“Sometimes one feels suddenly doomed by fate.”

― Iris Murdoch, The Black Prince

There were many things in life that Song Hyerin loved with all her heart.

The warm snuggles from her cat, Namsun, as the cuddly feline had a habit of getting under her blankets and plastering itself to her side. The quiet snoring of her dogs, Seneca and Sirius, as they lay comfortably on the threadbare Persian rug at the foot of her bed. The silence during the break of dawn as she lazed around in bed and waited for the morning sun. The soft light filtering in from her bedroom window, telling her it was time to get up. The familiar sound of the coffeemaker as she prepared her morning brew, its aroma wafting through the air and drawing the sleepy ajusshi into the kitchen.

Now she was sitting on the front porch after having a simple breakfast with ajusshi, enjoying her second cup of coffee and the sight of the beautiful sky painted by the sunrise in crimson, pink, and gold hues. The two dogs camped at her feet and her cat settled on her lap.

She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the sweet scents of Haneul Island, noting the slightly salty air and the heady fragrance of damp soil and fallen leaves. The smell of home, as Jonghyun liked to call it.

This brief interlude before her day truly starts was one of her favorite moments. It gave her the chance to be alone with her thoughts, to reflect and identify the things she was grateful for. Another morning, another chance to live. Knowing that the people she held dear to her heart were safe. She could tell because she did not receive a phone call or a message from them. No news is good news, as Kibum used to say.

And more importantly, she felt at peace. Her mind and heart were not in a battle of dominion. She had always been fortunate to be content with where she was, living on the island ever since she could remember.

There were times when she wondered what was beyond the shores of Haneul, times when her mind drifted to Seoul and tried to imagine how the four boys were doing, how it would feel like to leave her beloved island and show up unannounced in the penthouse. She would give them the shock of their life. Taemin would recover quickly though and would be overjoyed to see her.

Laughing at the thought, she brought the coffee cup to and took a sip. “But I’m not that adventurous, am I, Namsun-ah?” The cat stared at her with mild curiosity, following the coffee cup with its curious green eyes as Hyerin set it on the wooden floor. “I like to play it safe. Anyway, this island doesn’t feel like a prison. Not at all. I do miss dad though. And the boys.”

There was no trace of bitterness on her short monologue. She understood why they had to leave her behind. Her father, after all, was no ordinary man.

Song Donggeun had been operating one of the best private agencies in South Korea. The four orphan boys that he took under his wing joined one by one when they came of age. Hyerin knew why, so while each goodbye was hard and made her cry buckets of tears, she let them leave without a heavy heart.

She was not completely alone. Hyerin has ajusshi, and until three years ago, she also had halmeoni. If she felt a pang of sadness, which rarely happened, she took comfort in the pages of the books her mom left to her dad’s care.

Out of habit, she delicately took the necklace out of her cotton blouse. She always did this when her mom crossed her mind.

The sunflower locket pendant beamed at her from the palm of her hand. She pried it open and looked at the photo of her young mother. It was in black and white but she could tell how beautiful the woman who gave birth to her was.

She had shoulder-length wavy hair that she let loose. Her eyes were shy and dreamy, but she was looking at the camera with a steady gaze. Hyerin noticed, for the thousandth time, that she got her mom’s small, upturned nose. And so was her smile.

Sunshine smile. That was what Minho said one morning when he joined her on the front porch. Because the thought of the quiet, brooding man often brought a familiar twinge in her chest, she tucked him away into the back of her mind.

Sighing, she gulped down her coffee and stood up. She could not be late for work, not when it was summer and the busiest season on the island. Still, her steps were unhurried as she rounded a corner and made her way into the kitchen door, only to stop on her tracks when she chanced upon ajussi.

Ajusshi, as she had always known him, may be a big, strapping man with a grumpy face but he had the softest heart, at least when it comes to Hyerin. She considered him as her second father and it would always stay that way.

His back was on her, one hand holding a mobile phone to his ear and another fisted on his hip. He was tapping his foot on the ground, a sign of impatience. “If you’ve listened to me before this would not have happened. You should have let me kill him.”

He started pacing back and forth, oblivious to Hyerin’s presence. “I know it is too late. But I still want to hunt that man down. No, no. Not to kill him. What’s the point now that the cat is out of the bag? Just let me give him a sound beating. For old time’s sake.”

Ajusshi gave a derisive laugh. “Damnation. Do find out and let me know. We have to be sure before we act.”

~~~~~

The soft pitter-patter of rain almost lulled Jonghyun back to sleep. He absentmindedly rubbed his tired eyes before rummaging for his phone under the pillow to check the time. It said ten minutes past seven o’clock.

Too early for him to wake up in a normal circumstance. But today was not one for lazing around in bed and dreaming the world away. He had tasks to do. With that in mind, he rolled over with obvious reluctance, groaning when his dog-tired body protested. Oh, what he would give to stay under the warm, soft cloud of his favorite white blankets for five more minutes.

His conscience was nagging him though, forcing him to scramble up and walk like a zombie into the direction of his bedroom door. When he was out of his room, he had to blink three times before regaining his senses and locating the door to Minho’s bedroom.

He knocked twice, waiting for an answer before trying the knob. It was still locked, which meant Minho was on his morning run. Jonghyun wondered if the stubborn man at least brought a jacket with him seeing as it was a rainy morning but he knew something as inconsequential as rain would not stop Minho from his routine.

Shaking his head in grudging admiration for the younger man’s sense of discipline, Jonghyun made his way into the spiral staircase, his footstalls bouncing off the hall.

He reached the landing on his own sweet time and knew at once that Kibum was already up and about when he got a whiff of coffee in the air.

“Ah, Kibum, bless you,” Jonghyun uttered under his breath, half in gratitude, half in reverence. “Good morning,” he greeted, louder this time so his words floated to where Kibum was, in front of the kitchen island, deeply engrossed in garnishing his usual creamy smoothie bowl with colorful fruits. His graceful neck bent down, brows furrowed in concentration. The sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, bathing him in a soft glow and playing with his fiery orange hair, and Jonghyun thought there had never been a prettier sight.

Kibum looked up when Jonghyun was a few feet away, throwing a distracted smile his way. “’Morning,” he mumbled. “You’re up early.”

“Where’s Taemin?” Jonghyun asked, looking around. He sidled into one of the rustic stools and watched Kibum decorate his smoothie bowl with peaches, almonds, and raspberries, admiring the way the pretty colors of the toppings blended together so perfectly. “Is he still asleep?”

“Apparently. He must have stayed up all night again to play his current favorite video game,” Kibum answered with a shrug. When he was done with his bowl, he took out a fancy mint green mug from one of the kitchen island cabinets and placed it on the counter. He proceeded to pour a generous amount of black coffee before setting it in front of Jonghyun. “Here,” he said before gesturing to the jars of sugar and cream.

“Thanks, Kibum-ah.” Jonghyun complied and added a dollop of cream and sugar into the black coffee.

Their typical morning grind in the penthouse was exactly the same as this, except that Jonghyun was up and about at this hour.

Usually, Minho would be up the earliest to go for his daily run, often at the break of dawn. At six sharp, Kibum would go downstairs to start preparing his healthy breakfast. Sometimes, Taemin would join him so he could beg for buttered toast and if Kibum was in a good mood, his wish would be granted. Jonghyun preferred sleeping in, mostly because he did not hit the sack until past four. By the time Jonghyun joined them, Minho would be back from his morning run and already had a quick shower.

“So, care to tell me what dragged you out of bed before noon?” Kibum asked, wiping his hands with a clean kitchen towel. He walked around the kitchen island and took the rustic tall chair beside Jonghyun. Drawing his smoothie bowl with one hand towards him, he spared the older man a questioning stare, an eyebrow raised in a perfect arch.

Jonghyun took a moment to regard the prominent scar on Kibum’s arched brow before blinking and taking a sip of his coffee. His sigh of gratefulness was quite audible when he put the mug down. The aroma was heavenly and the taste was even better, if it was possible. The caffeine did not yet kick in but he felt more alive than ever, sitting in front of the kitchen island counter and sipping the delectable coffee Kibum concocted. It was not so bad to drag his out of bed this early after all.

“Hyung?” Kibum prompted.

“Oh, sorry,” Jonghyun said with a sheepish grin. “I was lost in thought.”

Kibum’s smile was indulgent as he dug into his smoothie bowl and took a spoonful of raspberry slices. “Why am I not surprised,” he remarked, shrugging.

“Well, I had to let everyone know about the plan.”

Kibum put down his spoon into the bowl with a clatter. “Seonsaengnim messaged you again, finally?”

They did not hear from Seongsaengnim since he revealed that he managed to gather all the names. It kept the four of them in suspense for three straight days and they could not do anything about it.

“When everybody was asleep. That old man never bothered with time zones.”

“It doesn’t really matter when you never sleep at night anyway.”

“You’re right,” Jonghyun conceded, frowning. “But anyway, I’ll wait for the other two before discussing what we have to do.”

As if on cue, they both turned their heads at the sound of the steel door opening and closing with a firm click. Minho walked in a few seconds later, shaggy hair damp with rain and sweat forming down his broad chest, making it cling to his white sports shirt. “Are we having an early meeting?”

Kibum rolled his eyes. Minho had a penchant for stating the obvious. “Yes, so get your over here fast,” Kibum commanded.

“I’ll take a shower first. It will be quick.”

“Wake Taemin up when you’re done, will you?” Jonghyun shouted after Minho’s retreating back.

True to his words, Minho went down after ten minutes sharp, smelling of clean, minty aftershave. Taemin padded along behind him. “So, what’s up?”

“Take your seats first,” Jonghyun motioned to the empty rustic stools beside him.

Taemin let out a big yawn, running his fingers through his already messy hair. “No toast, Kibum hyung?”

“This is not a café, in case you’re not aware.”

“Just testing the water,” he said with a touch of cheekiness. “I’ll make them myself. You want some, Minho hyung?”

“If you manage not to burn them to charcoal, Taem, I’d love to have some.”

Insulted, Taemin gave an indignant snort. “I changed my mind. Just make your own.” Turning his back from the laughing hyungs, he made his way into the pantry. He might as well get himself some cereals because he could not guarantee he could make the toasts edible enough. Too bad Kibum hyung didn’t make them today, he thought, a tad disappointed.

There was still amusement in Minho’s eyes when Taemin went back, a bowl of chocolate-filled cereals drowning in milk in his hands. Jonghyun waited for him to get seated before he started to talk.

“Seonsaengnim wants us to go home as soon as the coast is clear. He just needs to sort some things out with ajusshi,” Jonghyun said. “It seems ajusshi will leave the island and Hyerin can’t be on her own.”

Minho felt a familiar pang at the mention of the name. Hyerin. The girl with the sunshine smile and kind eyes.

How many years had it been since he last saw her? Two, three years ago? He did not know how to feel about the possibility of seeing her again and letting her know he had to take the path he paved for himself since they were young. It would mean another painful separation. The last one was still etched so vividly in his mind. And this time, the outcome would be uncertain.

“We should be ready any time. It might be today, tomorrow. At the drop of a hat, as Seonsaengnim is wont to do. Meanwhile, I will have to adjust and plot out our new assignments, maybe reassign the ones we can’t work on remotely. And speaking of which,” Jonghyun faced Minho, “last night’s client had a very peculiar request. He wants to meet us.”

“You know that’s not possible, hyung,” Minho said coolly. “Our policy has always been firm on that regard. No personal meeting. No compromising arrangements that would reveal our identity.”

“I know that. This one insisted though and he is offering an outrageous amount.”

Kibum perked up and straightened on his seat. “How much?”

Jonghyun quoted a number. It was nine digits. Taemin looked up from his cereals and gave a long, low whistle. Minho’s expression, on the other hand, did not budge. He looked on with mild interest. But Kibum was definitely impressed. There was a pleased gleam in his eyes, his lips lifting in the corner. Drumming his fingers on the table, he turned to Jonghyun with a determined look. “Let’s do it.”

“No, we can’t, Bummie,” Jonghyun reminded gently. “Our safety comes first.”

“But we can always find a way not to be recognized. Like wearing various disguises.”

“This is different. We are not even sure what assignment we’ll get from this particular client. Who knows, it might be a trap,” Jonghyun reasoned.

“Still, it’s not logical to turn down that amount –”

“Give up, Kib. You know it’s not worth it,” Minho said firmly.

Deflated, Kibum pouted. “Okay, okay. I’ll say goodbye to the limited edition Gucci jacket I’m eyeing.”

Taking pity on him, Jonghyun patted Kibum on the shoulder. “I’ll help you buy it when we get back from the island.”

“Promise?” Kibum asked with a twinkle in his eyes. “Better get your credit card ready.”

Jonghyun winced. He had a habit of giving out promises he could not break. “Yeah, promise.”

“You’re the best, Jjongie.” Now all smiles, he went back to his smoothie bowl.

“Are you going to tell Seonsaengnim, hyung?” Minho prompted after a moment of silence.

“Yeah, I think I have to. He was the one who screened and cleared this client. I might as well flag this to him. Something baffles me about this client though. He seemed so secretive when he first hired us. We don’t even know his name. But now, all of a sudden, he wanted to meet us in person. Does that even make sense?”

“It’s curious indeed, hyung. Do you want me to find out more about him?”

“Let’s wait for Seonsaengnim’s feedback. We can’t waste time on a background check when we have a looming meeting about the big plan. I just want to let you guys know about this.”

“I guess you’re right. But I really want to know who he is just to gauge what he wants to gain from a personal meeting.”

Jonghyun cast Minho a warning gaze. “Don’t do anything reckless, Minho-yah.”

~~~~~

“What do you mean they refused my request?” The man behind the sleek and shiny custom-made desk leaned forward from his relaxed sitting position on his big leather chair. On his back was the imposing architectural backdrop of Seoul. The natural daylight teeming in from the large glass walls and casting him in shadows, however, made the man even more commanding than the magnificent view.

Doyoung shifted on his seat, his heart beating hard and fast against his chest. He was not sure when he would overcome the flood of dread when facing his boss. Granted, this man was the younger Lee, and compared to the old Chairman, he looked like a harmless pup. But there was something quietly dangerous about Lee Jinki.

The way his face was set on hard granite, the patrician nose, the arrogant jut of his chin. And perhaps, the most striking of all, the piercing eyes that seemed to read minds, quick to gleam with menace or throw a cold gaze that could send chills down one’s spine.

He did not look as forbidding as his father, but he could be just as lethal. Doyoung had witnessed his boss corner his rivals and made them do his bidding without raising his voice. That was why he had quite a reputation in the business realm for his ruthless knack of winning deals and acquiring any goal he set his eyes on.

One never messed with Lee Jinki. What he wanted, he got. Until today.

“Perchance, you did not quite understand my meaning when I said this matter is of utmost importance.”

It was all Doyoung could do not to squirm under the heavy, probing gaze of LC Group’s young President. He felt like his soul was stripped bare and all his sins were exposed. Shuddering inwardly, he schooled his features to appear calm, collected, and competent – all the things that were expected from him. “I apologize for the failure, President Lee, but Black Thorn Agency does not entertain personal meetings. They wanted to maintain their anonymity.”

“I am perfectly aware of their nature. There’s no need to justify your ineptitude,” Jinki brought his hands together in front of him, fingertips touching each other to form a steeple. “Maybe I’ve overestimated your ability to accomplish difficult responsibilities.”

Doyoung bowed his head, more in an effort to avoid trembling under the cold stare of his boss than in hiding the creeping embarrassment spreading hot and red under the collar of his dress shirt. “I will try again, sir.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“Offering them a huge amount did not make them blink. I could send the boys to them.”

“That would only work if we know who they are.”

“Should I hire a private detective?” He asked with hesitation.

“Mr. Kim, you do realize they are the private detectives I was hoping to get into my side, right? No one is better than them in this country. Unless I would risk hiring my father’s men, which is out of the question.”

Doyoung flinched. “I’m sorry, President Lee. I will try once again to persuade them through their contact. Do I have your permission to double the offer?”

“Yes. Triple it if you have to, but make sure you will get positive results this time. I won’t take another no for an answer.”

Doyoung stood up and bowed deeply. He exited the luxurious office, rubbing his clammy hands on his tailored black slacks.

Left alone to his brooding thoughts, Jinki leaned back and swiveled his leather chair around to face the horizon. His eyes were not registering the sweeping skyline. He was remembering the conversation he had with his father three days ago.

“I’ve received information from a confidential source. Your sister, apparently, is alive. After all these years. Isn’t it interesting?”

The announcement fell on Jinki like an avalanche, weighing him down on the cold leather sofa. He felt like sinking even as his whole body turned rigid. Ears ringing and heart pounding, he focused his gaze on his father.

Chairman Lee regarded him with a penetrating stare. He was a domineering figure in his sharp executive suit, silver hair brushed back impeccably, dark brown eyes inscrutable. He exuded sheer power, due in large part to his wealth but also in part to his evident ruthlessness, both in and out of the business realm.

“It must have come as a shock.” Jinki barely stopped his voice from trembling, but he could not do anything with the way his blood drained out of his face. Still, he kept his fisted hands to his side, nails biting into his palms hard enough to leave a mark. It was forced out of habit – this need to remain composed in front of his father. The display of emotions was considered a sign of weakness, thus any lapse from his usual tough exterior could invite the old man’s ire. Jinki had always been careful.

“Shock is an understatement, son,” Chairman Lee uttered softly, in a tone that was almost menacing. “It was a huge blow. Is fate playing a dirty game? I hate surprises, as you very well know. And here I am, dealt with a shocking news such as this.”

“Do you want me to do something, Chairman?” Jinki had to ask but he already knew the answer. His mind was racing, competing with the steady beat of his heart. He was bracing himself for the request that he would not be able to refuse.

“Find her. I want you to comb the whole peninsula, if necessary. I need to get to her first.”

Jinki swallowed the bile rising up his throat. He shifted, moving as casually as he could to loosen his tie. It felt like he was being strangled. “I want something in return this time. This is not an easy task.”

Chairman Lee’s lips peeled back into a sardonic grin, revealing white even teeth. “You are indeed my son.” The grin gave way into a full-on laughter, echoing against the walls of the pristine and elegant home office. “The art of negotiation is essential in this world if you want to survive, and even more so if you wish to stay on top. Very well. State your terms.”

“You know what I want. Her freedom in exchange for my long-lost sister.”

The laughter died from his father’s lips. His eyes darkened into two unfathomable beads. “Oh, you dare hang that over my head again. I admire your courage and persistence. On second thought, this might even be a good impetus on your part. Yes,” he nodded, mulling the possibilities, calculating the gains and the losses, “this could work.”

“So, do you agree, father?”

“You have to succeed in order to find out. Remember, I have the last card on the table.”

Jinki cursed inside his head. He was trembling with a rage so great he barely contained his cool and kept himself from physically attacking the man whose blood ran through his veins. Chairman Lee knew Jinki’s weakness – his one great weakness – and he never let a chance pass without using it against his only son.

“I will succeed. I give you my word.”

Jinki blinked back to the present. Tiredly, he closed his eyes and let the bright sun punish him. Oh, to be caught between Scylla and Charybdis. How he hated it. But what choice did he have?

And now, to compound the problem, his only bet to locate his sister refused meeting him. He had to meet them, to be sure they could be trusted with a family secret that could have untold repercussions if permitted to be let out in the open.

This was his last chance to save someone he loved so dearly. He would gamble his own life to make it happen.