Thank you once again for your continued love and support for this story of mine. Thank you so much! :))

ps. I love you all ❤

---

"Why is your cousin acting like that?"

Seulgi remained silent, her head hung low in embarrassment. The members of Blackpink were disappointed in her, knowing she was related to the Detective who had hurt Jennie, and that was an understatement.

"I can't believe she still has the nerve to hurt Jennie Unnie," Lisa began, her fists clenched as she watched Jennie crying on her knees, being comforted by Chaeyoung and Irene. Jisoo and Seulgi stood behind Lisa, their eyes fixed on the trio on the bed. They heard Lisa let out a sigh of disbelief, "I let go of Jennie Unnie for her because I thought they deserved each other, but this is too much. She's a complete jerk! She doesn't know how to appreciate something valuable!"

All eyes turned to Lisa as she paced back and forth in the room. They understood her frustration, as the youngest member had every right to voice her feelings. They knew Lisa cared deeply for Jennie.

"I need some fresh air. Seriously, this is overwhelming. Screw her!" Lisa excused herself, and Chaeyoung watched her leave.

"Go after her, Chaeng. She might do something regrettable," Chaeyoung was urged to follow Lisa by her bandmates.

"Didn't you talk to your cousin about this? Because seriously, she's acting like a complete jerk. Sorry not sorry, but that's the truth. She's proven herself to be exactly what we expected her to be," Jisoo said, directing her words at Seulgi.

Seulgi mumbled a quiet apology, shouldering some of the blame for her cousin's actions towards Jennie.

Irene noticed Seulgi's discomfort earlier and now, so she decided to speak up. "Jisoo, we're not involved in Jennie and the Detective's relationship. We want to make it clear that we don't tolerate this kind of behavior. Please don't blame Seulgi for this, as we're all disappointed in Detective Lim."

Jisoo's expression softened as she realized the point Irene was making. She apologized to both Seulgi and Irene, turning her focus back to Jennie. Seulgi exchanged a silent expression of gratitude with Irene, who responded with a reassuring smile. As Irene continued to comfort Jennie, Seulgi looked up in surprise when she heard Jennie say her name. She and Jennie exchanged curious glances, wondering about the reason behind Jennie's call.

"What's going on?"

"Can you take me to my parents' home right now?" Jennie's voice was tinged with urgency.

Irene's face was full of concern. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Why are you doing this, Jennie? I know what you're planning," Jisoo warned, but Jennie brushed her off.

Jennie stepped back from Irene and Jisoo, then walked over to Seulgi. "Please," she pleaded.

Seulgi looked between Jennie and the others, feeling uncertain. "Jennie, I don't think that's..."

"I'll go by myself then."

Jennie stormed out of the room, leaving Irene and Jisoo to sigh in resignation. Jisoo signaled to the others, and they followed Jennie out of the room.

Chaeyoung and Lisa seemed to be absent, likely not in the dorm at the moment.

"Jennie!"

Jennie stopped and turned to face them. "What? If you're trying to stop me, nice try."

Seulgi couldn't help but shiver at the coldness in Jennie's voice. She was taken aback by this side of Jennie. The girl who was so delicate earlier, the one you'd be cautious not to upset, had transformed into an assertive woman you wouldn't want to challenge.

"We're going with you," Irene said, breaking the silence. Jennie managed a faint smile, and the tension eased slightly.

The car ride was filled with uncomfortable silence, accompanied by the occasional sound of Jennie's sniffling.

After 45 minutes, they arrived at Jennie's parents' house. Jennie instructed them to wait in the car while she dealt with her parents.

"She's back to her cold self," Irene whispered. The other two nodded in agreement. They understood that arguing with Jennie would likely only make things more difficult.

They watched as Jennie approached the front door, which opened to reveal her parents, apparently on their way out.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim seemed surprised to see Jennie, but her eyes held an even greater surprise.

"Sweetheart, have you been crying?" Mrs. Kim moved to hug her daughter, but Jennie held her back.

Jennie's gaze turned to her father, filled with anger that made him feel uneasy for the first time. "Congratulations, Dad. You got what you wanted."

Mr. and Mrs. Kim exchanged puzzled glances, then looked at Jennie with questioning expressions.

"How does it feel to finally achieve what you've always wanted? Does it make you happy?"

Mrs. Kim studied her daughter's emotions, her realization sinking in. Mr. Kim, still clueless, asked Jennie to explain what was going on.

Jennie let out a bitter chuckle. "She left me, and it's because of you."

Mr. Kim finally understood the situation. "Did she? Good. That proves you're not worthy of her."

Both Jennie and Mrs. Kim stared at Mr. Kim in disbelief. "Honey, that's enough," Mrs. Kim pleaded, realizing that his words had crossed a line.

"It also proves that you have the worst father in the world."

"Jennie!" Mrs. Kim exclaimed, signaling him to stop.

Mr. Kim was taken aback by what he had heard. He had never expected to hear such painful words from his own child. "I've been telling you that the Detective is no good for you. You can marry a man, poor or rich, and I'll agree. But not a woman, especially not her."

Mrs. Kim tried to intervene, placing her hand on his arm, but he continued, driven by his own perspective.

"I'll say what I want. We haven't had a chance to properly talk, and I believe you should be with Jongin. He's the right choice for you. I don't know why she left, but fate is on my side. It's telling you to move on and be with Jongin."

Jennie crossed her arms and scoffed in disbelief. "You don't understand." Her teeth were gritted in frustration, her feelings for her father turning into resentment. Although her parents could see her pain, Mr. Kim believed his decision was in her best interest.

"What don't I understand, Ruby Jane? It's just a phase. You don't really love her. You're just experimenting."

"Can we please talk about this inside?" Mrs. Kim tried to intervene, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"A phase? Dad, I'm a grown woman! It's not a phase, because I truly love her! How could you say that? You don't know me, and you don't know how she made me happy."

Finally, Jennie's composure broke. Tears streamed down her face, and her parents couldn't help but feel guilty, seeing their daughter heartbroken.

"I know you may feel this way, and I won't blame you, but now that she's left me and because of the terrible things you've done to her, I blame you, Dad! You clearly don't understand. You keep pushing Jongin on me, but he's just been a jerk. You told me to find someone who would make me happier than he ever could, and she came into my life, but you pushed her away."

Jennie continued to wipe away her tears, but they just kept coming. It was all too overwhelming for her, and she felt a mix of anger toward her father and disappointment in herself for not fighting harder for her love.

"She made me feel everything. She completed me, and now that she's gone, I'm heartbroken. Who will make me whole again? Why can't you just support me? Just once, show some understanding for my love life. You have no right to dictate who I should love."

The expressions on Mr. and Mrs. Kim's faces softened, and Mr. Kim took a step forward, but Jennie halted him.

"All I did was love, and this is what happened. All I wanted was to be happy with the person I love. Is this how you repay me? Why are you so heartless? Can't you just be happy for me? And now she's gone, my happiness is gone."

"Jennie, sweetheart—" Mrs. Kim moved closer, but Jennie stepped back.

Avoiding her mother's gaze, Jennie focused her anger on her father. "I hope you and Jongin are happy now." With those final words, she turned away and rushed back to the car.

Mrs. Kim fell to her knees and cried, her heart breaking for her daughter. Mr. Kim stood there in silence, grappling with the weight of his actions.

"Oh, mandu," Jisoo and Irene tried to console Jennie once again, sitting on either side of her in the backseat as she cried.

Seulgi let out a sigh and bit her lip, feeling the weight of the situation. What have you done, Yoona Unnie?

---

"Who visited her today?"

"Park Seo Joon, the actor and her parents." 

Yoona nodded, turning the doorknob and entering Minyoung's room. She found her still unconscious and took a seat in the empty chair next to the bed.

As the silence filled the room, she retrieved a small note from her wallet.

Save for the last. 

"Where did you find that?" 

"I found this when I entered her place, under two empty glasses."

"What do you think this message means?" Seulgi's confusion was evident.

Yoona examined the note, shrugging slightly. "It could be a warning for me."

"Why did they put Minyoung first instead of Jennie if we follow chronological order?" Chief Park queried, his brow furrowed at the two detectives.

"I believe Yoona Unnie has the answer."

Yoona let out a sigh, still analyzing the note. "Because Jennie and I share a unique connection, unlike the other nine. That's why the note says 'save from the last'."

"What could be the true reason behind this?"

---

"Yoon! Wow, that suit looks good on you. I missed you, bud!"

"Stop messing with my hair, Dad. This isn't funny!" Yoona whined, successfully freeing herself from her father's grasp.

Yoona was at the airport, unexpectedly picking up her Dad who hadn't informed her beforehand. Her father still looked the same, still handsome despite having aged a bit.

"Detective Lim."

Yoona turned around and saw the familiar face she hadn't seen in a while. "Hi, good to see you again. You still haven't changed." Yoona glanced at the woman, who was eyeing her up and down, causing the latter to blush.

"What do you mean she still hasn't changed?"

"She's still as pretty."

The woman blushed furiously, fanning herself, which didn't go unnoticed by Yoona's father. "Enough with the flirting, Yoon. Why don't you put my luggage in the car trunk, and you, Seolhyun, get inside already."

Seolhyun bowed to them and got into the car, leaving father and daughter alone. "I'm not your driver or slave, Dad. You have hands, so do it yourself."

Yoona gave her father a look, and Youngjae stared back at her. "What?"

"Since when did you call her by her name?"

Youngjae shrugged and walked over to his daughter, giving her a pat on the back. "I treat her like a friend, that's why."

Yoona nodded slowly and smiled at him. "Shall we?"

Youngjae grinned at his daughter while shaking his head. They got into the car, and Yoona drove in the direction of her place.

"Why did you have to do that?!"

Yoona rolled her eyes at her mother. They were now in her mother's room, where Khloe had dragged her earlier after her ex-husband's arrival, along with his secretary.

"You made decisions without telling me first! I was having fun with my friends in Jeju, and you called me for an emergency only to find out that your Dad is here!"

Yoona rubbed her temples with her eyes closed. When she opened them again, she saw her mother still giving her an angry look. "Enough with the fuss. You've made dinner already, so what's the point of locking me in here and scolding me?"

"I'm telling you, I won't tolerate this attitude of yours. Besides, this is so weird. Next time you make decisions, update me first, okay?"

"Fine. Can we just go back there now? I'm starving, and I don't want Seul to be uncomfortable around them."

Khloe nodded, letting out a sigh. She then pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "Let me feed you then."

"I have my own hands." Yoona groaned, as her mother .

Back at the dining table, Yoona sat beside her cousin. Her father and Seolhyun were sitting across from them, while her mother was at the other end of the table.

"So, how are you holding up now, Yoon? Any love life going on?"

Right to the point, Dad.

"Uhhh..." Yoona paused, looking at each of their faces before continuing. "That's just a waste of time. I'd rather focus all my attention on my job."'

Yoona thought she saw Seolhyun smile at her answer, but she shook off her thoughts and resumed eating her food.

"Here, this is really delicious!" Seolhyun gave Yoona a piece of meat from her plate, and Yoona looked up to thank her with a sweet smile, causing Seolhyun to blush.

"What about me?"

Everyone was surprised by Youngjae Lim's reaction. Seolhyun awkwardly smiled as she added a side dish to his plate. Seulgi and Yoona were observant throughout the dinner.

Khloe seemed clearly bored during the meal. She didn't express that she liked it, nor did she say she didn't like it – her reaction was neutral.

"Youngjae, can we talk outside for a second?" Khloe interrupted the conversation between Youngjae and his daughter, needing an explanation for his unexpect