#seducing

Two months later the estate had fallen asleep hours ago. Moonlight spilled across the corridors as you wandered through the house, unable to sleep. You weren't entirely sure what had drawn you there perhaps curiosity.

You stopped before Eleanor's long locked room after a moment, you spun on your heel and headed downstairs. Mrs Whitmore was still awake, as elderly ladies with mysterious schedules often were. She looked up.

"My goodness, child, do you ever sleep?"

"Rarely."

Mrs Whitmore laughed "What do you need?" You lowered your voice "Where are the spare keys kept?" The old woman raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"No reason." You smiled innocently. Mrs Whitmore looked entirely unconvinced then she sighed.

"Mr Jeon's room."

Your eyes widened "Thank you!" Before she could ask any more questions, you hurried away. A few minutes later, you reached Jungkook's room. The door wasn't fully closed you about to knock but you heard a faint laugh of Margaret the laugh that only escape when you're loved by someone . Your mind froze for a second but the reality hit harder than always that you're sharing him .

As you hurried down the hallway, a movement near one of the balconies caught your attention. Someone was standing there. Cecilia, at first, you almost walked away the memory of her warnings still lingered in your mind. But something felt different she wasn't angry, she was crying.

You hesitated then slowly approached "Cecilia?" She didn't turn around the night wind stirred her hair for several seconds, neither of you spoke. Then she laughed bitterly.

"I hate this." Her fingers tightened around the balcony railing"Sharing him , I don't want anyone near him."

Your heart sank "Cecilia..."

"I don't." The words trembled for the first time, she sounded less like a jealous wife and more like someone who was hurting. You looked away then quietly asked, "If you feel that way..."

Cecilia finally turned towards you.

"...why did you marry him?" The question landed badly, the vulnerability vanished. Her expression hardened her eyes flashed. "Careful."

You swallowed, the warning was clear but after months of secrets and rumours, your patience had worn thin, questions were constantly circling your head. Cecilia stepped closer. You took a step back your pulse quickened.

"I just—"

"What?" The tension rose sharply and before you could stop yourself—The question escaped.

"Did you kill Eleanor?"

Cecilia stared at you for one horrible second, the entire world seemed to stop. Then her hand moved. A sharp slap cracked through the corridor your head turned with the force of it shock flooded through you. You looked back at her, stunned. Cecilia looked equally shocked by what she'd done her breathing was uneven her eyes shining with anger and something else.

"Don't." Her voice broke "Don't ever ask me that again." The corridor fell silent and for the first time since you'd met Cecilia, she looked less frightening than heartbroken.

You reached your room and shut the door behind you the lock clicked and suddenly the silence became unbearable everything seemed to hit at once. The way Jungkook and Margaret together the jealousy that had appeared from nowhere. Cecilia's anger, the sting still lingering on your cheek. You sank onto the edge of the bed.

"What is wrong with me?" You whispered it to yourself the jealousy made no sense. Margaret is his wife, Cecilia is his wife they had been there long before you. So why did it hurt? Your heart knew the answer, your mind refused to admit it.

Tears blurred your vision. You reached for the telephone on the bedside table. The number had long since become muscle memory. It rang twice. Then—"Hello?" Your mother's voice, the moment you heard it, the dam broke.

"Mumma..."

"Y/N?" The concern in her voice only made you cry harder.

"Why?"

"What happened?"

"Why did Dad do this to me?" Your voice trembled. "Mumma, I never wanted this. I wanted to finish university." Another sob escaped "I wanted to fall in love." The room felt smaller, the walls closer. "I wanted a normal life."

Your mother remained silent the way mothers do when they know there are no easy answers.

"You both knew that." Tears rolled freely down your cheeks. "And yet you married me off because it was good for business."

"Y/N."

"No." For the first time in years, you sounded like a little girl again. "I keep trying to be happy here." Your voice cracked "I really do." The confession hurt the most. "I don't even know where I belong anymore."

Finally, your mother spoke very softly. "Do you think we don't regret it? We thought we were doing the right thing."

You laughed bitterly "Well, you weren't."

"No." The admission came immediately "No, perhaps we weren't." That only made you cry harder for several moments neither of you spoke.

Then your mother asked quietly, "Has he hurt you?" You thought of Jungkook, the late-night study sessions, the cups of coffee, the way he had looked at you that evening, the kiss , the way he had thanked you when you said you trusted him.

"No." The answer came honestly "No, he hasn't."

Your mother exhaled slowly "Then perhaps the situation is more complicated than it appears." You closed your eyes maybe it was maybe that was the problem.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains for a few peaceful seconds, you remained half asleep. Then you noticed someone sitting beside the bed you nearly jumped. Jungkook looked up from the book in his hands. "Good morning."

You blinked "What are you doing here?" His expression was oddly unimpressed.

"I live here."

"Not on my bed." A corner of his mouth twitched then his gaze softened. "You were crying." Immediately, your mood darkened you looked away.

"No, I wasn't."

"Your father called me at three in the morning."

You froze you looked back at him Jungkook sighed. "He was worried." Embarrassment flooded your entire body. "Oh my God."

"He thought you'd packed your bags and left."

You buried your face in a pillow you sat up. Immediately deciding the best defence was offence "Why do you care anyway?" The question slipped out sharper than intended.

A shadow crossed his face you regretted it instantly but pride stopped you apologising. Instead, you pushed the blanket aside.

"I'm going to university."

Jungkook stared "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"No."

"It's Sunday."

Silence filled , you sat there then looked at him. "...Right." Jungkook laughed which was deeply irritating. You grabbed a cushion and threw it at him he caught it effortlessly.

"Violence won't improve your memory."

"It might improve my mood."

His smile faded slightly when he noticed your expression slowly, he reached out his hand rested gently against your cheek "Y/N" You immediately pushed it away the hurt that flashed across his face lasted only a second.

"Don't do that."

You looked away unable to explain your own emotions, unable to explain the jealousy or the fact you'd spent half the night crying over a life you weren't even sure you wanted anymore.

Then suddenly an idea appeared, aterrible idea which naturally meant you loved it, you turned back towards him your expression instantly brightened.

"I want to sleep in your room tonight."

Jungkook blinked. "Why?" You smiled sweetly. "I'm your wife." he simply studied you for a moment.

"Of course you can."

You brightened instantly success. Jungkook watched the sudden excitement with enormous suspicion. "You definitely want something."

"I don't."

"You're a terrible liar."

You placed a hand dramatically over your heart and while Jungkook continued looking unconvinced, you were already thinking about something entirely different. The set of keys that, if Mrs Whitmore was correct, might soon be within reach.

That night, the estate was unusually quiet Margaret had retired early Cecilia's wing of the house was dark even the servants had long disappeared. Only a few lamps remained lit in the corridors. Inside your bedroom, you stood before the mirror and immediately regretted every decision that had brought you here.

The green satin robe suddenly felt far more dramatic than it had in the shop your hair had been left loose a deep red lipstick coloured your lips. On the bedside table sat a bottle of alcohol, the internet had been very unhelpful.

You glanced at your phone again.The article remained open: How to seduce a man

You stared at your reflection "You look like you're about to commit a crime." The reflection offered no reassurance. With a sigh, you picked up the bottle and walk toward his room .

The heavy oak door clicked shut, and you turned the lock, the sharp snap of the deadbolt signaling that the outside world was officially locked out.Jungkook was sitting on the edge of the bed, his dark eyes instantly tracking you as you turned around. In your hand, you held a bottle of dark liquor, the glass cool against your palm.The air in the room instantly grew thick with tension.

You walked with a slow, hypnotic sway, never breaking eye contact until you reached the bedside without a word, you set the bottle aside on the nightstand, the glass making a soft clink that sounded incredibly loud in the quiet room. Jungkook’s gaze, his breath hitching slightly as he swallowed hard.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked.

A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of your lips. You stepped closer, bridging the final inches between you. "I'm your wife," you murmured, your voice a soft, velvety purr. "Can't I?"

Before he could answer, you reached down, your hands gently but firmly parting his knees. You stepped into the space, climbing onto the mattress to sit directly between his legs, straddling his lap. You leaned in closer, Jungkook’s hands rested tentatively on your waist, his expression a mix of surprise and intense focus as he looked up at you.

You reached out, your fingers tracing the line of his jaw your hand slide flat against his chest, giving him a firm, playful push backward. He fell back onto the mattress, he watched you with wide dark eyes. You slid off his lap, your bare feet making no sound against the floor as you walked over to the speaker on the dresser with a tape , a low thumping bassline filled the room. Turning back to the bed, you loosened the silk tie of your robe, letting the fabric part just enough to catch the dim light. You began a slow, hypnotic sway to the rhythm, keeping your eyes locked onto his.

"Do you prefer a dance in this robe," you murmured, your voice dropping to a breathy whisper as you let the satin slip slightly off one shoulder, "or without it?"

Jungkook didn't move. He lay back against the pillows, his chest rising and falling in heavy, uneven breaths as he tried to process the intense shift in the room. The suddenness of your confidence and the intoxicating atmosphere seemed to overwhelm him.He shook his head slightly, but deeply smile tugging at his lips. "I don't understand what happened to you suddenly,"

You pouted, your lower lip turning out as you held his gaze "I’ve been your wife for eight months, Jungkook,and you haven’t even touched me once. Not proper, is it?"

Jungkook’s expression softened, a sudden warmth breaking through his confusion. He propped himself up on one elbow against the mattress, extending a hand toward you. "Sweetheart, come here," he murmured.

"No," you replied instantly, taking a step back into the rhythm of the slow, heavy bassline echoing from the corner. You let the silk tie of your robe slacken just a bit more. "I’m going to dance. So tell me... do I open it?"

Jungkook didn't say a word he simply leaned back against the pillows, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across his handsome face. He didn't need to speak; you knew the answer perfectly well. He kept his eyes pinned on you, utterly oblivious to the fact display was the perfect, brilliant trap.

Jungkook couldn’t take the distance any longer. He lunged off the bed, his hand gripping your waist to yank you flush against his chest. Before you could even gasp, his lips smashed onto yours in a deep, desperate kiss that tasted of pure hunger.You leaned into it for a brief second, letting him taste victory, before you firmly pressed your palms against his chest and broke away.

"Mhmn, no," you breathed, shaking your head with a wicked little smile. "It’s so basic." He blinked, breathless and disheveled. "Basic?"

"Come, let’s drink first," you purred, stepping back toward the nightstand. "We will smell like alcohol it’s what I want tonight."

Without giving him a choice, you gave him a firm push backward. He fell right back onto the mattress, his head hitting the pillows with a soft grunt. Before he could sit back up, you climbed over him, sliding your thighs on either side of his hips until you were sitting squarely on his lap.While his hands rested at your waist to steady you, you reached for the glass on the nightstand. The air in the room felt heavy with the scent of the dark liquor as you poured a small amount, the liquid catching the dim light.

"To us," you murmured, keeping your gaze fixed on his. You held the glass for him, and he took a slow sip, the sharp warmth of the alcohol settling between you.

Jungkook sat back against the headboard, you unbutton his black silk shirt, he was watching you with an intensity that burned through the dim lighting. The mattress dipped under your weight as you straddled his lap.

"You're quiet tonight," you murmured, his chest rise and fall in a sharp exhale."I'm waiting to see what you're doing," Jungkook replied.

You didn't answer right away. Instead, you brought the glass to your own lips, taking a tiny sip, keeping your eyes locked onto his the entire time. You let a single drop catch on your bottom lip before leaning forward, your face inches from his. His gaze dropped instantly to your mouth, his grip on your hips tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"Drink," you whispered, pressing the rim of the glass gently against his lower lip.Jungkook hesitated for a fraction of a second, his dark eyes searching yours, before he parted his lips. You tilted the glass. He took a slow sip, deliberate swallow, a single drop escaped, tracking a wet line down his chin and toward his throat.

Before he could pull away, you tilted the glass just a bit more, your other hand coming up to cup the back of his neck, your fingers tangling in the soft, dark hair at his nape. "More honey" you urged softly, your thumb tracing the hard line of his jawline.

He swallowed again, his Adam’s apple bobbing against your palm. He finished the glass, his breath coming faster now, his chest pressing against yours with every rise and fall. When you finally set the glass aside on the nightstand, the space between you remained charged with a quiet, lingering tension. You stayed close, Jungkook looked at you, the intensity in his gaze softening into something more reflective. His hands remained steady on your waist, though his grip relaxed slightly.

"You always seem to know exactly how to get my attention," he murmured. Jungkook's eyes were fixed on your face.

Your fingers had already slipped the small, fast-dissolving tablet from your palm and into the remaining amber liquid. It vanished instantly, leaving the drink clear, potent, and dangerous.

You picked the glass back up, your expression shifting into a gaze of pure, undivided focus."You didn't finish," you whispered, leaning so close your breath brushed the sensitive skin just below his ear.

Jungkook let out a low, rough exhale, his hands sliding from your waist down to the small of your back, pulling you flush against his chest. "I’ve had enough," he murmured.

"Just a little more. For me." You traced the pad of your thumb along his bottom lip, forcing it to part slightly. You brought the rim of the glass back to his mouth.

Captivated by your gaze, he didn't question the subtle, bitter undertone of the liquor. He swallowed the rest of the drugged drink, his throat moving rhythmically against your palm.

You slid your hands down his chest, slowly unbuttoning the remaining silk of his shirt, exposing the warm skin beneath. "Good boy," you purred, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to the hollow of his throat.

Jungkook’s breath hitched. He tried to lift his arms to wrap them around you, but his movements were noticeably heavier. He blinked slowly, shaking his head slightly. "You... wha..."

"Shh," you interrupted softly, capturing his attention by capturing his lips. It was a slow, deep, intoxicating kiss designed to steal whatever focus he had left. Your fingers tangled in his hair, gently pulling his head back to keep him anchored to you.When you broke the kiss, his eyes were glassy, struggling to stay open, yet they were still desperately pinned on you. He leaned his forehead against your shoulder.

You wrapped your arms securely around his broad shoulders and gently guided his head down. You pressed his cheek flat against your bare skin, right above your cleavage, cradling him tightly against your chest. The warmth of your skin and the steady, rhythmic beat of your heart.Jungkook let out one final, shuddering exhale against your skin. His hands, which had been weakly gripping your waist, lost their tension and slipped onto the mattress. His body went completely pliant, his heavy weight resting entirely against you as the medicine pulled him under into a deep sleep.

The silence that followed suffocated. The seductive mask you had been wearing completely shattered, leaving your face raw with emotion. Your breath hitched, and a lump formed tightly in your throat as you looked down at his peaceful, handsome face.

He had trusted you completely. He had looked at you with nothing but love and desire, and you had used that devotion to trap him.Your hands trembled as you reached out, no longer acting, but genuinely desperate for his warmth. You cupped his face in both of your hands, the rough stubble of his jaw familiar and grounding against your palms.

"I'm sorry," you choked out, your voice breaking into a ragged whisper.You leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead. Then to his closed eyelids. You kissed his cheeks, his nose, and finally, his soft lips, your tears threatening to spill as you showered his face with kisses.

"I'm really sorry, honey," you murmured against him "I'm so sorry I trapped you. Please forgive me."For a long moment, you just stayed there, holding his heavy, sleeping body .

Suddenly you wiped your eyes quickly this was not the time to cry, taking a steadying breath, you straightened your robe and slipped out of the bed.

The grandfather clock downstairs struck midnight you started searching the key ,you searched drawer after drawer. Just when frustration began to set in, your fingers brushed against cold metal. A keyring, a very large keyring.

Your heart jumped there must have been twenty keys attached to it, perhaps more you glanced towards the bed. Then snatched it up and hurried out before your courage abandoned you entirely.

The walk to Eleanor's room felt endless the corridor stretched on forever beneath the dim wall lamps finally, you arrived. The door stood exactly as it always had. Your hands trembled.

"This is ridiculous," you whispered yet you couldn't stop shaking, you inserted the first key then the second, the third, the fourth refused to fit, the fifth almost worked.

Minutes passed, your anxiety grew. Then a larger key caught your attention older than the others. You slid it into the lock. Your breath caught the sound seemed impossibly loud.

The door was unlocked a chill travelled down your spine slowly, you pushed the door to Eleanor’s room creaked open.Inside, the room looked terrifying. Shadows stretched long across the walls, and a thick layer of dust coated the covered furniture like a burial shroud. It looked like a horror movie set.

You trembled violently, the cold air chilled your skin through the thin satin robe, but you forced your feet to move forward.You rushed to the heavy vanity table in the corner and yanked open the top drawer. Your breath caught. Right there, resting on top of old yellowed papers, was Eleanor’s personal diary.

It felt like a miracle. It felt as if God or perhaps the spirit of Eleanor herself was helping you finish this. A sudden burst of pure happiness rushed through you as your fingers locked around the leather binding.But the triumph lasted only a fraction of a second.

Crack.

Before you could even open the book, a heavy piece of metal smashed violently into the back of your head the world instantly shattered. A blinding spike of agony exploded through your skull, making your head spin uncontrollably. Your vision blurred into streaks of black and gray, and your knees buckled beneath you. As you collapsed toward the floor, your body heavy and unresponsive, you desperately forced your eyes to blink open one last time.

Turning your head just an inch, you caught a fleeting glimpse of your attacker before the darkness took you. Standing over you was a figure holding a bloody metal rod. The only defining detail your fading consciousness could register was a hand gripping the weapon its fingers tipped with sharp, brilliant red nail paint.Then, the pain vanished, and everything went entirely black.

The next thing you became aware of was sunlight. Your head throbbed a dull ache pulsed behind your eyes as you slowly opened them. The ceiling above you looked familiar, its your bedroom, confusion settled in immediately. How had you gotten here? You tried to sit up.

"Darling."

Before you could react, Margaret was suddenly beside you the moment she saw your eyes open, she pulled you straight into her arms "Oh, thank God." You blinked in surprise Margaret was crying her hands trembled as she cupped your face.

"You scared me." A kiss landed on your forehead. "Margaret..." Her eyes were red from lack of sleep.

"You frightened me half to death." Slowly, you reached up and touched your forehead there's a bandage. Your stomach dropped fragments of last night flashed through your mind.

"What happened?"

Margaret immediately helped you sit up. "One of the staff found you. You were unconscious in Eleanor's room, there was blood running down the back of your head. I thought...I thought something terrible had happened."

You stared at her. The concern in her eyes was genuine.Margaret took a deep breath.

"I cleaned the wound and put the bandage on and I locked Eleanor's room again. What if Jungkook found out? He would've been furious."

The room fell silent. Margaret studied your face then frowned. "How did you even get inside?"

You opened your mouth ready to tell Margaret everything then your eyes dropped and your words died instantly. Margaret's hand rested on the blanket her nails were painted red. Your stomach twisted. Thousands of women wore red nail polish Margaret had probably worn it for years yet suddenly you couldn't stop staring.

Your heart began pounding. No Margaret would never—Would she? The thought hurt more than it should have because Margaret had become your safe place in this house the person who comforted you, protected you, loved you like family.

"Y/N?" You blinked Margaret was looking at you with concern "You've gone pale."

"I'm fine." The lie sounded terrible before Margaret could question it further, the bedroom door opened. Jungkook entered his expression was unreadable but the moment his eyes landed on the bandage, something dark flickered across his face.

His gaze shifted to Margaret. "I'd like to speak with y/n alone."

Margaret looked between the two of you then nodded "Of course."

She stood before leaving, she gently brushed your hair away from your face "Call if you need anything, darling." You forced a smile Margaret left.

Jungkook turn toward you "What on earth happened last night?" he asked, leaning in closer.

Panic seized your chest. Your breath caught in your throat as your mind raced back to the horror of Eleanor's room. Does he know? You thought. You knew exactly how furious Jungkook would get if he discovered you had broken into that forbidden space your body freezing under his gaze. Before you could stammer out a lie, Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely bewildered.

"Last night... I remember you coming into the room. You looked beautiful in that robe, and you made me drink. After that, I completely blacked out. I don't remember a single thing."

A massive wave of relief washed over you. You finally let out the breath you had been holding. He didn't know about Eleanor's room. He thought he had just passed out from the alcohol.

Jungkook pointed to your head, his brow furrowing. "But what about this bandage? Did you fall?"

Seeing that you were completely in the clear, your survival instincts instantly melted back into your playful, teasing persona. A slow, wicked smirk spread across your lips.

"You really don't know what happened?" you teased, your voice dropping to a low, mocking purr as you tilted your head.

Jungkook blinked, looking entirely innocent and utterly clueless. "No. Tell me."

You let out a soft laugh, leaning back against the pillows as you locked eyes with him. "Naughty man," you whispered.

Jungkook leaned in closer, his dark eyes wide with a mix of genuine worry and growing curiosity. "Tell me, please," he pleaded softly, his voice dropping as his thumb brushed against your cheek. "But tell me first... how did you get hurt?"

You leaned in closer, you until your faces were just inches apart. You pouted your lips, creating the most convincing, innocent puppy face you could.

"You were so rough last night," you whispered, your voice a delicate, breathy murmur that made his eyes widen in utter shock. "You didn't even let me breathe."

Jungkook’s face flushed a deep crimson, his jaw literally dropping as he stared at you, completely speechless."After you were finally done," you continued, holding back a smirk as you watched his brain struggle to process the fake scenario, "I got up to get some water. But because I had absolutely no energy left... I fell and hit my head."

Jungkook swallowed hard, his gaze mix of embarrassment and absolute guilt. He rubbed the back of his neck, forcing him to believe he was. "I... I did that?" he stammered.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to..."

"You know, you tried a lot of positions last night,"

Jungkook’s ears turned bright red, his eyes widening . "What... what positions?" he choked out, you leaned back against the pillows, counting them off on your fingers with a completely straight face, letting your voice drop to a wicked whisper.

"Well, first you yanked me up against the mahogany desk, gripping my hips so tight it’s going to leave bruises. Then you carried me to the bed and pinned my wrists above my head for a very deep, breathless missionary. But you weren't satisfied with that. You made me get on my hands and knees, pulling me against you from behind, bending me exactly how you wanted. You were so dominant and relentless, Jungkook. You didn't care how much I begged you to slow down."

His jaw dropped so low it looked like it might unhinge. The vivid, dirty details clearly had his imagination running wild, and he looked completely horrified by his own supposed animalistic hunger, blinking in utter disbelief.

You shifted, you let out a soft groan and placed a hand flat over your stomach, looking down at it with a sudden, serious expression.

"What if I get pregnant from last night? You didn't exactly pull out, did you?" you murmured.

Jungkook’s entire face instantly froze. The color drained from his cheeks, and his body went stiff as stone. It was as if you had just spoken words you were never, ever supposed to. But just as quickly as the ice had set in, he forced himself to calm down.

He reached out to gently cup your shoulder. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

You dropped the act for a moment, the throbbing pain at the back of your skull making you wince genuinely. "My head," you whispered, touching the thick bandage.

Later that day the estate felt almost too calm that kind of calm that didn’t soothe you. You moved slowly down the staircase, still thinking about the diary, Eleanor’s room, the blurred hand, the red nails and the biggest question of all ,who had been inside that room besides you? Your mind kept circling the same thought. If you could get the diary back… if you could just read it… everything might finally make sense but before you could even plan your next step—you saw Cecilia.

Sitting on the sofa in the drawing room like she owned the silence itself, she was completely unbothered. She was eating an apple, watching something faintly outside the window for a moment, you simply stared.

Then your eyes dropped to her nails it was painted red. Your stomach tightened instantly. Your heart began to race I knew it , tour steps quickened Cecilia didn’t even look up as you approached.

You snatched the apple straight from her hand. “Hey!” she snapped, finally turning to you. “What is wrong with you?”

You ignored her your eyes were fixed on her hands, the red polish. Your voice came out sharper than intended. “What do you want, huh?” Cecilia leaned back slightly, unimpressed.

“What are you talking about?”

“You hit me.”

That made her pause then she scoffed.

“Oh, for God’s sake you know you were already half mad,” she said coolly. “After getting hit, you’ve completely lost your senses.”

Your grip tightened around the apple “Don’t act innocent.” Cecilia’s expression darkened she stood slowly now, matching your energy without flinching “Why would I do that?” The question hung between you both.

“If I wanted to hurt you,” she said coldly, “you wouldn’t be standing here arguing .”

Cecilia let out a short, humourless laugh. “You were with husband last night,” she said coldly, folding her arms tighter. “I warned you already. Stay away from him.”

You straightened instantly “He’s my husband.” The words came out sharper you took a step forward. “I don’t know what game you’re playing,” you said quietly, voice shaking with anger now, “but I’m not blind anymore.”

Cecilia didn’t move. You swallowed, forcing yourself to hold her gaze. “I will remove your mask very soon.”

Cecilia smiled like someone who had heard something both amusing and dangerous she turned away, leaving you standing in the middle of the room with unanswered questions clawing at your thoughts, one thing settled heavily in your mind.

You pulled away from the chaos downstairs, your heart hammering. You collapsed onto the edge of the mattress. Tears blurred your vision, streaming down your face.

You grabbed your tel, your hands shaking so violently you dialed Daphne's number, pressing the receiver tightly to your ear. The moment she answered, you broke down completely.

"Daphne... I don’t know what to do," you sobbed, your voice a ragged, breathless whisper. "I don’t know what to do anymore."

"Hey, hey, breathe! What's wrong? What happened?" Daphne's voice came through the line, instantly grounding you, you poured everything out. You told her about drugging Jungkook, stealing the grand wardrobe keys, and entering the horror of Eleanor’s long-locked room. You described finding the diary, the agonizing blow to the back of your head, and the terrifying final image of the hand with the brilliant red nail paint. Then, you told her about the morning how you woke up with the bandage, how you lied to a guilty Jungkook, and the sickening discovery downstairs.

"Both of them, Daphne," you whispered. "Margaret and Cecilia. They both have that exact same red nail paint. I know Cecilia hates me, but my gut tells me Margaret could never do this. She’s been so good to me. But the nail polish... it was in our shared bathroom."

"Listen to me," Daphne interrupted, her tone dropping. "You know Margaret is suspicious. I’ve told you before, I don’t like her. Don't let her sweet act blind you."

"No, stop, okay? Just listen to me," you snapped softly, wiping a fresh tear from your . Jungkook's frozen, terrified reaction from this morning played on a loop in your head.

"Your sister is a doctor, right?" you breathed, your voice hardening. "I need a favor. A massive one. I want a fake positive pregnancy report under my name."

Daphne gasped loudly down the line, the sharp intake of breath crackling through the telephone receiver. "Have you gone utterly mad? If Jungkook discovers you’ve played him for a fool like that, he’ll have you out on the street before nightfall!"

"He won't find out," you insisted, your eyes fixing on your reflection in the vanity mirror. The thick white dressing on your head was a grim reminder of how close you had come to an early grave.

"When I dropped the word pregnancy this morning, his face turned as white as a sheet. He looked bloody terrified, Daphne. If Eleanor was murdered the very week she fell pregnant, then carrying his child is the ultimate trigger in this house."

You stood up, pacing the length of the Persian rug. "If the killer believes I am carrying Jungkook’s heir, they will panic. They’ll be forced to finish the job they started last night. It is the only way to make them clumsy enough to trip over their own secrets."

Finally, Daphne let out a defeated sigh. "Right then. It’s bloody dangerous, but I’ll speak to Sarah. She can manipulate the laboratory records at the clinic and have a proper medical report drafted under your name".

"Just get me the paperwork," you whispered, your heart hammering against your ribs. "I'll handle the rest."

CONTINUE IN NEXT PART