Through the streets, the man ran with all his might, desperate to escape Jae's relentless pursuit. Despite desperate attempts to evade him, the man never gained a respite, as Jae relentlessly closed in.
Seizing an opportunity, Jae took a sharp turn into an adjoining street, cutting through it quickly. He emerged at its opposite end, just in time to cut off the fleeing figure. Completely oblivious, the man raced towards Jae, unaware of the trap that awaited him.
Jae leaped forward, delivering a powerful lunge punch that struck man's face, propelling him to the ground along with his bag. Blood trickled from the man's mouth as Jae unleashed a flurry of powerful punches before finally rising to his feet. Holding the man by his wrist, he forcefully dragged him toward an abandoned house, trailing his back along the ground. The man's face bore the unmistakable signs of brutalization, a bloody visage etched with the consequences of the sustained assault.
Once inside the abandoned house, with a jerk, Jae propelled the man's arm to the ground, mercilessly stomping on his neck, making him desperately gasp for air as he clawed at Jae's foot.
"Why did you want to kill him?" Jae demanded, punctuating his question with a brutal kick to the man's chest.
"I…i received payment in advance to k..kill him,"
Jae seized the man by the hair, yanking his head up to face him.
"Who paid you for this?" he growled, towering menacingly.
The man gasped, struggling to speak through the pain. "I...I don't know. I was given a package with his picture, along with an advance payment. Then I received a call instructing me to kill him." The beating had left the man too weakened to resist.
"Tell me the number from which you received the call." Jae demanded, slamming the man's head forcefully against the ground, causing him to clutch his head in agony.
"T-the top number in my call log is the number I received the call from."
"Where's your phone?"
The man groaned, wincing in pain. "In my pocket." Jae swiftly retrieved the phone from his pocket.
Grabbing the man's hair again, pressing the phone in front of the his face, Jae questioned, "Password?"
Through gritted teeth, the man managed to gasp out, "1029."
Hearing that, Jae angrily slammed his head against the ground once more, then he swiftly checked the number on the phone before dialing his own. Without a moment's delay, his call was immediately answered.
"Daniel! Note this number: 7030019910. Find out who this number belongs to and locate its current whereabouts." Jae firmly instructed, his voice leaving no room for hesitation.
"Okay," Daniel's voice echoed through the phone. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "We're unable to hack this number. They are showing errors."
Furious, Jae snapped, "What the damn hell! I don't care what methods you use, but I need the information about this number fast. And send some men right now to an abandoned house in the nearby alley away from our hotel to erase any evidence I'm about to create by burning someone right now." Kicking the injured man's chest, he hung up the call.
"You came to kill him without even knowing his brother, now you deserve nothing but death." Jae declared, his voice laced with vengeance.
"N-no…please don't kill me. I'll never do it again. Just let me go, please!" Desperately, the man pleaded, grabbing onto Jae's feet.
But he brutally kicked him once more, then forcefully pulled him up by his collar and shoved him onto a chair, tying him securely to it using a piece of rope.
"Any last wish?"
The man's tears fell like a river, desperately pleading for his life.
"Just spare me," he begged.
"It's your last wish. A wish that will never be fulfilled." Jae's face was stone cold as he replied, his voice devoid of compromise.
With a swift motion, Jae tossed the burning lighter onto the man, igniting his flammable clothing. The flames danced in a macabre, sinister manner, consuming the man's writhing form. His anguished screams and desperate pleas filled the air, their intensity echoing through the empty house.
"If there is such a thing as the next life, then we will definitely meet again." Without a second glance, Jae turned and walked away, leaving the man to a gruesome fate.
●◇◇◇◇◇◇●
"Thank god you're back to your senses." With a sigh of relief, Sarah engulfed Jia in a tight embrace. "And how did you hurt your feet?" She gently inquired, concern etched on her face.
Max joined the conversation, his worry apparent. "Have you visited a doctor? Those panic attacks are a concern." He implored, watching Jia's emotionless gaze fixed on the duvet.
Unresponsive, Jia remained silent. Then Max suggested softly, "I think you should rest for now."
"Alright, we're nearby if you need anything. Just call, and we'll come over." Leo gestured, prompting Max and Sarah toward the door.
And as they headed toward the door, they stopped when they noticed Sarah still by Jia's side.
"Sarah, come along," Leo urged.
"Absolutely not. She's in a delicate state, and I won't abandon her." She firmly asserted, clinging to Jia with unwavering determination.
Max insisted, "She needs rest, Sarah. Let her rest peacefully."
Sarah raised her voice, her eyes wide with disbelief. "She just experienced a panic attack, and you want me to leave her alone? That's absurd."
Leo persisted, his tone growing firm, "We're aware of that. That's exactly why we're advising rest."
"I said I'll stick with he…" Sarah's words cut off when Jia suddenly spoke up, her voice cutting through the tension.
"Leave me alone for a while, please," she mumbled, her gaze still fixed on the duvet.
Sarah hesitated, her concern evident as she questioned Jia. "Are you certain?"
Jia responded with a silent nod.
Sarah, reluctantly leaving Jia's side, "If you need anything, just call me," she said, giving Jia a side hug before exiting the room with Leo and Max.
After leaving the room, they saw Jackson approaching them, concern etched on his face as he inquired, "What happened a short while ago? Are you all okay? There was a gunshot earlier, right? The staff mentioned it."
Leo and Max nodded, reassuring him. "We're alright."
Leo continued, "Someone may have attempted to shoot me. But Jae pushed me just in time, or my head would have been a popping balloon."
Jackson's concern deepened, his expression reflecting worry.
Confused, Max inquired, "I don't understand, why would someone want to shoot you? Have you cheated on someone's sister or daughter?"
Leo retorted irritably, dismissing the question. "Don't waste your brain, idiot. All my girlfriends are aware I don't engage in serious relationships. There's no chance of cheating."
"You all haven't gotten hurt anywhere, have you?" Jackson inquired, his gaze darting over their bodies.
"We're mostly fine," Sarah responded, worry lacing her words. "Except for Jia."
"What happened to he–" Jackson's question lingered unfinished as the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air. Collectively, they turned to see Jae approaching them.
Leo rushed towards Jae, embracing him warmly. "Hey bro, are you okay? Was the shooter caught?"
Jae nodded, breaking the embrace. "Yes, he is caught."
"Did he come to kill me?"
"No, he came to kill the man standing behind you." He lied with a poker face.
"But why?" Max was totally puzzled.
"Personal issues."
"Are you alright?" Jackson inquired, as he placed a hand on Jae's shoulder.
Jae nodded, his gaze scanning the group. "Where is she?"
Sarah's curiosity piqued as Jae inquired about a specific individual. "Who? Jia?"
"She's in there. After hearing the gunshot, she experienced a panic attack." With a gesture toward the room, Sarah confirmed.
Hearing her, Jae attempted to approach the room where Jia was, but Sarah stepped in front of him, blocking his path. He raised an eyebrow at her, his expression one of questioning.
She continued, her tone firm. "Explain why her feet are injured."
Jae responded succinctly, "She stepped on glass shards."
Leo accused, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Jae with suspicion. "Did you do anything to my Jia last night? And you bandaged her feet just to cover up something, huh?"
Jae shot Leo a piercing gaze, before shifting his focus to Sarah. "Move."
With a mix of doubt and curiosity, Sarah reluctantly stepped aside, granting him access to the room. Jae wasted no time, swiftly entering the room.
As Jae entered the room, he found Jia perched on the bed, embracing her knees, her gaze fixed downward. With his hands tucked in his pockets, he approached the bed, standing beside it. Jia remained oblivious to his presence, lost in deep thought.
Suddenly, Jae's voice broke the silence. "Your master is here, but you're not even acknowledging my presence."
Surprise flared in Jia's eyes as she jolted at the unexpected sound, her gaze finally lifting from the duvet.
"How utterly careless of you, my slave," Jae chided, taking away the blanket and gripping her wrist to pull her out of the bed.
Suddenly, seeing something, Jia recoiled in terror, desperately attempting to back away on the bed. Panicked, she questioned, "Is that…your blood or?"
Her wide-eyed gaze shifted from his right hand with which he was holding her to his face, her fear apparent.
"You've guessed correctly, I just killed someone." Jae's gaze bored into hers, seemingly peering deep into her soul as he smirked.
"And get used to it, you will see so much of this blood from now on. Understood?"
Jia nodded frantically, fear etched on her face.
"With words, Jia." Jae's command echoed in the room,
"Y-yes." Her voice quivered.
"Now come down, you know what you have to say in front of everyone, don't you?" Jae said, urging Jia off the bed.
"Don't touch me. I can do it myself," she protested, wrenching away from his grip.
"Didn't I say you mustn't speak without my permission?"
Before she could protest, he swooped her into a bridal carry, leaving her speechless. Although she remained quiet this time, knowing the futility of fighting back.
••••••
"You should have informed me as soon as Miss Jia arrived." Bella stood before the sitting figure of Sarah in Jackson's hotel room, mild anger lacing her voice as she placed her hands on her hips.
"But I've already told you now. What's the point of getting angry?" Sarah replied, a hint of defensiveness in her tone.
"Good on you for not telling her earlier."
Hearing Jackson's voice, Bella snapped, directing her annoyance at him, who sat on the sofa.
"You keep your mouth shut!" she retorted. "And I can't believe you had the nerve to show your face again."
Annoyance etched on Jackson's face as he replied, rolling his eyes. "I didn't exactly expect this either."
"Your bickering is pointless, because of Jia, you both had to meet, so what's the use of keeping such nonsense expectations?" Sarah pointed out.
Jackson scoffed, "That's my wish that I would never meet her again but It's my misfortune to continually cross paths with her."
Bella retorted, directing a sharp glare at Jackson. "No, it's my ill fate that keeps bringing us together."
"Enough, both of you! I don't understand what kind of enmity you both have with each other." Sarah interjected, baffled by their animosity.
From his seat, Leo chimed in, "I believe they must have been enemies through multiple lifetimes. Maybe they're settling scores in this one."
All eyes turned to Leo, their expressions a mix of surprise and incredulity.
"You certainly have a keen understanding of their animosity's origins." Max's disbelief was evident as he addressed Leo.
Leo, seemingly pleased, responded with a proud smile, "Thank you for the compliment."
"I wasn't praising you, moron."
"So you have to pay attention to your words, what you want to say." Leo dismissed Max's words with a nonchalant shrug.
Bella questioned, her gaze focused on all of them, "Where is Jia now?"
Suddenly, the door swung open, capturing everyone's attention. They turned and their eyes widened in disbelief at what they saw, their shocked expressions telling a story of its own.
Jae was entering the room, carrying Jia.
"Behold, an unexpected scene!" Leo exclaimed, his eyes and mouth wide open as he observed the spectacle unfolding before them.
Max chimed in, "The fortunate soul who carries Jia in their embrace is indeed blessed. But it's undeniable that even being carried by Jae would evoke envy."
Jackson, shaking his head as he spoke. "Jae has never carried anyone before. You're incredibly fortunate, Jia."
Meanwhile Jae made Jia sit on the sofa before sitting beside her.
Bella voiced her concern, her worry apparent. "Jia, are you okay? You should have informed us before disappearing. Your safety is my primary concern. What if something had happened?"
Bella's gaze shifted to Jia's injured feet, her concern increasing.
"Wait, what occurred to your feet?"
"Glass shards pierced them," Jia explained simply.
"You must look after yourself," Bella replied, her worry evident.
Jia then changed the topic, looking at Sarah and Bella, asking, "By the way, what are you two doing at the hotel? We only booked our rooms for one night, didn't we?"
Bella responded with a casual shrug. "Ofcourse we rebooked our hotel rooms, expecting your return."
"Here, your phone, you forgot it with me last night." She handed Jia her phone.
Curiously, she asked about Jae, gesturing towards him. "And is he Jae?" As everyone nodded in affirmation, she blurted out, "You could be an idol or actor. Look at yourself, your physique is flawless, and your face…it resembles a Koh-I-Noor diamond."
"But his personality is totally opposite from his perfect body and face, you won't get to see anything from his side except his devastation." As soon as Max blurted out, Jae shot him a death glare.
"Umm…I have an announcement to make." Jia's soft voice interrupted, capturing their attention. Her gaze lowered to the coffee table as all eyes turned towards her, awaiting her next words.
"From now on, I will live with Jae, in his house."
Confusion filled the air as they struggled to process her words.
"I'm not sure how to react to this," Leo mumbled, bewildered. "Can someone please guide me on how I should respond to this?"
"But why?" Sarah inquired.
Jia's concise response followed, "Because I want to."
Bella added her own question, "Are you both dating each other?"
"What? Jae! You can date a girl?!" Leo exclaimed, disbelief etched on his face, followed by a moment of contemplation. "Well, she's pretty and talented, so I guess it's possible...no..no how is it possible that a guy like you could date someone?" His hand, holding his head.
"So what do you mean by that? Is Jae gay?" As soon as Jackson said this, Max burst into laughter.
"Jae? And gay?" Max said mockingly.
"No, no..I didn't mean to say that." Leo tried to explain.
"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!" Jae's sudden outburst silenced the room. "We are absolutely not dating," he firmly stated.
Sarah voiced their collective curiosity, "Then why choose to live with him if you're not a couple?"
Jia responded irritably, "I've said that it's because I want to."
"In that case, I'll join too, as it's my duty to protect you 24/7." Bella interjected, offering her assistance.
"No, I prefer to live alone with him."
"How can you live like this without any relationship with him? You're forgetting that you're an actress and he's a prominent business tycoon. You know the implications." Bella reminded her sternly.
"It's my life, and I can do exactly as I please." Jia retorted defiantly with poker face thinking it's her life but now she couldn't do whatever she wants only because of this Mafia sitting beside her.
"Okay, I understand. But what about your mom?" Bella persisted, concerned, "What will you tell your mother when she returns and hears about this?"
"It's your responsibility to manage her. And that's my final decision, no further questions please." Jia responded, her resolve unwavering.
Max posed the crucial question. "What about you, Jae? Do you also want her to live alone with you?"
"Yes." Jae responded without hesitation.
Leo was left baffled by the unfolding situation, exclaiming, "What? You want to live alone with a girl? I can't make sense of any of this. It feels like a bizarre dream. Someone please wake me up from this surreal nightmare."
Suddenly, someone delivered a forceful slap to Leo's face.
"You're sure you're awake now, right?" Max's question pierced through.
Leo, riled up, retorted, "You trash bin! How dare you lay a hand on me?" Before jumping on Max, pulling his hair like a wild creature.
Max, caught in Leo's grasp, fought back. "Let go, idiot!"
"You stupid moke! I won't rest until I make you bald today!"
"You two, enough of this foolishness." Jackson intervened, trying to break up their scuffle.
Leo protested, still struggling against Jackson's grip. "No! Let me be, brother. I'm determined to leave him bald today!"
"Please both of you, sit quietly." Sarah's stern command brought Max and Leo to their senses, causing them to mend their clothes and sit quietly on the sofa, though they still shot each other annoyed glances. Jackson also returned to his seat.
"Too much time has been wasted, now we have to leave." Jae, standing up, adjusted his collar, declared.
"Wait, Jae! How did you hurt your hand?" Max noticed Jae's bloodied hand, prompting an inquiry and drawing everyone's gaze at Jae's hand.
"I accidentally cut it."
"You should have bandaged it, surely." Max suggested, concern visible on his face.
But without a word, Jae effortlessly lifted Jia into his arms in a bridal carry and left the room, leaving the others behind in disbelief.
Max pondered aloud, "What's going on between those two?"
Everyone's gazes lingered on the spot where Jae and Jia had vanished, their thoughts a tangled mess. They all exchanged baffled glances, each consumed by their own unanswered questions.
●◇◇◇◇◇◇●
The night sky served as a backdrop to Jae's solitary figure perched on the balcony sofa. With legs propped on the coffee table and arms spread wide on either side of his head, his eyes closed, directed towards the ceiling, his light brown hair cascading over his forehead. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, its faint smoke swirling gently in the still air.
In the opposite chair, Jia sat silently, her unwavering gaze fixated on him. Suddenly, the tranquility of the balcony was broken by the sudden blaring of a phone ringtone.
Jae's eyes flickered open. He reached for the phone on the coffee table and answered.
On the other end, came Daniel's voice. "Jae, we've discovered the symbol of the omnipotent mafia group inside this enormous gun bag. While we haven't found out completely about that number, we have identified the number's owner, someone from Kang's company. I suspect the omnipotent mafia boss might be associated with Kang's company."
"What the f*ck." Frustration surged through Jae as he angrily threw the phone on the floor, causing it to shatter with a sharp sound and making Jia flinch. He then leaned his head back against the sofa, his eyes closed. Suddenly he snapped, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SITTING THERE? SIT NEXT TO ME."
Startled, Jia hurriedly stood up, her limp apparent as she made her way towards him. She gingerly took a seat on the sofa, maintaining the distance between them.
Without turning his gaze her way, Jae inquired, "You can sing, right?"
She turned her eyes to him, her confusion clear. "Huh?"
"I don't like repeating myself," he stated firmly, discarding the cigarette overboard.
"Y-yes." Her voice tremulous, she replied.
Spreading his arms wide on both sides of his head, he sat more comfortably. While Jia inched forward, creating a small distance between them, wary of his touch.
"Sing for me." As soon as he demanded, she stared at him. There was a brief hesitation as she battled in her mind before she reluctantly began singing. He closed his eyes, fully immersing himself in her melodic voice.
𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆…
𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔…
𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔…
𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅…
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆…
𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅…
𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕…
𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆…
𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕…
𝑾𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆…
𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝒍𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒕…
𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔…
𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒈𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕…
𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆.
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