to bite so hard?!" He whined, sitting up to check his bleeding shoulder in disbelief. I headed inside his bathroom to wash my private part and entered his closet to rummage for my spare nightgown. Taehyung sat against his bed head, still undressed with his legs extended over the mattress as he glared at me. Is he posing naked on purpose? Why won't he get dressed?

"Do you want me to bite you again? I'll bite off your baby-making stick!" I snapped, crawling onto the bed with the medical tray.

"Moh? Baby making stick?!" Taehyung snorted, playfully squeezing my boobs.

"So annoying~!" I muttered. He didn't say anything but grimaced at my moody attitude, so I grabbed the tissues to wipe his private part clean. He sat in utter silence to watch me dab between his thighs. He's very comfortable in his naked skin. I placed a dry towel over his lower body because the manly bulge was too distracting for my eyes.

"Does your precious butt hurt?" Taehyung teased, weakly smiling as he rubbed my butt over the silky gown.

"Do you have a death wish?!" I snapped, biting my lower lips in irritation. He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss my lips. I glared at him after he pulled away and gently lifted his chin to direct his face toward me. I dabbed the cream on the bruise and gently rubbed the remaining leftovers on the fresh bite mark over his shoulder.

"I'll accept this as my woman's mark. It's not the first mark I received," Taehyung shrugged as I bandaged his shoulder.

"What mark? Who else gave you a mark?" I frowned at him. Taehyung twisted his toned torso to show me a small scar on his hip.

"You bit me when you were young after I accidentally ate your snack! Crazy child!" Taehyung pointed at the small scar. I pursed my lips and glanced at him in realization. Taehyung broke into a weak smile and placed his hand on my curve while chuckling at my rosy cheeks as I sat with my legs tucked under me.

"What happened? Why did you come home a mess?" I asked while place the tray on the nightstand with my back on him, slightly perching my hips over the mattress.

"Aigo~! Did I bruise my precious dumpling's buttcheeks? *smooch* *smooch* Minhae~! Let me check~!" Taehyung suddenly leaned over to kiss my bum. He tried lifting the light silk to expose my panties, so I shrieked in annoyance. I shoved the tray onto the nightstand and turned to smack his head. He winced and sat up with a cute pout.

"I asked you a question!" I snapped while glaring at him.

"Keep glaring at me like that, and I'll kick you out of my room! I should punish you for scarring me!" Taehyung threatened, pointing at his injured shoulder. I huffed in irritation and crawled onto his lap to sit facing him.

"Oppa! Answer me~!" I cutely pouted to counter his threat. Taehyung tried not to smile at my cuteness and pursed his lips in difficulty but gave in and leaned forward to kiss me, making me giggle against his lips.

"Why is it so hard to resist you?!" He laughed, pulling away to squish my cheeks, so I kissed his cheek and hugged his neck as he gently patted my head.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, worriedly scanning his depleted face. He's been distracting his difficulty with our trivial chit-chat. Taehyung sighed in defeat as he softly brushed his fingers through my hair.

"You're right. We'll be each other's downfall if we keep fighting on different sides," Taehyung replied while patting my back.

"I'm really really really.... sorry for the mess I caused. I wanted to save Yangcha, but everything backfired on you," I pouted, hugging his neck tightly as I spoke against his shoulder. Taehyung tightened his arms around my body as he gently rocked me from side to side.

"He's dead now, so he won't bother us anymore. I'll focus on untangling the mess he purposely induced to tear us apart," Taehyung whispered. I sadly pulled away to stare at his discouraged face.

"Eomma... she asked me to... break up with you," I confessed, lowering my guilty gaze to stare at my hands. Taehyung grew hushed as he sat with his back rested against the bedhead.

"Why did you defy her?" Taehyung asked, gently lowering his face to kiss my cleavage between the silk. I pursed my lips and glanced at him after he lifted his tender gaze to meet my eyes.

"I don't think I can live without you," I muttered. Taehyung rubbed my cheek and leaned forward to peck my lips. I inhaled his pacifying scent, slightly chasing his lips for more of his affection.

"Even after the endless fights between us?-"

"But we always make up afterward. Right? Even after all the arguments... my love for you hasn't changed a bit," I smiled. Taehyung chuckled and nodded while stroking his thumb over my lips.

"I feel the same way. But what did your mother speak to you about?" He asked, pushing his thumb between my lips to feel my soft tongue. I moaned with my eyes closed and softly sucked onto his fingertips as he played between my lips.

"She said... I should speak to Seokjin and get him on our good side. That's why she wanted to delay the engagement," I sighed heavily. Taehyung withdrew his thumb from my mouth.

"You don't want to return to Seokjin?" Taehyung asked. I frowned at him.

"Of course not. I told you-"

"Araso. I believe you, and I'm grateful to have you," Taehyung chuckled at my annoyed frown. He keeps doubting me! I huffed while eyeing his puffy eyes. He's been crying so much.

"What happened?" I asked, gently patting his muscular chest. 

"Ah? My condition? You wouldn't believe me, but I was robbed by a local thief," Taehyung scoffed. My eyes widened in surprise.

"W-What you were robbed-"

"Oh. I wanted to visit the cliff, but it was raining too much. The road was slippery... so I drove back down and decided to stroll around the area but was robbed. Had only a few bank notes... so the thief got mad and beat me for having nothing on me. I was partly drunk-"

"You let him beat you for money?" I giggled. Taehyung smiled at my cheeky smile.

"I was drunk and confused! The thief took my 10,000 won note and a few coins from my pocket. It was too little- so he stole my leather shoes- and my Richard Mille watch!" Taehyung lifted his empty wrist to show me. I giggled at his adorable story.

"Okay. Now tell me the truth!" I abruptly stopped laughing to grimace at him with my balled fist on my hips. Taehyung's lips parted at my intense scowl, startled by my sudden mood shift.

"I am telling you the truth! You don't believe me?!- Look! I'll show you my car's dash cam!" Taehyung argued in disbelief, turning to grab his phone. He clicked on the application and scrolled through the live footage to show me footage of himself walking in the rain. He was slightly far from the car, but I could tell it was him. Why is he walking in the rain?

A man approached him with a knife out of nowhere. Taehyung seemed dumbfounded as the person threatened him for money, so Taehyung reached inside his pocket to shove the cash into the man's palm. The man... seemed taken aback by the small amount of money and suddenly struck Taehyung, sending the alpha tumbling onto the slippery ground. I gasped as Taehyung drunkenly sat up to whine at the man but shrieked in shock when the thief wildly seized his shoes, causing Taehyung to fall onto his back with his feet in the air as the man yanked them off Taehyung's feet.

The alpha screamed in shock as the man funnily slipped the shoes off his feet. He quickly bent down to snatch Taehyung's watch from his wrist before hurrying away, leaving the alpha alone on the muddy pavement. Taehyung grunted and weakly got onto his bare feet with a bewildered look as he stood in the rain... after being robbed and beaten by an average.

"Ahah! You're unbelievable!" I exclaimed, hysterically laughing in disbelief. Taehyung scoffed and shook his head before placing his phone away.

"How dare you mock me! You should be worried~!" Taehyung snapped, grabbing my waist to tickle me. I screamed and thrashed in distress as he tortured me on his bed.

Taehyung finally stopped tickling me after I threatened to pee on his mattress and got up to put on his clothes. I rubbed away the tears in my eyes as he rolled onto the bed with me and switched off the lights. He slipped his firm bicep under my head and turned on his side to hug my waist.

"Oppa," I whispered, keenly staring at his closed eyes in the dark.

"Hmm?" He softly exhaled against my face.

"Let's proceed with the engagement," I muttered.

"Your mother won't be pleased-"

"It doesn't matter. You'll deal with the council. I'll deal with the fierce cat in our home. It's us against them. Right?" I smiled. Taehyung softly chuckled and opened his sleepy eyes to stare at me.

"God. I love you," He chuckled, pressing his breathy kiss against my head. I giggled and hugged his torso while snuggling against his chest.

_____________________

Flashback

The hushed funeral home hummed with faint chatters as the grieving family members greeted the guests in formal attires. I sat quietly, staring at Haerim's memorial picture beside her casket with a grim face as Taehyung held my hand over his lap, gently rubbing my knuckles as I leaned against his shoulder. Jungkook softly chatted with Jimin on the bench behind us as I watched Seokjin pay his respects before the alpha's casket. No matter how desperately I tried to dismiss the terrific glimpses of past memories... they kept reappearing in my mind to frighten me with the tragic landing of her death. Her last moment. I could vividly recall it. Haerim was desperate, so she tried to save a man with the expectation for him to return the favor, but at what cost?

She lost her life.

I blinked once, and Haerim's pictures suddenly disappeared, replaced by a brilliant beam of a familiar face. His short fringe black hair... neatly groomed to the side to expose his clear forehead. His youthful dimples... and pretty dark brown eyes. Jae Yangcha.

It felt as if he was still alive... greeting me with his radiant energy like... he usually does.

The guilt on his face before he fell to his demise... It was the last impression I had of him. Sighing, I glanced down at my hand, but it was empty. I turned to find Taehyung staring blankly at the casket as he sat beside me. We haven't spoken since the first trial. People gossiped and eyed Taehyung with judgmental stares from every direction after he showed up at the alpha's funeral. Seokjin was greeting the guests by the door, so I sighed and turned to stare at Taehyung's side profile. He suddenly got up and left the venue, leaving me alone with Jungkook and Jimin as the other alphas paid their respect to the young alpha.

Yangcha. I begged you again... and again to stay out of my family's affair, but you were determined. I knew you'd be tainted with my family's evil, so I sent you away. I desperately wanted to let you live a joyful life, free from troubles and suffering.

Why? Why did you interfere? Why did you turn my genuine affection towards you into the thirst to kill for me? Maybe that's how you were raised? Repaying life debts to the savior? I never intended to be a hero in your life.

Noona only wanted to be your comfort, so you wouldn't feel cold in the relentless storm. I prayed for your well-being and fought for your safety because I feared losing your good soul to death. But you turned out to be... death himself, taking away lives and slaughtering souls to please me. I never wished for you to return the favor.

Why didn't you live happily on the path I urged you on? Why is it that... You have to relate yourself with my misery, hoping to save me from evil but ended up drowning yourself like this?

I sadly stared at his memorial picture with an aching heart.

Maybe, I shouldn't have saved a lost soul like you.

______________________

Third Person POV

Mrs. Jang sleepily yawned as she strolled down the staircase in her nightgown at dawn but halted halfway down when she noticed the maids and guards bustling in and out of the mansion with heavy boxes. She stared at a familiar face as Kim Taehyung shook hands with the event manager in the living room.

"Taehyung? Sweetie. What happening???" Mrs. Kim appeared, rushing towards her son in confusion while observing the busy staff.

"I'm taking charge of my engagement ceremony, of course. It's happening in two days. There were still many things left unattended, so I figured I should help you deal with it," Taehyung replied, weakly smiling at his mother's puzzled face. Mrs. Jang froze on the staircase.

"But we agreed to postpone the engagement!" Mrs. Kim gasped at her son in confusion.

"Let's just get it over with-"

"Didn't Sora tell you she wished to postpone the engagement?" Mrs. Jang asked, sternly strolling down the remaining staircase, causing the event manager to bow at her in fear. Taehyung turned to watch Sora's mother approach him with a look of discontent on her face. She wasn't pleased.

"Sora told me she was excited about the engagement," Taehyung shrugged at Mrs. Jang unsurely, causing the woman to stiffen in place.

"I ordered for the delay-"

"Eomma! There you are! I wanted you to help me pick out my dress!" Sora called, hurrying towards her mother with the stylists as they pushed a hanger rack filled with formal gowns. Mrs. Jang frowned at her daughter's cheerful smile.

"You two made up...?" Mrs. Kim asked, glancing back and forth between her son's bright beam and the supreme alpha's uplifting mood.

"It's impossible to remain upset with my lovely bride," Taehyung turned to place his arm over Sora's shoulder, gently tugging her against his body. Sora giggled and hugged his waist with flushed cheeks. Mrs. Jang scoffed at her daughter's behavior in disbelief.

"I want everyone out of the mansion now!" Mrs. Jang snapped, causing the maids and guards to halt in their places. The event managers and stylists immediately left in a hurry with their belongings as the maids and guards exited the mansion in fear, leaving the alphas alone.

"Eomma-" Sora pouted, but his mother simply turned and strolled away without speaking to her. Mrs. Kim sadly stared at the couple and walked away with a maid as Taehyung held onto Sora.

"She is a stubborn woman," Taehyung muttered, glancing down at Sora's anxious frown.

"What if-"

"Don't worry. I'll speak with your mother," Taehyung assured while rubbing her shoulder.

Jang Sora doubtfully stared at Taehyung but gave in and nodded in defeat. She was restless about her mother's unchanging rejection of her engagement the entire day... until she sat at the dinner table with the elders. The door suddenly opened and Taehyung appeared, holding the door open for Mrs. Jang, who appeared with an ashen face. It's as if her soul had left her body. Sora unsurely observed her mother's timid behavior as the woman sat in her seat beside her husband.

"Why aren't you eating? Feeling sick?" Taehyung asked, taking a seat beside Sora. The supreme alpha glanced at her boyfriend and back at her mother's unblinking frightened eyes.

"Did you speak to her? What happened?" Sora whispered. Taehyung smiled at her eager puppy eyes while rolling up his sleeves.

Sora's POV

"Yeah. I did chat with your mother about our engagement," Taehyung nodded, drawing my plate toward him to slice the steak. I pursed my lips and glanced back at eomma, but she was already staring at me with a bitter look. What's the matter...?

"We'll proceed with the engagement as planned," Eomma announced, causing the dinner hall to grow hushed.

"Neh?" I asked, dumbfounded by her approval.

"You have my blessings," Eomma stiffly nodded at us. My jaw dropped as I remained stiff in my seat, entirely taken aback by her statement.

"Omo! That's a relief!" Mrs. Kim shrieked, happily clapping for us. Taehyung chuckled and thanked our parents as the room burst into loud chatter, but eomma remained quiet as she quietly drank from her wine glass. How did Taehyung convince her?

"Ah." Taehyung smiled, pushing the steak against my lips, so I opened my mouth to accept the bite. He smiled and fed me dinner. I exhaled and joined the dinner feast with everyone.

____________________

Whatever Taehyung said to my mother worked like a charm because it was definitely an effective deal. He wouldn't disclose their agreement to me, but it must be eomma's weakness for him to tame a powerful woman like her. I blinked, briefly glancing at Taehyung through the mirror as the stylist did my hair and makeup. He was typing on his phone in his suit and sleek black hair. Imo helped me into my dress after the makeover at a hotel's royal suite  reserved for me and Taehyung.

"We'll be out in a bit," Taehyung smiled at imo when she tried to lead me out of the room. I unsurely glanced at Taehyung after he held me back. Imo nodded and left, closing the door to separate us from the staff. I turned before the mirror to check my sparkling golden dress and loose hair.

"Don't you think I'm too sparkly?" I asked, smiling at Taehyung as he stood behind my back.

"You've always loved the sparkles," He smiled, gently hugging me. I stared at our reflection in curiosity. What's with him?

"What is it?" I asked, turning my head to smile at him. Taehyung glanced at my lips and lightly pecked me.

"Thank you," He whispered.

"Thank you?" I repeated, raising my eyebrow skeptically. Taehyung quietly admired my face and lowered his hands to hold my cold fingers.

"Thank you for choosing to stand by my side," He smiled. I chuckled and hugged him.

"You're making me shy~!" I giggled. Taehyung patted my head, suddenly withdrawing a small box from his trouser pocket. I pursed my lips as he popped it open to show me a beautiful crescent moon necklace.

"A little gift for you," He smiled.

"It's so pretty!" I gasped, immediately spinning around to lift my hair with an approving smile. Taehyung chuckled and gently slipped the silver necklace around my throat to clip it. I lowered my loose curls, lightly touching the diamond pendant.

"I'll give you a better gift when I can afford it," Taehyung gently hugged me from behind as I gleefully admired at the jewel around my neck.

"Afford it? You can't afford what?" I asked, staring at Taehyung through the mirror. He weakly smiled at my baffled smile and placed his palms on my stomach, gently rubbing my belly in a circular motion.

"A child is pretty expensive," He whispered. My cheeks flushed red at his cocky smile, so I turned around to smack his chest in disbelief. Taehyung laughed at my reaction as he rubbed his chest.

"Oppa!" I snapped. Taehyung grabbed my waist to pull me against his firm body until my cheeks flushed red. I smiled and pecked his lips.

"Let's head out before you transfer your lipstick onto my face," He teased.

"Oppa~!" I whined as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. Imo appeared with a box of jewels but halted when she noticed the necklace sitting over my collarbones.

"She won't need that," Taehyung nodded at imo. The woman smiled at us and turned to place the box into a maid's hand as Do-hwan stood by the door with a stern expression.

"Big Man! You need to give us your blessing, or I'll get mad at you!" I poked Do-hwan's pocket. He's still upset with me and has been avoiding me since... the day Haerim passed. Do-hwan glanced at my eager puppy eyes and glanced at Taehyung's neutral face with an awkward look.

"Congratulations," Do-hwan cleared his throat, stiffly nodding at us. I happily giggled as the man opened the door for us. Taehyung took a deep breath and strolled out with me into the corridor until we arrived at the venue... where all the guests were registering their attendance. We both greeted the alphas and strangers our parents invited. Even the country's president was present. The hall noisily buzzed as we entered to find the shareholders huddling around the elders, waiting in line to converse with them.

"Sora!" Minah waved, hurrying towards me in her usual red-themed dress.

"You came!" I smiled. I haven't seen her in a while! I wasn't sure she'd show up because of the ongoing problems with Taehyung's trial.

"Of course! Who am I to refuse the supreme alpha's invitation?!" Minah giggled.

"You're marrying a man to save him from murder~! True love, huh?" Mira appeared with Minho, causing the smile on Minah's face to fade.

"Yah! Why would you say that-"

"Oh! Right! He's not found guilty... yet...?" Minho mocked, patting Taehyung's shoulder. Taehyung rolled his eyes and glanced away in disinterest.

"You're so rude!" Minah complained.

"Jungkook- Wait-!" Jimin gasped, chasing after Jeon Jungkook, who was storming towards us in fury.

"Come with me!" Jungkook snapped, roughly grabbing Minah's wrist, causing her to flinch in a panic.

"Yah! Calm down first-"

"Let go of me!" Minah snapped, tugging her wrist back in annoyance.

"Oh! Congratulations!" Jimin awkwardly nodded at us as Jungkook glared at Minah.

"Yah. If you want to make up with her-" I tried to tease Jungkook.

"Song Jae-il! It was him!" Jungkook snapped, angrily fuming at Minah, whose face turned pale.

"M-Moh?" Minah stared at Jungkook's upset expression.

"You were seeing him behind my back!" Jungkook snapped. Minah's face turned pale.

"Yikes..." Minho covered his lips. Jimin screwed his face in distress as Jungkook roughly dragged Minah away, leaving us dumbfounded.

"So the rumor about Minah cheating on Jungkook is true? She cheated on him with Jae-il?!" Mira gasped. Taehyung shook his head at the disorder and nudged me away, so we turned and left the couple.

"Yoongi!" I gasped, waving at him as he stood beside Hoseok, who bitterly eyed Taehyung.

"Congratulations," Yoongi smiled, weakly nodding at me as Taehyung glared at Hoseok. The two weren't on good terms.

"Kim Seokjin and Kim Namjoon aren't here today," Yoongi shrugged.

"I wouldn't be here too if you didn't force me," Hoseok grumbled.

"Yah! Sora's is my friend!" Yoongi scolded. Hoseok forcefully nodded at me and turned to leave with his wine glass. Yoongi apologetically tried to clarify Hoseok's attitude, but I assured him we weren't bothered. But it was a lie. Taehyung's body remained stiff throughout the night as he chatted with the elders and the guests. He's very uncomfortable with the controversies and the gossip... but is doing his best to contain himself.

"Why are you sweating so much?" I asked, gently dabbing his soaked forehead as he nervously glanced at the crowd. Many alphas and lower ranks didn't attend our engagement ceremony, leaving many seats empty. My mother was definitely not happy with our rash decision to host the ceremony. She kept darting Taehyung a cold glare.

"Just- overwhelmed-"

"Don't listen to their words. Okay? We planned our engagement weeks ago," I smiled, gently patting his cheek. Taehyung nodded and leaned down to peck my lips. I firmly gripped his hand to assure him as we walked toward the other guests. Taehyung was nervous because of the foul rumors about him. People claimed he was using me to shield himself from Seokjin's attack. That's why he's pushing the engagement to cement his position in the council.

They claim he's playing dirty to defy Seokjin with my power.

_______________________

Fast Forward

Taehyung softly patted my hand as we strolled through the elite building with the elders. I nervously glanced at the crowded council where the gawking eyes preyed on us. The elders seemed anxious as well, especially Taehyung's parents.

"I hope your woman's status can help you lessen the penalty," Minho dawdled, walking past us with his parents.

"Try using Jang Sora to beg Seokjin for forgiveness or just marry her off to him. You'll probably survive," Mira chuckled while shaking her head. Taehyung glared at the couple until I noticed Kim Namjoon's presence inside the room. Did he return? Namjoon refused to give a statement after he recovered from his injuries.

"Oppa. Should I speak to Namjoon? Maybe I can-"

"Don't bother," Taehyung shook his head, gently patting my soft cheek as I looked up at his handsome face. I anxiously watched Namjoon stroll to his place as Yoongi and Hoseok entered through the opposite door. It's Kim Namjoon's first public appearance after confiscating Seokjin's contract. Their parents were glaring at each other... but Seokjin seemed unbothered.

"Why did you bring the files?" Jimin asked, following Jungkook to his seat. Jungkook didn't respond to Jimin and fired a sharp glare across the room. Minah glared right back at him with her arms crossed. Apparently, the guy she was cheating with was Song Jae-il. Jimin found out after digging into her dirt and Jungkook has been bitter about her betrayal since.

"Congratulations. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the engagement last night. Had a little errand to run for the top alpha," Sungho appeared, firmly reaching out to shake my hand before turning to smile at Taehyung, who nodded at him. He quickly rushed away.

"Do you want to sit with me? Since we're officially engaged now?" I asked, lifting our interlaced hands. Taehyung glanced at our couple rings and shook his head.

"It's alright. The council might assume I'm using your status to dominate the trial-"

"Then I'll sit with you. That's fine right?" I smiled, patting his hand. Taehyung weakly smiled as he led me up the stairs.

"Your mother won't be happy," Taehyung nudged my arm. I shifted my gaze to find eomma narrowing her gaze darkly at my lover as if she wanted to murder him. She's been acting this way since Taehyung spoke to her in private.

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook asked as I entered the third-rank row to sit beside him.

"To support my husband," I teased. Jungkook rolled his eyes at our interlaced hands, causing Jimin to chuckle from the row below. Taehyung sat down beside me as the elders turned to question my seating choice. My father darted me an annoyed look as he sat beside eomma on the top row.

"If we can't dodge this... Taehyung, you have to request an appeal to delay the trial," Mr. Kim reminded his son. Taehyung's face darkened as he released my hand to switch on the installed tablet screen on the desk.

The room grew hushed after all the households settled in their respective seats. We averted our attention to the moderator as he spoke into the microphone. Taehyung appeared somewhat... calm... unlike the first trial. He didn't tell me much... about his progress, but I had a plan. I'll confess to Yangcha's demise. I didn't inform anyone of my intention because I know they won't approve it, but I'll speak the truth. Everything about Yangcha's obsession and his crimes.

"-If found guilty, the suspect must be stripped of his status to face the charges. The alpha must compensate his entire assets to the victim's household or the victim's standing alliance. Murder will result in the alpha's expulsion from society, including his entire household," Seokjin calmly read the articles aloud.

"Kim Taehyung may defend himself," The moderator spoke up. Seokjin placed his file down and glanced at Taehyung as he sat empty-handed without blinking. I nudged Taehyung's arm to snap him out of his thoughts, so Taehyung cleared his throat and straightened his back in his seat.

"Confess to your crimes, Kim Taehyung. At least you can save your family's life with the confession," Minho dawdled. Taehyung clasped his hands together as the elders worriedly watched his unresponsive reaction.

"The Jang will not aid Kim Taehyung with the charges and will remain independent from the case's involvement," Eomma cleared her throat. I snapped my head back to stare at her in disbelief.

"Oh. Dear. That's not good. Your woman's mother is pulling out to save her daughter," Minho mocked. Taehyung remained expressionless. Still, he didn't speak. What's the matter? Why is Taehyung muted? I placed my hand on his thigh to catch his attention. Taehyung briefly smiled at me and averted his gaze back to his opponents.

"A criminal case must be dealt with in chronological order. Jae Yangcha committed the murders first, so we should address the matter-"

"How are you so shameless? Accusing a dead child of crimes- he's incapable of committing?" Seokjin tensed his body at Taehyung's words.

"Kim Namjoon refuses to speak on the matter, correct? Even after Jae Yangcha almost decapitated you?" Taehyung sighed, averting his dull gaze to Namjoon. The alpha blankly stared at us and pressed his microphone.

"Yangcha and I got into a small fight, and I fainted by accident. I cannot stand as your witness since I wasn't aware of his last moment before his passing," Namjoon calmly refused to assist Kim Taehyung.

Taehyung didn't react and smiled at Namjoon. It's as if he was expecting Namjoon to betray him.

"I never needed your help anyway," Taehyung sighed, signaling someone across the room. The room turned their heads in confusion as Sungho got up from his seat with a report in his hand.

"Sungho...?" I muttered.

"He's proving his competency to our household," Taehyung smirked. Sungho handed a small USB to the moderator with the files and quickly left the venue, causing the council to glance at each other in confusion.

"These are... Jae Yangcha's... criminal records... authorized by the city's investigation team," The moderator read the title on the black leather case until his face drained. Hoseok widened his eyes and turned to glare at Taehyung.

"That's absurd! You didn't assemble a false record to blame the alpha-"

"Express your complaints after the trial. It isn't your turn to speak," Jungkook fired. Hoseok clenched his jaw and glared at the moderator as the man inserted the USB to share it on all the screens. The door swung wide open again and Sungho returned with the school's investigation team.

"The principal?" Jimin's jaw dropped in disbelief as the man strolled through the doorway. The school principal turned to greet the two presidents as he sat down on a chair Sungho had prepared for him on the ground floor.

"I didn't retain enough proof to support my claims. That's for sure, but a fellow alpha offered to assist me. You see, I wasn't the only one suspicious of the worthless sheep," Taehyung smiled, nodding at Sungho with an approving smile.

"Jae Yangcha is responsible for all of the lower ranks' deaths, and I've worked intensively with the team and the principal to uncover his crimes," Sungho formally bowed at the council as he stood with the team on the base floor. My jaw dropped in shock. What? Taehyung received help from Sungho? Why didn't he tell me???

"On the day Yoona passed, Jae Yangcha was seen entering the campus at noon with Haerim's identity after she exited the door," Taehyung calmly spoke as the camera footage displayed on all the devices to show Yangcha entering after the academy Haerim left.

"That doesn't mean he's the culprit. I sometimes forget to register my attendance too," Mira rolled her eyes.

"In the next footage. Jae Yangcha is seen walking into the alpha lounge with his blue backpack. For your information, this was right after Yoona was killed. The electricity on the fourth floor has been shut off by Yoona herself," Taehyung explained, nodding at the footage of Yoona exiting the operation room and Yangcha appearing at the location afterward.

"He knew she was headed to the alpha's lecture room, so he went after her," Sungho nodded, signaling the moderator to play the following video.

"Back to Yangcha. He mysteriously entered the alpha lounge after Yoona passed to settle with the others until the alarm went off. The alpha poured out of the room and left to reside in the auditorium for safety, but Jae Yangcha... had stopped by his locker to place his bag away. His blue backpack," Taehyung nodded as Yangcha shoved his bag into his locker and walked off with the others.

"Does placing his backpack in his locker indicate he's a murderer?" Hoseok asked with a dumbfounded look. Taehyung chuckled and shook his head.

"He never returned to retrieve his belongings," Sungho smiled.

"Jae Yangcha accidentally left his locker card in his bag, so he couldn't open the locker and applied for a new card with the administrative department," Taehyung chuckled. The screen switched to a picture of a handwritten form placed by Yangcha to request a new locker card.

"I have approved his request myself, but the boy never picked up his new card," The principal confirmed, lifting Yangcha's new locker card with the request form.

"As a matter of fact, he didn't seem bothered because the alpha showed up to school with a new bag and never left with his old one. Why? Because the security checkpoint had to inspect all of the students' bags on the day of Yoona's death and for an entire week after the incident," Taehyung sighed.

"What was in his bag?" Yoongi asked, curiously staring at the screen.

"A pair of black gloves covered in dried blood. Yoona's blood and Jae Yangcha's verified fingerprints were on the gloves as expected," Sungho answered. The investigation team quickly drew out the blue bag from the plastic seal to place it on the table in the middle of the venue and dumped Yangcha's bag. His books... pencils... headset... and a black glove came tumbling out. My eyes widened in horror as the investigator carefully handled the evidence with their gloves on. All his materials were stained with dark brown blood.

"He could've destroyed the evidence," Namjoon muttered.

"Right? The school only monitored the student's material for the first week. He could've retrieved his belongings and thrown them out, but he didn't. Why? Because The Kim usually dispose of their own garbage, right Seokjin-shi?" Taehyung asked the second rank, whose face dimmed upon the question.

"My family handles our personal waste for confidential purposes," Kim Seokjin nodded.

"So Jae Yangcha knew he couldn't simply throw away his dirty gloves at the Kim's place because the staff would likely... check the disposed items before burning them. That's why he left his belongings in the locker," Jimin stared at Sungho in realization.

"Exactly. And regarding the poisoning incident... The milk does not belong to the school's cafeteria. It's a carton with the Kim's label on it. Yangcha brought the milk from home after injecting it with rat poison. Traces of the poisonous powder were also found in his bag," Sungho explained as the team placed Yangcha's original empty milk bottle beside his blue bag as the moderator showed the chemical report on the council's devices. Seokjin stared at the positive results of toxic chemicals with a slight frown.

"The first kill was too obvious. So obvious... we didn't even notice it was Jae Yangcha's doing," The principal nodded sadly. Everyone pitied the child because he was the one wailing for his friend's return.

"And the raincoat?" Hoseok asked.

"The child threw it on the rooftop, thinking the rain would wash off his trace, but we found a hair sample on the raincoat. It was his hair," Sungho nodded at the DNA result on the screen. Mira widened her eyes in terror.

"Actually... can you display Seokjin's crime scene report? The pictures of the scene itself?" Jungkook requested as he flipped back and forth on Seokjin's copy of the crime report. The moderator immediately brought up the pictures of Yangcha's sprawling corpse on the floor. The shattered glasses. The thick blood paste. The baseball bat. I tense my body uneasily at the reminder of his death.

"What's wrong?" I asked Jungkook as he intensely stared at the picture.

"That one! The toy collection! Stop and zoom in!" Jungkook demanded. The moderator clicked on the picture of tiny blood splatters on Yangcha's shelves. My heart thumped in bewilderment. That's right!

"The items! The blue cap! The rose-shaped earring and the green wristband! They belong to his friends!" I blurt. Jungkook scoffed and lifted his smug face to smile at Seokjin.

"Maybe he wanted to keep his friends-"

"Ani. Yoona's corpse was found with only one earring on. The other piece was missing, and Yangcha never met her after she passed away. How did he possess her earring if he didn't even attend her funeral?" Jungkook asked as the moderator brought up Yoona's crime shots to zoom in on the picture of her mutilated face. An earring was missing.

"Neither... did Jangwook or Seungho have those items with them the day they were killed," Sungho confirmed. Seokjin grew hushed as he stared at the concrete evidence. The elders turned to chatter intensely regarding the matter.

"So you killed him? Jae Yangcha? Because he's the killer?" Seokjin asked, lifting his dark gaze to us. Taehyung scoffed and lowered his face to laugh weekly.

"Jae Yangcha's crime isn't a justified excuse to kill him. He could've been brought forward to be punished by the council," Hoseok glared at Taehyung.

"I knew the evidence wasn't enough to clear my name, but my lovely bride helped me discover a... crucial proof," Taehyung chuckled, weaklu smiling at me. I stared at his prideful smile in surprise.

"Me?" I blinked.

"The dashcam," Taehyung grinned. Huh? The dashcam of him getting robbed? Taehyung reached inside his pocket to withdraw a small chip from his hand and got up to stroll down the stairs, eventually handing it to Sungho, who rushed forward to submit it to the moderator.

"Are you showing them the video of you getting robbed?" I asked, awkwardly staring at Taehyung as he sat back down beside me. He happily took my hand in his... and gave me a soft peck on my cheek.

"I realized my lovely bride was unreachable that night, so I left to search for her. If I wanted to murder Yangcha. Why would I directly ask Seokjin about his whereabouts? See? Seokjin, you saw me that night. You knew I was heading to Yangcha's place to search for Sora. I would've sneakily gone to the alpha's villa if I wanted to kill him... but I didn't and visited you first because I thought the supreme alpha was at your place," Taehyung smiled across the room. Seokjin glared at his rival and glanced at the footage of Taehyung's car entering the dark property, illuminating his car light towards the glass house.

"Your visit alone isn't enough to declare your innocence-"

"Why don't you finish watching the footage?" Jungkook dawdled. Seokjin and his parents averted their attention to the screen in irritation. I watched the footage on my screen as Taehyung stepped out of his car, parked right in front of the glass door. He hurriedly entered the villa and scrambled up the stairs, disappearing from view until another headlight entered the property, and Jungkook appeared in his pajamas. He too... rushed up the spiraling stairs in a hurry. The council grew hushed as we watched the dark dashcam, capturing the vacant living room through the video.

I stiffened when Jungkook rushed out of the room from the first floor with me in his arms. He quickly carried me down the stairs to settle my frail on the couch before turning to rush upstairs again to assist Taehyung. The two alphas limped down the spiraling staircase together until Jungkook shoved Taehyung onto me.

The half-blood once again raced up to the room to help Namjoon as I climbed the stairs to assist Jungkook, leaving Taehyung alone on the couch as he rubbed his injured head. I sucked in my breath when Jae Yangcha appeared with a baseball bat. Jungkook was cluelessly towing Namjoon but suddenly turned to look behind his back in alarm after hearing my warning, but it was too late.

Yangcha roughly swung the bat at Jungkook's chest, sending him tumbling to the side. Kim Namjoon slumped onto the floor at the impact. Yangcha lifted his bat again to strike Jungkook as I frantically rushed up the stairs to seize the bat, causing Yangcha to snap at me.

The alpha frantically fought with me to gain control of the baseball bat when he suddenly tripped, slamming hard into me, sending me stumbling backward until my feet missed a step. Yangcha dropped the baseball bat in horror, grabbing my arm to stop me from tilting off the stairs... but failed... so he swung his body under me and thrust me upward, sending his defenseless body off the stair landing.

I winced in discomfort as I watched Jae Yangcha tumble... down the stairs, passing Kim Taehyung, who was leaning weakly against the staircase and finally landed hard on the ground floor after the deadly collision. The alpha had stopped moving. His murky blood... seeping steadily... from under his lifeless body.

The dashcam unintentionally captured... everything. The footage wasn't clear... but... anyone could make out our identity through the transparent glass door.

Seokjin remained blank as he stared at the solid evidence of Taehyung's involvement with Jae Yangcha's death. Mrs. Kim, Seokjin's mother, let out a shaky exhale as she turned to eye her husband in dread. Even Jung Hoseok was hushed as he stared at Jae Yangcha's final moment. Yoongi pursed his lips and glanced up at me with a reassuring smile. Mira and Minho were frozen in their place as Jimin repeatedly replayed the scene on his personal device.

"Kim Taehyung is not guilty. The death was accidental," Sungho cleared his throat. The Kim remained quiet as Seokjin shifted his dim gaze to me.

"Why were you at Yangcha's place?" Seokjin asked me.

"Yangcha posted the rumors about Taehyung. I got upset after you confronted me, so I went to see him," I admitted. Seokjin clenched his fist and glanced at the footage with a grave stare.

"Jae Yangcha possesses his friend's phone. He drove the last lower rank crazy with texts from Yoona and Jangwook, posing as the dead. Can you confirm his possession of their phones?" The chief investigator questioned Seokjin. Mrs. Kim turned to speak with her son to discuss the request and eventually called their team to inspect Yangcha's place. I sighed in relief and turned to stare at Taehyung's weak smile as we waited for the news.

"Did you plan this from the beginning?" I asked. Taehyung shook his head.

"I remembered the dashcam after we watched my robbery footage. You saved me today," Taehyung smiled, gently kissing my hand. Jungkook fired us an annoyed look before darting Minah a sour glare.

"Did you speak with her?" I asked, nudging Jungkook.

"She claimed I was inconsiderate of her feelings and the cheating was an accident! She said she was drunk!" Jungkook grumbled in annoyance. Jimin chuckled and turned to smile at us as the council grew hushed again. Seokjin cleared his throat after receiving the call from his team.

"Our team discovered two phones and a laptop. We'll be investigating the devices," Seokjin announced. Mr. Kim exhaled in relief and turned to smile at Taehyung with pride.

"Kim Taehyung has proven himself-"

"We're not done here. Can I speak?" Taehyung asked, lifting his smug face to stare at the moderator as he attempted to conclude the meeting.

"Of course, young master," The moderator smiled uneasily. Taehyung patted his suit and straightened his back with his razor-sharp eyes fixed on Kim Seokjin.

"If found guilty, the suspect must be stripped of his status to face the charges. The alpha must compensate his entire assets to the victim's household or the victim's standing alliance. Murder will result in the alpha's expulsion from society, including his entire household. Right, Seokjin-shi?" Taehyung repeated the article with a weak smile. Seokjin clenched his jaw.

"Correct," Seokjin nodded stiffly.

"Jae Yangcha is found guilty, but he's dead. In other words, your household announced his death. The Kim is Jae Yangcha's legal guardian and all acts executed by your orphan boy... falls under your household accountabilities-"

"Kim Taehyung-"

"The worthless sheep tried to harm the supreme alpha. Me, Jeon Jungkook and Kim Namjoon. And killed three other lower ranks. The Kims are Jae Yangcha's direct alliance, and therefore... Your household must compensate for the damages caused to the seven victims. And that includes wasting my time and falsely accusing me of being a cold-blooded killer. The Kim must bear the consequences of the dead sheep's crime, and I will not settle for your pathetic plea," Taehyung cut Seokjin off. The council grew hushed as the former second-rank alpha sat in his seat with a pale expression after hearing Kim Taehyung's demand. I glanced at Taehyung's arrogant smile and lowered my hand to stare at his hand over my lap. He gently squeezed my thigh and shifted his dark eyes to me.

Kim Taehyung never lost. I realized. My chest contracted in fear upon the sudden realization.

Jae Yangcha was not a sacrifice to a greater tragedy.

But an opportunity to be Kim Seokjin's deadliest destruction.

_________________________

Hello! Here's another chapter! I hope everyone is engaged with the plot so far. How was the chapter? Worth your time? Hehe! I'll try my best to update again! <3 Have a nice day! <3 I love you!

Pst. I realized I updated the draft chapter instead of the final version hours after publishing it 😭 I'm sorry if there were many errors! I've updated the polished chapter!!!