[Flash Back]

Bom's visions were not clear as she blankly stared at the damages in front of her eyes. The fire was decreasing but what left behind was breaking her inwardly. Her dream, her hard works, her empire. Once stunning and strikingly beautiful place with its majestic aura was now standing as a charred building and fire was still trying to swallow the remaining.

It wasn't a problem for her to build the building again in no time and money never was a difficulty either. She could always start from the first again but, still, she felt like she'd just stricken by lightning as she looked at the sight of the place she was really attached to. This was the only place, apart from her mother's "Spring Heaven" mansion, she felt safe and at ease.

"Sajangnim" A voice called her nervously and she turned to look at the owner of the voice emotionlessly and recognized the person as the head of Empire's security team. The man hung his head low under her blank stare and "I'm so sorry, sajangnim. I really am. If you want me to take the responsibility for this, I won't complain...."

"What happened?" Her voice was low and impassive as she cut his conversation short.

"We were trying to catch an invader at that time, ma'am"

"An invader?" Her brows knitted together.

"Yes, ma'am. But that bastard...err..excuse me...that person seemed to know the place very well because he slipped away from us every time we cornered him"

"Did you see his face?" She asked, suddenly remembered someone who would know Empire building very well. Someone who had worked at there for years.

"No, sajangnim. He was wearing a mask"

She let out an exasperated sigh and her temple with her fingers. " Then what happened next?"

"As we all were at the first floor, searching for the man, we heard a loud explode sound from the kitchen in the second floor and that was when the fire started. It was too strong for us to handle since the start and the fire sprinkler system just wasn't working. So I told others to get out of the building and contacted the police" The man finished with a low bow at her and "I'm really sorry for that, ma'am" He apologized.

"Don't be stupid" She hissed under her breath. "I'm just glad you decided to get out instead of trying to be a dumb hero in this kind of situation" Then she looked up at the remaining fire and "You did the right thing"

Her phone started vibrating in her coat's pocket and she dug out the material with a scowl. But her scowl replaced with a frown as she stared down at the contact number that was reflecting on her phone screen. She had memorized that number for 3 years now even though they never contacted each other before.

Confused, she dismissed the man in front of her with a wave before she answered the call, while wondering why he would call her in the first place. Maybe he heard about the fire.

"Hello?"

"......."

"Hello? Jiyong?"

"......."

She sighed and "Jiyong? Why did you call?"

He still didn't say anything. She frowned and pulled away her phone to look if the lines were still connected before brought it back to her ear. "Jiyong? Are you ok?"

"For now"

She gasped and almost dropped her phone at the answering voice. It wasn't Jiyong's.

"But I don't know what will happen later though. It all depends on you"

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm hurt, sajangnim" The voice cooed mockingly. "I worked for you years and you can't recognized my voice?"

She gasped again at the question and exclaimed out loud. "Hong Jisuk?!"

"There there, hush now, before someone notices you are talking with me. Because when that happens, your husband will be the one to pay for the price"

She startledly looked around if someone had noticed her strange behavior and fortunately found no one. Her bodyguards were not looking at her for once for her rotten luck.

"What did you do to him?" She asked through her gritted teeth.

"Nothing serious....yet. But if you don't come over here in next half an hour, the situation can change"

She tried to calm herself down. Relax, Park Bom. Relax and keep your head clear. She reminded herself before she talked into the phone again. "What do you want from me, Hong Jisuk?"

"Oh, come on, a smart like you should already know the drill. I want you to come back to your house, alone, no police, no one at all and we can continue our conversation then" He stopped for a while and "Have a safe drive then, sajangnim. I will be expecting you in half an hour"

"Wait. wait!" She said quickly.

"Do you have anything else to say?" The man voice became impatient.

"How can I believe you that you really have Jiyong? Let me at least hear his voice"

"You are not in a place to ask any favor, Park Bom Lee. Or maybe you can believe me later when you see your husband's lifeless body tomorrow?"

She could feel the blood from her face draining at his threat. "Don't you dare touch him! I will do anything you ask but don't you touch him or I swear I will let you taste what hell feels like"

"Not intend to if I see your cute in half an hour, alone" Then the line was cut off.

She lifelessly sank onto the ground as she clutched the phone to her chest. Jiyong. Jiyong was hurt. And she felt numb at the thought of someone hurting him. Worse, because of her. A knot tightened in her stomach painfully and tears welled up in her eyes, making her visions blurry. She was angry. Very angry with everything she saw as she stood up with trembling legs. She needed to go. She wanted to go even if it meant there would be a person waiting to take her life.

"Are you alright, young lady?" The leader of her bodyguards asked her as she walked toward him with a poker face.

"Why are you just standing here?" She asked flatly.

"Neh?" He was confused.

"Why don't you guys help others? Can't you see they need your help there?"

"But ma'am, our job is just to protect...."

"Go ing protect my building from further damage!" She shouted and the man winced slightly at her not so beautiful word. She had never used that kind of word before. But who cared in this kind of situation?

The man finally let out a resigned sigh. "Very well, ma'am" Then he turned toward his men and ordered them to help others before he himself moved around to give others a hand.

Bom didn't waste her time as she immediately ran toward her car and drove away quickly before someone noticed her disappearance. 

I will let no one hurt him. No one. She repeated those same words like a mantra as she drove along the street of Seoul City and her fingers worked on her phone screen as they searched for a certain number. She regretted for didn't have Jiyong's manager's number because a time like this, she needed to confirm that Jiyong was surely nowhere. Because a smart part of her was telling her that could be a trap.

She found what she was looking for and dialed the number immediately and waited anxiously for the other to pick up her call.

"Hello? Bom?" A confused voice answered the call at the second ring.

"Hyun Suk oppa" She said, trying to sound compose.

"Hey" The man called softly. "I heard the news about your shopping mall. Are you alright, Bom?"

"I'm fine, oppa. Thank you" She lied smoothly and "By the way, where are you right now, oppa? Are you still at your office by any chance?"

"Yes, Bom. I'm still at the YG headquarter. Is there something I can do for you?"

She swallowed her panic hard before she spoke again. "Err..oppa? Did you see Jiyong there today?"

"No. He didn't come to the company today, Bom. Why?" Her heart beat painfully at his answer.

"Nothing, oppa" She lied again. "It's just I want to tell him not to worry about me but I can't reach his phone" 

"Ah, really? Have you called his manager then, Bom? Maybe he will know where Jiyong is? Or I can call and ask him for you"

"Oh, no, it's ok, oppa. You can just tell me his number and I can call him myself"

Then she said her thank you quickly and ended the call before she tapped away the numbers YG just said. Please. Please. Please let Jiyong be with his manager. Please god.

"Hello?"

"Kim Nam Gook-sshi?" She asked.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Park Bom"

She heard the sharp intake breath of surprise from the other line before the man spoke again. "Oh, Park Bom-sshi. What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Jiyong, Nam Gook-sshi? Or have you talked to him?" She asked quickly while turning her car to the direction of her home.

"No, Bom-sshi. He don't have any schedule for today but earlier, maybe about 10 minutes ago, I got a message from him telling me that he wants to rest tomorrow as well. But when I called him, he wouldn't pick up my calls" The manager said and "Is everything alright, Bom-sshi?"

No! Not at all! "Everything's fine. Nam Gook-sshi. Thank you and have a good night" She ended the call an