Hello friends...How have you all been? Although very late, still I would like to wish you all a very Happy 2019. I was unwell, then went on a vacation, then unwell again. But I am truly very sorry for not being able to update this story for a long time. Even I feel that I have been dragging this story way too long. Hopefully, it should come to an end in a few chapters.

I will apologise in the very beginning to my readers for any gross error you find in it with regards to the few medical terms and concepts mentioned in this chapter. I have absolutely no background in the subject, everything is courtesy to Wikipedia and internet. Being an ideally lazy and incompetent writer, I would have skipped it entirely. But seeing the outstanding diligence and accuracy my dear friend and author JHsgf82 is displaying in her fanfic Open Hearts on the medical descriptions without being from that background herself, I was really inspired to at least look up for a couple of words to make it look a little more real. Hahahaha... I know mine is a poor manifestation. Anyway, don`t hate me after this chapter. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining :)

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Ha Jin tapped on her phone screen again, let out a sigh and looked out of the window. Time was running out for her, but still she had not heard from Ji Hoo about his whereabouts.

Was he still coming for her?

The front door bell rang, and her mother rushed to usher the guests in the living room with excitement.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hong, welcome to our humble abode. What a great pleasure to have you with us this evening,” spoke Mrs. Go with exuberance.

So Bin’s mother gave her a condescending nod and a measured smile, before taking her seat on the couch.

“So, how’s things been?” asked his father nonchalantly.

“Ha Jin-ah! Come here. See your new Abeoji and Omonim are here,” shouted her mother from outside her room’s locked door.

“I’ll be there in a minute, Omma,” responded Ha Jin, barely managing to hide the shiver in her voice.

From her room, she could hear both her parents raving about So Bin and the wedding preparations with more enthusiasm than anything she had heard from them before.

A tear dropped on her hands that were resting on her lap. Soon, more started flowing, until a tiny pool formed in the small hollow of her palm. She did not know who to blame. Destiny, herself or Ji Hoo. And in a flash, all the moments she had spent with him started ading her mind.

I refuse to believe that you abandoned me, Ji Hoo. I will not believe that until you come and tell me yourself…

Suddenly, a peal of laughter coming from the living room jerked her back to the reality at present. To her ears it did not sound like her parents or the guests laughing. It reminded her more the boisterous laughter of So Bin, every time he would jeer at her or boast about himself. All the moments of humiliation and pain she bore in his presence began to haunt her, mocking and slapping her in her mind.

Ha Jin froze in her position. Even her tears stopped flowing. She would have to do something. She could not just lament all her life and shed tears like this.

Ji Hoo or no Ji Hoo, I cannot live every moment of my life by others’ will anymore. I will live my life on my own free will…

She stood up, wiped her tears with the back of her palm and took a deep breath.

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Ji Hoo was rushing through the corridor. He needed to have a consultation with Dr. Lee who was the senior most surgeon, fortunately present in the hospital at the moment and preparing for the surgery with him. Yi Jung’s condition was unstable, his breathing was asymmetric with uncontrolled bleeding. The bullet had perforated through his back into the chest area. The extent of cardiac or lungs injury could not be confirmed with the initial trauma protocol carried out at the emergency department. There was risk of severe tissues and nerve damage, and he was also suspecting some effect on the spinal cord. Immediate surgical intervention was required. He could not even ponder over the thought about how or why his friend was shot. They were left with very little time. His friend’s life was in his hands now.

He paused in front of the visitors’ waiting room where he saw Ga Eul sitting on the edge of a couch, disheveled and slightly disoriented.

Ji Hoo rushed to her, bent in front and shook her lightly by her shoulders, calling, “Ga Eul! Ga Eul!”

“He’s shot, Yi Jung is shot. There’s blood. Blood everywhere,” she replied in a monotone, staring at the floor.

A chill ran down through his spine. He cupped her face in his palms and made her look at him.

His eyes misted, as he pleaded, “Yi Jung will be fine, we will operate and he will be alright. Have faith, Ga Eul.”

Ji Hoo was getting late, but he could not leave Ga Eul in such a vulnerable state. He ran to the nurse station and informed the staff nurse to take Ga Eul to his office, and sedate her, if necessary. He also asked her to inform Dr. Park who was treating Ga Eul for the past few weeks.

As he was leaving Ga Eul under the nurse’s care and hurrying towards Dr. Lee’s office, a fragment of news being played at the television caught his attention.

“The Song Tower is in flames, and even now explosions can be heard from the upper floors. The fire brigade is unable to enter the building yet. And, there is still no news about the Song family. Police is searching the Song mansion and questioning the staff…”

Ji Hoo’s feet got glued to the floor as his eyes caught the visual on the screen. The high-rise building that used to stand proudly and adorn the downtown Gangnam skyline was blazing in wild flames, and being reduced to ashes like a paper in flames.

“Dr. Yoon, you are being summoned by Dr. Lee, right now!” exclaimed a senior nurse, and almost pulled him by his arm seeing him stalled in front of the TV screen.

“… past underworld affairs… chaebol brought to its horrific end… the Song family alive or dead…”

“Yi Jung, and now Woo Bin…” mumbled Ji Hoo incoherently, as sweats broke out on his forehead and a cold fear crept in his heart.

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“What man! Having second thoughts now?” sneered Kim Seok. “Should I call my men and ask them to clear you family because you chose this sl** over them?”

“No! You won’t do anything like that,” barked Woo Bin, trying to grab him by his collar, when Kim Seok’s men pulled him back and hit him hard, throwi