chapter 9

- Present Day-

Key kim kibum stood just behind his father, Lee soo man, who was engrossed in a conversation with one of his fellow business associates. He glanced around with a bored expression at all the distinguished guests that were gathered here for his homecoming. There were very few people who were around his age, and of those that were, most of them were either men from the Syndicate or else daughters of rich women who were aiming to have him as their future husband. Key came to the conclusion that his father’s side was the safest, even though it made his evening incredibly dull.

He slipped a glance towards Amber who stood on the opposite side of Lee soo man. A small smile crept onto his lips whenever he saw her face, thinking about how much she had changed since the first time he saw her. She was only fourteen at the time, a scrawny and dull looking girl. He was sixteen and he despised her, finding her cold demeanour and the attention his father gave her immensely annoying. It was hard to believe that that girl was the same person who was standing by his father’s side, beautifully dressed in an almost black, royal navy blue dress that revealed her delicate neckline. Yet he didn’t fail to notice the faint line of muscle along her arms.

Lee soo man and his friend suddenly let out a loud laugh at a small joke they just shared. The Syndicate leader reached out a hand to pat his friend on the back. “That was just too true. I see we think alike, Luke.”

Luke continued to laugh softly, his turkey-like neck wobbling slightly with the movement. “Yes, yes; otherwise, how would we be able to conduct business with one another after all these years?”

Lee soo man nodded with a smile. “Only too true.” He noticed Luke’s eyes dart towards Amber, who had her face looking down.

“You know, you’re very lucky to have such a loyal worker. I’ve never seen you go anywhere without Amber by your side.” He leaned forwards to whisper quietly at Lee soo man with a small smirk, “And such a pretty little secretary too.”

Lee soo man smiled back at him, much colder than before. “Yes… Amber is a rare find indeed. Loyalty is a very hard trait to come across in a person these days. It seems as if everyone is always looking out for themselves, and if something doesn’t go their way, they’re ready to jump ship.”

Luke gave somewhat of a nervous laugh as he looked away. It felt like that comment had been directed at him as a warning. He excused himself, saying he spotted someone he knew. Lee soo man watched him walk off, a faint smirk on his face.

“Aren’t you ever afraid of making enemies, Father?” said Key as he rolled his eyes, sipping his drink calmly.

Lee soo man chuckled as he peered at his son. “Always the hypocrite aren’t we, Key?” He then turned to stare out over the crowd. “You should know by now that men in our position will always make enemies. It is inevitable. We must show them how powerful we are without actually revealing our true strength or else we lose everything.”

Key watched as his father walked off, Amber following obediently behind. As she was about to pass him, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. Amber stood still, her jaw tensing as she stared down at the ground.

“Do you mind if I take your ‘loyal’ servant from you for a while, Father? I could do with talking to someone I know for once,” smiled Key at his father.

Lee soo man pursed his lips slightly before nodding his consent. Key’s smile grew wider and he dragged Amber along with him towards the balcony. Lee soo man watched them walk off, his expression unreadable, before he turned around and was met with some of his friends in politics.

Amber was led towards the balcony outside, Key pausing on the way to grab a new glass of wine for Amber and himself. They threaded their way through the crowd, Key never letting go of her hand. Finally they emerged outside, the light from the lamps illuminating the area in a faint glow. They stood together in silence for a while, staring out over the dazzling lights of the city nightlife.

Key was the first to break the silence. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Amber?” he said quietly into the night air.

Amber remained silent. She had not touched her drink.

Key glanced down at her, taking in the beauty of her face hidden in the half-light of the balcony lamps. Her hair flicked gently in the soft breeze, fluttering silently in the darkness. Since he had stepped off the plane earlier that day, he couldn’t help but be captivated by her, so different from his childhood memories. But he knew full well what she was. After all, he had been there at the beginning of the harsh training which had turned her into who she was now.

“How have you been?” he asked. Still, Amber remained silent. “I guess you’ve been well, seeing how much better you look these days.”

“Do I really look that much better, Master Key?” Amber said quietly.

Key let out a small smile as he went to hold Amber by the chin, turning her face up to look at him as he her delicate lips with his thumb. “So much better.” He began to move his face closer to hers but Amber suddenly turned away. Relenting, Key released her and turned away, still smiling.

“But for however much you’ve changed on the outside, that coldness in you is still the same.” He took a sip of his drink, tasting it thoroughly. “I used to despise the attention my father gave you. You probably never realised it, but he often came to watch you train and whenever he saw you, his eyes would light up in an unexplainable way. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before, even at me, his own son.”

Key turned his back to the balcony, leaning against the rail on his elbows as he looked back into the ballroom. People he didn’t know conversed with one another, enjoying a night that was meant for him. Amber turned to look at Key now, and their eyes connected. He smiled at Amber.

“It took me a couple of years living abroad to make me realise how lucky I was that my father never looked at me like that. It was rather frightening, that look. I can’t really explain it.” His eyes bore into Amber’s. “But I know for sure that it wasn’t love. No… it was something… different.”

Amber turned away, slightly disturbed at hearing Key’s thoughts. “I am nothing special. Master Ki bum still cares deeply for you, Master Key.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that at all. If he didn’t care for me, then maybe he might have educated me in a similar way to you. I am, after all, his successor.” He paused for a minute, swirling the liquid in his glass. “One of the early things he taught me was that men of true power left the gritty work to their underlings. But in order to command those underlings, you would have to be stronger than them, both physically and mentally.” His mouth twisted up in a bitter smile. “And so began my training.”

Amber turned to stare at him, still swirling his glass. “You have changed, Master Key,” she said suddenly.

Key’s eyebrow piqued up in mild surprise as a sly grin spread on his face. “Changed? How so, Amber dear?”

Amber paused as she considered the best way to say what she thought. “You have become mature.”

He suddenly let out a loud laugh. “Mature, huh? Perhaps...”

Silence then ensued as the two ran out of things to say to one another. Key drained the last of his glass, placing it on the rail to his right. He stood up, and as he walked past Amber, he took her glass out of her hand and began to drink out of it.

“I forgot that you’re not allowed to drink alcohol,” he said as he walked off.

Amber watched him go, wondering about the new change she saw in the heir to the Syndicate. Kris suddenly appeared from the shadows, sipping his drink as he followed Amber’s gaze.

“He seems more interesting than before,” he said with a smile.

“You’ve been there for quite awhile.” Amber went over to lean on the balcony rail, looking out onto the cityscape.

Kris chuckled softly as he came to join her, picking up the glass Key had left behind. “Yes… You’re just as observant as always.” He lifted Key’s glass up to his eyelevel, examining it. “You’ve known all along what he just said to you, haven’t you?”

A twisted smile crept onto Amber’s lips, as if she was mocking herself. “It’s hard not to notice.”

Kris nodded before he decided to change the subject. “I never found out how Lee soo man took the news about you calling the police the other night. How did it blow over?”

“Quickly. He was furious initially but soon forgave me. He realised that there really was no other alternative.”

“Then that explains why he never called me in over the matter.” Kris drained the last of his glass, bringing it back down to tap gently with Key’s, a soft chime ringing in the silent night air. “And what about Jinwoo?”

Amber faltered slightly at the subject. Kris noticed her lack of response and smiled. He let out a heavy sigh.

“Just as I thought… you still haven’t told him. You can’t hide the kid forever, Amber.” He turned to look at her long and hard. “What do you intend to do with him?”

Amber stared out into the distance, her eyes shrouded in the darkness. “Give him a better life.” With that, Amber turned and walked off leaving Kris alone to wonder what was going through her mind.

tbc.

Okay, so Key finally steps into the picture. How do you like his character? A little eccentric, perhaps Haha, and Kris likes to pop out of nowhere