Hoya looked up at the building infront of him, it's black marble presence full of formidability and arrogance. He glanced at the out-of-place wooden board advertising the name of the place and with a deep breath, fixed his suit and walked past the doors. 

The receptionist and the security men read the card Hoya lent them, their eyes widening and their stupor lowering the moment they recognized the signature on the paper. 

"You must be Kang Howon!" a voice boomed from inside the building.

Hoya's eyes narrowed as he tried to adjust his eyesight in the darkness. He saw the open arms of the man and the evil twinkle in his eyes and remembered the physical description given to him by the Director of his new accomplice. 

"You must be Sangmin," Hoya smirked and returned the cold embrace the man offered. "The Director asked me to talk to you---"

"Patience!" Sangmin hushed, gesturing his new friend to lower his volume. "This might be a geisha house and you might be the boss' right hand man now, but that doesn't make our affairs any less discreet. Follow me."

Hoya gave a grunt of understanding and followed the man, who was stopping every now and then to greet someone. For a while, Hoya thought that Sangmin was a warm and friendly person. But upon hearing what Sangmin said to each of his 'friends', he realized the greetings were only means to make his presence known, to make the lesser mortals realize who they were sharing oxygen with.

"Hey, check that out." Sangmin nudged Hoya and made the latter follow his index finger, pointing at a tall, slender figure by the bar. It was a woman sitting alone, chatting with the bartender and sipping on what looked like soda. Hoya tried not to reel in shock when he recognized her to be Yoona, who saw him right away and plainly ignored him. Niel approached her and rested a hand on her shoulder, whispering something. She seemed to be disappointed, as showcased by the straight line her lips formed. 

"That must be the mediator," Sangmin whispered. He then cast a mischievous glance towards Hoya and mouthed, "I'll be back." He jogged towards Niel and caught him by his arm. Hoya watched in amusement as Sangmin tried to, what it seemed like, 'buy' Yoona. Niel then passed on information, which Hoya knew consisted of the fact that Yoona was officially Daehyun's mistress. Without the presence and permission of the Master, no pleasure agent could accompany another man or woman. 

Sangmin however seemed persistent and to a certain degree, riled by the point blank refusal Niel slammed at him. Sangmin then held Niel by the collar, but by then Hoya had assessed the situation and reached by their side.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said and pulled Sangmin away. "Calm down man."

"Who the hell do you think you are," Sangmin growled. "I want her."

"You can't have her," Niel shrugged. Hoya feared that the INVICTUS' nonchalant mask would work against him and cause bloodshed. If Niel defeated Sangmin in a possible scuffle, then he would suspected and everything would fall apart. 

"Who is her Master? Call him!"

"I am."

Hoya didn't even know why he said what he said. He didn't even know he had said it until both Sangmin and Niel had shot him a shocked glance. Yoona from afar had heard him and straightened up in curiosity. He nodded at her and she, to Hoya's relief, nodded back. 

Sangmin noticed the subtle exchange of greetings and muttered something incoherent yet foul. "Well then," he murmured, "I guess you wouldn't mind if you invite her with you."

"As long as you don't mind sharing information while she's around."

Sangmin waved him off and marched towards a corner booth b with women. Hoya couldn't understand why Yoona intrigued Sangmin but when she walked towards him, he couldn't help but admit that she did look beautiful and alluring. 

"I hope Daehyun isn't the possessive kind," Hoya muttered, slipping an arm around Yoona's waist.

"It's okay," Yoona said. "We're all just pretending."

                                                                *****************************************************

While Sungjong was scouring through information from the landlady's personal space, Luna was socializing and trying to play the pity card with the other kids in the house. All she had to do was tell her (false) story, but after a few days of residing at the orphanage, she did not feel any need to continue her interactions. None of the kids knew anything or were too complacent to know of the importance of Paragon affairs. 

But among all the ignorant souls was one boy, silent and unassuming. Luna had taken a liking to his quiet demeanour but when she first approached him, she realized that his silence was not voluntary. Im Siwan had been mute following a 'traumatic incident', as one burly kid had brazenly informed her. No one knew the details, which was exactly why she decided to extend an olive branch to him. 

Siwan and Luna were now sitting inside her room, the latter trying to strike up a conversation, desperately hoping for one last strand of information. 

Should I... tell you a secret?

Luna looked up from the note and at the man sitting in front of her. She blinked at him with utter nonchalance, the trait she had to adopt if she wanted a shield to protect her. Inside her heart, however, a drumroll began slowly rising in a crescendo. A secret? 

"I've told you mine," she shrugs. "Isn't it fair you tell me yours? I thought we were friends already."

Siwan smiled and wrote on the next piece of paper. You told me the wrong secrets. But it's okay, I know what you're really hiding. 

Tension arrested Luna's heart, but she calmly looked into her new friend's eyes. "What are you talking about, Im Siwan?"

You're taking my name and you still don't... and I thought Krystal was the dense one.

Luna froze. Im Siwan.... Im Siwan.... She stared at the man in shock, this time not making an effort to hide her trembling hands and her gaze of disbelief. She continued staring at him until his eyes met hers and he smiled. 

You ran away with Krystal when you were young, he wrote. I was your neighbour. 

"You were Sung Hye ahjumma's godson..." Luna whispered. Suddenly, she stood up from her seat and looked towards the door. Siwan grabbed her hand and furrowed his eyebrows, signalling her to stay seated.

"No, I need to call someone." Luna tried to move again, but this time Siwan asserted his strength. 

The kids out here think I'm strange, Siwan hastily wrote. They would never enter this room. If they see you and Sungjong talking to me, they'll know something is wrong. 

Luna blinked at him, then sighed. "I still can't believe this." She collapsed on the bed and with another heave of disbelief, lay back on the small bed. Siwan followed her and lay down next to her, his eyes still as calm as ever. Luna looked at him and propped herself up on her elbow. 

"What is your secret?" she said, after a long pause spent trying to understand the consequences of her actions. Siwan closed his eyes for a while, took in a deep breath and took out his smartphone. He typed something and showed her the screen. 

I was sent to this place for committing a crime.

"So you're a juvie tribute?" The most well-behaved of the orphanages, foster homes and juvenile detention centres were sent to the care of many philanthropic projects, like the one Luna and Sungjong had embarked upon. Siwan nodded, then pursed his lips. 

It's a little more complicated. I had connections, so instead of being thrown into juvie, I was sent here. 

"Yeah you were always quite prim and rich," Luna scoffed. But when she looked at Siwan, she saw the first trace of genuine trepidation on his face. He gulped and sighed. 

I... actually... I had chosen a Partner. 

"Isn't that what Paragon wants you to do anyway?" Luna asked, thinking that if this revelation of her childhood friend's wasn't as big enough as what they wanted, then she had already put her whole team at risk for being so casual during investigation. But her strong instincts told her to believe herself and stay patient for what Siwan had to say. 

He was forbidden to me. I was supposed to be with someone else. Siwan typed, his eyes glistening in the dim light. Luna softened and carefully made herself snug next to him. It was only a matter of five seconds did Luna realize what Siwan had said. 

"Wait," she said, then sat up straight, gasping. "HE??"

Siwan looked amused but also looked like he had gotten used to this reaction. Siwan nodded, then hesitatingly, typed in the next sentence. 

With the heir of this house. I had helped him run away. 

"That..." Luna said, a trailblaze of confusion, realization, nervousness and instability rampant inside her. "That changes things."

The heir of this house wasn't the one they all thought to be. The governess' son would take his place during examinations and such work and have the heir take all the credit. The heir didn't like either and later, found no meaning behind such a life. Later the governess' son ran away too. The two were close friends anyway. I even know where they are. That's my secret. 

Luna didn't falter one bit and grabbed hold of Siwan's hand. "You need to tell me more. Where are the two? The son must have known or seen something that made him take his decision."

Well, Siwan wrote, a bittersweet smile on his face. He then turned over Luna's hand so it was palm-up and began tracing a sign on her hand. Luna took time and thought that Siwan was explaining her the sign. But a few minutes later, Luna realized that the sign was nothing but plain Hangul letters and upon deciphering the age-old script, gasped in shock. 

"In..In...." Luna looked up at Siwan who dealt her reaction with a sorrowful smile and nodded. 

                                                                    *************************************************************

"So there were two kids in the house...." Sungjong murmured to himself, clicking his tongue as he took a sip of the bourbon he found in the closet, flinching from the bitterness but seeping in the warmth of it and the diary in his hands. 

After an anxiety filled series of searching, Sungjong had managed to find a leather-bound diary written in the old Hangul script. Thanks to his minimal education, he was able to understand bits and pieces. For now, he had learnt that the governess' son and the underage heir were like brothers and that there was a rumour that the two were actually half-brothers. The father was repaying the governess by not only letting her take care of his elder child but also giving her and her son shelter in their grand mansion. The mother of the house was sickly and apparently least concerned about the 'other woman' sharing the same living space as her. 

Sungjong frowned as he found no more written pages. The ending had been abrupt and almost as if the writer had run away in the midst of his last entry, which had been recorded a few days after the governess' son had followed the heir and run away from the house. The mother had died and the father was in a state of despair. The only person left was the governess, the woman who was now taking care of the estate. 

"What a waste," Sungjong muttered, clicking his tongue. However just when he was about to leave the diary, a photograph fell from the last few pages. Sungjong widened his eyes and with nervous exhilaration, picked it up and turned it over. 

Without hesitating for a second, Sungjong ran out of the room with the photograph in hand and upon seeing a group of teenagers, calmed himself down and slowly climbed up the stairs towards Luna's room. Once he found himself at her doorstep, he rushed in and was surprised to find her with another young man. When Sungjong saw the forlorn look in the man's eyes and the dishevelled expression on Luna's face, he sensed that he didn't have to say anything. 

"If this kid is the governess' son," Sungjong said, lifting the photograph with his trembling hands, "then that only means that---"

"Inguk oppa," Luna completed. She gulped and with eyes simmering in confused tears, whispered, "Inguk oppa was the heir of this house."

While the two came to terms with this earth-shattering piece of information, Siwan quietly took hold of the photograph and smiled at the caption behind it. 

I'll grow taller than you one day! Happy birthday Hyung! - Your dongsaeng, Woohyun.

                                                               *************************************************************

"This should be a piece of cake," she whispered in Hoya's ear. Hoya gave a small smile and nodded, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. Yoona shivered, the awkward affection making her stomach clench. But when Sangmin looked at them and started making fun of how they were making him gag, she knew that they were doing well. 

Sangmin had already downed fifteen shots of vodka and finished two bottles of hard liquor. He had been talking a lot of nonsense, but a few words here and there had caught the attention of the two impostors and they understood, that sooner or later, something would spill out. 

It happened sooner than expected.

"You know," Sangmin slurred, caressing the thigh of a girl who had already collapsed after five shots of Ciroc. "This is all because of that cocky bastard. Daniel what? What does he think of himself huh?"

Hoya and Yoona discreetly exchanged glances. The latter nudged him and he shifted closer to Sangmin. "Who are you talking about? Which bastard?"

Yoona then realized that Sangmin was still slightly sober and wary of her presence. She couldn't understand how that was possible, but she took a few sips of the whiskey and suddenly began groaning and clutching her stomach. 

"That's right!" Sangmin hollered, pointing at her with contempt on his face. "s like you ain't supposed to handle this stuff. Do you know how expensive this is? You can't even be as classy as this drink, !"

Yoona saw Hoya's hand clenching into a fist. She lightly rubbed her knee against his and began nodding back, eventually leaning against the couch. She slumped down, her head between the back of Hoya's shoulder and the velvet pillow. She felt Hoya's hand shift her head against his chest and with another shiver of awkwardness running down her spine, she began her pretense of sleep. 

"I have to admit," she heard Sangmin speak. His words were followed by the sound of liquid being poured inside a glass. Hoya murmured a 'thank you' and seconds later, Yoona felt Hoya gulping down the drink in one shot. She quietly admired his capacity to sustain his sobriety and reminded herself to hold a drinking competition between him and Donghae, ready to bet on the former and watch her teacher lose his ego, as well as his money. 

"You have this dark horse charm, just like on the track." Sangmin burped and Yoona succeeded in stifling a scowl. "I saw you racing. Man! Never seen one like you. Though the other kid was great, he's probably more worried about his face than future prospects. That crash must have made an ugly out of him."

"On the contrary," Hoya spoke, "the Director informed me that Sehun has been recovering well. Ms. Bae Suji paid for his insurance and Mr. Shin Won Ho seems to be fond of the young man as well. We all have our own pot of luck, I guess."

"Hmm..." Sangmin murmured. A moment of silence followed and Yoona began panicking. What if they had lost their opportunity for crucial information? Had the alcohol worked its way and shut Sangmin's mouth within a deep sleep?

"We wouldn't have been here," Sangmin suddenly said, "had it not been for that dog. Daniel. What a waste of time, what a waste of energy... the Director was so hurt.... shocked... traitor..."

Sangmin sighed and grunted. Yoona heard a woman moan and fall to the floor. She heard Sangmin telling her to "get lost". A little scuffle ensued but peace was established. Yoona sighed in relief when she felt Hoya wrap an arm around her and whisper, "She's mine."

"Your wish," Sangmin sang. He collapsed on the couch and after a long, what seemed contemplative pause, he said, "Just don't run away with her."

"What?" Hoya exclaimed in shock. "That's a crime Sangmin. Why would I do that?"

Sangmin laughed out loud. "Well, you're sitting with me, about to make a deal regarding underground bookie contracts. Crime? Nah.... But I get it. I get where you're coming from. There are different sorts of crime. But a crime of passion? Now that's pure suicide."

"What gave you this idea Sangmin?" Hoya said, sounding innocent but worldly wise at the same time. 

"Well," he said. "We all learn from mistakes, don't we? That's what happened eight years ago. Best racer on the block, he was raised to ministerial status within three years as a right-hand man of the Director. He had a good Partner as well -- no, she wasn't y or beautiful, just decent enough to clean up the household -- and a stable future in the wild jungle of Paragon... And then that came in. Jessica Jung. All these models... they just stroll in and seduce you and...."

"Who the hell is she?" 

Hoya might have succeeded in sounding flustered and confused, but Yoona had recognized the name and was trying her best not to let her goosebumps show. Jessica Jung. Of course the name was familiar. A distant memory caught her train of thought and everything began making sense...

"Yah! Tell me! Who is he?"

The girl with light brown hair began blushing and shaking her head. But the inquisitive friend wasn't ready to give up. 

"Yah Jessica! We've been friends for so long now! Seriously? Secrets from me?!"

"Alright alright!" the girl named Jessica blushed. She couldn't look into the eyes of her curious friend and rested her shy gaze on the latter's badge, spelling 'Im Yoona' and whispered, "His name is Daniel. Daniel Henney."

"...and as if that wasn't enough, she wasn't even his Partner! So there you go, the perfect ing crime! You first break off from your promised Partner, then you get on with some and finally, you make an illegal escape out of Paragon. Black sheep of the family? Well, if I had a chance, then I would sacrifice him and throw him on the floors of the Paragon court!"

                                                               ********************************************************

"You can wake up now."

Yoona kept her eyes closed, but when Hoya nudged her further, began stirring up to a straight posture. She looked out the window of the car, her eyes meeting Hoya's through the rearview mirror. Hoya wasn't smiling anymore and a grim look had settled down on his face. 

"We need to report to the base right away," Yoona said, jumping from the backseat to shotgun. Hoya shifted gears and as Yoona strapped the seatbelt across her body, she felt the vibration of the engine humming a tone of urgency. 

"This is jackpot," Hoya muttered. Yoona looked at him and realized that her teammate had been experiencing waves of disbelief. They  were already driving far out of West Paragon, where Hoya had seen off the unconscious Sangmin to his limousine. He began shaking his head and taking in deep breaths, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. 

"That excited?"

"Hell yeah!" Hoya exclaimed. Yoona laughed and sighed. She switched on the radio and recognized the song playing on the airwaves. 

"Oh!" she gasped. Hoya looked at her and smiled. 

"It's of our times," he said. Yoona nodded and began singing along. Hoya joined her, surprising her with his memorization of the rap and the ad-libs.

"Wah... Lee Howon. You're something." 

Before Hoya could respond, the song was interrupted by a break and moments later, a monotonous voice began talking. 

"Breaking News. A Red Alert has been issued. I repeat, a Red Alert has been issued. Daughter of General Lee, Kairi Lee, has been found with her rebel accomplices in a public transportation area. In case of any additional information, please call 1300-RED-ALERT. I repeat, any information regarding the sighting of criminal Kairi Lee needs immediate reporting to 1300-RED-ALERT. Kairi Lee is to be caught alive. An award of 25 million won will be handed to those who hand over Kairi to the authorities. Any other information will be awared 4 million won. Also, an announcement from the General himself."

The monotonous voice was then replaced by a jarring shuffle of sounds and a deep voice made its way to the listeners' ears. 

"People of Paragon," the General's voice spoke.

"Six months ago, the honour of Paragon had been by our own. Today we have the opportunity to bring the sinful to their rightful place, in front of the almighty court of justice, the court of Paragon. We require not only the prayers of the People so that we endeavour to catch these criminals with success, but also, the support of the People. I also have a warning to those shameless cowards. If you do not present yourself within three days, then an uncompromising, full-scale raid will be carried out all over Paragon. Millions of lives will be sacrificed, but the future of Paragon will be saved and whichever path is taken, we will find you and you will be punished."

The voice jarred again and the music returned, just in time for the melodic finish. The sounds from the radio were eclipsed by a deafening silence and suddenly, the absence of the two passengers became known. Within seconds, voices erupted into the night and where two people sat in the vehicle, the spaces were now occupied by more. 

"Did you hear what--?"

"Thank God we found you---"

"Come on Hoya, start the bloody engine!"

"Wait, are you gonna tell me who she is...."

While Hoya revved up the engine and sped away at a deadly speed, D.O. shouted for attention, Yoona related what they found out to a dishevelled Hyoyeon while Eunji, shrivelled up to the corner of the seat, mutely responded to every question Psy was posing to her. 

Meanwhile, in the headquarters, a laidback L lay on the couch and switched on the television, unaware that his simple action had started a turbulent domino of events. The Red Alert was announced, a crowd assembled in the living room and as the General's final words rang out in the angry conscience of the rebels, a silent figure wore her veil and walked out into the night.