Heavy Silence

The air in the penthouse was silent. Not peaceful—just heavy, like grief soaked into the walls and refused to leave.

Jeon Jungkook stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city skyline. Seoul glittered beneath him—his empire. He ruled it with an iron will, commanding one of the most powerful conglomerates in South Korea. Business bowed at his feet. Politicians listened when he spoke. Money, power, influence—he had it all.

Except a child.

An heir.

Someone to carry his name when he was gone.

Behind him, the sound of soft footsteps echoed off marble floors. Jeon Lisa entered the living room, her silk robe trailing behind her like smoke. Once Korea’s most sought-after runway model, her face had graced global billboards and magazines. Now, her skin looked pale. Her eyes—once bold—were sunken and hollow.

She sat on the couch without a word.

Jungkook didn’t turn around.

Another silence.

Then finally, Lisa spoke, voice hoarse. “It’s been three weeks.”

“I know,” he replied quietly.

“I still… feel it. Like something’s missing.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “Is that insane?”

Jungkook closed his eyes. His jaw clenched. “No.”

She looked at his reflection in the glass. “You’re angry.”

“I’m not angry at you.”

“But you are angry.”

He turned then, slowly, his face unreadable. “I’m angry because we keep losing something that hasn’t even had the chance to live.”

Lisa blinked, then gave a bitter smile. “You’re thinking about an heir again.”

“Don’t make it sound like greed.”

“I’m not.” Her tone softened. “I know you want a child. So do I. But it’s not happening, Jungkook. My body… it won’t let me.”

“I don’t want to watch you break again.” His voice dropped. “I hate seeing you like this.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed her hair back. “I’ve been thinking of returning to the spotlight. Acting. Film. Something to distract me.”

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “You’ve always hated acting.”

“I used to hate miscarriages too,” she snapped, then instantly looked away. “I’m sorry. That was cruel.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he crossed the room and sat beside her, resting his elbows on his knees. “So, what do we do now? Keep hoping? Keep hurting?”

“I don’t want to adopt,” she said after a pause. “I want our child. Yours. Even if I’m not the one to carry it.”

His head slowly turned toward her. “You mean… surrogacy.”

Lisa nodded, her fingers clenching the edge of her robe. “It’s not ideal, I know. But at least a part of you will live on. And… I can live with that.”

Jungkook said nothing at first. His gaze dropped to the floor. It went against everything he was raised to believe. But then again, so had loss.

“I’ll consider it,” he said at last, voice cold but steady. “But if we do this—I choose the surrogate.”

Lisa looked at him, then nodded once.

Outside, the lights of Seoul flickered.

Inside, something dangerous had already begun to shift.

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