“Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon’s jaw loosened. The years had changed Cassie. Gone were the bright, fiery eyes that she had admired ten years ago. Gone was the confident, lively aura that made her attractive to Taeyeon’s eyes a decade ago. In place of them were hard, mean eyes and an older, experienced cynical mood emanating around her.

“You . . . you’re their leader?” Taeyeon asked, aghast at the twist of events. She couldn’t be sure how Cassie had changed. Had she learned a little more compassion? Or had she lost the last thread of humanity in the past ten years? One thing Taeyeon was sure of, Cassie had been a terror in combat back then and was not going to be easy to fight. It would be best to talk her way out of this but Cassie was likely to give her Tiffany without a fight.

“What are you doing here.”

“Your men abducted me.”

“.” Cassie looked at the men lying helpless on the ground. “Useless idiots. Can’t even grab a girl without giving me problems.” Her eyes shifted to Taeyeon’s again. “You shouldn’t have been there.”

“I’m Tiffany’s bodyguard.”

Cassie sneered. “Working for the rich now? Never though you would stoop so low.”

“It’s an honest living.”

“Bull. You’re just a slave to a rich man.”

Taeyeon held her tongue. Pissing Cassie off was not a good idea.

“Got nothing to say?”

Taeyeon plucked up her courage and looked into Cassie’s eyes. She could hold her own ground now. “How have you been?”

Cassie flinched as though she had not been expecting a question like that. She opened to answer but a shrill scream pierced the bubble around them. Taeyeon stiffened. It was Tiffany.

“Stupid ,” Cassie spat in the direction of the car and waggled her gun at Taeyeon. “You. You injured my men. So you’ll get the to shut up. Now.” She kicked dirt at one man and snarled at them. “Get up and fix yourselves. Stop sitting there groaning like a .”

Taeyeon moved to the source of the screaming. It came from a zipped up luggage bag in the back seat. “Tiffany, it’s me, Taeyeon,” she said loudly. The screaming stopped. “It’s okay, Tiffany. I’m gonna get you out.”

“Help me, Taeyeon. Quickly.”

“I’m getting you out now,” said Taeyeon as she pulled on the zip to open the bag. She pushed the top down and Tiffany sat up and threw her arms around Taeyeon’s neck.

“Taeyeon . . .” she sobbed. “I thought I was never gonna see you again.”

“Enough. Shut up already,” Cassie snapped from behind.

“Tiffany, don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. Come on, try standing up,” Taeyeon said to the trembling woman. She put her hands under Tiffany’s arms as support and helped the restrained woman out of the car and onto her feet. “You’re okay,” she said again, when Tiffany leaned against her and screamed. “It’s okay.”

“W-What’s going on?” asked Tiffany, looking from Taeyeon to Cassie in confusion.

“We’ve been kidnapped.” Taeyeon squeezed Tiffany’s arms.

“Shut her up, Taeyeon.”

A thousand questions flashed in Tiffany’s eyes.

“This is not the way I wanted to do this but,” Taeyeon nodded at the woman currently pointing a gun at them, “she’s the ex I told you about.”

Tiffany stared at her, mouth opened.

“Move them inside,” Cassie barked at her men and they trudged to them.

Gruff Voice B had a makeshift bandage around his wrist and the meanest intent in his eyes. Taeyeon was expecting to be cuffed or punched but Cassie barked another order, telling the men not to lay a finger on them. The men did not looked pleased with the order but they obeyed. This was one thing about Cassie that had not changed—her firm leadership.

With Tiffany trembling in her arms