CHAPTER 24 — PUBLIC ENEMY
972 Words
The world changed overnight.
One article.
One headline.
One carefully planned attack.
That was all Chairman Han needed.
By sunrise—
Aarya Sharma was no longer anonymous.
She was everywhere.
Every news channel.
Every website.
Every social media platform.
Every gossip page.
Every television screen.
Her face.
Her name.
Her connection to Jeon Jungkook.
Broadcast to millions.
Aarya stared at the television.
Speechless.
Completely speechless.
Reporters discussed her life.
Experts analyzed her relationship with Jungkook.
Journalists speculated about criminal connections.
People she'd never met judged her.
Accused her.
Hated her.
All because of one lie.
"This is insane."
The words escaped her lips.
The television continued.
Unforgiving.
Cruel.
Relentless.
"Sources suggest the mysterious woman may have ties to organized crime..."
"Questions remain regarding her sudden appearance beside global celebrity Jeon Jungkook..."
"Authorities have yet to comment..."
Aarya grabbed the remote.
Turning the television off immediately.
The silence that followed felt heavier.
Almost painful.
The penthouse had become a fortress.
Again.
Only worse this time.
Much worse.
Security doubled overnight.
Then doubled again.
Armed guards occupied every entrance.
Every hallway.
Every elevator.
No one entered without approval.
No one left without permission.
Especially Aarya.
"No."
Jungkook didn't even look up from his phone.
Aarya's eye twitched.
"You didn't let me finish."
"No."
"Jungkook."
"No."
Three days.
Three entire days.
She hadn't left the penthouse once.
Not once.
"You're being ridiculous."
Jungkook finally lifted his eyes.
Immediately finding hers.
Always finding hers.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without apology.
Aarya folded her arms.
Dangerous sign.
Very dangerous sign.
Unfortunately—
Jungkook knew that too.
"I'm not a prisoner."
His jaw tightened.
The familiar argument.
Again.
"No."
"Then stop treating me like one."
His gaze darkened immediately.
Dangerously.
"Aarya."
Her pulse jumped.
Because he only used that tone when he was serious.
Very serious.
"They know your face."
Silence.
"They know where you live."
Another pause.
"They know you're with me."
His voice lowered.
Dangerously low.
"And now everyone who wants to hurt me..."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"...knows exactly who to target."
The room fell silent.
Because she knew he was right.
And somehow—
that made everything worse.
Aarya looked away first.
Unable to hold his gaze.
Not when he looked at her like that.
Not when fear lingered behind his eyes.
Because that was the part nobody saw.
Nobody except her.
The mighty Jeon Jungkook was terrified.
Not for himself.
For her.
The realization made her chest ache.
Later that evening—
the tension became unbearable.
The penthouse felt smaller.
The walls felt closer.
The constant security presence felt suffocating.
Aarya escaped to the terrace.
Needing air.
Needing space.
Needing a moment to breathe.
The city stretched endlessly beneath her.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Free.
Everything she wasn't.
"You always come here when you're upset."
The familiar voice made her smile despite herself.
Jungkook stood in the doorway.
Hands in his pockets.
Watching her.
"You stalk me."
His lips twitched.
"You disappear."
Aarya rolled her eyes.
Yet somehow—
the tension eased.
Just slightly.
For several moments—
they stood together.
Watching the city.
Neither speaking.
Then—
something caught Jungkook's attention.
Instantly.
His posture changed.
Completely.
Predator.
Aarya noticed immediately.
"What—"
Jungkook moved.
Fast.
Terrifyingly fast.
His arm wrapped around her waist.
Pulling her backward.
Hard.
A loud c***k echoed through the night.
Glass exploded.
The terrace railing shattered.
Aarya screamed.
Sniper.
The realization hit instantly.
A second shot followed.
Then a third.
Jungkook shoved her toward the doorway.
"Inside!"
The command echoed violently.
Bodyguards flooded the terrace.
Weapons drawn.
Chaos erupted.
Again.
Aarya stumbled backward.
Heart pounding.
Breathing uneven.
Someone had just tried to kill her.
Again.
But before panic could fully settle—
another figure appeared.
A man.
Dressed entirely in black.
Moving through the adjacent rooftop.
Jungkook's eyes widened.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Because he recognized him.
Immediately.
Minho.
The traitor raised a rifle.
Took aim.
And fired.
Not at Jungkook.
Not at Aarya.
At the sniper.
The enemy collapsed instantly.
Dead before reaching the ground.
The rooftop fell silent.
Everyone frozen.
Minho lowered the weapon.
His gaze found Aarya.
Then Jungkook.
For a moment—
something complicated flashed across his face.
Regret.
Pain.
Determination.
Then he disappeared.
Gone before anyone could react.
Gone before anyone could stop him.
Leaving behind nothing but questions.
"What the hell was that?"
Aarya whispered.
For once—
even Jungkook had no answer.
That night—
nobody slept.
Security teams searched the city.
Investigators worked nonstop.
Phones rang endlessly.
And at exactly 2:17 AM—
everything changed.
Again.
A notification appeared on Aarya's laptop.
One new email.
No sender.
No subject line.
No explanation.
Just a single attachment.
A video file.
Her pulse accelerated.
Immediately.
Jungkook moved beside her.
Watching.
Waiting.
Slowly—
Aarya opened the file.
Static appeared first.
Several seconds of distortion.
Then—
the image cleared.
Aarya stopped breathing.
Because sitting on the screen—
looking directly into the camera—
was her mother.
Alive.
The room froze.
Completely.
Twenty years of grief.
Twenty years of questions.
Twenty years of believing she was dead.
Destroyed in an instant.
The woman on the screen looked older.
Tired.
Worried.
But unmistakable.
Aarya's hands began shaking.
"No."
A whisper.
Broken.
Disbelieving.
The woman on the screen smiled sadly.
As though she expected that reaction.
Then she spoke.
"Aarya..."
Aarya burst into tears.
Immediately.
Because she knew that voice.
Even after all these years.
Somehow—
she knew it.
The woman looked directly into the camera.
"If you're watching this..."
A pause.
"...then Chairman Han finally found you."
The room became deathly silent.
And for the first time—
Aarya realized the truth.
Her mother hadn't died.
She'd been hiding.
Running.
Waiting.
And whatever secret she carried—
it was powerful enough to destroy lives.
Powerful enough to start a war.
- Writer
