Chapter 7 

Under the freezing rain, people watched curiously as two people ran down the streets. Tiffany could barely see where she was going; her tears of pain and frustration were mixed in with the rain. She felt like she was on the verge of losing her sanity. She had tried to be in control of her situation but she couldn’t do that anymore, not with Jaejoong in the picture. She kept on running, not even noticing the rain induced cold. She vaguely heard someone calling out to her but she ignored it, not willing to let anyone see her like this, broken down with no shield to protect her from the world. She never noticed the discarded cardboard box that was left on the sidewalk. Jaejoong felt his heart jump to his throat when he saw her going down, “Fany, are you alright?” He frantically looked her over, looking for any visible signs of injury. Nothing else mattered at the moment; he couldn’t help himself and hugged her tightly against him. 

Tiffany struggled out of his embrace, “Leave me alone. I’m fine.” There was a wild look in her eyes that made Jaejoong comply right away. 

He took several deep breaths and was able to calm himself, “You are liable to catch pneumonia drenched in this freezing rain. I will take you home.” He help her up to her feet, watching like a hawk to make sure that she didn’t twist her ankle when she fell. 

“You are not exactly dry either.” Tiffany said wryly, “I can take care of myself. Why don’t you just go home and get into something dry?” 'Please leave me alone. I can’t deal with you right now.' She begged silently. 

“I'm not leaving you alone. There are too many crazy people out here.” Jaejoong ignored her protests and hailed a taxi. After he gave the driver her address, he turned to her and said, “Are you sure you are ok?” 

“Yes. Why would you care anyway?” Then something else occurred to Tiffany, “How did you know where I live?” 

“I saw it on your profile.” 

'That’s right. That photographic memory of his.' Tiffany thought. 

Both of them were shivering from the cold by the time they got outside Tiffany's apartment. She wanted to tell him to leave but she couldn’t make herself say the words, "Why don’t you towel off and warm yourself first? I will make some coffee.” 

Jaejoong nodded. He wasn’t sure what he hoped to accomplish when he went after her earlier. Maybe some kind of confrontation that might finally allow him to exorcise her from his memory or maybe he was seeking some kind of justification on the way she treated him. 

Tiffany lived in an old apartment complex that had seen better days. Jaejoong's first instinct was to drag her away from this neighborhood but like she said, why should he care? There was nothing left between them. 

They entered the lobby and went upstairs to her place. Tiffany opened her door and stepped back in shock. Her apartment had been ransacked. Her couch shredded, the rest of her furniture overturned, her tv set smashed and the kitchen was in shambles. 

Jaejoong took one glance at the scene and immediately took charge, “Fany, stay here. Don’t touch anything.” Jaejoong had noticed one more detail that Tiffany had missed, the words ‘You know what to do’ was written on her living room wall. He pulled out his iphone5 and punched in a number but Tiffany stopped him just before he could press the send button. 

“Who are you calling?” 

“911. We have to report this. This might have some impact on your case. Your apartment has to be sequestered and forensics have to come and go thru it with a fine tooth comb.” 

“Please don’t.” Tiffany struggled for something plausible to say, “I don’t really want to deal with the police again." They simultaneously heard a sound coming from the bedroom. Jaejoong instinctively pushed Tiffany away from the door. A man wearing a stocking to cover his face appeared, “Well well well, what do we have here?” The man said in a muffled voice, “Someone else trying to crash my party? I work alone. Move it.” The man pointed his gun at them and gestured for them to enter the apartment. 

Jaejoong knew better than to get stuck in that situation. He pretended to comply but at the last second, he grabbed Tiffany's hand and made a mad dash towards the apartment complex’s main exit. The man took off after them, shooting at Jaejoong and Tiffany. Jaejoong flinched a little bit but he held on firmly to Tiffany. Hand in hand, the two kept on running until they found themselves headed towards an alley. Jaejoong stopped them; he peered around the corner and was thankful that they were no longer being pursued. 

After taking several minutes to calm their racing hearts and catch their breaths, he asked, “Tell me, what’s going on?” 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Tiffany wrapped her arms protectively around herself to keep from trembling from shock. 

“You won’t let me call the police. That man was no ordinary robber; he was too cocky. Why do I get the feeling that the two of you might already know each other?” 

“Jaejoong Oppa, please let it go? This doesn’t involve you.” 'I never wanted to get you involved, that’s why I had to let you go.' 

Jaejoong felt like shaking the stubborn woman, “Fany, do you realize what kind of mess you are in right now? You have got to start talking to someone or...” Jaejoong stopped when he noticed Tiffany's pale face, “Come on, this is no place to talk. I’m taking you back to my apartment. Then you can tell me what’s going on.” 

Tiffany pulled him back, “We can’t go there.” Jaejoong was about to protests angrily when she continued, “You don’t understand. He saw you. He knows who you are. Your place is probably being watched right now. Oh, god.” Her eyes widened, “You are in danger, too.” 

Jaejoong couldn’t stop himself anymore and shook Tiffany, “Tell me, what’s going on? You know that guy, don’t you? What have you gotten yourself into?” 

Tiffany didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. She had fainted in Jaejoong's arms. 

The morning light was streaming thru the window when Tiffany stirred. Her body ached all over. She felt like she ran a marathon. She wondered how long she had been sleeping; she lazily reached over to grab her alarm clock but her hand encountered a warm body instead, “Ah!” She sat straight up, wide awake. 

“Is this how you normally wake up in the morning?” Jaejoong asked, with amusement. 

Tiffany looked at him with horror. His hand propped up his head; he was horizontally stretched out in bed, right beside her. Tiffany pulled the blanket up protectively. She gasped as pain from her bandaged hands shot thru her body. She inched away from Jaejoong and stared at him with scared and confused eyes. She scrambled even further away when it finally dawned on her that Jaejoong wasn’t wearing a shirt. 

“What did you do? You...You...You p...ert.” Then she gave Jaejoong a shove. 

Jaejoong yelped and his face contorted with pain when Tiffany accidentally hit the bandage on his shoulder. Belatedly, Tiffany noticed the white dressing. 

“Fany, will you calm down!” Jaejoong yelled back, fighting the waves of pain caused by her shoving. 

Tiffany stared mutely at Jaejoong, her eyes begging him to tell her what’s going on. She quickly pulled the blanket over her eyes as Jaejoong got off the bed. Feeling slightly stupid, she slowly lowered it again, when she heard him chuckling softly. To her relief, he had his black levi jeans on. Then something else occurred to her. She quickly pulled the blanket over her head and checked to see what she was wearing. She swallowed when she noticed that she was wearing a palace blue solid henley and plaid flannel lounge pant set. 

“Let me explain what happened before you start screaming again.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Tiffany was thinking. Jaejoong rushed the words before she went crazy on him again. 

“You had better have a good explanation.” Tiffany gave Jaejoong a deadly glare. Jaejoong sighed and started to sit down on the bed next to her. 

“What do you think you are doing?” 

“Fany, I'm getting tired of your hysterics. My shoulder is hurting like hell. Look, I promise not to touch you ok? I just want to sit down for a bit.” Tiffany moved further away and nodded, “You are going to fall off the bed if you move much further.” Jaejoong stopped his teasing when he saw Tiffany's warning look, “Do you remember what happened last night at your apartment?” Jaejoong took Tiffany's silence as a yes, “Do you remember what happened after we got to the alley?” 

Tiffany tried to recall but everything was blank. 

“You fainted. I called a friend. He picked us up and brought us to my cabin. Don’t worry; no one knows anything about this place. No one will ever find us here.” He reassured her, “Your hands got all scratched up.” He reached out and gently touched the bandage, “Must have happened when you fell last night.” He added softly. 

“What happened to your shoulder?” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Jaejoong noticed her still staring at him, “Like what you see?” He smiled cheekily, “I couldn’t pull a t-shirt on because of the bandage. I had to change your clothes last night. It was soaking wet.” 

“You saw?” Tiffany's face was on fire. 

“I’m sorry but there was no choice. I didn’t think you would appreciate having a total stranger undress you.” And there was no way that he was going to let that happen either, “Don’t worry, I had my eyes closed the whole time.” 'Liar.' 

Tiffany looked at him doubtfully but decided not to pursue the matter anymore and get herself even more embarrassed. 

“Let me see what I can scrounge up for food here.” Jaejoong left the bed and headed towards another corner of the room. Tiffany took her time to assimilate her surroundings. She was in an old-fashioned cozy one-room cabin. She looked outside and saw trees, lots of tress. She started to feel that they secluded from the rest of civilization but wherever they were, she just noticed that the cabin does have all the modern amenities. She saw Jaejoong putting something in a microwave and turned to her a couple of minutes later. 

“This will have to do for now.” It was a cup of instant noodles. Funny, she didn’t even notice how hungry she was until she saw the noodle. Jaejoong smiled when her stomach growled, “Eat. I will be right back.” He went outside. 

Tiffany was just finishing the last bite when Jaejoong walked back in with a serious expression on his face, “Fany, I was just on the phone with my friend. The same one who helped us last night. You had better tell me what’s going on. Your neighbors called the cops last night after the shooting. The police are looking all over for you. We don’t have much time.” Tiffany gave him a stubborn look, “I don’t think you fully comprehend the situation. Fany, right now we are both fugitives from the law and I don’t know about you but I want to get back to Seoul and straighten this out as soon as possible.” 

Tiffany hedged by asking, “Where exactly are we?” 

Jaejoong knew what she was up to but played along with it, “We are at my cabin in the mountains. I brought us here to buy some time. So Fany, start talking. Was the break in last night related to your pending murder case?” Jaejoong lost his cool when Tiffany remained stubbornly silent, “Whoever it is that you are protecting isn't worth it. The way it’s looking right now, it's very likely that you will be convicted and you will go to jail.” Jaejoong shook her, “Do you understand? You will be in prison for life. Do you have any idea what will happen to you in there?” 

“Jaejoong Oppa, please, you are scaring me?” 

“I’m scaring you? You will go to a maximum-security prison. Everyone else in there will be a toughened criminal. They will all take one look at you and...” Jaejoong couldn’t continue. It was too horrifying to even imagine Tiffany being subjected to the cruel inhumane acts that people were capable of, “Tell me, what’s going on, damn it?!” 

“I...I can’t.” 

Who could scared her so much that she would rather go to prison rather than seek help? “Fany, I will make sure nothing happens to you and I can’t do that unless you tell me what’s going on. Please, talk to me?” 

“I don’t want to get you involved. He’s crazy.” 

“Who’s crazy? Who’s he?” 

Tiffany finally broke down. She couldn’t do this anymore, “My uncle.” She whispered. 

“Uncle?” 

“My dad passed away when I was 5.” Tiffany's eyes glazed over as she was transported back in time, “My uncle, my dad's younger brother, took over caring for my mom and me since my mom had always been sick and was too weak to work and support us. Everything was fine at first. My uncle became my surrogate dad. He petitioned both my mom and me from San Francisco to come to this country. Things were tough for a while but we managed and we were all content.” Tiffany started fidgeting with her shirt, a sure sign that she was distressed with what she was about to say, “Then my uncle got mixed up with drugs. He started changing. When I was about 18, I suddenly noticed him looking at me funny. It really scared me; at first, I thought he had something else in mind. It turned out that he was thinking about offering me to one of his friends in exchange for money. I tried to get away but he used my mom to threatened me with. He said he would dump my mom on the streets if I ever disobeyed him." Tiffany's eyes were wide with terrors from the past, “Thankfully, I got a lucky break before he could do anything about his plan. I received a scholarship to University of Tokyo and my uncle happened to be in a lucid moment when he found out about it and actually encouraged me to attend college. I thought I was finally free but he turned up a month after I started school, warning me that I shouldn't get involved with anyone, he had better plans for me, you see. If I dared disobey him, he would make sure that my mom and the other party would be sorry.” Tiffany turned to Jaejoong as if remembering that he was in the room with her, “I’m sorry Oppa, I never wanted to get involved with you nor to get you involved in my mixed up life.” 

“That’s why you said what you did.” Jaejoong finally understood. 

“My uncle suspected that I was involved with someone. I tried to hide it from him but he started showing up at the campus more often. I was so thankful when you moved back to Seoul; at least then, you would be safe from his venom but my uncle was starting to get paranoid and I couldn’t stay in school anymore. Anyone I came in contact with was in potential danger; eventually, I decided to quit school. I moved to Seoul because I wanted to feel closer to you.” Too late, Tiffany realized what she just revealed. 

Jaejoong couldn’t take it anymore. He wrapped her in his arms and murmured sweet reassuring words. He rocked her back and forth, “I'm so sorry you had to go through all that.” 

He hated to do this but he must ask, “What about the murder?” 

This time, Tiffany couldn’t control her sob anymore, “He did it to teach me a lesson. My mom passed away last year and stupid me thought I was finally free. I told my uncle not to bother me anymore and he said I was going to be sorry for that. He would still make sure that I do what he wants.” 

“So he killed Choi?" 

“I don’t know but I do know that he was the only one who could have access to my knife.” 

“Was he the man in your apartment last night?” 

Tiffany bit her lower lips, “Yes, he was. He destroyed my apartment as a warning to make sure I won’t say anything.” 

“That sick bastard! We have to go to the police with this information.” 

“No. We can’t do that.” 

“What are you afraid of? I will make sure that nothing happens to you.” 

“Oppa, he knows about Hyunjoong.” 

Time stopped. Jaejoong's body stiffened with fear and anger, “Is my brother in danger?” 

“Hyunjoong will be safe as long as I don’t say anything.” 

Jaejoong was torn between protecting the woman he loves and his own flesh and blood. He had to know one thing that’s been driving him crazy, “How is it between you and Hyunjoong?” He forced himself to ask. 

“I care about your brother.” 'Because I found the qualities I love about you in him.' She thought silently to herself, “I see.” Jaejoong let her go and stood against the window. He was wailing inside. Why now? He finally found out the truth about Tiffany and it was all too late. If it were anyone else, he would have fought hard to have her back in his life but he can't do that to his brother. 

“Oppa.” 

He didn’t look at her again, “Get changed. We have to head back to the city as soon as possible. We are heading to the police with your information and don’t worry about Hyunjoong, I will make sure nothing happens to him.”