The Hidden Card || NCT MAFIA

Chapter fifty-four: The return of a friend?

Iseul looked up at the sudden noise filling the room. The metallic door in front of her slightly cracked open with a creaking sound.

She mentally prepared herself, expecting Park to walk in again. Perhaps he hadn't been satisfied with the slap he had given her and wanted to hurt her more.

But the person's head that appeared in the small space between the wall and the door sent a wave of relief through her veins.

"Chae," Iseul whispered, her eyes full of hope.

Her friend put a finger on her lips, gesturing for her to stay silent. Iseul nodded frantically, and Chaewon slid in, carefully closing the door behind her.

"Oh, god, Iseul," her friend whispered when she met Iseul's gaze.

"I'm guessing the slap left a mark," she tried to laugh it off, but the left side of her face stung as she attempted to smile.

"He wasn't supposed to hurt you," Chaewon whispered under her breath, her eyes scanning Iseul.

She frowned.

"What?" Iseul asked, not sure she had heard her friend correctly. "Wait," she narrowed her eyes, "Chae, what are you doing here?"

Chaewon's face turned red, and she looked at the ground, biting her lip.

Iseul's heartbeat fastened in her chest. Why was her friend looking so guilty?

"Chaewon," she called again, her tone harsher this time.

"I didn't have a choice," the girl mumbled, still not daring to meet Iseul's gaze.

"What are you talking about? Chae, what have you done? What's going on?"

Iseul was struggling to keep quiet as the tension in her body built stronger.

"It was either you or my dad, Iseul..." Chaewon's voice broke and Iseul realized that her friend was crying.

"Your dad...?"

Something in Iseul's brain clicked. The voice.
It had been him.

Chaewon was on her knees in front of Iseul, her head hanging low as tears softly hit the concrete floor.

"I didn't have a choice," she repeated, more to herself than to Iseul.

"Hey, hey, Chae," Iseul called, her voice now gentle. "Look at me."

Her friend slowly looked up, her cheeks red and wet with tears. It broke her heart to see Chaewon like that. She was always so bubbly and happy, that sometimes, Iseul forgot she had problems, too. A wave of guilt hit her hard.
She hadn't been there for Chaewon lately.
So many things had happened in her own life that she had forgotten about hers.
She had let her friend down, there was no excuse for that.

"Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Chaewon did as she was told, and slowly breathed in and out to calm herself down. When the tears finally stopped, she wiped her cheeks with her sleeve and leaned against the wall next to Iseul.

Before she could open her mouth to start her explanation, the metallic sound of the door being opened made the girls look up.

"Well, if that isn't the cutest thing I've seen all day," Park cooed, faking a smile.

Chaewon instinctively cowered next to Iseul -not that her friend would be able to do much in case Park tried to hurt her.

"You might be pretty," he said, addressing Chaewon, "but you sure as hell ain't very bright."

He pointed at the top corner of the room, right above the girls' heads. A camera.

"You didn't seriously think I wouldn't have you monitored, did you?"

Iseul gave him a death stare.

"Up," he instructed, his smirk immediately vanishing from his face as he looked at Chaewon.

The girl was shaking in the corner next to Iseul, but she didn't move an inch.

Park let out an exasperated groan and walked over to her, grabbing the girl harshly by the arm and getting her up.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my captive," he hissed, his face close to Chaewon's who avoided his angry gaze.

"I-I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"Don't touch her," Iseul spat, tugging on her chains.

Park moved his gaze from Chaewon to Iseul. "Or else what, exactly?" he mocked. "It's not like you can do something about it."

Iseul knew he was right, and that fueled her anger even more.

"Go back to your room," Park ordered Chaewon, pushing her to the door.
He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes were sorely focused on Iseul. "And I better not see you anywhere near your dear friend again," he threatened.

As Chaewon was walking out the door, she shot one last glance at Iseul. "I'm sorry," she mouthed.

Iseul gave her a sad smile, before Chaewon closed the door and she was left alone with Park again.

For what seemed like very long minutes to Iseul, Park said nothing. He simply stood in front of her, arms crossed on his chest as he looked down at her.

"You know," he began after a while, "I waited so long for this moment. Where I would have you here, alone, far from your boyfriend and his little friends. I even dreamed of it."

Iseul had to restrain herself not to cringe at his words.

"Someone sounds a little obsessed," she remarked, tilting her head to the side.

Park only smirked in response.

"You know, you have a sharp tongue for someone who's tied to a chair and who I could harm anytime."

"You know, you sure as hell talk a lot too for someone who said he couldn't hurt me," she bit back.

Park's features were suddenly wiped off any amusement, his face now emotionless.

"You probably shouldn't have called Taeyong in front of me," she went on, "not exactly a smart move you made there."

The man clenched his jaw, "If you heard me saying I had a deal with someone to keep you unharmed, you must have also heard the bit where I said I wouldn't mind breaking it to scar that face yours forever."

Iseul swallowed with difficulty.

"I thought you were a man of your word," she spoke, keeping her head up, "or was that a lie, too?"

Park didn't reply. He simply turned his back to her, as if he couldn't bear to look at her any longer.

"I'll send you dinner in a few myself," he simply said without turning back.

Without adding anything else, he left the room again.

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