𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒲ℴ𝓂𝒶𝓃 ℳ𝒶𝒹ℯ ℴ𝒻 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝟐

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤

'𝒜 𝒲ℴ𝓂𝒶𝓃 ℳ𝒶𝒹ℯ ℴ𝒻 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 '

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟐

𝐏.𝐒.; Read the first book to understand the second part

Love you all and I hope you enjoy it!

♡'･ᴗ･'♡

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three months had passed since the day Jungkook had asked Y/N to marry him.

And somehow, life had become beautiful in the simplest ways.

There were no more secret meetings.

No more hidden chambers.

No more names written in black books.

No more waking in the middle of the night wondering whether someone was coming for her family.

The Everhart house had changed too.

The atmosphere was lighter.

The doors were still guarded, of course. Y/N had not suddenly forgotten everything she had learned during a lifetime of danger.

But the guards no longer stood like soldiers waiting for war.

They laughed.

They talked.

Sometimes Y/N even caught them arguing over football results near the back entrance.

Her sisters had started planning the wedding before Y/N had even chosen a date.

Eleanor had been quietly collecting ideas.

Elara had already decided which flowers would look best.

Adrian had been forced into discussions about seating arrangements.

Arthur pretended not to care.

He cared very much.

And Jungkook—

Jungkook had become strangely calm about everything.

Almost too calm.

Y/N had noticed.

She was sitting in his apartment one evening, reading a newspaper while he stood near the window.

"You've been smiling all day."

He looked over.

"Have I?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I'm happy."

She lowered the newspaper.

"You're always happy lately."

"That's because I'm engaged."

She rolled her eyes.

"You've been engaged for three months."

"Best three months of my life."

She tried not to smile.

Failed.

Jungkook noticed.

"There."

"What?"

"That smile."

"I wasn't smiling."

"You were."

"No."

He walked toward her.

"You were."

She folded the newspaper.

"You're annoying."

"And you're beautiful."

She looked away.

He smiled.

That was another thing that had changed.

Y/N had become easier to embarrass.

Not around everyone.

Only around him.

He sat beside her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Y/N quietly said,

"Do you ever think about how different everything is?"

"Every day."

She looked down at her engagement ring.

"I used to think that if I ever survived everything, I'd probably spend the rest of my life alone."

Jungkook reached for her hand.

"You don't have to be alone anymore."

"I know."

She looked at him.

"That's still strange."

"Good strange?"

"Very."

He kissed her knuckles.

Then his eyes moved toward the newspaper.

"What are you reading?"

"Nothing important."

"You've been staring at the same article for five minutes."

She hesitated.

"It's about a family."

"What family?"

"The Laurent family."

Jungkook's expression changed slightly.

Not fear.

Recognition.

"Why are you reading about them?"

"I don't know."

She turned the newspaper around.

There was an article about an old Manhattan estate being sold.

The Laurent name appeared briefly in the article.

Y/N frowned.

"That name feels familiar."

Jungkook looked at the page.

"Samuel Laurent?"

She nodded.

"The same."

They both became quiet.

Samuel had disappeared after the destruction of the Circle's archive.

They had never learned exactly where he went.

But they knew he had survived.

And they knew he had been one of the final witnesses to the truth.

Y/N folded the newspaper.

"Maybe it's nothing."

"Probably."

She looked at him.

"You're lying."

He smiled.

"I learned from you."

She lightly hit his shoulder.

"Don't."

He laughed.

But neither of them knew that the small newspaper article would matter later.

For now, they ignored it.

Because the next morning, Y/N had something else to worry about.

Her wedding dress.

Eleanor had arranged for the entire family to spend the day visiting several designers.

Y/N hated every second of it.

"This one."

Elara held up another dress.

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

"Y/N."

"I said no."

Seraphina sighed.

"You're impossible."

Y/N crossed her arms.

"I don't need a dress that costs more than a house."

Eleanor smiled.

"You are getting married once."

"Hopefully."

Everyone looked at her.

Y/N raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Jungkook, who had been standing outside the room with Adrian, laughed.

"You should stop talking."

She looked at him.

"Stay out of this."

"I'm trying."

Adrian smiled.

"Good luck."

Jungkook nodded.

"I need it."

The day continued like that.

Arguments.

Laughter.

Too many dresses.

Too many opinions.

And eventually, Y/N found one.

Simple.

Elegant.

White.

She stepped out of the dressing room.

The room went silent.

Eleanor's eyes immediately filled with tears.

Elara covered her mouth.

Her sisters stared.

Y/N looked uncomfortable.

"What?"

Eleanor smiled.

"Nothing."

"Mom."

"You look beautiful."

Y/N looked at herself in the mirror.

For a moment, she barely recognized the woman staring back.

Not the mafia leader.

Not the girl who had spent years protecting everyone.

Not the woman who had stood in dark rooms facing men who wanted her dead.

Just Y/N.

A woman about to marry the man she loved.

She smiled.

"I'll take it."

Her sisters erupted.

And for the first time, Y/N didn't feel trapped by the idea of a wedding.

She felt excited.

That evening, she returned home.

Jungkook was waiting outside.

He looked at her.

"You bought it."

She smiled.

"I did."

"What does it look like?"

"You'll see."

"Can I?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're not supposed to."

He sighed.

"Fine."

She walked past him.

Then stopped.

"Kook."

He turned.

She smiled.

"I think I'm actually excited."

His expression softened.

"Me too."

She stepped closer.

"I never thought I'd say that."

"I know."

He took her hand.

"We have time."

She nodded.

"Yes."

Neither of them noticed the black automobile parked several streets away.

Neither noticed the man sitting inside.

He wasn't watching the house.

He was holding an old photograph.

A photograph of a much younger Eleanor Everhart.

Beside her stood another woman.

The photograph had been folded so many times that the edges had nearly disappeared.

The man looked down at it.

Then at the Everhart estate.

He whispered,

"Thirty years."

He turned the photograph over.

Written on the back were three words.

SHE REMEMBERED EVERYTHING.

The man placed it inside his coat.

The automobile slowly disappeared into the evening traffic.

Inside the house, Y/N laughed with her sisters.

Jungkook stood beside her.

And for now, neither of them knew that the next chapter of their lives had already begun.

𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝...