Sung-hee moaned in pain as she slowly started to regain consciousness.  Looking around she tried to remember what happened.  As she reached her hand up to clutch her pounded head she found handcuffs restricting her hands.  Feeling a panic attack coming on she tried to move her legs only to find cuffs on her ankles as well.  Only the familiar smell of Delphine’s car was able to calm her down before the panic set back in.  Why was she in Delphine’s car?  Stuck in the backseat she tried to move around to see who the driver was.  She only needed to see half his face before what happened flashed through her mind.  “You bastard!”  Without a thought she jumped forward and attacked him trying to tear him limb from limb.  They swerved badly and almost ran into three cars until he managed to get off the road. 

While he was recovering Sung-hee tried to get out of the car and make a run for it forgetting that she had cuffs on her ankles as well.  When she fell to the ground panic set in once again as she tried to scramble up and hail at the cars that were zooming by.  Not one person even looked at her despite her condition or maybe it was her condition that stopped them from caring Sung-hee couldn’t decide.  Seeing her father out of the corner of her eyes she laced her fingers together and hit him as hard as she could in the side of the face.  Despite being at a great disadvantage she tried her hardest to get back to the car and leave him there.  She managed to get back to the car and get the door open before he grabbed her from behind again.

“Good thing I brought two sets of cuffs huh?”  He grunted while shoving her back into the backseat.  “I have my reasons for this Sung-hee you’ll understand soon.”  While his voice was gruff Sung-hee saw the desperation in her eyes.  Worst case scenarios flashed through her mind from her death to him trying to give her to whoever was after him in exchange for more time. 

Spitting in his face she growled darkly, “Go to hell.”  To her surprise he stepped back and went to the driver’s seat only to come back with a gun. 

“I’m serious Sung-hee you sit there quietly or I kill both of us.  And while I’m sure you’d be happy with my death do you really want to die too?”  Sung-hee couldn’t reply had closed up upon seeing the gun and she was barely able to breathe until he put it away.  Realizing that she was crying she furiously wiped the tears away silently praying that they’ll find her soon or her father will be stupid enough to release her from her hand cuffs.

Looking out the window she tried to determine where they were exactly.  There weren’t many indicators besides the occasional sign showing how far away they were from certain provinces and villages.  Sung-hee figured they were maybe half an hour or so outside of Seoul and she hoped towards it if she managed to get away she knew most of the city like the back of her hand.  “Why does life have to be such a damn soap opera?”  She grumbled darkly to herself glancing over at her father a couple of times to make sure he wasn’t going to do anything to her.

The rest of the ride was silent except for the sound of increased traffic as the sun started to set and they got within Seoul’s city limits on the southern side.  As they drew closer to a district Sung-hee had only been to once or twice she could just imagine the building they were going to as a run-down mess.  So when they came to a prison ‘under construction’ she had to hold back a scoff.  While she was scared beyond all practical reasoning she was really sick of this soap opera like life.  I don’t care if he’s testing me it’s not ing necessary. 

“Well come on.”  Sung-hee hadn’t even noticed the car turn off and her dad opening her door.  Glaring darkly she got out with a bit of a struggle and when he grabbed her arm out of instinct she yank it away until he pointed that gun at her again.

“Eventually you won’t have that and when that time comes I’m going to kill you.”  She seethed noticing the slight shake of his hand.  He knew just as well as she did that without the hand cuffs she’d be able to take him.  Maybe not easily but she could put the fear of god in him that it would be all too easy for her.  Despite her warning he grabbed her arm again and dragged her towards the heavy entrance door.  Banging three times he cleared his throat and spoke.  “It’s me Hwan!  I wanna speak to your boss about my debt.”

The eye slot opened revealing dark eyes of what Sung-hee assumed was a man.  Her assumptions were correct when a gruff laugh reached her ears.  “He’s not interested unless you’re here to die.”

Hwan yanked Sung-hee into the view of the man, “I have something he’ll be interested in.”  Sung-hee felt a shiver run down her spine as one of her fears were realized.  He actually intended to turn his daughter over as a settlement.  Just like before.  She wasn’t sure if she should try and run, scream, cry or pass out so she slipped into a numb state as the man laughed and opened the door.

“She’s not much but she might get you another week or two.”  Hwan dragged Sung-hee in who now let him without a fight.  “Unfortunately for you the boss is out of town and won’t be back till morning.  But, we can’t let you go now can we?”  He motioned for the two to follow him. 

They were led through several corridors lined with men and cameras leering dangerously at Sung-hee but she tried her best to keep her eyes away from all of them.  This was worse than when she was with Lee.  After traveling up two flights of stairs and another corridor they were brought to, not surprisingly, a jail cell.  Except there were no cots or toilets and chains were on the floor.  He got the key from Hwan and released Sung-hee from her cuffs only to put new ones on her legs.  These were heavier and gave her just enough room to walk but not break into a run.  Damn it.  He shoved both of them into the cell with a laugh.  “Now if you need anything just ask one of the guards I’m sure they’ll help you out.  Especially you baby.”  When he winked Sung-hee grimaced and bit her tongue preventing any harsh words from spewing.  “I’ll come get you when the boss returns.” 

Sung-hee turned to her father who was already huddled up in a corner nervous.  It hadn’t taken long for Sung-hee to realize that this was a tactic to try and make her father crack.   For all they knew the boss or whatever was really there and would be laughing the entire time enjoying the show.  Stomping over she punched him right in the jaw with all her strength and smirked satisfied when he collapsed on the floor clutching that side of his face.  “I told you I’d do something once you lost that gun!  Just you wait until Sanghyun or Hyo find you you’ll be lucky to be alive!”  She hissed getting right in his face daring him to try something with her.

He straightened up and seemed to look genuinely interested by the name.  “So Sanghyun’s your boyfriend’s real name huh?”  Of course Hwan knew him by the stage names and from what he had been told by others. 

With some restraint Sung-hee resisted beating him to a pulp right then and there.  For some reason him saying Thunder’s name was more disgusting than anything she heard all day.  “Shut up, you don’t deserve to say his name!”  This time she shoved him back into the wall but this time he shoved back with a dark gleam in his eye.

“I suggest you stop trying to hurt me you’ll need your strength later for if this deal works.” 

Cold fear ran through her body once more and she stepped back in surprise.  After a few moments she managed to regain her composure and narrowed her eyes viciously.  “One I don’t have to try and two,” she slapped his face, “you’re sick doing this to your own daughter.”

Finally he exploded and stood up throwing his hands in the air in frustration.  “You think I want to do this?  If Hyo would have just given me the money this wouldn’t have happened.”

“No if you hadn’t been an idiot you wouldn’t have been in this situation.  Stop ing blaming others for your mistakes!”  Crying in frustration she stomped to the other side of the cell muttering to herself how stupid and pathetic he was. 

Hwan stamped his foot on the ground twice in frustration trying to get her to turn around but he wasn’t successful.  “Sung-hee Park you stop talking to me like this!”  Even this didn’t get her to turn around usually she would lash out at him.  Instead she shook her head and grumbled something.  “What was that?”  He grounded out his tone similar to an angry parent that was giving their child a second chance to say something correctly.   

Taking a deep breath she turned around a firm look on her face.  “I don’t take orders from the likes of you.”  She emphasized each word with such venom that Hwan actually shrunk back a little bit.

“I’m your father.”  He tried to sound demanding but Sung-hee could hear the hurt and disappointment in his voice and see it in his eyes.  At least he feels some kind of regret. 

“Yeah and what do you have to show for it huh?  Do you know when I lost my first tooth?  Or how about the first play I was ever in?” Tears stung Sung-hee’s eyes but she furiously rubbed them away despite the fact she was smudging her glasses.  “Or maybe how my prom went?  Do you even care about any of that or do you just want to use Hyo to leech money from just like you did with mom?”  While her voice was still angry she couldn’t yell anymore thinking back to all the times she wanted a parent, any parent, there for her but all she had was Hyo.  While he was her brother and she loved him dearly there was that hole missing.

“Y-you acted?”

The tears were back and she furious rubbed them away once more trying not to let him see.  “Yeah for seven years you might have known that if you stuck around.”  Sung-hee’s other option before she got into art was theater she had always loved the thrill of acting and she always would no matter how far away from the stage she got.  At times she missed acting but she would never trade her life as an artist away while it could be hard at times she was the happiest with art. 

Hwan sighed and stepped forward slowly to hesitantly place a hand on Sung-hee’s shoulder.  “I know I have a problem Sung-hee I promise to work on it after this is over.”

A sardonic laugh parted her lips and she shook her head not believing a word that came out of his mouth.  “After you leave me here to rot?  How sweet of you daddy dearest.”

“Just give me a chance.”

Despite the desperation in his voice and a very small nagging voice in her head to at least forgive him a little she didn’t drop her icy demeanor.  “I’ve given you plenty and none of them you deserved I won’t be dragged down by you not again.”  Turning back to him she couldn’t fight the tears this time.  “Why did you have to come back?  Just when things were finally getting normal for me you had to screw it all up.  That’s all you ever do.  If we both live through this I’m taking your to court and you’ll rot in a real jail cell you .”

Finally he gave up and went to the other side of the cell not even looking at Sung-hee now.  Wiping away her tears she took the other corner and hugged her knees to her chest as fresh tears sprung up.  All she wanted was to be at the hot springs with her best friend and Suk like they had planned.  She couldn’t even imagine the stress and worry they were going through right now and that made her heart hurt more than anything.  She had promised Hyo to stay out of trouble but it seemed like all she ever got into now was trouble.  And Thunder poor Thunder had his idol life to worry about and here she was getting caught up in her father’s business.  She reached into her shirt and pulled out her necklace it was a silver chain with a star and a small blue gem in the center.  Thunder had given it to her after they returned from Japan and she barely took it off.  Sanghyun I’m so sorry. 

She was about to allow herself to try and zone out a little to cope with the stress before she heard two men walking this way talking about, what she assumed to be, her.  “Hey does that girl look familiar to you?”

Apparently she assumed correctly.  Straining her ears to hear she scooted closer to the door wincing a little when the chains scraped against the floor and the guard at the door glanced back at her with a don’t even try it face.

The second man sounded confused by the first’s question and Sung-hee spotted him rub the back of his head in thought.  “Kind of yeah.  Why?” 

“I don’t know it’s just bugging me.” 

“Don’t matter anyway Tai’s just going to kill both of them or claim the girl as his own and kill Hwan in a week when he doesn’t have the money again.”  Clearly everyone was getting frustrated with Hwan and this had turned into more of a pride matter than about the money though Sung-hee was certain that was important as well.    

“Yeah probably it’s just did you see those eyes they remind me of…”  They walked away before Sung-hee was able to hear anything else.  Her first thought was Hyo and worry clenched her heart as she scooted farther into the corner hoping the wall would swallow her whole. 

“Why can’t I have normal problems?  Like a girl trying to steal Doong-ah away from me?  I’d handle that better than this.”  She mumbled the tears finally stopping and she stared blankly at the wall clutching her necklace and hoping that Hyo and Thunder would be able to find her soon.

Okay so yeah I feel all icky because this chapter is so short >_>  But the next few chapters are going to be as set up for everything that is to come for the rest of the story so yeah.  I love all of you that have read this!!  To my subscribers new and old you are my loves and every single one of you make me smile.  I want you guys to never forget that okay? <3