Jackie Liu was waiting for Sulli Choi to finish her work for her to be able to actually tour Namsan Tower at night. This was also her last night here in Seoul. It was a contentious decision given the circumstance because if she left Korea, all of her efforts would eventually go down the drain. She didn’t know how to start her life after going through hell to be here.

She sat on the steps in front of the Liu Advertising building, hoping for a miracle. Someone tapped her back and she turned to see who it was.

It was Sulli.

She sighed before she stood up. She greeted Sulli with a half-smile and a cautious eye at the building. Amber was so hard to meet.

“Who are you looking at?” Sulli asked her, looking as if she expected someone would sneak out the building.

“Nothing. I just thought I saw your boss.”

Sulli frowned, “She left an hour ago.”

And that was it. She blew her chance yet again.

“Jackie, I think Krystal and the boss are together. I mean, “together” together.” She raised two of her fingers from both hands and started making quoting motions in the air.

“Really?” Jackie said as she turned her head back to Sulli who looked like she lost a bet.

“I think Amber’s gay for Krystal,” Sulli looked forlornly at her and grabbed at her clothes. “Well, I think she’s gay in general. She wears suits instead of skirts!”

“No kidding, Sherlock,” Jackie patted her back as they made their way to the nearest taxi stop.

 _________

They had so many things to do in Namsan tower. The first thing that came into their minds was to eat. Sulli told her she’d pay since it was Jackie’s last night in Seoul. Because of the exact same reason, Jackie suddenly felt guilty. She wanted to be honest. It was the only thing she could do to at least repay Sulli for everything she had done. She stared at her with a determined face. She had to be honest.

“Hey Ssul, you know that necklace you’re wearing?”

“What? This?” Sulli held the pendant with her fingers. “What about it?”

“I know that you got that from a package for your boss, right?” She ate the steak slowly and sipped her wine. “I sent that package Sulli. It was really meant for my sister.”

“Your sister?”

Someone in the background cleared . They both looked to see who it was.

“Amber.”

Jackie dropped her fork.

Apparently, Amber seemed to not have heard her. “Hi Sulli. Can we sit with you guys? The whole area’s packed. I told the waitress we know you.”

Soojung was behind Amber, trying to hold her back. “I’m sorry Ssul. Amber was getting impatient.

“No, it’s okay,” Sulli deadpanned.

“You sure?” Soojung smiled with an apologetic face.

“Yeah. No big deal.”

“Told you it was okay,” Amber proceeded to sit beside Jackie and Krystal had sat beside Sulli. She was still wearing her apologetic face when Sulli told her, “It’s really okay Krystal.” Krystal nodded and relaxed her shoulders.

Jackie was, however, tense and cautious. She couldn’t lift her fork because she knew she was shaking. Here was her sister, Amber Josephine Liu, the only living blood relative she knew, talking nonchalantly beside her. She gulped. She didn’t know how to start.

“Oh God, I’m extremely sorry Sulli. We should’ve introduced ourselves to your companion.” Amber stood up and bowed at her 90 degrees. “Hi, I’m Amber Liu, CEO of Liu Advertising. I like to play basketball and people often mistake me as Shinee’s Jonghyun and sometimes that guy Donghae in what are they called Krys? Super Trooper or something--”

Soojung placed her hand on her face to hide her embarrassment, “It’s Super Junior, Amber.”

“Yeah, that,” she grinned with fondness at Soojung’s direction and gazed back at Jackie. “But I guess you’re a foreigner, right? I am too! God, it’s so hard to adapt to Korean culture, especially with all those weird es. Did you know that Koreans actually spend their time--”

“Aaaaaand she’s not interested in that. Hi, I’m Krystal. I’m this stupid’s secretary. I’m sorry for wasting your time and ruining your dinner,” Soojung bowed curtly at her direction.

“N-n-no, it’s okay.”

They were all waiting for Jackie’s introduction. Sulli was about to speak when Jackie held her hand and shook her head. She stood up, her hands shaking.

“Hi, I’m Jackie. Jackie Liu,” she inhaled a breath, “I’m your--”

“You’re my sister,” Amber said.

There were clinks of forks and knives falling on plates while some ended on the floor. It was loud enough to break the silence of the three astonished people in the table.

Sulli was the first one to break the ice.

“YOU’RE WHAT?”

***

Jackie had built all kinds of conversations inside her head, trying to constantly make sentences just thinking what she’d say when she’d finally meet her sister. But the only thing she had in her mind when she saw Amber was anger.

“Jack-Jack,” Amber started.

“How did you know who I am?”

“Uncle sent one photo of you when I was still in LA. You were 14 years old, I think. I was 10. I noticed you resembled that girl, like a lot. You have dad’s eyes too, right there.” She smiled but Jackie was adamant to this.

Amber cleared . “He was monitoring you, making sure you and your mom had no trouble but he lost you. I wanted to find you too, for dad, but I guess I still wasn’t ready to come back to my senses yet. I was afraid of my past, Jackie. I’m sorry. I still can’t remember everything.”

Jackie stood up and placed her hands on the table with a thud. “He monitored us? He made sure we had no trouble? Well, that just makes it easy for you, doesn’t it? Oh, we left for Hawaii and he couldn’t find us. I’m sorry. Amber, I wanted a father. I wanted a sister. I didn’t need the CIA, FBI or even the goddamn Interpol monitoring us. I wanted a family.”

“I’m sorry Jackie. I really wanted to find you. Please believe me.”

“This was a mistake. I should’ve just stayed in Hawaii for good. I’m sorry if I disturbed anything. Sulli thank you for your hospitality but I’m going home,” she nodded at Sulli (who was still puzzled at the situation) and left them at that.

----

“I didn’t know, Miss Liu. I thought she was just a lost foreigner. If I had known, I should’ve told you. It’s my fault,” Sulli bowed apologetically. “I can try to talk some sense into her,”

 “No, just let her be for awhile. It really is my fault. I didn’t try and find her. I was nursing my wounds more than needed,” Amber played with her peas that were on her plate. She smiled wanly.

“She’s leaving tomorrow,” Sulli said.

“I know. If she wants to leave, I won’t stop her,” Amber looked sadly at her food.

“We can do something. I can call the flight manager for tomorrow and ask for her details…” Krystal said with optimism.

“Let’s just go home, Soojung.”

***

Jackie was walking alone in a deserted street back to her hotel where she had stayed in for months now. Tonight would be her last night in Seoul. Is this really the end of her soul searching? After so many weeks constantly looking for ways on how to see her sister in flesh, the real scenario had amounted to less than what she had expected it to be. She thought she was okay with her father leaving them. She thought she had forgotten all the pain she had felt for not having a father or nonetheless a family. But it was never okay. She had kept all the excruciating memories etched in her mind and it was still sore in her heart how her mother suffered with only her to grab on to. Now, she was alone.

She didn’t need her sister.

She didn’t need anyone.

While she was contemplating on this, a man was secretly stalking her. When she turned into a corner, he signaled another man behind him who was also lurking in the shadows.

Someone grabbed Jackie from behind.

They gagged her with a soaked handkerchief stuffed with a tranquilizing spell.

They carried her while she was losing consciousness, her eyes lolling to fight the stupor. When she closed her eyes, the last thing on her mind was to give Amber the necklace.

***

A/N: I think I couldn't fit everything in in just 20 chapters so maybe I'll prolong this to 5 more! :) Don't worry guys, I'm not gonna make you wait for too long again. :) Thank you again for upvoting, commenting and subscribing! I get excited when I see the comments and all the appreciation this story has been getting. It brings back the writing mojos. *dances freakishly* 

Until next chapter~~~ :)