Part 24
It was well past dinner when Felix returned to the cell. Hyunjin wasn't there yet, and Felix let out a silent, relieved sigh before quickly settling onto his bed and closed his eyes, desperate for escape. Moments later, he sensed the shift in the air and knew Hyunjin had entered the room
Hyunjin sat on his bed, watching Felix who was rigidly pretending to be asleep and a slow, cruel smirk crossed his face.
He took out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a long drag, the acrid smell of smoke quickly filled the confined space
"Damn it, stop smoking here" Felix snapped angrily, immediately turning over to face him
"Oh, look who's awake" Hyunjin said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth "You owe me, you know? My face still hurts from your punch" He mockingly touched his cheek
"You deserve much worse, you bastard," Felix spat out, fueled by his earlier humiliation
"Hey, you're starting to be disrespectful. Does the smell of smoke bother you?" Hyunjin smirked, blowing a plume of smoke deliberately toward Felix "If you want it to stop, come and make me"
Felix gave him a look of profound disdain
"You're disgusting" He then defiantly lay back down, turning away
Hyunjin smiled coldly and raised his voice slightly "You really are a foolish child, Felix"
"You're the bigger fool" Felix immediately retorted, unable to resist the bait
"So one by one? Hmm, I like that energy" Hyunjin said in a low, venomous tone, and Felix heard the shift of weight as Hyunjin moved
Felix heard footsteps approaching so he immediately tried to sit up but Hyunjin was already there
"No, no, stay still" Hyunjin commanded, placing one knee on the mattress beside Felix and his other foot on the floor, effectively caging him in "I absolutely must punish you now, mustn't I?"
Felix's eyes widened and his heart hammered against his ribs
"Your heart is beating so fast, Felix!" Hyunjin noted with twisted pleasure. He placed his hand the one not holding the cigarette near Felix's racing heart, then leaned in slightly "Is that because of me?" he smirked
"Stop this nonsense" Felix pushed Hyunjin's hand away with trembling fingers "Whatever you want to do, just get it over with" he said, injecting anger into his voice to mask his rising panic
"'Whatever I want,' huh?" Hyunjin repeated, his gaze heavy and assessing
"I mean... ah—" Felix tried to amend his reckless statement, but Hyunjin cut him off by suddenly pulling the lit end of the cigarette across the sensitive skin of Felix's neck
Felix bit his lower lip hard, a sharp intake of breath the only sound, the pain visible in the immediate tear film coating his eyes
Hyunjin removed the cigarette and quickly put it out on the floor with his boot heel. His eyes remained fixed on the small, angry red line now marring Felix's throat. In that brief moment, his own heart also began to beat rapidly, fueled by the perverse power he held.
Hyunjin lowered his head and placed a small, unexpected kiss directly near the fresh burn mark
"Stop" Felix whispered angrily, pushing weakly against Hyunjin's chest
Hyunjin ignored the protest, his lips trailing small, possessive kisses in that delicate area until finally he gently bit the skin near the burn
"Oof..." Felix involuntarily moaned, the combination of pain and violated skin sending a shudder through him
Hyunjin lifted his head again, his gaze moving from the mark to Felix's trembling lips. He wanted to kiss him hard, dominating him completely. He lowered his head until his lips just brushed against Felix's a breath away from impact but then, he suddenly straightened up, clasped his hands behind his neck and stepped back
He walked back to his own bed as if nothing extraordinary had happened. Felix touched the fresh, tender burn and bite marks, then quickly turned his back to Hyunjin again, his body rigid. He didn't want to speak, move, or hear Hyunjin's voice again that night
Finally, the long-awaited day had arrived, Visitation Day. Felix and Si Hun were sitting in the yard, enjoying the brief chance for fresh air. Although the weather was cloudy, occasional strong rays of sunlight managed to peek through the clouds
"Your heart is about to leap right out of your chest. Calm down, Felix" Si Hun said gently, observing his friend with a smile
"Am I that nervous?" Felix asked, consciously trying to slow his breathing
"Hmm, exactly like that" Si Hun replied with an affirming smile
"It's been four days since I last saw him so I don't even know how I feel right now anxious, excited, terrified" Felix admitted, shaking his legs rapidly, unable to hold still
"When you see him, say hello from me too" Si Hun requested
"Of course, I will" Felix said, placing a grateful hand on Si Hun's shoulder
Just then, the familiar, metallic announcement for visitors echoed across the yard. Felix's name was announced, unmistakable and clear. A rush of adrenaline hit him. Felix immediately stood up and walked inside with a hopeful, nervous smile, heading toward the visitation room
The door opened and Jae-bum immediately stood up from his chair. Felix's face broke into a wide, relieved smile upon seeing him. They rushed toward each other and hugged tightly
"How are you?" Jae-bum murmured into the embrace
"I'm great, Hyung and I'm even better now that I've seen you" Felix replied, his voice filled with genuine happiness
Jae-bum reluctantly released him and gestured to the chairs for them to sit down
"Si Hun sends his hello" Felix mentioned
"Thank him. I need to visit him another day" Jae-bum said, his expression softening
"How is the outside world?" Felix asked with a cheerful smile
"I don't even know what to tell you. Everything feels foreign. I almost got lost a few times already" Jae-bum admitted, running a hand through his hair in frustration
"Really!?" Felix burst out laughing
"I'm serious, don't laugh! I even forgot the way back to the apartment" Jae-bum insisted
Felix continued laughing, and Jae-bum couldn't help but join him, their shared laughter momentarily chasing away the prison gloom
"What is that brute doing? Is he hurting you?" Jae-bum asked quietly after their laughter subsided, his tone instantly hardening
"No, I'm fine. He's not doing anything" Felix lied, giving another quick smile
Jae-bum lowered his head and Felix noticed his hands trembling slightly on the table "Felix?"
"Yes" Felix answered cheerfully, though a flicker of unease crossed his face
"Well... actually... ever since the day you told me about your case and how you ended up in prison, I've had some very serious doubts about a few things... but I didn't want to worry you yet"
Felix's smile completely vanished "What do you mean, Hyung?"
"Well, as soon as I was released from prison... I started looking for some evidence regarding the murder of your family" Jae-bum began, his eyes locked onto Felix's "Didn't you find it strange that all these problems happened immediately after you turned 18?"
Felix involuntarily clenched his fingers and swallowed hard, a cold knot forming in his stomach
"The person who did this was making absolutely sure you were past the legal age so the law could punish you as an adult. I have a friend who repairs phones, cameras and things like that. When we checked your mansion cameras, he found they'd been disabled ON PURPOSE" Jae-bum said sadly
"D... Do you suspect... someone?" Felix managed to say, the word catching in his throat
Jae-bum slowly nodded, reluctance heavy in his eyes "Yes....I do"
"Who?" Felix whispered, his eyes immediately filling with tears
"Umm... your uncle... Lee Jun ho," Jae-bum finally said
Tears streamed down Felix's cheeks "My uncle? No... He wouldn't do something like... that. It's impossible"
"I wouldn't have said this until I was certain but he didn't even hire a competent lawyer to seriously prove your innocence! He allowed them all to quit!" Jae-bum exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice
Felix's eyes widened in shock as he instantly remembered his uncle's dismissive words about lawyers continually withdrawing from the case
"I looked for a lot of evidence and kept tracking your uncle until I could be certain. Remember about a month ago when you fainted and they said it was because of the food?" Felix looked up, fear dawning in his eyes "But no, your uncle tried to kill you. He gave poison to someone to put in your food here. I spoke to that man myself, showed him your uncle's picture and he confirmed it was him!"
Felix lowered his head, a memory flashing back. a man asking for his name right before serving him that meal. He tried desperately to wipe away the torrent of tears
"Your uncle planned everything before your birthday and waited for you to turn 18 so he could pin this hideous crime on you. That way, no one would suspect him and he could claim the motive was you retaliating because your father married another woman. And now, he happily comes and goes outside not caring how much his own brother's son is suffering in this prison and he has taken over all of your father's property" Jae-bum finished, the injustice burning in his voice
Felix remained utterly silent, his world dissolving as he struggled to process the monstrous betrayal of his uncle
Jae-bum stood up and walked around the table, embracing him tightly from behind
"Why? What did... I and my family... do to him?" Felix whispered weakly, the question broken and lost
"I will do absolutely everything I can to prove your innocence, Felix. You hear me? Don't worry" Jae-bum assured him, his voice unwavering
Then, the dreaded announcement came, visiting time was over. Felix had to leave. He stood up weakly, his body trembling, and looked at Jae-bum
"Thank you, Hyung" He then slowly walked away, leaving Jae-bum watching him with a heart shattered by the pain he had just delivered
Felix walked back into the cell block, his movements stiff and mechanical, and sat heavily on his bunk. He stared blankly into the oppressive air, utterly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the betrayal. He was still in complete shock.
Silent, hot tears streamed from his eyes like a broken dam
Hyunjin shouldered into the cell, his anger a cold, settled thing. He knew Jae-bum had been here that Felix had seen him but when he saw the sheer depth of Felix's silent anguish, he stopped, genuinely startled
"What happened? Did you and your Hyung finally have a falling out? Why the melodrama?" Hyunjin said, the sarcasm in his voice sounding weak against the despair he witnessed
Felix slowly shifted his gaze toward Hyunjin, his eyes wet and filled with suffering "Just shut up"
Hyunjin walked forward, stopping right in front of him. He bent down slightly and with an uncharacteristic gentleness, ran his fingers through Felix's damp hair, his usual menace replaced by a confused possessiveness
"Tell me. Seriously, what did Jae-bum do? Did he hurt you?"
Felix slapped Hyunjin's hand away with startling force. He rose to his feet furiously, his face a mask of raw indignation and pain and glared directly into Hyunjin's eyes "He would never hurt me. You need to understand that"
Then Felix wheeled around and stormed out of the cell. Hyunjin let out a frustrated, heavy sigh "I'll kill you, you self-righteous bastard Jae-bum" he muttered, misdirecting his fury
Felix went straight to the call center. He lifted the receiver, He dialed the familiar number
"Oh! Hello my son" Lee Jun Ho answered, his voice oozing false warmth
"Hello... U... Uncle. How are you?" Felix managed the word 'Uncle'only through a supreme effort of will, his voice tight with loathing
"I'm very well, and you?" Lee Jun Ho asked pleasantly.
"I'm very... well too. I just called to ask about the status of my request to visit my family's grave" Felix asked, maintaining a strained neutrality
"Ah, yes! I was just about to contact you. Everything will be ready in five days and you can go with the police escort, just as you requested" Lee Jun Ho informed him cheerfully
"Really? Thank you very much, then" Felix forced out "I'm hanging up now. Goodbye" He immediately slammed the receiver down, cutting off his uncle mid-sentence
Felix stood there, staring down the long corridor, his grief replaced by a cold, burning determination
"I will ruin your life, Lee Jun Ho" he whispered, his voice dangerously firm "I will kill you"