AN: As I've previously said, I'm on a roll. So here's another update! <3

CHAPTER 33

[Kim Tae Yeon’s POV]

I half-dragged myself along the corridor and into one of the vacant rooms before my knees completely lost their strength and I tumbled down on the cold tiled floor. I curled myself into a ball, my whole body shuddering incessantly.

It was my fault yet it wasn’t. I am the reason it happened but at the same time I am not.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip as tears took over. I am not usually the crying type but the guilt continuously consuming me inside only threw every bit of sanity and self-control I have outside the window. I began to hit myself, hoping the pain would take away the gut-wrenching remorse, before a pair of firm hands grabbed my wrists – completely stopping me from moving.

“What the heck is wrong with you, Taeyeon? Why are you hurting yourself?” a familiar voice spoke in alarm and I looked up to see the beautiful face of the woman kneeling in front of me. Tiffany. There she is, just when I needed her most.

“It’s my fault… It’s my fault…” I mumbled over and over as my mind went back to the scene that happened a few hours ago. I remember myself with the other girls. I remember us leaving the company through the front entrance to greet our fans. I remember the eerie-looking guy who grabbed my wrist and asked where Hanna is. I remember how disgusted I felt, I offended I was that he only came to me to look for that worthless creature after I presumed he was my fan. I remember the way I casually pointed him towards the parking lot's entrance and how I told him he should go there if it’s Hanna he wants to see.

I should’ve known then but I didn’t.

I was too immersed with my own anger and jealousy that I failed to notice the weird glint in the man’s eyes – the thing that made him look eerie. His eyes were crazed and unfocused, like that of a lunatic. But more than anything, they have lust in them. Yes. Lust. Absolute lust.

I withdrew my hands from Tiffany’s hold, making her squeak in surprise, and began to hit myself again. I am stupid. How can I be so stupid? I wasn’t thinking of anything but myself and now Hanna’s with that guy – hidden away somewhere none of us knew. What if something happens to her? It’ll be my fault. And I’d have to bear the guilt until it finally consumes me completely – until I finally lose my mind.

“I didn’t mean to… Oh god I didn’t mean to…” I sobbed and gasped and sobbed once more. I could feel my chest tightening, my bones feeling like they’re slowly turning into liquid. My vision’s starting to blur, leaving Tiffany’s worried yet still beautiful face the only thing I could focus on.

She tried to grab a hold of my arms again but my movements were too quick and frantic that I am starting to hurt her instead. I heard her low groan of pain but before she could open to speak, the door to the room burst open – revealing a fumingly angry Byun Baekhyun.

***

[Byun Baek Hyun’s POV]

Everything is a mess. Everything is a complete mess.

It all started when Ms. Kim and Mr. Kang shattered the company’s tranquility when they barged inside our practice room, revealing the appalling news.

Everything after that became a blur.

There were numerous phones ringing everywhere – mainly Manager Song’s. The news broke out rapidly and the reporters were all calling in on us, asking us for any information about Hanna’s whereabouts. But we can’t tell them a thing. Not because we can’t, but because we don’t have anything to say. We have no idea of where  she is. And the thought of not knowing where the ing bastard took her is enough to make everyone go insane.

There were Sehun, Jongin, and Tao sobbing at a corner. There was Suho pacing back and forth inside the practice room, almost close to yanking his hair out of his scalp.  There were Yixing and Minseok spewing foul words that never in my whole life had I imagined hearing from them. There were Chanyeol and Jongdae smashing and kicking any object that lands on their vision. And then there were me and Kyungsoo, sitting still on the floor – looking like life has been completely out of our bodies.

I don’t know how to describe the feeling. There was no exact way to explain it. It’s like being plunged into boiling water only to get drenched in the cold afterwards. It was like being stabbed painfully over and over only to be healed then being stabbed again. It was like falling into an endless dark pit. It was like having a hole punched in your chest. There was a slight feeling of emptiness and loss but above it all, there was dread; horror; and extreme terror.

The CEO immediately announced a state of emergency within the company as soon as the parking lot's CCTV’s were checked and the fact that Hanna had been kidnapped was confirmed. It was like my worst nightmare being confirmed right before my eyes. It intensified everyone’s fear and tipped the members more into the edge. Nobody tried to console us because all of them are aware that there is nothing they could tell us that would make us feel okay. Hanna’s in danger and no one even ing know where she is.

I would have searched the entire Seoul. I would have turned the whole South Korea upside-down. I would've burned everything to ashes just so I could find her. And I would’ve killed the criminal with my own hands. I would have done all those things if I could. But I can’t. And I could only stand helplessly beside the other SM artists as the CEO blabbered meaningless words, unable to do anything while the woman I love gets dragged away by an anonymous man. The thought only made me feel worse and useless.

It was in the middle of all those commotion that my eyes caught sight of Taeyeon. She’s standing together with her members, looking utterly freaked out and horrified.

Is she scared? Why the hell would she be scared? When did she start caring for Hanna? Since when did she begin considering her own good?

My eyes didn’t leave her all throughout the President’s speech. I observed her closely, watched as different emotions passed by her features. There was fear. There was worry. There was dread. A whole lot of things I didn’t anticipate seeing from her.

And then she ran away.

She fled right in the middle of the CEO’s announcement and I followed her quickly as she dashed through the empty hallways and into one of the open rooms. Tiffany was following her stead but the other lady was too consumed in chasing after her dear best friend that she failed to notice my presence. I stood behind the door as I listened to their faint talk.

I could still recall the quick burst of anger that flared up within me as soon as I heard her murmurs: ‘It’s my fault… I didn’t mean to…’

I know Taeyeon had done so many bad things against Hanna. She had plotted a lot of things against her in the past, succeeded to ruin her life and turn it miserable. Recently, she’d managed to hurt her physically by putting that damned nail inside her shoe. But after everything that she did, I can’t still bring myself to blame this one on her. It didn’t even pass my mind once that she could be behind this.

But she is.

And it surprised me more than anything.

How much farther can she go? How much worse is she planning to do? What more hideous things is she hiding underneath her silent and innocent façade?

My anger boiled too quick and unstoppable that I wasn’t able to keep myself from kicking the door open, not even caring about my manners – not even caring whether there are females inside.

Tiffany was in front of me in a second, grabbing my arms pleadingly.

“Baekhyun. Baekhyun, please. Baekhyun, calm down. I’m begging you,” I could her hear mutter but I don’t care. My eyes zeroed in on Taeyeon’s limp figure on the floor, her eyes staring back at me in fear.

“You…” I growled, the single word escaping my mouth dripping with distaste. “You did this? You’re behind this?”

Taeyeon flinched and scooted to the corner, still shaking vividly.

Tiffany continued talking to me, persuading me, but I shook my arm rather forcefully which sent her staggering back.

“How could you, Taeyeon? How could you?!” I yelled as I made my way to crouch in front of her. She shrunk deeper into the small space, clearly terrified of me. At some point, this would’ve made me feel like a monster. At some point, this would’ve made me feel bad about myself. But nothing else matters anymore. She is the monster. And I’ve never despised anyone as much as I despise her now.

“You’ve already made her go through the worst. You ruined her life, turned her miserable every ing chance you have. You hurt her and damaged