
Jimin gently detached himself from Anna's embrace. "I know this is hard for you, but you need to control yourself. You can't break down like this. You have to take care of your family," he said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "And you're not alone. I'm here for you."
Anna nodded, sniffling as she swallowed her tears. Jimin's kindness soothed her pain. "I'll go check on Mom and Kevin," she said.
Jimin tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll wait here," he offered. Despite knowing that his feelings for Anna—which he dismissed as mere sympathy—could destroy him further, Jimin still wanted to comfort her.
Anna felt a sense of relief. She didn't know exactly why, but having Jimin by her side made her feel a little stronger. She could rely on him, cry in front of him, and trust that he would understand.
Anna turned and walked back toward the house, her feet crunching lightly on the gravel path leading to the front yard. Her eyes drifted once more to Serena's lifeless body, now lying on a stretcher under the cold, pale light of the moon.
A white sheet covered Serena. Officer Ryan stood nearby. "Careful with the steps," he said as two officers gripped the handles of the stretcher and began to lift it.
Jimin frowned. The moment he saw Serena's hand swinging out from under the sheet, he realized her death was unnatural. Something terrible had happened to her.
Serena's hand looked paler than it had just a few hours ago when she was alive. The veins around her hand were protruding, as if ready to burst.
"Wait a minute!" Jimin shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
Jungkook, who had been standing near the car waiting for Jimin to leave, noticed the commotion. Following Jimin's gaze, he looked at Serena's hand.
"What is this?" Jungkook muttered. He recalled the moment he had performed a ritual and seen Serena. She had seemed hurt, but her body had appeared fine—until Professor Ben approached her and killed her.
"At least let Anna see her sister one last time," Jimin demanded, using Anna as a reason to interrogate Serena's body himself. He knew David and his officers were trying to hide something from Anna and her family. Unraveling the reason behind Serena's death could destroy David even further.
Anna jolted at Jimin's words, her mind snapping back to the present. She stepped closer to Ryan and glared at him. "He's right. Let me see Serena," she demanded.
Jimin suppressed a smile. His plan was working in his favor. "Don't you think she deserves to know what happened to Serena?" he said, moving closer to Anna.
David, who had been sitting quietly on the stairs trying to process that he was nearing his end, finally stood up. "We can't allow anyone to interfere with this," he shouted, his voice filled with anger. He marched toward Jimin, his eyes blazing with fury.
Jimin rolled his eyes, looking at David, who seemed utterly furious yet vulnerable. The expression only heightened Jimin's sense of victory.
"This is a murder investigation, and we can't let anyone interfere," David insisted.
Anna stepped forward, her eyes locked on David. "I deserve to know what happened to Serena, Officer David Kim," she said firmly.
David's heart sank as he met Anna's gaze. The hatred in her eyes cut deeper than any blade. He had always tried to protect her, to shield her from the harsh truths of the world, but now he felt like a stranger to her. His own daughter, the little girl he had once carried on his shoulders, now glared at him with coldness that made his chest ache.
"Anna," he said, his voice trembling. He took a step toward her, but Anna stepped back, her eyes unwavering.
"I know you're hurting. I am too. Serena was my daughter as well. I loved her just as much as you did," David said, tears welling up in his eyes.
Anna's jaw tightened. "Then why are you hiding things from me? Why won't you let me see her? What are you so afraid of, Dad?"
The word "Dad" stung more than anything. She said it not with affection but with accusation. David felt his knees weaken, but he forced himself to stand tall. He couldn't break down now, not in front of Jimin, his biggest enemy, who seemed to relish every moment of this.
"I'm not hiding anything," David said, though the words felt heavy on his tongue. "This is a murder investigation, Anna. There are rules, procedures. I can't just let anyone interfere. It's not that simple."
But Anna refused to back down. She shook her head stubbornly, tears welling up in her eyes again. "You're lying. I can see it in your face. You're hiding something, and I deserve to know the truth. Serena was my sister. My sister!" she shouted, clenching her fists in her hair as she cried in agony.
David's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He wanted to reach out, to comfort his daughter, but he couldn't. Instead, Jimin stepped forward and held Anna by her shoulders. "It's okay, Anna. Calm down. Let me talk to them," he said soothingly.
David felt a fire burn inside him. For a moment, he thought about pulling out his gun and emptying every bullet into Jimin's chest. But David knew he had made too many mistakes, taken too many wrong turns. Now, he was facing the consequences.
"We shouldn't waste any more time," Jimin suggested, his mocking gaze shifting to David. "Let her see Serena one last time," he said.
David swallowed the lump in his throat. He avoided Jimin's gaze. "Anna, please," he said, his voice breaking. "You have to trust me. I'm doing this for you, for your mother, for Kevin. I'm trying to protect you."
But Anna didn't respond. She just stared at him, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and pain. In that moment, David felt like he had lost her forever. The little girl who used to run to him with scraped knees and a bright smile was gone, replaced by a woman who saw him as the enemy. His heart shattered. He had failed her. He had failed them all.
Jungkook exhaled sharply. "It's time to step in, Jaaaykkkkk," he muttered to himself. Moving his fingers subtly, Jungkook used his magic, and a sharp gust of wind flipped the crisp white sheet covering Serena's face.
Anna's eyes locked onto Serena's face. Her sister's skin was pale, almost as if all the blood had been drained from her body. Two small, circular wounds marked her neck, dark and unnatural.
Anna's breath caught in her throat, and a scream tore from her lips. "No! What happened to her?!" she cried, her voice trembling with fear and disbelief.
Officer Ryan quickly gestured to the other officers. "Take her body now," he ordered firmly.
The officers moved swiftly, lifting the stretcher and carrying Serena away. Anna tried to step forward, but Jimin gently held her back, his hands steady on her shoulders.
"Anna, calm down. I'm here," Jimin said softly, his voice soothing. He pulled her close, shielding her from the sight of Serena's body being taken away.
Anna buried her face in his chest, her sobs muffled as she clung to him.
Jungkook stood nearby, his hands slipped into his pockets as he watched the scene unfold. His eyes flicked to David, who stood frozen, his face pale and filled with pain.
Jungkook's lips curled into a faint smirk. He enjoyed seeing David struggle, knowing the man was drowning in guilt and helplessness.
David's hands shook as he watched Anna break down in Jimin's arms. He wanted to go to her, to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he couldn't.
The weight of his mistakes had destroyed his family, and he felt utterly powerless. His heart ached as he realized how much he had lost—not just Serena, but Anna's trust and love.
"Anna…" David whispered, his voice barely audible. He took a step toward her, but Jimin shot him a sharp look, silently warning him to stay back.
David stopped, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He had no right to comfort her, not after everything he had done.
Jungkook's smirk widened as he stepped closer to David. "You can't do anything, David. You're helpless," he whispered, his dark blue eyes glowing under the moonlight. "Just like my brother was when you and Professor Ben tortured him, using him like an object for your cruel experiments," Jungkook added in a cold tone. "Now it's time for payback."
Anna's cries echoed in the night, her grief raw and overwhelming. Jimin held her tightly, whispering words of comfort, while David stood helpless, his heart breaking with every sob. The cold moonlight bathed the scene, casting long shadows as the officers carried Serena's body away, leaving behind a family torn apart by secrets and pain.