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  "B.. Boss..." The loanshark gagged, the inferiority in his tone making his men stop in their attack. "What are you here for?"

  "My woman." The Underboss growled.

  "I didn't know she's your woman, boss, I didn't know." The loanshark stuttered in anxiety. The Mafia is well known for how efficient they carry out retribution killings. The last thing he wants is to cross them.

  "Now you know. And now, you pay." Jiyong said, mercilessly raining punches on the loan shark's abdomen.

  "Jiyong, enoug-" Dara rushed forward but faltered, distracted by the dull pangs in her waist. She inhaled sharply, her hand automatically flying to clutch the throbbing spot.

  The dark look that clouded the Underboss's eyes briefly disappeared to be replaced by an urgent concern. He shoved the loanshark away from him and was beside his girlfriend in a flash.

  "What's wrong?" Jiyong's voice was laced with alarm as he gripped her shoulders protectively. The look of pain on her face scares him. Did they do something to her? Did they stab her?

  "I'm fine, it was just a kick." Dara murmured laboriously. She had her spleen operated on during the car accident which may be why it is particularly painful. But Dara regretted her words almost as soon as they left , for an unreadable look crossed Jiyong's face. Even she could feel the dangerous energy that starts to radiate from him. 

  "It's not fine." Jiyong said gently with a blank expression as he caressed her face. The debt collection gang never thought that the Underboss could get any more intimidating, but they were wrong. The already tense atmosphere fell below freezing temperature as the Underboss straightened up from the girl. 

  "Who kicked her?" He demanded in a quiet voice.

  "WHO DID IT?" The leader barked at his men fearfully, and instantly, the thug that struck Dara fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

  "Drag him here." 

  "Jiyong..." Dara protested.

  "Would you rather I shoot them all?" Jiyong asked the girl, his tone dangerously quiet. 

  Even though Dara knows that Jiyong is only this furious because they hurt her, his current state still terrified her. With tears flowing down her cheeks, she shook her head vigorously.

  The sight of her tears only further fueled the anger in him and he turned back to rest. 

  "Don't make me say it twice." 

  "YOU HEARD THE BOSS, DRAG HIM OUT!" The leader of the gang stammered loudly. Immediately, his underlings pulled the wretched soul out infront of the underboss. 

  Jiyong send a kick to the thug's back and he fell over to the ground. How dare he touch her. He yanked him up by the back of his shirt, smashing his face down on the floor again, breaking his nose. Dara yelped and shut her eyes, pressing her hands onto her ears. 

  "Bloody hell." The Dragon growled as he went on in his murderous assault. He knew he should never have let Dara out of his sight. She got hurt again because of his negligence. Why couldn't he have arrived earlier? Why did he not accompany her if she wanted to come back to her old house? Jiyong cursed himself over and over in his head. He can't even protect her from these low lifes. 

  Venting his anger at himself on Dara's assailant, the Underboss dragged one of the thug's leg up before sending his elbow down on his knee with brute force, fracturing his leg. 

  The crack of broken bones and the man's howl of pain was impossible to block out and Dara just wants everything to stop right now. Mustering the courage to open her eyes, Dara saw Jiyong towering over the thug who is rolling on the floor in agony, seemingly already done with his punishment.

  Unsteadily, she got on her feet and gently pushed Jiyong behind her before turning to the loan shark leader.

  "Please, just go." She begged, her eyes glistening with tears. "Don't harass my father, I will repay what he owes you. Just give me a few months."

  "You don't have to pay them , they should be grateful you're not letting me kill them." Jiyong snapped.

  "No, Jiyong." Dara whispered, turning around to rub his arm, calming him down. She doesn't want to take advantage of these Underworld perks of being with him. The mess was made by dad. It's only right that they correct it without using any means of violence or threats. "My dad owes them money. I have to pay it back."

  Not giving Jiyong a chance to argue, she turned back to the hesitant loanshark, "Don't let my dad know that I know about these. Don't tell him about me, or him." Dara appealed. 

  The loanshark nodded his head fervently and commanded for his men to scram. In a rush, they picked up the writhing thug on the floor and cleared the house, leaving the wreckage looking like a warzone.

  Dara ran a hand through her hair in despair as she glanced around her thrashed home. If Dad really owes them that much money, he'll know why their house looks like this when he's back. She bent down and pick up the box of necklace her mum left her before leaving the house.

-

  Outside in the cold, Dara found a bench some good distance away from her parents home. Her heart was throbbing with pain, disappointment, shame and resentment all at once as her fingers the cold necklace in her hand. She never knew that her father gambles, let alone to such an extent. 

  It feels impossible to stop her tears. Just when her mind is getting over this new found truth, she thought of her mother, who must have known this before choosing to leave them. Yet all along she never knew why she did.

  Jiyong returned to the bench with a cup of hot coffee in his hand, which Dara accepted shakily. In silence, he took the seat beside her, keeping a small distance. The sight of her crying is digging into his chest like knifes. But still, he couldn't help but to look at her, who's tears are dripping into the cup that she brought to .

  "The coffee.. is so bitter.." Dara laughed wryly in an attempt to find an excuse for her crying, failing miserably as her voice broke at the last syllabus.

  Immediately, Jiyong gathered her into his arms, enveloping her senses with warmth. He exhaled heavily as she continued to weep bitterly in his chest, her hand grasping onto a fistful of his shirt. 

  "." He sighed audibly, helplessly her back as she struggled to tame her tears. 

  "I'm sorry-" The both of them blurted out at the same time. Dara raised her tear strained face to stare at Jiyong, who's mirroring her confusion. 

  "You first." The guy said.

  "I'm sorry for getting into trouble again, Jiyong." Dara muttered guiltily, lowering her head to fidgit with her fingers.

  Jiyong's tense body relaxed as he gazed softly at her.

  "I'm sorry for not guarding you well enough, Dara." He whispered.

  They both smiled weakly at each other, realising the contradiction in their words before Dara snuggled her face into his chest again with a small shake of her head to refuse his apology. "You already fought off those people for me just now. I feel safe with you."

  "I should've exterminated them." Jiyong said darkly. "Why would you still want to pay them back?"

  "We are obliged to pay back whatever that isn't ours. That's what my mum taught me." Dara answered. Thinking about her mum made her eyes glisten with tears again.

  The young Underboss stared at his woman exasperatedly before whipping out his phone. "Transfer 2 million dollars to the moneylending gang operating in-" He ordered, but before he could finish giving out the organisation name, Dara pranced up and snatch his handphone away, cupping the call.

  "Dara, what the ?"

  "You're not going to pay this money for me, Jiyong. I wanna settle it myself."

  "You're my girlfriend." Jiyong argued flatly.

  The dominating way that he said those words sent little butterflies dancing around in her stomach. But still, this is about responsibility, and the responsibility was hers.

  Jiyong rubbed his face tiredly. This nerd can be so darn stubborn sometimes. "2 million doesn't worth anything to me." He reasoned. 

  "I know, and it worths everything I own. But that's the point, Jiyong. You'll only understand the gravity of a mistake when it is proportionate to how much it takes you to make it right." 

  "I hate how you won't even let me settle something this little for you." Jiyong muttered, his sullen demeanour almost making Dara burst into a giggle. Just minutes ago, he was that ruthless and cold mobster. But now, he looks almost like a sulking child.

  "You can buy me food from now on so I won't starve while I try to repay my debts." Dara sniggered. 

  "No."

  "Whyy?"

  "You're getting fat, you'll crush me."

  "Jiyong!"

[-]  

  The silence of the night was crossed with the clicking of stiletto heels against the cold hard gravel. A slender young girl with soft brown curls, wearing a tight fitting white dress was marching down the path angrily. Behind her, a luxurious Jaguar car was prowling in a slow speed.

  "Miss Hani, you can't be walking alone without your guards." The window of the vehicle rolled down, and the suited-driver persuaded.

  The girl turned around, carrying an annoyed expression. Those guards are driving her insane. She finally managed to do some shopping since her dad had just recovered and it has to be ruined by the parade of guards who were tailing her everywhere, earning her disdainful gazes from the other shoppers.

  "I don't care. Stay here, I'm going in that shop." Hani scowled at his driver as she spotted a clothing boutique that has yet to close. "And you better not rat on me to those guards."

  Not allowing him to protest, she quickly walked into the store in high spirits. The other shops are all closed by now and she hasn't gotten anything from the trip. It took her a lot of effort to sneak away from those guards to take a breather. Her older brother, the consigliere of the Mafia, Ghost, is extremely uptight about her safety after their father survived his assassination attempt. He even wants her to go back to the States where she will be safer.

  To Hani, he's paranoid.

  Alas, the selection of apparels in the shop disappointed her, and she left empty handed again. Resigned with the fact that she isn't going to return home with any loots today, she trudged back to the car. 

  Her driver really listened to her and did not disturb while she's in the store. She pulled on the door handle to the backseat, finding it locked. Impatiently, Hani knocked on the tinted window of the driver seat. Once, twice and thrice. When there is no answer, the knocking turned into furious rappings. Did he fall asleep or something? In frustration, Hani wrenched at the doorknob of the driver's seat and to her surprise, it opened up.

  Her surprise turned into horror as soon as the door flew open. On the driver's seat, the driver is dead grotesquely. Hani stumbled back in fear, tripping over the pavement to fall sitting heavily on the ground, too afraid to even scream. The driver's neck was slit, with fresh warm blood still spurting onto the windscreen. On his throat, the seatbelt was straddling his windpipe and his arm, positioning his body in an unnatural position.

  Trembling so hard that she can hardly focus, Hani pulled out her phone and hit her older brother's number. Tears of panic were already filling up her eyes as she struggled to steady her breath.

  "Pick up... Pick up!" She whispered desperately. Twice, the call went to the voice mail.

  Already crying, Hani punched on Jiyong's number, praying for someone- anyone- to answer her call. One ring, two rings, and-

  "Hello?" Jiyong's lazy voice was heard from the other side of the phone.

  A wave of relief flooded her and just when she wanted to ask for help, a bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips as pairs of invisible hands behind her dragged her away into the darkness, leaving her connected phone on the pavement. 

Phantom of the Opera music plays

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