𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚 || 𝙏𝙖𝙚𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙣𝙜

Chapter 10: Competition went wrong

Alice pov:

I know for sure that someone was following me. The feeling of being watched creeps deep into my bones. I held the box in my hands, another mysterious package left at my doorstep, no name, no address. I set it down on the table. It was well past midnight, and it seemed like someone had carefully timed this. The security guard shift had just ended, and the other guard was five minutes late. It's like someone's keeping a close watch on me, and it sends shivers down my spine.

I grabbed the box and tore it open once more. This time, I found two things inside: a set of pictures. When I turned those pictures around, my breath caught in my throat. I felt a bone-chilling cold, as though I was trapped in ice. These pictures were taken today, capturing moments of Taehyung and me at the mall. In the first one, he tightly held my hand as he led me into a store. In another, he made a funny face when I browsed through a rack of black clothes. There were many more pictures.

Shit!

the second thing was a letter i opened

Greeting to ice princess
No fear in her heart, she rules over all.
She spins lies into truths with a genius mind,
Changing her place and face, secrets you'll find.

With a flick of her wrist, the impossible takes flight,
She believes she can deceive, day and night.
In a fresh setting, a new persona takes the stage,
Yet, she's as unyielding as rock in her secret cage.

Life's a stage where she takes the lead,
Dependence on her, it's a crucial need.
But now, a challenger enters her act,
Who's got her back in this enigmatic pact?

…

I gazed at the outfit I bought just yesterday and wondered, "Why on earth did I get a pink skirt?" I cursed myself for choosing this shade of pink. Damn it, Kim Taehyung! How could he mess with my head like this? I clenched my teeth in frustration, feeling the anger build up inside.

I hesitated for a moment, but with no other options, I reluctantly decided to put it on. Luckily, the skirt was quite long, and the crop top had long sleeves, for which I couldn't be more grateful.

I found myself standing next to the chairman and the vice president near the stage while the host explained the rules and conditions for the competition and events. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious, as if everyone's eyes were fixed on me, like I was a chimpanzee in a zoo. I despised what I was wearing, and a burning desire to confront someone, or a certain person who had yet to be found, welled up within me. the event was taken place at the main hall of the building

"Good evening, everyone! We welcome all of you to this year's annual staff week. We've prepared a few exciting events for you. The first one is the casual outfit day, which you're all dressed up for right now. The second is a cooking competition, where the participants will cook dishes that will be judged by our panel. Whoever manages to impress our judges with their unique flavors will receive a surprise gift and the chance to join our valley trip.

Now, let's go over the rules. No one is allowed to use their phones or any written recipes. Your team members can only communicate verbally about the recipe's requirements."

The host finished his speech and started announcing the participants' names. Amara and Taehyung and mine names among the contestants. I heard a few gasps of surprise and saw shocked expressions and whispers from the staff. Some board members, including Kang, were the judges. I couldn't help but internally groan, knowing he'd enjoy watching me struggle with cooking. Why did I even agree to this pointless challenge?

My eyes shifted to Amara, who seemed to be silently protesting something. I sighed quietly. . Jungkook was silent and still. I knew why he was acting this way - his wife, of course.