A car turning into the intersection a feet ahead honked its horn deafening Siwon’s ears. With no choice, he quickly skidded to a stop turning his head away, eyes shutting for a point second before he turned to see that the woman had totally jumped the car.  Damn the person was fast, even he was starting to run out of breath. Siwon was forced to come to a stop before he’d lose his catch of oxygen and watched as the shadow disappeared into an alley. 

 

\ \ \ \ \

 

“You, hurry and search that way,” an officer ordered before turning away to give out other orders. 

 

Donghae groaned wondering why the hell he was even doing this. It wasn’t really his job or place to be. Honestly, he should be in another home stealing his way through the darkness like a cat and taking what mattered to him. Not being here searching someone else’s home for a who they believed to be a thief. Why hadn’t the FBI just come if this important person, Gi Su, had such an amazing silent alarm? 

 

He muttered a sigh before trailing away from the area of search and walked around blankly. Lazily wandering his eyes around, Donghae paused to admire the neatly trimmed bushes wondering how much it’d cost him to own such a yard. The sound of something lightly thudding against the grass caught his attention. He turned to see a black shadow a yard adjacent to him on one knee glancing around. The quiet wind blurred his sense of hearing before his eyes met with the person’s. 

Realization struck like thunder roaring across the skies. It wasn’t a fail that he recognized her right away, his breath itself away. Donghae’s heart thudded and all he could think about was that he was right. He knew they’d meet each other again. 

 

Victoria’s eyes widened when his walkie-talkie came to life.

 

“Donghae, how is it over there? Anyone?” 

 

Donghae stared back at Victoria as if they were silently communicating. 

 

He raised the static noise to his lips, “No. Not here.” He continued to stare, hoping to reach the depths of Victoria’s eyes. “But I spotted someone,” Victoria suddenly shifted as if ready to move from her post, “on the west side. Hurry!” 

 

“We’re on our way!” 

 

Donghae tossed the walkie-talkie on the ground before dashing toward Victoria. She was quick, faster than he’d ever imagined. In what seemed like less than a second Victoria had started running away from him, but Donghae pursued her. Reaching an arm out he grabbed her shoulder, ran an arm around her, wrapped his hand across , his heart thudding crazily before he pulled her into the bushes. Victoria struggled against him as expected, and he fought against her strength with his. He hoped to keep her within his arms for a moment more as he dragged her through the bushes which brushed strongly across his arms. 

 

To hide themselves from view, Donghae sat on the ground, locking Victoria between his legs so as not to let her legs give means to escape. His breath quietly rebounded off the frail of her neck. A static electricity shook him inside as his chest bounced off her back. 

 

“Shh!” Donghae quieted her when she grabbed his hand to pry it off . 

 

Footsteps and voices rushed by. Donghae nervously pressed his back into the brick as if to pray for invisibility. 

 

“This way!” 

When they passed Donghae tilted his head forward, his chin crossing Victoria’s shoulder, to make sure that the others had disappeared. Once he had made sure the sight was clear he removed his hand from Victoria’s lips, regretting it instantly. 

 

“The front gates are empty,” Donghae whispered. 

 

Victoria forced her way out of him. Unable to just let her go like that, Donghae hurriedly stood to his feet, took her hand, and led her toward the gates with a run. Her hands stood loose in his, but it didn’t matter. What really mattered was that he was holding her hand and that was all. 

 

He stopped quietly before the gates to look around. No one. Donghae ran forward and around the gate before he turned to see her stunning face. It brightened him momentarily. 

 

“Why are you helping me?” Victoria asked pulling her hand out of his, a suspicious frown on her face. 

 

“Have they escaped? Are they really gone?” 

 

“Where’s the chief!?” 

 

“Have you thoroughly searched the house!?”

 

Donghae slightly glanced toward the gates with his eyes before resting them again on her face. 

 

“Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked. 

Victoria stared back at him for a long time before saying, “Holly’s, I’ll see you there in the afternoon.” 

 

With just that, she turned around and darted off. Donghae stared after her trying to keep her within his sight for as long as possible before turning to head back in. 

 

\ \ \ \ \

 

“Yes, it was a woman.” the elderly woman standing in front of the chief explained. “I couldn’t go after her myself, so I called Min Hee. Just when Hae Jin oppa arrived she jumped out of the window.” 

 

“Has anything been taken?” the skinny chief interviewed. 

 

The elderly woman turned to look at Gi Su. 

 

“No, nothing is missing,” Gi Su replied. 

 

Siwon watched them before adding, “So that means there were at least two of them.” 

 

“Two?” the chief turned to look at him alarmed. 

 

“Really!? Have they been hiding around the house?” 

 

“Oh my.” 

 

“Have they been watching us?” 

The maids started whispering amongst themselves. 

 

Siwon couldn’t fix it inside his head. Nothing had been stolen, two women had broken in. Why? 

 

“Oh, Donghae,” Siwon said when he recognized him, “where’ve you been?” 

 

“Oh…I was scouting the area again,” Donghae replied. “What’s going on?” 

 

As the chief continued talking with the others Siwon walked over to Donghae. 

 

“It seems two women have broken in,” Siwon explained. 

 

“Two?” Donghae looked surprised. 

 

He nodded, “Yea, but nothing’s been taken. This is weird…often when someone breaks in, something valuable is taken. If you think about it, Gi Su has a lot of valuables tucked away inside his home, yet nothing has disappeared. It doesn’t make sense if they broke in for nothing.” 

 

“Maybe they left as quickly as when we just arrived,” Donghae suggested. “They could have marked an escape route right away when they heard the sirens flaring.” 

 

Siwon nodded, “That’s true. I did see someone escape over the wall.” 

 

“You did?” Donghae’s eyes widened. 

 

He shook his head, “You didn’t see anyone lurking around, did you?”  

 

“No, of course not.” Donghae lied. 

 

Siwon frowned. “Other houses have been broken into, but there’s always something taken. I wonder what their objective is? It’s been happening a lot lately.” 

 

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun quickly pulled on a fresh t-shirt, her heart still thudding. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she could still hear Siwon chasing after her. She was afraid he’d recognized her. He wouldn’t have, would he? Nervous, she pulled out the bun at the back of her head and the water to refresh her face. When she turned the faucet off she could only think about how close the call to leaving the house was. There had been a high possibility that she would have been caught and arrested for interrogation. Heaving another breath she wondered if Victoria had gotten out safe. She’d been on the second floor after all. Had it been safer up there than downstairs. Seohyun doubted it. Majority of the bedrooms had been upstairs, she would have been sighted with all the lights in the house on.

 

Shaking her head once more she turned toward the bathroom door when she heard the door open and close. Stepping out she stared down the hall to see Luhan come in. Her eyes flickered away when she remembered seeing him inside the house. There was no doubt that she still wanted to know why was there and what he’d been doing. Was he visiting old Gi Su just for the heck of it? Or had they been talking about something else? Business? Seohyun couldn’t decide. 

 

“Where’ve you been?” Seohyun started walking down the hallway.

 

Luhan turned to look at her, his big eyes reflecting her image. He stared back at her quietly before the door opened and in stepped Victoria. They both turned to look at her. Seohyun, still filled with determination to question Luhan, stared at Victoria relieved and happy that she’d escaped.  

 

She stared back at them before saying, “What? Did I interrupt something?” 

“N…nothing,” Seohyun replied. “I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.” 

 

With that she headed back to her room. She wouldn’t be able to talk to Victoria. They’d go over everything in the morning anyhow. Retreating back to her room, Seohyun closed the door before walking over her bed to sit down. Grabbing a pillow she wrapped her hands around it and rested her chin on it. 

 

There were so many things she suddenly wanted to know. About Luhan and Siwon. What he’d been doing the past few years, who he’d been in contact with, and why he hadn’t been making an effort to look for another place to stay - not that she had anything against him staying. Of course he annoyed her sometimes but she never meant it when she told him to leave. They were still friends after all, right? And hadn’t he asked her for help? But then, he hadn’t told her what he need her help for. 

 

Then on the other hand, there was Siwon who she liked. She’d had no contact with him ever since that night. If she’d stopped for him that night, who knows what would have happened. Would he have arrested her as a police officer without any mercy? Or would he have befriended her and let her go? Seohyun doubted that the last option would ever happen. Siwon seemed like a righteous man as handsome as he was. For some reason, when she looked at him she always saw a kind man willing to help anyone at all cost. But then she should question her own belief in him when she knew nothing of him. Was she disillusioning herself over him?

 

It was difficult to tell whether she was being foolish or not. 

 

\ \ \ \ \

Donghae hadn’t been able to sleep since he’d returned back to his apartment wrapped in silence. Sitting on the ledge by the window he stared out into the night life below his apartment building to see young adults striding along drunk and out of their minds. It was part of the wild life he’d once shortly experienced when he first started stealing before it became a complete job he did every night. How innocently he’d once lived, he couldn’t remember. It was an impossible memory hidden deep within the cells of his skull. 

 

There had been many girls for him. Plenty he’d taken back to his shabby apartment to play around with. Consumed by greed, desire, and lust he’d done it all, everything any young adult would be tempted to experience. He’d done it all. In fact he’d done so much a part of him now felt left out. Very deep inside he’d always felt a need for a sincerity he’d never once experienced. Never once could he find it. 

 

However, now it all felt so different. His heart still skipped beats even after hours had gone by since the call to the Gi manor. There was a kind of desperation coming to light, a gentle kind of glow overpowering his senses inside. For once, he wanted to treat something with all the gentleness he could afford. 

 

His heart was doing it again. Racing, accelerating, tripping by itself. A smile climbed over his lips when he recalled Victoria’s words that she’d see him in the afternoon. There was no knowing what he was really feeling inside. Was it just a kind of foolish wish? 

 

It was too much. The feelings were overwhelming that it kind of hurt his tightening heart. He wanted her, he wanted all of her. Not in just a lustful way, but he wanted her to return the feelings. The need to her hair, run his hands over her silky skin, and kiss her ran through his mind. He didn’t just want her in that kind of way, for once he thought he’d like to try loving someone. 

 

However, was it possible for someone to want a thief like him? 

 

\ \ \ \ \

 

Seohyun walked into the kitchen while tying her loose hair into a messy pony tail to see Victoria brewing herself a cup of coffee, a plate of toasted bagels already on the table. She glanced down the hall wondering if Luhan was up and about already, but didn’t see him anywhere. 

“Unnie,” Seohyun said, “someone saw me last night.” 

 

Victoria sat down across from her to enjoy her morning breakfast. 

 

“Have you checked the newspaper for any mention of you?” Victoria asked. 

 

“Not yet, I’ll check it out on my way out later.” 

 

“You’re going out? Where?” 

 

“For a walk.” Seohyun decided. “It’s no use staying in on a nice day like this. Did you find anything?” 

 

Victoria shook her head. 

 

“Another fail, huh?” Seohyun asked. 

 

She nodded. Seohyun suddenly wondered if she should tell Victoria about seeing Luhan there last night, but suddenly thought against it. Victoria would suspect Luhan of something and it’d carry tension into the apartment. That was one of the last things Seohyun really wanted. 

 

“I’m going to go out later too,” Victoria replied. 

 

“Really? Should we go together?” 

 

“I’m meeting up with someone.”

“Who?” 

 

Victoria started spreading butter on her bagel before taking a bite out of it, “Donghae.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“He was there last night,” Victoria explained, “and helped me escape.” 

 

Surprise made Seohyun drop open. 

 

“I told you he’s suspicious,” Victoria stated. “I’m going to find out who he really is.”