ꗃ: 𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𔘓. 𝗍𝖺𝖾𝗃𝖾𝗇𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗄 ! 𓂅

15 | 強く生きろ

JENNIE AND SOO-YOUNG rode into town in silence. As she pulled up to the small wooden building that housed the sheriff's department, Jennie stiffened. Her heart began to thunder. Kai's BMW was parked a few feet away.

"You didn't say he would be here," she said, turning her furious gaze on soo-young.

She shrugged. "He's your husband. Where else would he be? He's been worried sick about you."

"You know nothing about my husband," Jennie spat.

Soo-young sized her up in a quick glance. "Look, he says you were kidnapped. If you weren't, fine. Just come inside, sign a statement and you can be on your way."

Jennie fumbled with the door, her hands shaking. She stepped onto the icy pavement and waited for soo-young to precede her into the station.

At the doorway, she wiped her sweaty palms down the legs of her jeans. She would find courage. She would. She could do this. Kai couldn't hurt her in front of a witness, and she wouldn't go with him, no matter what. This was her chance to be rid of him.

"Darling! There you are!"
She cringed as Kai's voice echoed across the room. Just as quickly she found herself yanked into his arms. She pulled away, putting as much distance as she could between them.

Kai turned to soo-young. "Thank you so much for returning my wife to me. If you don't mind, we'll be on our way. I want to make sure she hasn't been harmed in any way."

Jennie gasped. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Kai rounded on her, his back to soo-young. His eyes glittered dangerously. "I realize what an ordeal you've been through, my love. I'll take you far away from this shit hole."

Jennie backed away, looking to soo-young for help.

She cleared her throat. "Mr. Kim, your wife claims she wasn't abducted. She's here of her own free will and apparently has no wish to leave."

Kai whirled back around but Jennie could see he donned his most charming smile. "I appreciate your concern for my wife, but this is a private matter best resolved between us. Perhaps we could have a moment of privacy."

"No!" Jennie cried.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Mr. Kim. Unless that is what Mrs. Kim wishes?"

She looked to Jennie for confirmation.

Jennie shook her head vehemently. "You said all I had to do was sign a statement. I won't go with him."

Kai reached out and grasped her arm in a bruising grip. His fingers dug painfully into her upper arm, and she gasped in pain. "I've arranged a flight out of Seoul. We must be on our way soon if we're to catch it."

She stared over at soo-young who looked a little flustered. "Can we have a moment? Two minutes. If I'm not outside that door in two minutes, come in for me."

Soo-young arched a brow in surprise but nodded. "I'll be outside." She pinned kai with a hard stare. "Don't try anything stupid, Mr. Kim."

As soon as she disappeared through the door, Jen wrenched her arm free and backed hastily away from kai.

"Stay the hell away from me," she hissed. "I'm never going back with you."

"Maybe you don't remember what happens when you defy me," he said, his voice carrying a heavy warning.

She jerked her chin up, determined not to show him the horrible fear that ate at her. Instead, she took a huge gamble.

"I know what you did on our wedding day," she said quietly. "I saw you kill that man."

Kai's lips compressed in a fine white line. "Don't threaten me, Jennie. I'll make you sorry you were ever born."

"Don't you threaten me!" she countered. "I am going to file for divorce, kai, and you are going to give me that divorce or I swear to God, I'll go to the media, the police, the FBI, whoever I have to go to in order to tell the world what a sorry bastard you are."

Kai's eyes flared in surprise. "You little blackmailing bitch."

She clenched her teeth. "I am going to walk out of here, and I'm never going back with you. If you ever come near me again, if you ever so much as breathe my name, I'll make sure you rot in prison."

Surprise flickered in Kai's eyes. He'd underestimated her. She could read it in his expression. Well, that was fine. But she'd make damn sure he didn't do it again.

The door opened and soo-young walked back in. "Everything okay in here?" She eyed Jennie as she spoke.

"I was just leaving," kai said, anger coloring his voice. "Apparently a mistake has been made."

He stalked by soo-young and slammed the door behind him.

A buzzing started in Jennie's ears, and she felt dangerously close to fainting
.
"Here," soo-young said, shoving a chair at her. "Maybe you ought to sit down."

Jennie sank into the chair, her hands curled into fists in her lap. She'd done it. She'd faced kai and stood up to him. Now she just wanted to get back to Taehyung, Jungkook and Jimin.

"Can I use your phone?" Jennie asked hoarsely.

Soo-young gestured toward the desk. "Be my guest."

Jennie rose and walked over to the desk then realized she didn't even know the phone number to the cabin. Her cheeks flaming, she looked up at soo-young. "Do you know Taehyung phone number?"

Soo-young rattled off the number with a familiarity that bothered Jennie.

She punched the numbers and waited anxiously as it rang. After ten rings, she gently replaced the receiver, her chest tightening in worry.

"You could try the cell phone," soo-young said dryly.

Heat raced across Jennie's face again, but she picked up the phone and looked expectantly at soo-young. After punching in the series of numbers soo-young once again supplied, she raised the phone to her ear and waited.

The brothers were nearly to town when Taehyung's cell phone rang. He snatched it up and barked a hello.

"Taehyung?"

Jennie's soft voice filtered over the line.

"Baby, are you all right?" he demanded.

"Can you...can you come get me?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the sheriff's office," she replied.

"We'll be there in five minutes," he promised. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice stronger than before.

"Hang tight, baby. We'll be right there."