On the 100th floor of the Son company. 

Father Son shouted on the phone. 

“It has been more than 4 months and you guys haven’t brought my daughter back!”

“WHAT? The head-master of your spy team resigned?” 

He remained silent for a while.

“No choice then. I’ll end this myself.”

He ended the call and called his guards in. 

“Sir.”

“Go send your men to the US. Take a look at Naeun and report back to me in three days.”

“Yes sir.”

The guards came back a few days later. 

“Sir... There’s someone with Miss Naeun. ” The guard printed some photos of Naeun and Taemin together. Those pictures were taken from far away, so father Son couldn’t recognise or identify Taemin’s face. He could only see Naeun with a tall, dark silhouette. 

Father Son frowned at their intimacy. 

“I’ll go to New York with Kai to end things myself. Prepare your crew and bring her to me to my mansion in New York.”

“Sir… What about that man with Miss Naeun?”

He remained silent for a while. He glanced at the photos again, and said: “This man... he is brave..to stay with my daughter and ruin my plans. Bring the man and my daughter to me. I’ll punish them for blocking my path.”

————————

She clutched the black letter in her hand. She wanted to laugh, smile, or at least look forward to the upcoming days. But this letter utterly destroyed her hopes and dreams. 

Her father is coming. 

And she’s doomed. 

Her life is on a timer. An invisible timer. Counting down when her father will come and grasp her, take her away from freedom, from happiness, from love. 

Krystal knocked on Naeun’s door and found Naeun lying on her bed, facing the ceiling with soulless eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” Krystal asked, as she sat on the edge of Naeun’s bed. 

Naeun looked at her and sighed. 

“Krys. I don’t think I can stay here anymore.” She gave the letter to Krystal. 

Krystal scanned through the letter. She looked up to Naeun in shock. 

“W..Wait.. What is this? So… is your father threatening you?” Krystal asked

Naeun remained silent. 

Krystal stared at her best friend. She didn’t know what to say. It is Mr Son that they are talking about, Naeun’s father, who holds absolute power.

She wanted her best friend to stay. She had never seen Naeun laugh so happily, so freely for the past months. It was here, where no one knew who she really is, that Naeun could live her life happily. And of course, it was here, that she met someone who could make her laugh as much as she wants. Krystal wants to stand up for Naeun, but her arguments and her complaints would remain unheard. 

They remained silent for a while. 

Krystal asked cautiously. “So.. what are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know…I really don’t know what to do..” 

“Naeun, do you want to go back though?”

“No! Of course not!” Naeun exclaimed. “As much as I love my family, my siblings, I can’t go back. If I go, then I’ll be forced into a marriage and forced to act like those high ladies.” 

“But there’s this letter… I’m scared… if I don’t go back… I might get my friends — you, Jessica.. and.. Francesco in danger.”

“Naeun. You don’t need to worry about me. Yes, I am the one who gave you somewhere to live in the US, but your father won’t do anything to me — or to my sister. We have been friends for years, he wouldn’t want to hurt us.” Krystal hesitated. “But Francesco though… I don’t know anything about him and I don’t know how your father will react to it.” 

Naeun stared at the letter and remained in deep thoughts. 

Krystal glanced at her and said carefully. “Right now.. out of all our friends, Francesco is the one that’s closest to you, but the most dangerous to your father. He doesn’t know anything about your boyfriend. I mean… even you.. you don’t know him.” 

Naeun shot her a look. “What do you mean?”

Krystal calmly explained. “I mean his background. Do you know who he really is? Where did he come from? How did he end up here? Who is his father? Who is he? He has never told you anything, and we’ve never seen him in banquets and meetings in Korea.” 

He told me his real Korean name, and he told me about his family. She argued silently in her head. But Krystal was right. She knew nothing about him. 

“Krys.. he’s a good person. You know that!” 

“I know. My point is, because no one knows him… there is a great chance that your father won’t know him either. Because of this, your father can easily do something bad then cover up for it — since no one knows Francesco and no one can seek help for him. If your father comes, and takes you by force…Francesco will be in danger especially because he is your boyfriend — someone that