Chapter 1: “In the Next Life, I Won’t Love You”

Rain pounded against the black marble mansion, drumming on the roof like the heartbeat of something angry and restless. Inside, the silence was heavier than the storm.

Taehyung knelt on the polished floor, his white shirt soaked through with blood. His hands trembled. The blood wasn’t just on his clothes—it was his own.

A figure loomed in front of him, impossibly tall, dressed in a black suit that gleamed even in the dim light. Every step he took exuded control, danger, and absolute authority.

Jeon Jungkook.

The CEO of a massive empire, the king of the underworld, and the man Taehyung had loved for three long years.

A gun rested steadily in Jungkook’s hand, pointed directly at Taehyung’s forehead. Around them, the armed men in the room stayed silent, waiting.

“You met him again,” Jungkook’s voice was calm, too calm, like a storm just beneath the surface.

Taehyung lifted his head weakly. His lips were pale, his body barely holding up. “I didn’t betray you,” he whispered.

Jungkook laughed softly, but there was no warmth in the sound. “Don’t lie to me. I saw the evidence.”

“They framed me,” Taehyung said, his voice barely audible.

“You were meeting the head of the Seo mafia branch,” Jungkook said, crouching slightly so his face was level with Taehyung’s. His hand gripped Taehyung’s chin roughly. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Taehyung gave a faint, weak smile. “I was trying to protect you.”

Jungkook’s expression darkened, the shadow of anger and betrayal flickering across his face. “You think I need protection?”

“I… thought you did,” Taehyung admitted softly.

For a moment, silence filled the room. The sound of rain outside, the distant thunder, and the pounding of Taehyung’s heart.

“You were my husband,” Jungkook said quietly, his voice low and dangerous, “and you chose my enemy.”

Taehyung’s chest tightened. Not because he was scared of dying—but because the man he loved looked at him like a stranger.

“No,” Taehyung whispered, “I chose you.”

But the hesitation in Jungkook’s eyes was brief. From behind, a subordinate’s voice called out, “Boss, we found the transaction records.”

Lies.

All lies.

Taehyung closed his eyes. So this was how it ended. Not with understanding. Not with love. But with a gun.

Jungkook straightened. “Any last words?”

Taehyung opened his eyes, calm now. “In the next life… I won’t love you.”

The gunshot echoed through the mansion.

.....

Then darkness.

A sharp gasp.

Taehyung’s eyes snapped open. He wasn’t on the floor anymore. He wasn’t bleeding. He wasn’t dying.

He was lying on a king-sized bed. Warm, soft, untouched. The calendar on the wall caught his attention: three years earlier.

He was alive.

His heart pounded. The memory of the gun, Jungkook’s cold eyes, the betrayal—it all felt so real. Too real.

The door opened quietly.

Jungkook stepped inside, younger, alive, unaware. “You’re awake,” he said, his voice steady. “You fainted at the company banquet yesterday.”

Taehyung’s lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile. He remembered everything—the death, the betrayal, the gunshot—but this time, nothing would be the same.

“Did you need something, Mr. Jeon?” Taehyung asked, calm, measured, professional.

Jungkook’s brow furrowed. “Mr. Jeon?”

Taehyung met his gaze without fear. “We should keep things professional.”

A tense silence hung in the air. Jungkook’s jaw tightened. “You’re acting strange.”

“Am I?” Taehyung tilted his head slightly. His heart raced, but his face was composed. This time, he would not love blindly. This time, he would protect himself.

Jungkook stood up slowly, his eyes darkening. “You’re my husband.”

Taehyung didn’t flinch. He walked past him, calm, distant. “Not for long,” he said softly.

And for the first time in both lifetimes, Jungkook felt uneasy. The man who once loved him unconditionally now looked like an untouchable obstacle.

Taehyung thought quietly to himself: Fall for me again, Jeon Jungkook. This time… I’ll be the one holding the gun.

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