Chapter 8:

“Noona!”

“Yes, dear boy, cry for your noona!” The bigger of the two said as another blow was delivered to the boy tied to the chair. This one was strong enough to topple the chair over, and the kid hit his head on the cold stone floor. Blood started to seep out, but the quantity was small enough for him to be conscious. “But she ain't gonna come save you. She and that hyung of yours thinks you're dead! The others don't even know you exist! Wake up boy, it's been a decade and then some already!”

'No. I will get back to them! They will save me!'

“You know, one of your sisters is really naive. She's literally eating out of my palm now. I even managed to put her at odds with the rest of the family. Ah, that Yoona, pretty, but no brain. She really thinks I love her! Ha! As if! Plus, she doesn't even know you're alive and thinks that the only reason the Kwon clan hates the Anh was because of your mother's death!” One of the men that were sitting in the background said. “The death your adopted brother still thinks you caused!”

'They will come! I know they will' the man lying on the ground's eye caught something, and didn't look away. He had a feeling that this man will be the one who will help him out of here and back into his family's warm embrace.

“What do you want us to do with him, boss?” A tall man asked the shorter woman next to him. They were both looking at the near unconscious man and had slight smirks on their faces.

“Nothing for now Taecyeon, we haven't done anything in the last 13 years, why start now? He isn't ready yet, he isn't broken yet.” She told him.

“Yes miss Anh.” Both turned to leave the room, never noticing the man's slowly opened eyes, 'I won't break, I didn't 13 years ago, I won't now.' He took a glance at one of his guards and the man he was talking with. It was the man that he was interested in. 'Nickhun, is it? You will help me.'

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On Yuri's desk, in her room, were five pictures; one of them was laid down, the picture hidden most of the time. One was a family portrait, then one of the twins, one with SeoHyun, one of JaeJoong and her and the last one was never shown to any of her siblings, only Jaejoong. Yuri didn't know why, but she felt like she should flip the picture over, just to stare into the dark eyes of her last brother; the true First son, Kwon Joon.

'Joon-ah, wherever you are, I will always love you, my brother.' Kwon Joon was born a few years before Jiyoung and Yoona, explaining the considerable between the first two children and the last three. He had disappeared, most likely kidnapped and killed by the Anh clan, and the youngest Kwon never knew of his existence, or in the twin's case, were too young to remember him. She was twelve when it happened, Joon was seven and the twins were two. SeoHyun had yet to be born at the time; their mother was pregnant with her though. The impact of Joon's disappearance on the family was clear. Her mother, while struggling to remain the cheerful lady she once was, was slowly sinking into depression. The three youngest still have only good memories of their mother, but Yuri and JaeJoong were old enough to see that she was sinking into the darkness. Their mother wasn't only a socialite; she could fight like the best of them. That was something she knew well and it got to her head.

She had decided that she will find her son. She had gone up, alone, to one of the Anh warehouse. Needless to say, even if she was superwoman at home, one against a hundred never quite works out in real life. They lost her, her body being dumped in front of their gates. When their father found her the next morning, he had yelled at his two oldest to keep their siblings in. It was too late though, Yuri and JaeJoong had already seen the body. That was the beginning of the rift between them and the rest of the siblings.

“He's dead Yuri.”

“We never found a body.” Yuri replied her brother, who she knew was leaning against her doorway, without turning around to look.

“Let him go Yuri. It's been 13 years already.” JaeJoong told her. He wanted her to stop hurting. Joon was the only source of discomfort between the two siblings. JaeJoong has always thought Joon to be dead, never having found a reason for their enemies to keep him alive for 13 years without any kind of blackmail involved, but Yuri always believed in evidence over simple thoughts and beliefs. This was why of the Anh clan, she had successfully chosen Nickhun as her mole, because she knows Nickhun's heart better than he does himself, because he had proved it to her without even knowing it. Jaejoong, for his part, hasn't been able to bring himself to believe his little brother to be alive, having caught himself blaming the younger one for their mother's ultimate demise one too many time. Every time, he would tell himself that it wasn't Joon's fault, but he found it harder each time.

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“Unni, you're dazing off again?” Krystal told her sister as they were on the treadmills. She didn't want her to fall off the machine, with how clumsy she was. The two sisters were at the same gym where they were initiated into self-defence and fighting, with SooYoung, Tiffany and HyoYeon acting as their bodyguards. TaeYeon and Sunny was with Yunho at work. This was the day where their main bodyguards were replaced, once a week.

“I'm fine Krystal. I was just thinking about something...”

“A hot guy unnie?”

Jessica immediately blushed and Krystal knew she hit the jackpot. Her sister didn't often fancy boys. The last crush she had felt like it was years ago to the younger of the two. “Unnie! When did you even have time to find a hot guy? C'mon Sica-unnie, spill!”

“It was...”Jessica looked around the gym, making sure none of the bodyguards were paying attention to what she was saying. “It was JaeJoong.”

“JaeJoong oppa?” A voice suddenly popped from the treadmill next to Jessica's. When she turned around, she saw Tiffany's face extremely close to hers, her body stationed on the unmoving machine.

“You were listening?”

“Of course! We wouldn't make very good bodyguards if we didn't pay attention to you!” Another voice said from behind her. Tiffany pushed the stop button on her machine, and waited for it the slow down and stop before pulling the blonde with her. SooYoung who was standing behind Jessica followed them, while HyoYeon did the same for Krystal.

The sisters were pulled into the changing rooms and were promptly sat down. “Spill!” was the only thing Tiffany said to Jessica before looking at her with expectant eyes. Jessica remained silent, taking in the scene around her, feeling very much like she was back in high school. The three women towered over her small frame, eyes gleaming with the possibility of juicy gossip. The only sound that came out of was an hmmm. “Girls, will you stop harassing her?” A deeper yet still feminine voice called, Jessica easily recognized it as Yuri's.

“But Yul! C'mon gossip here!” Tiffany said, showing her eye smile as she pouted in the direction of her friend.

The tanner of them all smiled lightly and said, “Fany-ah, what do you think JaeJoong oppa will do if he finds out you three were gossiping about him?” The three quickly paled and moved out of the room slowly in a straight line. Yuri gave out a soft laughter and turned to the sisters. “It's my day off from you, and I somehow run into you at the gym, wow.” The two sisters didn't answer. Jessica had no words while Krystal was still very much intimidated by the tall woman, not having lived with her for weeks now. “But, I am glad too... Because oppa cannot kill me or harm me.” The two sisters looked at her in shock. She raised an eyebrow at their shock and smiled, “Oh come on! I am a woman too, I enjoy gossip too! Now, I never got the details, so Jessica-ssi, I expect you to be as good as a mole!” But Yuri's phone rang at the same time. She left quickly after taking it. When Jessica looked at the clock, it was 2 o'clock.

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'Why can't I get rid of her?' Yunho thought to himself as he watched TaeYeon pace in front of him, checking everything to make sure he was safe, just like she did last time. Sunny was just standing next to him, a smile on her face. “She's getting to you?” She asked softly, smile still present on her face. Yunho carefully nodded, and asked, “Is she always so bouncy?”

“Nope, that's normally Fany, or me! She's like the second most serious one, after Yuri.” Yunho looked at her disbelievingly, 'Are these people all high or what?'

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Jiyoung laid on his bed, his eyes riveted to the ceiling. He really enjoyed the time he had away from the family of three. Krystal was a sweet girl at the core, but s he wasn't any different from the rich spoilt girl that his father kept throwing at him since he was of marrying age. 'JaeJoong hyung and Yuri noona is lucky not to be thrown at random people... Why can't I be as good as them?'

The only thing holding his father back from doing the same with his older sibling was that he knew they'd probably find a way to get rid of the woman or man he was setting them up with, without evidence. And their father had rather not have another enemy clan.

Jiyoung sighed, and pulled his gaze down to the picture he had in his hand. 'Anh Sohee' His musing was cut short by his phone and he answered quickly when he saw that his father was calling. While answering, he glanced at the digital clock on his bed stand, and saw a bright five flashing.

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JaeJoong hit the punching bag one last time before steadying it and backing away from it. He let out a few pants while taking away the gloves and the bandages underneath them. 'Kwon Joon...the lost sibling... That's what the Anh have been naming him ever since...' JaeJoong's eyebrows furrowed and suddenly let a kick that actually reached the punching bag that was further since he backed away. 'Argh! JaeJoong, it isn't his fault!' He backed away once more and panted with his hands on his knee. 'I better not let Yul see me this way. She'll worry, and drag the reason out of me... And that won't be pretty...'

'I don't see why Yuri can't believe that Joon is dead... Why would they keep him alive for thirteen years? There's completely no logical reason for that...' JaeJoong thought to himself as he walked to where his bag was. 'Why keep this kid alive when there are always chances for him to escape and endanger them? Unless they're that confident or they have a second goal, but why wait thirteen years, or more even? Why not just when they had him? But now, we have more territory.' He was brought out of his thought by his phone. It was a c all from his youngest sister, 'SeoHyun? Why would Hyunnie call me at five in the afternoon, I thought she was tutoring at this time of the day.' “SeoHyun?”

His sister's sob brought all the concern he could muster out. “SeoHyun? Why are you crying? Are you hurt? What's happening?”

“Oppa... Yuri-unnie... Yuri-unnie, she”

“Yuri? What happened to Yuri, SeoHyun?” JaeJoong literally yelled through the phone as he ran to the nearest exit to the garage. He saw from the corner that the Jung sisters were being pulled from the exercise rooms by their three bodyguards of the day, while Tiffany was on the phone, shouting at Yoona to speak faster. She hanged up on her and told her to call TaeYeon after she got frustrated at her, and turned towards him, expecting an answer.

“Yuri-unnie was shot; she's unconscious right now... Doctor... She's still in surgery oppa... I'm scared oppa!”

“Shhh Seohyun, is Yoona and father with you?” JaeJoong said as calmly as he could which was barely but he knew he needed to know if his youngest siblings were safe.

“Yes oppa. Dad is calling Jiyoung oppa at the moment.”

“Ok stay with them, tell Yoona that I have Tiffany and them with me ok? Send me the address of the hospital ok.”

“Ok oppa.”

JaeJoong was still running towards the garage during his whole conversation, but he signalled for the five to follow silently. 'Why would Yuri get shot? How? She's too alert to be caught unguarded.'

“Oppa, what's happening?” Tiffany asked JaeJoong.

He looked at her quickly and said three words. “Man down, Yuri.” Tiffany stared at him wide eyed while still running but the four women behind her had stopped eyes wide and shock evident on their face. She slowly turned around, trembling, and screamed out, “RUN YOU IDIOTS, WHY ARE YOU STOPPING?” She turned back to JaeJoong and asked for the address. Jaejoong read from the link his sister sent and finally approached his car. “I'll go first, give me Jung-sshi.”

The girls wasted no time literally throwing Jessica in the passenger seat and running to their own vehicle. The two cars sped out of the garage, keeping clear of any cops trying to pull them over. It really wasn't hard.

When they pulled into Seoul Central Hospital, they didn't bother asking which room, SeoHyun had sent that to them as well. When they got to the hall, Jiyoung was holding a crying Yoona in his arm, just like their father with SeoHyun. Yunho was leaning against the wall, with TaeYeon and Sunny on each side. The two women' stares were blank, just staring at the door. The red light signifying that surgery was still ongoing was lit and they couldn't do much but wait.

JaeJoong approached his family slowly and simply stared, his two sisters automatically going into his arms. JaeJoong turned his head towards the light and waited with his family. The other women were all with the Jung family knowing that the family needed their space.

'How... I thought she was invincible...' Yunho thought as he leaned against the wall. 'She looked like Super Woman to me, always staying strong and mysterious, but I guess she was human in the end...' He couldn't hide the fact that he was worried to himself, he spent enough time with the woman that he had came to care for her a lot, even if his attention did not seem to be returned. He heard heavy and quick footsteps and saw Boa running up to them and standing right in front of Jiyoung and asking him what happened. They spoke in quiet whisperings and she turned towards the door. She only stared. Obviously to the rest of the crowd, this woman was stronger than the two other Kwon sisters but it seemed that she was distant from the Kwon patriarch. She had not so much as glanced at him since she got here, unlike the two sisters, when one had been in his arms.

Finally, that red light blinked closed, and they all took in a deep breath, waiting for the worst. The doctor came out five minutes later and asked for the family. All six Kwon stepped up. He looked at them all, knowing very well who this particular family was and was somehow relieved that his news did not include the lady’s death.

“We took all the bullets out and she was very lucky that none of the bullets hit anywhere vital. Some are flesh wounds while other will take some time to heal. There probably will be no rehabilitation needed but she will need to stay off her left leg and arm for a good month after she is released. Until then, we will be keeping her here, to supervise her. Now the next 24h will be crucial to her, not in terms of her wounds but in terms of infections. If no germs go in tonight while she spends her night in a highly sterilized room, then the wounds would have closed sufficiently to block out those bacteria and with the disinfectant and antibacterial that we will be administering, the young lady should be just fine.” They all nodded, and the young man holding his sisters quickly asked him if they would see her.

“You will need to wait for her to be transferred. It should take about twenty minutes to finalize that. The room number will be 38 in the observation wing.” They nodded again and JaeJoong turned towards his family and the group that gathered. “I want to be here as they transfer her. You guys go wait for us in that room first.”

“I’ll stay with you.”

They all turned towards the owner of the voice, and JaeJoong nodded. “Very well Yunho.”

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“Did you enjoy seeing your sister today boy?” The man kicked the younger one in the ribs and bent down to his level. “To know that she’s in the hospital, fighting for her life right now? Because of you? And that probably she can’t even tell anyone since she’s completely out.”

Joon clenched his jaw and let no sound out. He was still replaying the scene of his sister falling down to the cold pavement, forming his name as he watched the bullets go through her in silent terror. ‘Noona... I hope you are alright.’

“Still keeping silent boy? Very well...” He just left him there but not before telling one of his man to guard him. “Horveljuk, watch over him.”

“Yes, OK-sshi.” But Horveljuk left the room and closed the door tightly as they left the room, throwing him a glare to keep him silent once more.

When he came back minutes later, he leaned back against one of the crates and looked at the unmoving figure on the ground. “Your sister will be fine, Yuri is strong.”

The young man looked at him in shock, ‘I was planning on using him, but could he already be on our side?’

“She’ll be happy to know that you are alive, Joon. Oh by the way, I am Nickhun. I would help you up but of course, we are being watched. The Anh are pretty cheap actually and the only camera is right at my back so it can’t see that I am talking to you, and it is soundless. Now don’t react to what I am saying. Just swallow to tell me you heard me.”

Joon swallowed.

“Good, now unfortunately I can’t get you out without risking both of our lives so you’ll have to wait to be rescued. Yuri’s might take a while to heal, and if she was able to tell anyone she saw you, you might be rescued earlier, if not, it might take up to a month.”

Joon looked down, it was because of him she was in the hospital, those shots were actually meant for him but with how malnourished he was, he easily fit into her protective hold and she took the bullets for him. They knew she would block him as soon as she saw his necklace.

“Your adoptive brother might be really angry at you when you return to them, but she has assured me that if you ever returned to them, she’ll personally beat it into him though I don’t think she knows the extent of his feelings. I debated telling her that you were alive but I couldn’t afford having her storm in here you know? So I kept anything between us to a strict minimum, giving her any other kind of information. Did you know she has the best cooks?”

Joon frowned, what does her cook have to do with this? “She likes to think that’s it’s the cooking that keeps me coming back. Honestly, I just hate the Anh as much as your family does.”

‘Coming back? Are they?’

Nickhun must have noticed that Joon had a questioning look on his face and almost laughed but retained it. He couldn’t even allow body language to show on that camera, and the kid was already too expressive. He’ll have to convince the camera guy that he was taunting him, because that kid now had a horrified look on his face.

“I am not dating your sister Joon. Don’t worry; she’s not my type of woman, too scary really.”

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JaeJoong sat at her bedside, holding her hand. It has been a week already and she didn’t wake up yet. They had asked the doctor why, but he only said that it wasn’t a side effect of the surgery or of the bullets, it’s herself fighting with something and her body shutting down. ‘Yul, you are too alert and too strong for this, what happened? What did you see?”

Yunho was at the office with TaeYeon and Sunny again while Krystal was handed off to SooYoung and HyoYeon. Tiffany was guarding Jessica but they weren’t far from him, just outside of the room. JiYoung sat on the other side of Yuri’s bed while SeoHyun and Yoona were sleeping on the couch. Their father was outside, talking in whispers with one of the interns that were in the surgery room. JaeJoong thought he looked familiar but shrugged it off, he had more important matters. Until he heard his father cries out in shock. The two brothers’ attentions were quickly brought to him, but he waved them away. Frowning, the brothers quickly looked at their sister’s resting visage and worried that it was something concerning her well being. ‘Nothing better happen to you Yul, I cannot and will not lose you.’

Their father entered the room, an unknown expression on his face. “JaeJoong, come with me please.”

He stood up with no question, but only a lingering gaze on his sister’s face and left the room. His father brought him away from Tiffany and Jessica, who were watching him like a hawk.

“What is it, Father?”

“That intern... He said something interesting...”

“What was it?”

“Your sister said something before she fell unconscious in the surgery room.”

“Which was?”

“She said that she saw Joon”

JaeJoong looked at his father, who was expecting some expression of hope or something, was surprised to see JaeJoong clench his fists and walk away. ‘Joon... Another woman in my life hurt because of you!’

‘My son, your heart must stop blaming a man long gone for your losses... Yet, now, there might be a chance that Joon is alive... or was Yuri only imagining during her blood loss. But should he really be alive, what will you do? Will you turn him against us, or make him one of us?’

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“Noona! Don’t run so fast!” A young Joon yelled as Yuri ran further away from him, giggling the whole time.

“C’mon Joonie! You can go faster than that!” Yuri yelled back to her younger brother, winking at her older one as she ran past him.

“Don’t call me Joonie!” The younger of the two complained, “I’m a big kid now!~”

Hearing what her brother said made Yuri collapse in laughter, and inadvertedly let Joon catch up to her quite easily. He wasted no time jumping on her and started tickling her relentlessly.

“Stop! Stop!”

“Only if you promise not to call me Joonie anymore!”

“I yield!”

Joon stopped, and just looked at her. Yuri was confused, what was he looking at? JaeJoong had started to approach as well, wondering if something was wrong with their seven years old kid brother.

“Joon? Is there something wrong?” Yuri asked him, as she leaned up and grasped Joon protectively.

“I thought... I just thought that I saw something.” Yuri immediately tightened her grip; her twelve years old mind processed the situation and thought back to her lessons with her mother. Protect her brother, but keep safe. She remembered the rules, ready stance, relax the muscle enough to only look vulnerable.

Jaejoong, who was 15 at the time, scanned the environing scenery with narrowed eyes. He looked for any sign of intruders upon their property, and zoomed in on moving leaves of a bush. There was a slight breeze coming through but the leaves were going the opposite direction, almost like they were being pulled aside and released. He approached the bush slowly, while Yuri held Joon close to her body, ready to make a run for it if JaeJoong calls it. She was standing with the younger kid in her arms, not wanting to have him hidden from her in case whatever it was would be coming from the back.

JaeJoong pushed aside the leaves in one fast , hand ready to reach for a weapon. He relaxed slightly when he saw a simple black cat retreating in itself, probably in fear of the sudden movement. He looked around once more before rushing back to his siblings and rushing them inside. There couldn’t only have been a cat, someone was there.

When they entered their house, he left his siblings with their mother, telling Yuri to tell the tale to her while he went to find their father. Their mother frowned and held Jiyoung and Yoona closer to her rounded belly. “Yuri, look after your brother. You both stay with me in this room until your father clears it. Yoona and Jiyoung, you two don’t move an inch!” They were in the living room and the kids watched their mother stand up and walk to a cabinet, wadding slightly because of her protruding belly. She pulled a small hand gun and motioned for Yuri to come over. “Choose your weapon; your training comes into play now.”

“Yes, mother” Yuri’s hands quickly picked up a silver gun, larger than the one in her mother’s hand, and checked the bullets. She picked up a few cartridges as well, and nodded upwards. Her mother looked at her, nodding in approval.

He slammed the book shut and looked at his oldest child in surprise. Someone managed to come into their property? This person was good, and he only knew of one clan with people of that calibre. “JaeJoong, where are you siblings?”

“I left them with mother and the twins.”

“Your mother is pregnant; her movements are most likely hindered by the child. Go, protect them.”

“Yuri is there!”

“Yuri is only twelve, go!”

He didn’t argue any further and ran downstairs to where the rest of the family was gathered. He saw that Yuri was already armed and so was his mother. Joon was in between the twins, hugging them along with Yuri who had her eyes closed tightly, in concentration, and their mother. JaeJoong wasted no time rejoining his family and told them that their father was coming down. That’s when a group of unknown people burst into their den. JaeJoong yelled at his family, telling the children to take cover and told Yuri to protect their family and mother as much as possible, while protecting herself.

Yuri nodded and gasped as her eyes opened.