The calm of the morning quickly evaporated. The moment Emi stepped outside to enjoy some fresh air, the tension in the house grew palpable. Jungkook's instincts were never wrong, and the way he suddenly shifted his stance—alert and watchful—told Emi that something wasn't right.
"Stay inside," Jungkook commanded, his voice low and sharp.
Emi froze, her gaze flicking between him and the door she had just stepped through. "What's going on?"
Without answering, Jungkook moved quickly, stepping between her and the door. "You're not going anywhere. We have a problem."
Before Emi could ask what he meant, the sound of a screeching car alarm rang through the air. Then, a loud crash—followed by the unmistakable sound of tires screeching, retreating fast down the driveway.
"What the hell?" Emi muttered, her heart pounding.
Jungkook moved toward the security monitors, flipping through several screens with rapid precision. His eyes narrowed as he analyzed the footage.
"We've got visitors," he muttered under his breath.
"Visitors?" Emi echoed, feeling her heart rate spike. "Who?"
Jungkook's expression was grim. "I don't know yet, but I can guess. Stay inside and don't move."
Emi didn't move. She couldn't. Something about the way he spoke—like he was preparing for something inevitable—made her stomach turn. She wanted to argue, to insist on doing things her way, but for once, she held back. The raw, controlled energy radiating off him made her realize just how out of her depth she was.
Jungkook's eyes flicked to hers. "I'm serious, Emi. Get behind cover. Now."
The authority in his voice left no room for debate, and she reluctantly obeyed, slipping behind a heavy set of curtains that shielded her from the view of the front yard.
Jungkook was already moving toward the exit. His hand brushed the firearm holstered at his side as he activated a silent alarm. The house would be locked down in seconds. He'd handled countless situations like this before, but the gut feeling that something bigger was coming gnawed at him.
As the seconds ticked by, Emi's mind raced. She couldn't stay hidden. She couldn't just sit by while Jungkook risked his life for hers—again.
She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and sent a quick message to her father, though she knew it wouldn't do any good. He was never around when she needed him. She doubted he would even get the message in time.
Suddenly, the front door slammed open.
Emi gasped, barely managing to hold her breath as she peered out from behind the curtains. Several masked men stormed into the house, their voices low and menacing as they made their way toward the back of the building.
She swallowed hard, the weight of the situation settling over her. This wasn't some petty break-in. Whoever they were, they were looking for something—or someone.
"Stay down, Emi," Jungkook's voice came through the earpiece he had discreetly slipped into place, a command she knew better than to ignore.
But Emi couldn't stay still. She had to know what was going on, to be ready for whatever came next. She watched through the curtains as the men fanned out across the house, their movements swift and calculated.
Jungkook's voice cut through the tension again. "They've entered the house. I need to draw them out. Stay quiet."
With barely a sound, Jungkook slipped through the back entrance, blending into the shadows with the quiet expertise that came from years of training. Emi's heart raced in her chest, a mixture of fear and admiration. She wanted to help him, but she had no idea how.
Then she heard it—shouted orders, the unmistakable sound of footsteps moving closer. They were coming for her.
Panic surged in her chest. No. Not again.
She knew what they were after. She had to keep herself hidden, keep herself safe long enough for Jungkook to finish what he had started.
The minutes felt like hours. Every sound, every movement outside the room, set her nerves on edge. She wanted to scream at the futility of it all, the helplessness that gripped her in the pit of her stomach. But she bit her lip and kept still, as Jungkook had instructed.
And then—
A muffled crash.
Her heart skipped. Had they found him? Was he…?
Before she could act, the sound of gunfire echoed through the house.
Scene: The Confrontation and Emi's Response
The sound of gunfire echoed through the house like a thunderclap, shaking the walls and rattling Emi's already frayed nerves. She held her breath, listening for any further noises, but the seconds felt like an eternity.
Jungkook had warned her, and she had stayed hidden—but the reality of what was happening crashed over her like a tidal wave. The people who had barged into the house weren't here for a robbery. They were here to hurt her—or worse, and Jungkook was risking his life to protect her.
Her grip tightened on the phone in her hands. It was too dangerous to stay here. She couldn't just wait in the shadows, hoping everything would work out. No. She needed to act.
Emi peeked around the edge of the curtains, seeing the intruders move with purpose. The men were scattered, some moving toward the security room, others toward the front door. Their faces were hidden behind black masks, but their body language—professional, controlled—made her stomach tighten. They were no amateurs.
She swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she tried to calm herself. Her mind raced, replaying every training session her father had insisted she take over the years, even though she never thought she'd use any of it. But she had learned one thing: the importance of staying calm under pressure.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and shot a quick text to Jungkook. I'm not staying hidden.
Seconds later, a reply came through. Stay quiet and out of sight.
I can't.
It was the only response she sent before slipping the phone back into her pocket. She couldn't let him protect her alone. Not this time.
She had to do something.
With shaky hands, Emi grabbed the nearest object she could find—a heavy glass vase from the side table—and carefully moved toward the door. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her thoughts were clearer than ever. If she didn't act now, she'd be a liability.
As she carefully crept through the hallway, the distant sound of more gunfire made her freeze in place.
Jungkook.
She didn't know where he was, but she trusted him. She had to get to him.
The intruders hadn't seen her yet. They were distracted—too distracted. One man was making his way toward the back of the house while another went down the hallway, clearly unaware of the threat lurking in the shadows. Emi gripped the vase tighter, ready to throw it if she needed to create a distraction.
The hallway was narrow, but she kept her steps light, praying the floorboards wouldn't creak. She followed the sounds, inching closer to the source of the gunfire.
Then she saw him.
Jungkook.
He was crouched in a corner, his gun raised as he moved to the next intruder. He didn't see her, not yet, and he didn't need to. Emi wasn't going to get in his way—he was always in control. But she wasn't going to stay silent any longer, either.
She positioned herself at the end of the hallway, calculating the best move.
The moment Jungkook dispatched another intruder, he turned—just as one of the remaining men lunged toward him. Without thinking, Emi hurled the vase, the heavy object colliding with the man's back. He stumbled, off balance.
The man's startled cry was all Jungkook needed. With lethal precision, he took him down.
Emi didn't wait for the aftermath. She ducked back into the shadows, her breath coming in shallow bursts.
Jungkook's voice came through her earpiece. What the hell are you doing out there?
I'm helping.
She didn't wait for his response, but her heart pounded in her chest. He hadn't wanted her to act, hadn't wanted her to get involved—but there was no turning back now. She had proven herself, even if she wasn't sure if he would be angry or impressed.
Minutes passed like hours as Jungkook systematically took out the remaining threats, his every move a deadly dance. The gunfire ceased, and when the silence finally settled, Emi could hear his steady breathing. She emerged from her hiding place, cautiously approaching him.
Jungkook stood in the middle of the living room, his expression cold but focused as he surveyed the damage. His eyes flicked to her, his gaze sharp.
"What the hell, Emi?" he growled, his voice a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
"I couldn't just sit there," she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "You weren't the only one who could protect me."
Jungkook stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "I told you to stay inside."
"And I told you I don't like orders," she shot back, her eyes meeting his without flinching.
There was a long silence between them. Then, to her surprise, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You're lucky you're not a liability."
Emi raised an eyebrow, a smirk of her own forming. "So, I did good?"
Jungkook's expression softened, just for a moment. "You did."
But as quickly as it appeared, the moment passed. His eyes shifted to the men on the floor, their bodies unconscious but not dead. "We need to clean up. Your father's people are involved in this."
Emi nodded, her earlier bravado fading into a quiet determination. She had just survived an attack—by her own family's enemies. It was time to figure out who was really behind this, and why they'd come after her.
And Jungkook? He was going to help her, whether he liked it or not.