Chapter Text
Bergen, Alpine. The Jeon family mansion.
"I hate you for your weakness!"
The only daughter of the former Don of the Jeon family, twenty-three-year-old Jisoo sits on the living room floor of the mansion, in a luxurious Alexander McQueen dress. A favorite of the yellow press, the idol of the girls of Manhattan, the "princess" of the most influential family in the city wipes her face swollen with tears with her palms, while shamelessly spoiling the work of the best makeup artist in the country and refuses to get up from the floor.
The girl's mother, Jeon Mina, walks nervously around the room, rustling the hem of a beautiful pale pink dress from Atelier Versace. Jisoo's father sprawled imposingly on the sofa and pulls his fingers to the buttons on the vest from his tuxedo, which has clamped the overweight carcass and does not allow breathing.
"Get up, put yourself in order, and go out to the guests," the man almost begs his daughter, cursing his tailor and finally freeing his big belly. "You can't let Jungkook find you here. Don't make him angry."
“You don’t care,” Jisoo answers him brutely, crumples the hem of the dress embroidered with stones and pearls in her hands. "No one cares that I am marrying a man who is twenty years older than me, a man whom I have not really seen, a man whom I do not love."
"Please, do not dramatize!" Mina finally exclaims and stops in front of her daughter. "I didn’t love your father, but that didn’t stop me from becoming the wife of the future Don and giving birth to three children! Don't act like a commoner! Your husband is the heir of an influential family, his parents hold high positions in the government, and if your brother thinks that you need to connect your life with him, then you will do so!"
“My brother is a monster,” the girl screams. "He does not care about me, he cares only about his business! You are afraid of him, although you yourself created him. You even put me on the altar of his ambitions! Me, your own daughter."
"Enough!" The woman shouts at her. "If you are so smart and brave, tell him everything in his face, I will listen. The courtyard is full of guests, the most important people of the two countries have come to your engagement, and you are sitting here and whining!"
“I love Leon,” Jisoo breaks into sobs as she continues to smear the remnants of makeup that took three hours.
"This ragamuffin?" Jung jumps off the couch. "My daughter loves some kind of street artist!" the man turns purple. "Forget about him! Your love is standing in the yard and waiting for you! Stop making me..."
All three in the room turn abruptly towards the door, through which Jung's youngest son and the new Don of the Jeon family, Jungkook, enters. He casts a contemptuous glance at his sister, who has suddenly turned pale and even trying to get up from the floor and goes to the sofa. Jungkook is wearing a black suit made especially for him by the best tailor in the country and a dark blue silk shirt, his hair combed back, and one look of anthracite eyes silences everyone present. There is absolute silence in the room, and you can even hear the ticking of a Victorian clock on the wall.
“You’ve already arrived,” Mina clears her throat, desperately trying to pull herself together. “We were just going to go out to the guests,” the woman continues to chatter and slowly walks to her son.
"Put yourself in order,'' Jungkook orders his sister in an icy tone, while not even looking in her direction.
“Where’s Hoseok?” Mina is still trying to defuse the situation.
"He won't miss his sister's engagement, and even if Calum has to get him out from under another whore, he will get him,'' Jungkook waves her off and gets to his feet, and moves towards the exit. "I have too little time, so let's not delay.'
"Jungkook,'' a squeak comes from the corner where Jisoo was sitting before, and the man stops halfway and turns to look at her. "You make me unhappy."
Mina and Jung instantly turn pale, the first feverishly thinks out how to stick between the children, and the second looks for a servant to bring him brandy, preferably a bottle.
“Baby,” Jungkook grins rather than smiles and slowly walks towards his sister. He squats down in front of the girl and takes her hands in his palms. "You will be happy, you are just too young to know what happiness is. Consider I giving it to you. I'm sure my little sister is smart and won't let anything darken her brother's mood," he bends down and leaves a short kiss on her forehead. "Now go up to your room, put yourself in order and go down to the courtyard."
"I don't like him ..." Jisoo sobs.
“Prove to the one you love that your love is not just words,” Jungkook says insinuatingly, brushing a strand of hair that has come out of the girl’s hairstyle behind her ear. "Please your brother, otherwise a load of your love will bury your tramp artist. Yeah, yeah,” he continues stroking the girl’s hair. "I know him."
"I hate you…"
"I love you too." Jungkook kisses the girl one more time and gets to his feet and walks towards the exit.
“Leia,” Mina calls loudly, and a fragile woman of about forty enters the living room. "Take Jisoo to her bedroom and see that she cleanses her face."
"Yes, madam," the woman bows and follows the girl literally dragging herself to the stairs.
The huge courtyard of the most expensive mansion in the Bergen district is decorated with the best designers and florists in the world, specially brought from all over the world for this day. Jisoo's favorite band is playing at the event, tables are bursting with exquisite dishes and snacks. Jungkook has ordered the family cellar to open, so this evening guests enjoy the finest wines the Jung family has collected for years.
Don himself slowly walks between the tables, accepts congratulations, listens to requests and wishes, and communicates warmly with everyone. Jungkook is listening to a congressman close to his family when he spots his brother walking towards him.
"Let's go away,'' Hoseok bends down to Jungkook and nods affably to his interlocutor. "Another hour and the news about the senator will appear on all TV channels in the country."
"Did you do everything as we agreed?" the younger looking around the yard, asks him.
“Of course,” Hoseok grins. “The Tang family killed him. We signed a contract with him yesterday, planted a couple of trees, and financed the construction of the school. Why would we kill him?" the elder spreads his hands theatrically. “Oh, yes,” he winks at his brother. “Quite by accident, it turned out that the whore he was spending the night with belonged to the Tang family. And it is certainly an accident that he was killed with a knife in the heart."
"Did you leave their sign?"
"You're insulting me,'' Hoseok grumbles. "We did not apply to the Corporation, did not ask for permits. I did everything myself."
"Wonderful. We're having an engagement party, we're not up to the murder, we're above suspicion,'' Jungkook grins.
“Haven't been here in ages.” Hoseok glances at the mansion breathes in the air and winks at the passing ladies. "No one will be offended if, after expressing my respect to my sister, I leave for the Royal?" he asks permission.
"Today we no longer work, so go, I'll join you later," his brother pats him on the shoulder and moves towards the newly arrived senator.
Manhattan, apartment of the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Unit of the NYPD, Kim Namjoon.
"They didn’t give accreditation! What the fuck?" Yoongi exclaims, pulling on his jeans along the way and heading for the kitchen. "It's some kind of insanity. As if it were the State Department of the country and not some kind of party! Since when do I need accreditation to cover this kind of event?" he almost shouts. "They turned into gods, we made them gods!" he reaches out to the fried bacon on the plate and, closing his eyelids, chews it with pleasure.
“This is temporary.” Namjoon puts scrambled eggs in front of the guy and goes to the fridge for juice. "As they were elevated to the throne, so they will lower. Although I needed you so much on this engagement."
“I know,” Yoongi mutters sadly. "I myself have been looking forward to this day. Everybody there! Also, criminal families from Asia flew in. Imagine how many interviews, gossip I would collect there. But the engagement is closed to the press. Bitches."
"I hope you will make your way to the wedding, you can't miss that. I’m blind without you.” Namjoon also sits down at the table and pulls his plate closer.
"Sorry baby,'' Yoongi replies with a mouthful. "I promise, I will break through there, I use all connections. I know how important it is for you to end Jeon's."
“Very important,” Namjoon sighs. “It’s useless to spend at least twenty years on these days at the police station. One proof, one sensation, and I will bring these sons of bitches to court. Then the captain's chair will be mine. This fat pig, now occupying it, only knows that he is afraid of his shadow, does not allow unnecessary movements to be made. This is how justice will never work."
"I see, I work for this myself.'' Yoongi continues to pick at the eggs with a fork and thinks.
"But, in any case, your safety is most important to me, therefore, if you are not allowed to the wedding, we will survive it, and you will not take unauthorized steps. Okay, finish fast and get out first,” Kim urges him on. “I have to get to the department early today, so I’ll follow."
“I'm so tired of hiding,” Yoongi grumbles displeasedly and pushes the plate aside.
"But baby, you understand everything,'' Namjoon puts his hand over his. "If they find out about our connection, then I will not see a promotion. They say the United States is a free country, but believe me, they will not accept me as a gay captain."
"I know, I'm sorry, I'm just being naughty,'' Yoongi exhales and gets up from the table.
“I’ll get that job, prove my competence, and then I don’t have to hide.” Namjoon walks up to him and pulls him toward him.
Kim kisses the guy for a long time and lets him go, only remembering the time. Yoongi pulls on a T-shirt and grabs his stuff as he walks out. He examines the street a couple of times from the entrance and, only after making sure that no one is there, he quickly walks towards the neighboring block, where he left his BMW at night.
"You're very late.'' As soon as Yoongi sat down at his desk, his boss and good friend Kim Seokjin flopped right on top of it.
"I worked," Min grumbles and opens the laptop.
“I see by the hickeys on your neck that you worked very hard,” Jin grins and hands him coffee.
"I'm upset anyway, and you're also annoying me,'' Yoongi snaps, but he grabs the coffee.
“Still you’re not going to accept that you weren’t allowed to Princess's engagement?"
"Actually, you should be indignant, you are the boss, and we have lost so much material."
“I’ll tell you a secret, away from the snake's ears,” he glances towards the glass office of the editor-in-chief and bends closer. "I'm even glad because you should not meddle in there."
"Stop it, or I'll start thinking you're a coward,'' Yoongi's mouth curls.
“I'm just being sober,” Jin shrugs. "I have a wife, two children, I'm not looking for adventures on my ass and I really don't want yours to find them. Before that, we worked on trifles: pimps, petty drug dealers - but you, kid, climbed into the Major League, and there you just can't leave with threats or dead rats in front of the door. I know it."
“We're not in the yellow press,” Yoongi is angry, but tries not to raise his voice. "We are engaged in investigative journalism! Jeon's family killed two hundred and thirty people with their drugs last year, should I show you the statistics? Yes, the one that the government is hiding. They explain death by anything but drugs, because they are afraid of him, like dogs, and because many have a common business with him. You know perfectly well who I'm talking about. In New York, after the displacement of Latin American suppliers, three families are working, and it is Jeons' who supply the largest batches. I know that you know that. But what are we doing? We endure. We shake in front of them. And then we reiterate to the whole world that the media is the fourth power, that we can change everything. I still believe in it, and I will change. They will fuck up sooner or later, and I will catch this moment, and then they will not wash off. The main thing here is to open the eyes of the public, and our newspaper is the best way for this. We will not only jail the Jeons, but all those corrupt senators and congressmen."
“Oh, I'm worried about you, very much,” Jin says sadly. "If you catch their eye, even your father won't get you out. You are too young to choke on the gas at home like our former colleague. We know it was not an accident. Better write about the gay men who had a fight yesterday in Brooklyn. The people love spectacles, and there was a lot of blood there. Our photographer is currently editing the photos."
"Write about it yourself,'' Yoongi snaps. "I want to make a couple of calls and order a new suit."
"What for?" Jin raises his eyebrows.
“I'm going to the wedding at the end of the month,” Yoongi winks at him.
“Stupid ambitious child,” Jin sighs heavily and returns to his office.
Queens, Park Jimin's home
“You’re very tired again, your muscles are tense.” Jimin gives a soft massage to his mom sitting in the chair. “I don’t like the way you look, I’m worried."
"The engagement squeezed all my strength out of me,'' the woman sighs and winces as Jimin presses on the painful spots.
"Well, at least they would give you a day off, you work three days without sleep," the guy is indignant, continuing to massage the woman's neck.
“The mistress trusts no one but me,” Leia sighs wearily. "I must be on the alert, watch the servants, provide her with whatever she wants. You know she's capricious, and I can't lose my job right now."
"She's a monster!" Jimin exclaims. "You could take a day off at least tomorrow, you deserve it."
"I will try to talk to her, maybe she will allow at least to leave earlier. I can hardly stand on my feet."
"Do you want me to go instead of you? I already replaced you a couple of times last year, I know what and how. I will work for her, and you sleep off," Jimin suggests.
“I don’t know if she will agree, and then you have lessons, your own work,” the woman dismisses.
"I am not studying next week, I am just taking exams now. I can take a day off at the coffee shop too," Jimin insists. "Ask her tomorrow, I'll replace you."
“You are my sun,” Leia smiles warmly at her son and, standing up, kisses him on the cheek. "Now let's go, I'll feed you."
The Jeon family owns the Royal nightlife chain. These include the Royal Dreams casino, the Royal nightclub, several strip clubs, and undercover brothels. All of these facilities are controlled by Hoseok. Jungkook reorganized everything as soon as he took office and clearly distinguished the drug trade from the rest of the family's business. This was done so that in case of problems with one business, the second would still work smoothly and provide an influx of income to the family's treasury. That is why all other objects are not officially registered with the Jeon family but are registered under the mother's maiden name. In addition to the Jeon family, the Tang family and the Kwon family function in New York. Jungkook plans to drive the first ones out of the city, and the second ones will join him.
Jungkook leaves the guard at the door and walks over to the green table. The croupier stops dealing cards, and everyone who has played before gets to their feet and, bowing to Jeon, moves to other tables. Hoseok pushes the chips away and asks for whiskey for himself and his brother.
"I wasted too much time and even money while you were painting the walls in the prison.'' Jungkook frowns and taps his fingers on the glass in front of him.
"I have already promised that this is the last ..."
"I'm not done yet,'' Jungkook interrupts and looks up at his brother. “You are not just my eyes at night and a punisher, you are the only confidant, and you are consigliere. If you screw up so badly again that you go to jail, then I will do my best so that you never get out again."
“I get it,” Hoseok says quietly and lowers his eyes.
"Sniff what you want, fuck whoever you want, even if you have an orgy on Times Square, but be kind enough to return home, not to jail. Did you understand me?"
"Got it," the elder answers dejectedly.
"That's great.'' Jungkook takes the glass in his hands and clinks glasses of Hoseok on the table and takes the first sip. "For the return of my beloved brother. What have we got with that newspaper? Where did the information leak come from? How did they know about my business trip to London?"
"Sorry, I still can't figure it out,'' Hoseok buries his hands in his hair. “But they definitely have an informant at the top, perhaps even at the airport and in the police."
"Let Calum meet the boss of this newspaper, invite him for coffee, and we'll give him a generous gift and warning,'' Jungkook says. "If this person refuses to meet, which is quite realistic, given the course they are holding, then let Calum visit him himself and, again, not without a gift. If this option does not work, then let our esteemed friend the Senator talk to him."
"Isn't it easier for me to visit them myself?" Hoseok asks, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I don't need extra attention, and after your visit, it will definitely be,'' Jungkook says. “Physical elimination is the last thing we should do. If the boss of that rag has brains, then he will take the money and go to choose his real estate."
"As you say. In any case, that journalist Min Yoongi, who does not give you a breath, I found him, order me and I will swat him."
"You have to think deeper,'' Jungkook grins and leans back in his chair. "I am not interested in this small fish, I am interested in the one who allows such materials to be published. So if you cut, then the head. Min Yoongi ..." Jungkook savors the name in his tongue. "Min - is it "bright" in Chinese? I still remember the language a little,” he laughs.
Yoongi has been tossing and turning in bed for over an hour in his small studio apartment in Manhattan, unable to sleep. Realizing that he can't sleep, he decides to lie down in the bathroom, wash off fatigue and calm his brain, which is overexcited by a busy day. Yoongi is not lazy, he lights candles adds sea salt to the bath. He plunges into the water that envelops him, closes his eyelids, and completely relaxes. Suddenly, the warm, steamy bathroom gets cold. The cold pierces almost to the bone, Yoongi sits down abruptly in the bath, hugs himself with his arms, and even thinks that he must be sick, because in the apartment it's twenty-five degrees, it's early summer in the yard, and he has such a fever. He rises to get out of the bath, but, frozen halfway, watches in horror as the candles go out one by one. The door to the bathroom is closed, there is no draft, but all four scented candles go out, leaving the dumbfounded guy in the already cooled water.
"Even the sun will go out sooner or later, this won't last long for this Yoongi too,'' Jungkook grins and walks to the guard waiting at the door.