Chapter 47.

            In the car, I feel Jongin tense. It's been ten minutes since we left his villa. His eyes are fixed on the road. His hands are so firmly clenched on the steering wheel that the veins under his skin are swollen. I don't know what to say to lighten the mood. Suddenly my phone buzzes. I glance over at Jongin, who doesn't seem to have noticed, before getting it out of my pocket.

A message from Sehun this time! "Princess, it's madness here!! There are shady guys all over the place. I hope things aren't too bad for you up there??" He must think that I'm in my office, probably panicked and bombarded with agents' questions. I prefer to put it back in my pocket without answering. I don't want to arouse Jongin's suspicions. And frankly, I'd feel like I'm engaging in double-dealing.

All of sudden, Jongin breaks the silence. My heart leaps in my chest! "Do you mind if I put the tape on? I'd like to know to what's being said."

"No, of course not.." He frowns as he turns the button trying to tune in to the right station. I prefer to let him get on with it.

On MBCs news station in Seoul, journalists are already full-on. "After the shooting in the middle of Gangnam District, businessman Kim Jongin is getting himself talked about again. His firm is currently under investigation, our special correspondent, Song Mino, is reporting life to you from The Kim Corporation itself." ; "Yes Josh! I've been in front of the Kim Corporation building for over an hour now! It's a scenario worthy of a television serial! IRS agents have taken over the premises and blocked all access to the building, as you can see. So we cannot enter any further than right now."

What?? They've blocked all access? My friends are locked up inside?? I cannot see the report clearly because the signal is worst here.

A cold shiver runs through my spine. "Seriously?? But are they allowed to?! It's outrageous!!"

"Naeun, let me focuses on this." Jongin's tone is cold, dry. Impresses, I fall silent at once.

"We're trying to find out more, but nobody here wants to tell us what it's all about. For now, no one knows what Kim Jongin is involved in, we are waiting for his statement." The reporter said.

Jongin shakes his head. "The idiots! They have no proof but according to them, I'm involved for sure..." I can tell that he's finding it difficult to control himself.

"Thank you, Mino. The shooting, that mysterious girl, and now the IRS... Kim Jongin seems to have many secrets..."

I tense in my seat. The mysterious girl... It's me!

"Right now, it's over to Karina for the weather report... Stay with us for further updates."

Jongin nervously turns the tape off. I jump!

"I thought they'd quickly forget me." Jongin looks at me for a moment. In his eyes, I read guilt and I'm angry at myself for uttering those words.

"They won't forget you, naeun. Not yet, they are watching my every move. And I'm their pet hate, the guy we love one day and hate the next day."

I sigh watching the landscape pass by before my eyes. "It must be exhausting to be everybody's target all the time." And then, I feel bad. A few months ago I would surely have been the first to culminate about one of that ruthless businessman, but today everything's different. Now that I've seen what things are like on the other side, I see things differently. Public opinion is so easy to manipulate. It's so easy to spoil the reputation of a man or woman. No need for evidence, just insinuate doubt into people's brains.

***

                Soon we leave the wide countryside roads to find ourselves in the main street of the city. At this hour, traffic is heavy. Jongin manages to make his way through it easily. He drives his car with disconcerting skill. Suddenly his phone rings. "It's Chanyeol. I'll take it on Bluetooth." He presses a small button and Chanyeol's voice comes out of the speakers.

I feel a little uncomfortable being immersed in the middle of their conversation. "Sir, these gentlemen are becoming insistent. They are putting pressure on the staff to start searching our archives..."

"Lucas is on it to slow them down. I'll be in the office soon, so make sure they don't touch anything."

Lucas? First time I hear that name.

"Very well, I... I'll take care of it." I feel in Chanyeol's shaky voice that his anxiety is at its peak. I feel sorry for him. I know how much attached he is to the firm. "Mr. Lee would like to speak to you... Shall I put you through?"

"I don't have the time."

"He insists on talking to you. He says it's urgent."
I feel Chanyeol uneasy about having to insist to his boss. Why does taemin have to go through Chanyeol to talk to his boss? Is Jongin avoiding his calls? If so, why?

"Put him on."

Chanyeol agrees timidly. The handset changes hands. Jongin gets that icy tone of voice back. The kind that roots you to the spot. I stare at him, bewildered. What's going on?

"Sir, Miss Son is likely to get heavily involved if the officers see you arriving together. I recommend the north entrance. I've done my best to secure the passage, but I can't guarantee anything.." Taemin speaks.

Jongin stays silent for a moment, his jaw clenched. He looks at me disapprovingly and disappointed.. I shrink into my chair.

"Is that all?" Jongin has never been so cold to taemin. I really don't understand his attitude. It's not Taemin's fault. Unless...

"Yes, sir."

Jongin hangs up abruptly. "What the hell, naeun????" I can see the flames dancing in his eyes. If I could melt into the leather of the seat, I would! Or is there any sea nearby? I want to dive myself in right now..! "Did you talk to him?"

"Yes.. He asked me where I was... With everything's going on at the office, he...." I haven't finished my word that he swore! "For Christ's sake Naeun!!!" He bangs on the steering wheel with clenched fists, which makes the car swerve slightly! People honk their horns behind us! "I told you not to tell anyone!!"

"But I... That silly, it's Taemin..."

"Taemin, you call him by his first name now? What is he? Your friend?!! I wouldn't be surprised if you call him Oppa too!!"

"Hey stop, calm down, no need to be harsh to me! I don't understand what you hold against him!!"

"Calm down... Calm down..." He repeats these words whilst starting at the road, and an unpleasant smirk on his lips. "You don't think for one second that I may have a reason for keeping him out of it?!"

"Oh.. No.. He's your bodyguard, I thought..."

"I didn't ask you to think!"

I'm furious. I'd like to slap him in the face but let's be reasonable, at this speed, that's not really a good idea. "Why would you suddenly want to keep him out of it?!!!"

"I can't tell you more! I thought I could trust you!"

"What??? I can't be trusted now?? Jongin if you hide things from me, how am I supposed to know?! And don't you dare to throw me trusting things when you are the one!!"

"I asked you not to say anything. IT'S QUITE SIMPLE!! And don't you say a thing out of this content!"

"Yeah, always the same thing..." I say these words between clenched teeth, my arms folded over my chest.

"What? is there something else I should know?" This time his expression is mean. His voice is threatening.

"You..." I want to yell at him but I need to calm this thing. I breathe in slowly trying to regain my composure. I close my eyes for a moment. "If you told me things instead of posting them on me, maybe we could both move forward. But no... You hide the truth from me, you think I'll be satisfied with the little you give me?"

"And I'm obviously right to, cause you don't know how to hold your tongue!"

My heart breaks into thousand pieces. It's as if all discussion was impossible! He's not hearing what I'm saying! "Damn it Jongin! Do you realize how you're talking to me?!!!!!"

He gestures his hand as if I was pissing him off! I hate him when he acts like an ! I cannot hold it back, my tears fall after one and another... Jongin is exasperated. I'm upset. I stare at the road, my eyes wet with tears. We're back to square one.. After a fabulous moment where I was basking in bliss, here we go tearing each other apart again. We drive in frosty silence. Jongin seems determined to stay pigheaded and I'm determined not to let him crush me.

"I'll drop you off at your place." The sentences echo in this small stifling space. All sweetness has deserted his voice.

As a stubborn that I'm but still need to stand up for him after the yelling scenes I say, "No way, I want to know what's going on at the Kim Corporation... "I reply in the same tone, without looking at him.

"Don't be childish, there are government agents stationed in the basement and journalists everywhere. I have enough on my plate as it is without having to deal with the problem of taking you there with me."

Great.. So what does that make me? Another liability?

Still trying to calm as a blue sea I say, "I would have preferred something like: I don't want to put you in danger... Or... I don't want to get you involved... But no, I'm just another problem to solve, is that it?"

He sighs loudly, I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm pushing him over the edge. "You're not a problem since there's a solution. I'm taking you home. And that's final."

What the hell is that lousy dictator tone of voice!
I laugh nervously. For now, it's the only thing that stops me from bursting into tears again. "Stop the car now! I'll get home on my own!"

"Yea of course... I'll just drop you in the middle of the fast lane."

I feel so hurt that he could drop me off in the middle of a ditch full of snakes, that I'd feel better!! I sink a little deeper into my seat. As we get to my street, Jongin pulls over without even cutting the engine. He doesn't even look at me. I feel like excess baggage he just wants to get rid of.

"Your suitcase is in the trunk."

I stop a moment and stare at him to get a look, a sign of him toning down anything. But nothing. His eyes stay fixed on something in front of him, and I get a slap in the face. This is it. I'm done. I open the door abruptly to get out of his car. Once outside, I bend over to speak to him one last time. "Jongin, someday I hope you'll realize how hurtful you can be!" I don't give him the chance to reply and close the door quickly. A dangerous lump is forming in my throat.

I go to the trunk and pull it open. I gran my suitcase and leave. He'll close the damn trunk of his ing luxury car if he feels like it! Or he can just go to hell!!! I walk holding my head high but my heart crumbles at each step that I make towards my apartment building. I don't look back to watch him close his trunk. I'm too afraid to.

I'm in pain! To take such an underserved beating is unbearable! I chuck the suitcase in the hallway and run to throw myself onto the sofa and bury my head into the cushion, screaming. "ing hell!!! ing hell!! ing hell!!!!!" I bang my fist against the poor cushion as if it could relieve me of some of the pain on feeling!

How can he put me through such emotional turmoil?!? Does he at least realize what he's doing to me? No! He's just an egoistic who doesn't care much about hurting others!! My eyes are wet with tears. I can let go at last, safe within the boundaries of my own reassuring home.

After a few minutes, my exasperation subsides and I begin to think again. I don't know what worries me the most.. The probable end of my relationship with Jongin or Taemin's supposed implication in the threats Jongin's been getting...

In ing Taemin, I probably screwed everything up with Jongin. The latter isn't a man who forgives easily.. But hell, he's not exactly lily-white either! For an hour now, I've been kicking my heels. I'm listening to the news but nobody knows anything. I drop my ego and take it on myself and decide to call Jongin to find out how things are going. Not surprisingly, he doesn't answer. So, I decide to call Hyuna. Find out if she knows anything more.

"Yes, naeun."

"So, any news development? "

"Well, I don't know at all, they've reopened access to the company. Security is striving to contain the journalist in the entrance hall. It's just total madness!! My boss told me to go home, with everything that's been going on, I haven't been able to work properly anyway!"

"I can imagine.."

"Yeah, hasn't Mr.Kim told you what's going on?"
I'm not going to tell her everything, at least not for the time being. Everything's too hazy

"No.."

"He must be really busy. Seriously, it's crazy stuff..."

"Yeah... I hope that Jongin will be able to handle this crisis."

"Me too... Because well... I care about this company..."

And me about its boss

"I have to ring off, naeun."

"Okay, see you.."

The minutes pass, the hours pass, the day goes by. The more I want, the more I imagine an unpleasant outcome to it all. I find nothing better to do than make myself a few cookies to take my mind off things. 

All of sudden, my phone rings. I drop my dough and jump on the telephone. Taemin...

I shouldn't answer, especially after Jongin's warning. But my curiosity is stronger than my reason. "Hello..."

"Naeun, are you okay?"

Not at all. "Yess.."

"I'm leaving The Kim Corporation now." I find it odd that he's  or staying with his boss. He is his bodyguard, isn't he?

"You're not staying with Jongin?"

"No, he... He's busy with the IRS for now."

I felt in Taemin's voice that things aren't good between the two.

"Have you seen Jongin?"

"I just know that Mr. Kim. Brought his lawyers. The IRS has doubts about some. They are trying to access the archives and they're putting pressure on him."

"It's crazy."

"I don't know, we'll see." I'm surprised by Taemin's reaction. Does he suspect Jongin of something?

"Do you think he has something to hide?"

Taemin stays silent. "IRS agents rarely intervene for nothing and considering that right now, I don't know what's going on. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be fine."

"I warned Mr. Kim that it was better for you two not to come together to the company, I hope I did the right thing."

If only you knew...

"Don't hesitate if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Taemin.."

As I hang up, I feel heavy-hearted. The way things are going, I feel totally lost. Taemin is very considerate of a traitor. Jongin flew off the handle, going from hot to cold at the speed of light, and besides, he a not giving me any news.

Is he hiding something? Does the IRS have any real reason to come and investigate? Is he trying to turn me against Taemin? Yet it's just not like Jongin to so that don't of thing. Is Taemin playing a two-faced game to perfection? At the same time, he is a former soldier. I guess he's been trained for that sort of thing. But it's so far from what he seems to be. I hold my head in my hands and close my eyes. I don't know who or what to believe anymore...
 

Author note :
Phewwww it was long 😭😭
I need to finish this story as soon as possible, so I write when my sons are already asleep which is at night the result was I got a sore eye because I write in low light for too long.
Tbh I hate to write this chapter because Jongin is kinda an here, even tho he has a reason for it, still.., poor naeun😭😭 and naeun, she can be frustrating to me sometimes, if she could trust Jongin more, this situation for both of them wouldn't happen. But yeah, a story without a big argument was not interesting. Even Cinderella has to separate from her prince to get their happy ending...
I already have a draft for the next part. So, see you ❤❤