credits: madeofmaroon

credits: tarozuki

credits: crissaangelou

credits: dgactivist

credits: ISHIEMARU

credits: crissaangelou

Dara picked up the black card, her fingers trembling as she hesitantly dialed the Chessmaster's number. She couldn't tolerate the pain in her chest anymore. The misery that she had to go through again and again just because Jiyong refused to listen was robbing her of her sense of self. She felt like a different person - one who was lost and had nowhere to go.

"Hello."

Dara choked down a sob upon hearing Haejin's voice. She couldn't form any coherent words as she continued crying over the phone while the guy patiently waited for her to compose herself. Why did it come down to this? Why did she end up feeling like she wanted to escape when she was the one who purposely entered Jiyong's world just to be beside him.

"Have you finally reached your limit?" Haejin asked.

Has she? She didn't know. All she knew was that she wanted to get away and pick up her broken pieces.

"Do you need time to breathe, Dara?"

"Y-Yes. But..." She trailed off and inhaled deeply, wiping the tears from her face. "But I can't disappear that long," she explained.

"I told you, I can give you a time to breathe. It's up to you how long you want to stay hidden."

Dara remained silent and pondered for a moment. Deeply hurt with her conversation with Jiyong a while ago, her mind was still clouded with a mixture of pain and exhaustion. She needed to get away. She needed time to heal herself.

"Okay," she whispered. "I want to disappear temporarily, Haejin."

Haejin gave her a series of instructions and she listened carefully. When she hung up the phone, she felt like all her strength was gone. She stared blankly at the white bathroom wall and drew multiple breaths, trying to ease the painful knot in her chest. Why did it come down to this?

She struggled to get up and planted her hands on the side of the sink while looking at the mirror. Her heart squeezed painfully at the sight of her own self, her dead eyes staring back at her. She used to be full of happiness and love. Her lips used to be always curved in a smile. But...what happened to her? She couldn't see the girl she used to be. She couldn't even remember the sound of her own laughter.

What happened to her?

_____________________________________________________________

It was odd. As part of security measures, the Triad units swept the entire hotel before the Triads party and they were sure that the mini-apparatus that sprayed the unknown powder as well as the bug in the elevator were not there when they completed the security swipe.

"Review the CCTV footages," Jiyong instructed and his men immediately complied. He then clasped his hands on the table while mulling over things. He, together with the other Triad officials, were gathered in a hidden room inside the hotel and were seated in a long table, discussing about the recent incident. Everyone was evidently alarmed with the attack, considering that the Century Dragon Hotel was like a fortress for the Triads where most of the Triad functions were done. To top it all, their leader was the one who was attacked.

"Jiyong, whoever did this must have also tapped with the CCTV cameras for him to be able to know who was riding the elevator," the Incense Master said.

"The powder was a common poison which won't readily kill the victim, though. But it could kill if the proper treatment was not administered quickly," Jiyong replied, his eyebrows furrowing in bewilderment. "It was as if the powder was just placed there in a hurry."

"We all know the medics were on standby especially in occasions like this," the Straw Sandal said. "Who would risk such a brisk move?"

Jiyong dragged his gaze at the people on the table. "One who had to desperately kill someone," he said in an eerie tone as he slowly stood up. The Triad officials exchanged curious glances at each other, wondering what their Dragon Head meant.

"I was not the target of this attack," Jiyong added before immediately leaving the room.

_____________________________________________________________

There was a lot of movement in the hotel as the Triad members scurried all over the place to check for any signs of things that might be a tool for attacking. As Haejin instructed, Dara did not take the elevator and used the fire exit staircase to go to the basement parking.

She pressed herself against the wall when she heard some voices at the bottom of the stairs, clamping shut as she tried not to breathe loudly so as not to notify them of her presence. They were probably Triad members who were still investigating the place. Like what Haejin said, everyone knew she was the Dragon Head's woman so she should just act naturally and lie if she was caught. But she would rather escape without coming across anyone than challenge her lying capabilities.

When she heard the door being shut, she carefully peeked over the railing and let out a sigh of relief when she didn't see anyone anymore.

"Running away?"

Dara gasped in shock when she heard TOP's voice. She gazed upwards and saw the guy sitting on one of the flights of stairs, leaning against the railing while staring at her.

"N-No," she stuttered.

"Should I call Jiyong and tell him you're here?" He challenged.

The girl remained silent while eyeing him cautiously. Jiyong's right-hand man held her gaze, his expression remaining impassive. After a while, Dara exhaled wearily and sat down on the stair, hugging her knees while biting her bottom lip. TOP instantly knew the answer as he watched her.

"So, you really are running away."

"I just want to...breathe," she mumbled.

"Are you going to the old playground again?"

"No."

A momentary silence passed between them, each deciding what to do next. Looking at her sullen state, TOP wondered how much pain she was hiding inside. When she first moved in with their boss, he could still remember how happy the two of them were. But things started to change. Things became far from how they used to.

He had been watching Dara as she regularly paid a visit to the old playground as if it was the only place that would give her freedom to cry. He watched her as she looked gloomily at her phone while sitting on the playground's swing, wanting to talk to someone but had no one to call. Who could she talk to about Jiyong without giving away much details that would compromise his true identity anyway? TOP knew she was being cautious which was why she chose to face her hardships alone. Jiyong should have been there for her, but their boss became complacent with their relationship, thinking that everything was fine.

Now, she said she needed time to breathe and he knew, Dara deserved it.

"Jiyong will worry, Dara," he said after a while.

"I'll call him and tell him I just need a brief vacation."

"You know that won't cut it. He'll go crazy and-..."

"TOP," she called out, her voice quivering as she gazed up at him, her eyes b with tears that she was trying to hold back. "I really need to do this. Whenever I talk to him, I feel like I'm drowning. Let me just gasp some air to be able to breathe freely again because this is seriously killing me," she pleaded.

"It's not safe out there, Dara," he reasoned in a desperate voice.

"I'll be somewhere safe. Just...please let me go."

The guy shut his eyes firmly in exasperation before opening them again. He was torn on what to do. He let out a heavy sigh before finally speaking. "We will still find you, no matter where you go."

"Then until you do, I better savor every moment of my freedom," she stood up and started descending the stairs hurriedly, her footsteps echoing all over as she stomped her shoes furiously.

"Dara, wait!"

She stopped and glanced up again; her determined gaze did not waver as she met the guy's eyes. "If you're going to stop me, I'll run, even if I fall down the stairs."

"What?!" TOP shot up to his feet but Dara immediately descended a couple of flights. "Okay, wait. Stop!" The guy called out. "God, Dara! Are you crazy?!"

"No," she murmured softly. "I'm just...really tired."

TOP froze on his spot while looking down to where the girl was standing. She was holding the skirt of her dress firmly with her balled fists, her eye make-up already ruined probably from crying. She looked exhausted. He knew that no matter what he says, Dara was already determined to run away. It was too late.

"J-Jiyong needs you," he said, almost pleading. He didn't know why he was doing it. Didn't he already transfer the twenty million won back? For Jiyong and him, betting was not because of money. It was their tool for admitting something without actually saying it. He knew Jiyong was a proud bastard even way back then. For something that was hard to admit, betting became their way to communicate.

But why was he turning his back on his own words? Didn't he tell Jiyong that he felt like he lost the bet? Was it because he was still hoping that he would still see his sworn brother...his friend...have a life that all of them wished everyone will have? It would destroy Jiyong once he finds out that Dara left him. It would drive him to madness, and he feared what their boss would do to himself.

"He smiles because of you, Dara," he said in a breathless voice.

"I don