The sound of a spoon clattering on the counter made him flinch. Jin snickered, shaking his head. "You're so lazy." "Yeah, right," Taehyung shot back. "I do everything around here, and you know it." Hana emerged from the kitchen, rolling her eyes and giving him a look

that only a mom could master—the kind that said she was done. She walked over to the front door, muttering under her breath, "You never listen to me..." She brushed past him, clearly fed up. Taehyung sighed, watching her go. "See? She never says anything to you," he muttered

to Jin. “It’s always me who gets blamed for everything.” Hana reached the door, and Taehyung leaned forward, trying to peek around Jin's shoulder. "Hyung, move. I can't see who it is." Jin didn't budge, raising an eyebrow. "Why i should? You can get up if you're that curious."

Taehyung gave him a soft but pointed look. "I just want to see who it is. Is that too much to ask?" Jin smirked, crossing his arms. "If it's that important, get up and go to the door yourself. Not my problem."

Taehyung pursed his lips, about to respond, when— A loud, furious voice from outside suddenly interrupted. "Look at what he's done to my son!"

Jin and Taehyung froze in place, their eyes snapping to each other in alarm. "That sounds like Mrs. Park, doesn't it?" Jin said, frowning. Taehyung stood abruptly, his voice tight. "Yeah, Hyung. That's her."

They hurried to the door, and they were right—Mrs. Park was there, glaring at their mother. She was gripping Jihoon's arm, and he looked awful. His face was bloodied, and he could barely stay on his feet. Taehyung's heart sank. "Ji! What happened?" he asked, rushing forward,

his voice shaking. Jihoon didn't say a word. His head stayed low, and he looked like he could collapse at any moment. Mrs. Park, however, wasn't staying quiet. Her sharp glare locked onto Taehyung. "What happened? You really have the nerve to ask that?" Her voice was bitter,

she looked very much angry. Taehyung froze, suddenly feeling small under her glare. He started to back away, but his mom grabbed his wrist and moved in front of him. "Mrs. Park, I understand you're upset, but I won't let you speak to my son that way.

If there's an issue, talk to me properly." Mrs. Park let out a sharp, mocking laugh, her nostrils flaring as she shot a furious look at Hana. "Oh, so now we're talking about what's proper?" She laughed again, then, in a low tone, added,

"Was it proper for your engaged omega son to go messing around with some rich alpha?" Hana's jaw tightened. "Mrs. Park, don't bring disgusting accusations into my home." "Disgusting?" Mrs. Park scoffed, a cruel laugh escaping her. "Disgusting is what your son is doing with that

Jeon alpha! And you have the nerve to tell me this?" Taehyung flinched at her words, his heart pounding in his chest. And then before anyone could speak further, Jihoon's quiet voice broke in. "Mom, stop... Please."

Mrs. Park turned to him, shocked. "Jihoon! Are you really defending him? This omega—" She pointed accusingly at Taehyung, who was hiding behind Hana. "He is the reason you're like this!" "I... I didn't do anything," Taehyung stammered, his voice trembling. "I wouldn't—"

"Not you!" Mrs. Park snapped, her glare sharp enough to make him shrink back. "But your lover did!" The room went silent. Hana and Jin looked at each other, confused. Taehyung stared at Mrs. Park, his mind spinning. "My... my lover?" he asked, feeling both confused and

a little scared. "Yes, your lover!" she spat, her words full of venom. "That Jeon! He beat my son, and do you know why? Because my son gave you a ride home!" At the mention of "Jeon," Taehyung's whole body stiffened. His breath hitched, and a cold feeling spread through him.

He swallowed hard. Jungkook did this to Ji... he thought, his mind repeating it over and over. That alpha did this. His thoughts spiraled, a voice echoing in his mind: He's a monster. He beat your friend up, and he can kill someone too—he can... But before he could process

anymore, Mrs. Park's voice cut through his racing thoughts. "Tell me, Taehyung," she pressed, stepping closer, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. "What did my son do wrong? What could he have done to deserve this? Tell me, did Jihoon do anything bad to you?"

Taehyung's mouth went dry, his eyes darting nervously between Mrs. Park and Jihoon. He shook his head quickly, panic rising in his chest as tears filled his eyes. "No," he said, his voice shaky and uneven. "No, he didn't… he didn't do anything!" His words came out rushed,

cracking as he looked down, his breathing quick and unsteady. "Tae," Jin started softly, taking a cautious step toward him, but Mrs. Park was not done. "You knew," she said, her tone cold and accusing. Her glare was fixed on Taehyung. "You knew how dangerous that Jeon alpha is.

And yet you let my son get dragged into this." "He didn't know anything! You're making up a ridiculous story," Hana said through clenched teeth,her voice getting tight with barely controlled anger. Every word Mrs. Park spat out was pushing her closer to the edge,

and she could feel the heat rising in her chest. She wanted to stop this nonsense, to shield her son, but Mrs. Park didn't even look at her, acting like she hadn't said a thing. Mrs. Park's attention stayed locked on Taehyung. “If you knew, Taehyung, you should've refused

Jihoon's help! You should've told him to stay away!" Tears spilled down Taehyung's cheeks as he shook his head again, trying to explain. "I didn't mean for—"

"You didn't mean for it?" Mrs. Park snapped, "But because of you, my son is hurt. That alpha you're so close to did this, and you just let it happen!" Taehyung's chest tightened as he felt the weight of her words. He wanted to defend himself, He wanted to shout back, to tell her

how unfair she was being, but all he could do was stand there, trembling, as his chest tightened with guilt and helplessness. Taehyung was scared and upset, but Hana wasn't having it. This was her house, her family, and no one was going to come in here and disrespect her son.

She stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Mrs. Park, her protective instincts kicking in. "You think yelling at Taehyung and blaming him is going to change anything? My son didn't hurt Jihoon. If you're looking for someone to blame, take it up with Jungkook.

Go and confront him if you have the courage and stop attacking Taehyung for something he couldn't control!" Mrs. Park's eyes narrowed, her face twisting in anger. "Don't teach me what to do!" she snapped. "I know exactly what I'm doing. And yes, your son may not have hurt Jihoon

directly, but his lover did! Your son is having an affair with that Jeon alpha, betraying the very idea of mates. He’s a mate deceiver—a disgrace!" That was it, Hana's patience finally snapped. She wasn't typically one to lose control, but Mrs. Park had crossed the line.

"You are fucking malicious bitch," she spat, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Jin, standing next to her, gave a small nod, as if agreeing that Mrs. Park really was a malicious bitch. Taehyung, though, didn't want any more fighting or harsh words, so his voice

came out in a stutter, "M-mom, please don't." Jin glanced at Taehyung and said, "Don't be this good, Taehyung." And then there was Mrs. Park, her wide, angry eyes filled with shock. "What did you just call me?" "I called you a malicious bitch," Hana repeated, her voice loud

now, her finger pointed straight at Mrs. Park. The anger in her voice was unmistakable, and she wasn't holding back anymore. "You—" Mrs. Park began, her face turning red with rage, but before she could say another word, Jihoon's weak voice interrupted, barely audible. "Mom…"

He was standing in the doorway, looking pale and fragile, one hand pressed against his forehead. "Please, stop. I don't feel well… I just want to go home." Mrs. Park's expression shifted immediately, her anger dissolving as worry took over. She rushed to his side,

gently grabbing his arm to steady him. "Yes, yes, we'll go," she murmured, her tone softening. She slipped an arm around him, supporting his weight. But just as she turned to leave, her gaze snapped back to Hana, and the bitterness returned in an instant. "I'm leaving,

but don't think this is over," she said sharply. "Everyone will know what kind of family you are. Low class," she hissed, her eyes landing on Taehyung with venom. "Raising an omega son like that? Disgusting." Hana's jaw clenched, and her hands curled into fists at her sides.

But seeing Jihoon's pale, unsteady figure, she forced herself to swallow her anger. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Jihoon," she said, her gaze softening as it met his. "Take your mother and go." She paused, her eyes lingering on his face. Seeing the cuts and bruises

left unattended, she shook her head, her chest tightening. Not even taking care of his wounds, she thought. Then, with a gentler tone, she added, "you need to see a physician. Please, for your health." Jihoon nodded weakly, his eyes tired. "Mom, please. Let's just go. For me."

Mrs. Park hesitated, then nodded, her shoulders slumping as she looked back at Hana one last time. "There's still time to fix this," she said, her voice cold. "Break his engagement. Let him be with that monster of an alpha. At least then, maybe he'll stop behaving like one."

Hana didn't move, her expression hardening, but she didn't respond. She wasn't about to engage in any more of this if it meant Mrs. Park would finally leave. After a few seconds of tense silence, Mrs. Park abruptly turned around, pulling Jihoon with her out of their front door.

The room was dead silent after Mrs. Park left. Taehyung stood there, frozen, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. His eyes stayed glued to the door, but it was clear his mind was somewhere far away, caught up in thoughts that wouldn't settle.

Hana let out a heavy sigh, breaking the silence. "I feel bad for Jihoon, I really do, but his mother…" She shook her head, her frustration showing. "That woman is impossible. She doesn't know how to have a conversation without causing a scene."

She turned to face Jin and Taehyung. "And listen, you two—stay away from Jihoon for now. It's not his fault, I get that. Jihoon's a good kid. But his mother? She's always looking for someone to blame, and I don't want her coming back here and making this mess any worse. Got it?"