CHAPTER 26 — THE HUNT
883 Words
The call lasted less than three seconds.
Yet it changed everything.
"Bring her to me."
Chairman Han's cold voice echoed through the room long after the call ended.
Jungkook slowly lowered the phone.
His expression unreadable.
Dangerously unreadable.
The kind of expression that usually appeared before someone died.
Aarya sat frozen.
Still staring at the black laptop screen.
Still hearing her mother's voice.
Still trying to process the impossible truth.
Project Aarya.
Not a project.
Not a code name.
Not a coincidence.
Her.
The realization felt unreal.
Like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
"Aarya."
Jungkook's voice finally broke the silence.
She looked up.
His eyes immediately softened.
Just slightly.
Only for her.
"We need to move."
The words pulled her back to reality.
Immediately.
"Move?"
His jaw tightened.
"Now."
No explanation.
No discussion.
No argument.
Because every instinct inside him was screaming the same thing.
Danger.
And when Jeon Jungkook's instincts screamed—
people listened.
Within fifteen minutes—
the penthouse became chaos.
Bodyguards rushed through hallways.
Weapons were distributed.
Vehicles prepared.
Security protocols activated.
Aarya watched everything happen around her.
Fast.
Too fast.
The citywide manhunt had already begun.
Chairman Han wasn't hiding anymore.
And neither were they.
"You have five minutes."
Jungkook handed her a bag.
Aarya blinked.
"What?"
"Pack."
She stared.
"Five minutes?"
His dark eyes met hers.
"Four minutes and fifty seconds now."
Aarya wanted to throw something at him.
Instead—
she stormed toward the bedroom.
Behind her—
Jungkook almost smiled.
Almost.
Despite everything.
Despite the danger.
Despite the war.
She was still Aarya.
And somehow—
that mattered.
Thirty minutes later—
a convoy of black SUVs disappeared into the darkness.
Nobody knew the destination.
Not even most of Jungkook's men.
Because information leaked.
People betrayed.
Secrets died.
And Jungkook trusted very few people now.
Especially after Minho.
The drive lasted hours.
Leaving Seoul behind.
Leaving civilization behind.
Leaving everything behind.
Eventually—
the vehicles stopped.
Aarya stepped out slowly.
Then froze.
The place looked like something from a movie.
A massive estate hidden deep within the mountains.
Surrounded by forests.
Protected by armed guards.
Invisible from the outside world.
"What is this place?"
Jungkook walked beside her.
"My father's."
Silence.
Nobody had lived there for years.
Nobody except ghosts.
Memories.
And secrets.
The estate felt strangely peaceful.
For the first time in weeks—
there were no reporters.
No cameras.
No helicopters.
No crowds.
Just silence.
And honestly?
Aarya appreciated it.
Unfortunately—
peace never lasted.
The following morning—
everything exploded again.
Literally.
An alarm shattered the quiet.
Aarya shot upright in bed.
Heart pounding.
The estate echoed with shouting.
Running footsteps.
Orders.
Chaos.
Again.
Always chaos.
She rushed from the room.
Jungkook appeared almost instantly.
Fully dressed.
Fully armed.
Fully terrifying.
"What happened?"
One of the guards arrived.
Breathing heavily.
"Perimeter breach."
The hallway froze.
Jungkook's eyes darkened.
"How many?"
"Unknown."
That answer made everything worse.
Much worse.
Because unknown enemies were dangerous enemies.
Jungkook immediately grabbed Aarya's wrist.
"Stay behind me."
She rolled her eyes.
"Do I ever have a choice?"
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Despite the situation—
Aarya almost laughed.
Some things never changed.
Then—
gunfire erupted outside.
The sound echoed through the estate.
One shot.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The war had arrived.
Aarya's pulse accelerated.
Because this wasn't a warning.
This was an attack.
Chairman Han had found them.
Already.
The realization chilled everyone.
Because the location was supposed to be secret.
Which meant one thing.
Someone leaked it.
Again.
Jungkook seemed to reach the same conclusion.
His expression became murderous.
Absolutely murderous.
Then—
another voice interrupted.
"Looking for a traitor?"
Every weapon in the hallway pointed toward the staircase.
Instantly.
Aarya froze.
Because she recognized the voice.
Minho.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Alone.
Unarmed.
Calm.
Several guards moved immediately.
Ready to shoot.
"Wait."
Jungkook's command stopped everyone.
The silence became suffocating.
Minho looked exhausted.
Older.
Like the past few months had aged him years.
"You shouldn't be here."
Jungkook's voice was ice.
Minho laughed softly.
"Probably not."
Silence.
Then his expression became serious.
"They're coming."
"We noticed."
The sarcasm earned a tiny smirk.
Then Minho delivered another bomb.
"I know how they're finding you."
The hallway froze.
Because that information could change everything.
Jungkook stepped forward.
"Talk."
Minho looked toward Aarya.
For a long moment.
Then sighed.
"The project didn't just change your life."
Aarya frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Silence.
Then—
Minho answered.
"Chairman Han can track you."
The world stopped.
Aarya stared.
"What?"
Minho's expression darkened.
"The experiments weren't only genetic."
A chill raced down everyone's spine.
"One of the procedures involved a biometric implant."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Aarya felt sick.
"No."
Minho nodded.
"Most subjects died."
A pause.
"You survived."
Another pause.
"And if the records are correct..."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"The implant is still inside you."
The room exploded.
Questions.
Arguments.
Disbelief.
Shock.
But Aarya heard none of it.
Because suddenly—
everything connected.
The surveillance.
The tracking.
The impossible discoveries.
Chairman Han always found her.
Always.
Because she had never truly escaped.
And somewhere—
far away—
Chairman Han smiled.
Because his hunters were closing in.
And soon—
his greatest creation would finally return to him.
- Writer
