Chapter WARNING:

NC-17 (for swearing and mature scenes.)

A/N: Since I want everyone to be able to read the story without feeling too uncomfortable about certain scenes, any [M RATED] material are/will be cut and placed in the [RATED M] section of AFF in "Autumn Calling [[ M RATED SCENES ]]". I will provide the link to the coinciding chapter in this chapter where the scene should’ve taken place. So that way, everyone will have a choice of what he or she reads. Anyway, this is my longest chapter so far. I hope everyone enjoys it!

~ ~ ~ 

“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.”

- Elbert Hubbard

** Busan - Winter, 2013 **

Ji Hyo lied on the hospital bed, curled in a fetal position; her shoulders heaved as sobs wracked through her tiny frame, rising in pitch as it dawned on her that she was once again alone. She could almost hear the fading echo of a door closing shut. Her heart felt like it was literally ripped into pieces, throw on the floor and stomped on as he walked out. We never should’ve been. You belong to someone else, Ji Hyo-yah. Mianhae. That was what he had said before turning around and walking away, offering her no explanation. It had been two weeks since her accident and Jong Kook had not even been in to see her once. When he finally did, she was sleeping. She barely heard his whisper in her ear as he kissed her lips. When she was finally able to open her eyes, all she saw was his blurred figure walking away.

~ Two Weeks Ago ~

“Aegisshi, you should just let me drive you to the meeting. I can pick your car from the workshop after.” Min Soo said, as he turned left into a slip road, heading for the workshop.

Ji Hyo, who was busy answering an email on her tablet, looked up to Min Soo, “Aniyo oppa. You’ve been driving me around for two whole weeks already. And I miss my baby.” Ji Hyo smiled as she thought about her sleek metallic beauty.

“There’s nothing wrong with me driving you, Aegisshi.”

Ji Hyo closed her tablet and put it aside before scooting over to the center and leaning forward to rest her chin on the driver’s seat. “Choi Min Soo-sshi, you are my bodyguard. You are supposed to guard me. How do you expect to do that when your eyes are always on the road?” Ji Hyo argued, humor evident in her voice. Min Soo laughed. “Algaesumnida.”

“Besides, Jong Kook oppa can always drive me. Gives me more reason to see him.” Ji Hyo added.

Min Soo’s smile faded at the mention of Jong Kook’s name. Min Soo had nothing against the lawyer. He treated Ji Hyo well and as far as he knew, Jong Kook cared deeply for her. But he was not particularly fond of their relationship, especially when both parties knew it would only end in tears. Ji Hyo was to be married soon. Their relationship was doomed from the beginning, yet both are too stubborn to accept it. Min Soo knew that when one day comes for them to separate, it is Ji Hyo who will take the brunt of the hurt. And Min Soo dreaded that day.

Ji Hyo frowned as a thought crossed her mind. “Why had they taken so long, anyway? It was just a normal servicing. Last time it took them only three days.”

Min Soo’s eyes furrowed as he pondered on Ji Hyo’s question. She was right. For as long as she’s had her car, servicing it had always been fast and efficient. This was the first time that it took this long. He was going to have a chat with the owner when they arrive.

~ ~ ~

Ji Hyo walked out of the meeting, seething; her hands clenched in a fist. It took all her willpower not to hit the first face that looked her way. “Ji Hyo-yah.” Han Dong Joon called out to his niece as he hastened towards her. Ji Hyo gritted her teeth and paused, refused to turn around. Dong Joon came up to her and stood in front of her. “Ji Hyo, I hope you don’t take my criticism personally. I was only trying to help. Nothing personal, just business. You understand, right?” He reasoned.

Help? He called that ‘help’? Ji Hyo rolled her eyes. After he had practically embarrassed her in front of the board of directors, painting her as a naïve fresh graduate who was still green in the ways of the business. How dare he insult me so? Ji Hyo took a deep breath and raised her eyes to his, glaring.

“Do me a favor, uncle,” she spat. “The next time you want you make yourself look good in front of the directors, do some work. In case you forgot, I was the one who cleaned up YOUR mess after you miscalculated the trade shares. You’re lucky I didn’t report you to the board.”

Dong Joon’s sly smile left his face as he registered her insult.

“If you still want a place in this company, pick up your slack. You may be my uncle, but this is business. You understand, right?” Ji Hyo hissed as she brushed past her uncle and headed out of the building. Dong Joon glared at her retreating back. As the front door swung close, and she was no longer in sight, Dong Joon smirked. “.” He muttered.

Ji Hyo marched to her GranTurismo, as her hand dug into her bag for her keys. Momentarily distracted, she bumped into a man walking the opposite direction. Ji Hyo bowed at the man, muttering her apologies. The man nodded and continued walking. Upon reaching her car, she swung the door open and entered. As the door closed, she let out a frustrated scream. Her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her eyes closed as she breathed deeply, trying to soothe her anger. After a few minutes, she finally let out a breath and opened her eyes. There was no use getting worked up over what had happened. Now, she needed to focus on proving to the board that she was capable to sit in the CEO chair and take over her dad’s place of running the company.

Just as she reached out to start the car, her phone rang. Rummaging through her bag, she fished out her phone. She smiled as she saw the name that was flashing on the screen. Without hesitation, she answered the call. “Owh, oppa.” She greeted.

Jong Kook smiled as he heard her voice. “Ji Hyo-yah, odiya?”

“I just got done with my meeting oppa. I’m about to leave.” Ji Hyo answered as she started the engine.

“Mianhae, I had to cancel our date tonight.” Jong Kook apologized as he took a glance at the clock in his office. He was supposed to have a last minute meeting with a new client, but it seems that the said client was running more than a little late.

Ji Hyo put her phone on speaker and set it on the stand on her dashboard. She released the handbrake of her car and drove out of the carpark, leaving behind a trail of dark fluid on the floor. “Gwenchana, oppa. Are you still waiting for your client?”

“Neh. It’s been almost two hours. I think I’m going to wait for another hour before calling it a night.”

Noticing a slow traffic not far ahead, and not wanting to be caught in a jam, Ji Hyo steered to the left, taking another route home. Although the route will take slightly longer to reach home, at least she would not be stuck waiting in traffic. “Yes, you should do that oppa. Don’t stay too late, okay?” Ji Hyo answered.

“Arrasso. Drive carefully, Ji Hyo-yah. The roads are slippery from the snow. Text me when you get home, okay?”

Ji Hyo promised she would and hung up. Maybe it was the fact that she had not the radio, or maybe it just so happened that that particular night was darker than usual, or maybe she was just being paranoid, but whatever it was, the hairs at the back of her neck were at its ends. Her heart pounded as she drove on the dark and empty road. Unable to take the silence any longer she reached out and the radio. Soon, a melodious tune filled the car, calming her. A honk from a car behind her startled her. She shifted her eyes to her rearview mirror to see who it was, but their headlights were too bright, blinding her.

Assuming that the car wanted to overtake hers, she moved to the right of the lane to give way. However, the car behind immediately followed her. Ji Hyo swerved to the left, and once again, the car followed. She was beginning to get nervous so she sped up slightly. But so did the car behind her. Without hesitating, she pressed on her accelerator, going above the maximum speed limit of the highway. Her speed meter started beeping as a warning but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to get away from the vehicle that was tailing her. She glanced down at her speed meter. She was pushing past 160km/h. Ji Hyo looked back up to the road and then to her rearview mirror. To her surprise, the car behind her slowed down. She let out a breath of relief and released her foot off the accelerator and onto her brake pedal. Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn’t working. A blinking light on her dashboard caught her eye. The brake warning light was flashing, indicating loss of brake fluid.

Ji Hyo started to hyperventilate as she continuously tried pressing the pedal down over and over again. But the car just kept going. A sudden vision of trees, shattered glass and fire flashed in her mind. Shaking off the image, she tried to calm herself down but the sight before her caused her to gasp.

It was a downhill slope.

The office was already empty by the time Jong Kook was about to leave. “Kim Jong Kook-sshi.” A voice called out.

Jong Kook turned around. A man, with a hood over his head, walked up to him and handed him a box before turning around and leaving without saying another word. He brought the box over to a nearby desk and opened it. Th