CHAPTER 6 — JEALOUSY
1082 Words
The next morning began strangely.
Which, considering her current situation, was saying a lot.
Aarya woke up expecting another battle with Jungkook.
Another argument.
Another round of him giving orders and her ignoring them.
Instead—
the penthouse was empty.
Well.
Almost empty.
Jungkook had left before sunrise.
Again.
Aarya wasn't sure why that bothered her.
It shouldn't.
She should have been celebrating.
Enjoying the temporary peace.
But somehow—
the silence felt different today.
More noticeable.
More irritating.
More lonely.
Her eyes widened.
"Nope."
Absolutely not.
She was not missing Jeon Jungkook.
The man was a walking nightmare.
A ridiculously handsome nightmare.
But still a nightmare.
Shaking off the thought, she headed downstairs.
To her surprise, breakfast was already waiting on the dining table.
Fresh fruit.
Pancakes.
Coffee.
Her favorite strawberry jam.
Aarya froze.
Her favorite?
How—
She frowned.
Then remembered.
A few days ago, she had complained about the jam they served.
Only once.
Only once.
Yet somehow...
it had been replaced.
Her stomach twisted.
Because that meant one thing.
He paid attention.
Far more attention than she was comfortable with.
Around noon, the penthouse became unusually busy.
People moved in and out.
Staff members carried documents.
Security guards communicated through earpieces.
Phones rang constantly.
Something important was happening.
Curiosity eventually got the better of her.
Again.
Aarya wandered into the main living area.
A young man stood near the kitchen organizing several files.
He looked about her age.
Friendly.
Normal.
Most importantly—
not terrifying.
When he noticed her, he smiled politely.
"Good afternoon."
Aarya blinked.
Someone was actually speaking to her.
Normally everyone avoided conversation.
As if Jungkook had forbidden it.
"Hi."
The man looked relieved.
"You're Miss Aarya, right?"
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"...Maybe."
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Not a dangerous one.
Not a mocking one.
Just normal.
It felt refreshing.
"I'm Minho."
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
For the next few minutes, they chatted casually.
Nothing serious.
Nothing important.
Just small talk.
College.
Books.
Seoul.
Normal things.
Things Aarya hadn't talked about in days.
She found herself smiling.
Actually smiling.
For the first time since arriving.
And it felt nice.
Really nice.
Unfortunately—
good things never lasted around Jeon Jungkook.
The elevator doors opened.
And everything changed.
Immediately.
The atmosphere shifted.
The air felt heavier.
Colder.
Dangerous.
Aarya didn't even need to turn around.
She knew.
Jungkook was home.
Minho knew too.
His smile vanished instantly.
His posture straightened.
His expression became professional.
Almost nervous.
Aarya frowned.
That was strange.
Very strange.
Slowly—
she turned.
And found Jungkook standing near the entrance.
Watching.
Not speaking.
Not moving.
Just watching.
His gaze landed on Minho first.
Then shifted to Aarya.
Then back to Minho.
The silence stretched.
Long.
Uncomfortable.
Deadly.
Aarya suddenly felt like she'd walked into the middle of something important without understanding what it was.
Finally—
Jungkook spoke.
"Minho."
The younger man immediately nodded.
"Sir."
"Leave."
Just one word.
Minho practically vanished.
Aarya stared after him.
Then looked back at Jungkook.
"What was that?"
No response.
Jungkook removed his suit jacket slowly.
Calmly.
Too calmly.
Which usually meant trouble.
"A conversation."
Aarya rolled her eyes.
"I know that."
"Then why ask?"
Her jaw tightened.
There it was.
The infuriating version of him.
"I was talking to someone."
"I noticed."
Something about the way he said it made her pause.
Aarya studied him carefully.
His face remained expressionless.
But his eyes...
His eyes were darker.
Sharper.
Focused entirely on her.
As if he couldn't stop.
As if he didn't want to.
"You don't like him."
The realization slipped out before she could stop it.
Silence.
Then—
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
His jaw tightened.
Just slightly.
The smallest reaction.
But she caught it.
Aarya's eyes widened.
No way.
Absolutely no way.
A grin slowly appeared.
Dangerous.
Mischievous.
"Oh my God."
Jungkook narrowed his eyes.
"Aarya."
"No."
She pointed at him.
"No, wait."
The grin grew wider.
"Are you jealous?"
The room fell silent.
Completely silent.
Aarya should have stopped.
Any sane person would have stopped.
Instead—
she laughed.
A little.
Then a lot.
Because the idea was ridiculous.
Jeon Jungkook.
World-famous idol.
Mafia king.
Powerful enough to make people disappear.
Jealous over a five-minute conversation.
It sounded insane.
Unfortunately—
Jungkook wasn't laughing.
At all.
The realization slowly made her laughter fade.
His expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Dangerously calm.
Then—
he took a step toward her.
Aarya immediately stopped smiling.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
Until he stood directly in front of her.
Close.
Again.
Always close.
Too close.
His gaze locked onto hers.
Intense.
Unwavering.
Possessive.
"Aarya."
Her heartbeat sped up.
"What?"
His eyes searched her face.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was trying to understand something.
Trying to understand himself.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"You smile more around other people."
The words hit her unexpectedly.
Not because of what he said.
But because of how he said it.
Quietly.
Almost thoughtfully.
As if he'd noticed.
As if he'd been paying attention.
Way too much attention.
Aarya swallowed.
"Maybe because other people don't kidnap me."
For a moment—
something flashed across his face.
Something painful.
Gone instantly.
Replaced by cold control.
"Perhaps."
The answer surprised her.
Usually he'd argue.
Push back.
Not today.
Today he simply looked tired.
And somehow—
that bothered her.
Before she could think too much about it, Jungkook reached out.
Her breath caught.
His fingers brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
The gesture was gentle.
Dangerously gentle.
"Aarya."
Her pulse jumped.
"What?"
His eyes darkened.
Not with anger.
With something far worse.
Something possessive.
Something obsessive.
"Be careful."
Confusion crossed her face.
"About what?"
A faint smile appeared.
The kind that always made her nervous.
"The attention you give people."
Her heartbeat stopped.
For a second.
Just a second.
Because she understood exactly what he meant.
And that realization was terrifying.
Jungkook wasn't warning her about other people.
He was warning her about himself.
Then he walked away.
Leaving Aarya standing frozen in the middle of the room.
Heart racing.
Thoughts spinning.
And for the first time—
she wondered if being trapped in this penthouse wasn't the most dangerous thing about her situation.
Maybe the truly dangerous thing...
was the way Jeon Jungkook looked at her.
As if she was becoming the center of his world.
And men like him?
They didn't know how to love halfway.
They only knew obsession.
- Writer
