✓ GREEDY HEARTS | JAY

42 - Sinner & Saint

JAY'S POV

Watching Y/N reunite with her sister is like witnessing a fragile piece of her world coming back together. The relief in her eyes, the way she holds Yejin close, speaks volumes about the weight that has been lifted off her shoulders.

Now, after a few hours passed, the two of them are sleeping like angels in the corner of the room, curled up together under a warm blanket. I wish I could keep them here, away from the world and my father who's still somewhere out there. I know the shooting was his doing and I will make him crawl out of whatever fucking hole he's hiding in. 

Without making any noise, I pull the blanket over Y/N and Yejin, tucking them in a little tighter. I take a moment to observe the details—the rise and fall of Y/N's breath, the way exhaustion has etched delicate lines on her face, and the peaceful innocence that radiates from Yejin's slumber. I silently vow to shield them from whatever that's coming and ensure that they wake up to a safer world. My gaze lingers on them for a moment longer before I reluctantly tear myself away. I need to find Jungwon and the others. 

In the command room, Jungwon looks up as I enter and the room falls silent as the others acknowledge my presence. "Jay," He stands up and walks to me and I know what he's about to say. "Choi Minho is indeed dead. They announced it on the news. The authorities are investigating, but you know we can't rely on them. Your father has influence everywhere."

"Unless we involve the right people," I interject, my mind racing with possibilities. "I have a plan, Jungwon. A very dangerous and risky plan, but it's the only way I can send my father behind bars." 

Jungwon studies me for a moment, then his eyes narrow slightly, and he smirks. "Do tell." The plan is risky because one wrong move and we'll be exposing ourselves to the very danger we're trying to escape. But desperate times call for desperate measures. "I'll request a meeting with the president and present the evidence we have against my father," I explain, laying out the framework of the plan. "And I know very well who'd help us." Ethan. Lee Heeseung. His wife is the president's chief of staff. If anyone can get us that meeting, it's him. The risks are high, but the potential payoff is even higher.

As Jungwon listens to the details of the plan, his expression shifts from skepticism to cautious optimism. "We need to talk to him as soon as possible. Then we can assemble a team to gather and organize all the evidence."

"Work on it," I reply, already pulling out my phone to contact Ethan. The room falls into a focused hush as I dial his number. "Ethan, it's Jay. We need to talk. Urgently," I say, getting straight to the point. I can hear the rustle of papers on the other end, but as soon as I say it's urgent, he stops whatever he's doing. "I'll send you my location. I need your wife's help. Don't ask questions now. Just get here as soon as you can."

Ethan's response is quick and to the point, "I'm on my way." He's such a reliable ally, and I know that in times like these, having someone like him on our side is invaluable.

"About your father," Jungwon raises his eyebrow as he looks at the big screen in front of him and I wonder what he's about to say. The mere mention of that monster makes my blood boil after he tried killing Y/N and I can't wait to see his world crumble for making us suffer. "I've been monitoring the news. Rumors are spreading about Minho's death being linked to your father, and the authorities are beginning to investigate," Jungwon explains, his eyes fixed on mine.

"That's good, isn't it?" One of the team members interjects, hope lighting up his eyes.

"It could be. But it also means your father might be on high alert. He won't take kindly to any threats to his empire." A tense silence settles over the room before he continues, and this time, his words make me freeze. "What confuses me is why was he last seen in Y/N's place?" The mention of my father being last seen at Y/N's place sends a chill down my spine. The mere idea of my father near Y/N sets off alarm bells in my head. 

Jungwon glances at me, his expression unreadable. "According to the reports, your father was spotted leaving Y/N's residence after we visited the base. And apparently, Y/N was there too." My heart pounds in my chest as Jungwon's words sink in. The pieces of the puzzle start to click together, forming a picture that I hadn't fully comprehended. My father threatened her, that's why she stabbed me and wanted me gone. Because he doesn't want us together. Because, I'm starting to realize, we'd be the end of him. 

Without a word, I quickly make it out of the command room and head to the room where Y/N and her sister are sleeping, but before I can reach it, someone holds my hand and all my stress strangely dissipates because I know who it is. I know whose mere touch can calm the storm within me. Y/N stands there, her eyes searching mine, and I can see the concern etched across her face. Everything that happened must feel so overwhelming for her. Having someone sacrifice their life for you —it's a burden that no one should bear. Fuck, I don't want her to carry this weight alone.

As much as I hated Minho for always challenging me and pushing my buttons, his sacrifice is the reason why the woman I love is still standing here beside me. I can't ignore the irony in that realization. "Did my father threaten you?" The words slip out from between my lips before I can stop them. The urge to know is too strong, and when her eyes darken, I know he fucking did. I know he was close to her, too close for comfort. Y/N's silence speaks volumes, and my anger flares up when I imagine what he must have told her. 

"He did," Y/N finally says and it takes every ounce of self-control not to let my anger consume me. "That's when I knew he was the one who murdered my parents. I didn't push you away because I wanted to, Jay, but he threatened to hurt you and I just... I thought if I made it convincing that I didn't want you, he would spare you from his threats. I thought I could protect you by distancing myself," Y/N admits, her eyes reflecting the pain of the choices she had to make. The guilt is like a heavy stone in my chest, knowing that she faced my father's threats alone, all to shield me from harm.

The word father rots in my mouth and I let it. That's what he is—a rot, a festering wound that refuses to heal. My life had been ruined because of him. Everything I had believed in, everything I had known, had crumbled at his hands. I always wondered why my father was so cruel and heartless, why he seemed to revel in causing pain. I thought fathers were supposed to love and protect, but he shattered that notion. Until the accident, until he couldn't care less if his own son was going to die, I thought he was just a distant, cold parent. But he had always been a murderer, and it's easier this way. I can end him, destroy every fucking trace of the monster he is. 

He's a sinner, and though I have always tried to distance myself from him, the reality is that his sins have touched every corner of my life. A wicked realization settles in my mind and a wicked thought starts to take root and course through my veins—I am no saint either.