"So, they found out."

"Yeah."

Karina rubbed her temple and closed her eyes, she had never felt this frustrated before. 

"Meaning to say, it will be easier for the enemies to dig into your details now since they know both your face and your name as well as your fake name. So, if you're trying to escape out of the country, it's going to be hard." Chaehyun said.

"Yes, but no. I am not going to run away. Not anymore." Karina said, looking at Johnny who nodded at her.

"We'll fight until the end, Karina. I'll be right behind you." Johnny said.

"Me too." Chaehyun said making them both look at her.

"I've nowhere to go and you guys pay me well." She added.

"Fine. A warning, your life is at risk." Johnny warned.

"Doesn't matter. I don't even have anyone." Chaehyun shrugged.

 

 

 

 

.....

 

 

 

 

Karina sighed when she received an alarm from her phone. Her guess was right when she checked the CCTV through her phone, someone was trying to enter her gym and that someone was Winter. She let Johnny and Chaehyun continued their job while she excused herself to go to Winter.

"Whyyyy? Why won't you open the door for meeeee?"

Karina just parked her bike and took off her helmet. She looked around, making sure no one's nearby before making her way towards Winter.

"Winter Kim."

Winter turned around and squinted at her. Winter raised her hand and pointed at Karina.

"You! You are a liar!" Winter yelled at her causing Karina to look around again.

Karina then grabbed her wrist and unlocked the door to drag her inside.

"You said you'll answer my call!"

Karina continued to pull her downstairs to the basement and Winter pulled her hand away from Karina. She poked Karina's chest using her forefinger while glaring at her.

"Why is it so hard for you to answer me?" 

Karina shook her head when she noticed Winter's red face. She leaned closer to take a sniff and confirmed that the younger woman was drunk.

"You can't come here and make a chaos like that, Winter. This place is not supposed to get exposed."

Winter then tried to step closer, but she stumbled forward instead and almost fall if Karina were not there to catch her. Winter holds Karina's shoulders tightly to support herself and looked up at Karina before hugging her shoulders properly. Karina just stared at Winter's flushed face while still holding her waist.

"Karina. Why? Why are you always making me worried? I've never felt this way for someone before, but you- you make me so worried about you." Winter said.

"..."

"Every day, I'm worried thinking if you're going to get hurt because of your job. It makes me angry, very angry. The thought of someone out there wanted you dead makes me boiling, to the point that I want to kill them all for wanting to kill you."

Winter tilted her head and smiled warmly at her.

"No. I won't let that happen though. I... I will protect you."

Karina was speechless. No, not because of what Winter had just said. It's because how Karina can feel and see the sincerity through the younger's soft eyes. For the first time in her life after her family's death, she feels the warm feelings entered her cold and lonely heart again.

"Please, let me be with you. I really like you." Winter mumbled before closing her eyes and let her whole body leaned against Karina. Karina had no choice but to hold her.

Karina just stayed like that for a while, thinking back of everything that Winter had said to her.

 

 

...

 

 

"Ugh, my head."

Winter groaned as she woke up. She opened her eyes slowly and could see that she's on a couch, a blanket covered her body. She looked at where the sound of someone typing on a keyboard and there she saw karina, with her spec, using a laptop.

Winter smiled at the sight. Ah, I could get used to this.

She then got up and saw the painkiller and a bottle of water next to it. Karina must have prepared that for her. She felt giddy from being taken care of like this by Karina. She took it right away before going towards Karina.

"Did you come because I was here?" Winter asked, hands caressing Karina's shoulders.

"Hm." 

Winter bends down and wrapped her arms around Karina's neck, tilting her head to stare at Karina's side profile closely. She smiled before leaning in to place soft kisses on her earlobe, then her jaw. She giggled when Karina tilted her head to the other side to avoid any more kisses from her.

"I'm hungry."

"Go home. I'm sure your family's chef can cook delicious food for you."

Winter pouted at Karina's answer. Then, she glanced at the laptop's screen and read what Karina's doing.

"Park Chanyeol. Oh, you're looking for him? I thought he flew to Italy few years ago."

Karina stopped typing and turned to Winter.

"You know him?"

"Not personally. But I heard something about him, I overheard Wendy unnie spoke through a phone call about it. Something about he ran away and I don't know who is trying to catch him." Winter answered.

"Do you have an idea of who is he actually?"

"Yeah. He's an assassin, but he works with a huge team and not alone like you."

Karina then stands up causing Winter to let go of her.

"Can you do a favor for me then, Winter Kim?"

Winter raised her eyebrows before crossing her arms.

"Hm. I have to think about it, what kind of favor though?"

"Set up a meeting for me with Wendy."

"If I can kiss you-"

"Whatever you want. As long as you can make her meet me."

"Wow. Really?"

"Today."

"What?"

"I want to meet her today."

"Okay!"

 

 

 

 

.....

 

 

 

 

Wendy's smile disappeared as soon as she saw Karina behind Winter. Winter called her to ask for her to pick her up, saying that her car broke down. Winter lied, obviously.

"What is this, Winter?"

"Unnie!" Winter hugged her arm and grinned at her.

"Nothing happen to your car, am I right?" Wendy asked, already looking at Winter blankly.

"Nope!" Winter giggled then looked at Karina who nodded at her before turning around.

"Winter-"

"Come on, unnie. She just wants to talk."

Wendy sighed when she had no choice but to let Winter dragged her to where Karina was going. Wendy's eyes scanned the place and raised her eyebrows once she entered Karina's secret gym.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this place, okay unnie?"

"What?"

"Promise me, unnie. Or Karina will kill me." Winter pouted.

Wendy rolled her eyes but nodded her head, agreeing to whatever Winter wanted her to do.

"So, why am I here?" Wendy asked directly.

"Tell me what do you know. Everything." Karina answered.

"Ow!" Wendy looked at Winter in shocked and rubbed her waist where Winter just pinched.

"Did you just-"

"Unnie. Just answer her."

"Yah, you're supposed to be on my side." Wendy hissed.

"Sorry, unnie. I change side. I'm with Karina." Winter said innocently.

"You betrayed me for her?"

"I choose my greatest love over anything, unnie."

Wendy scoffed in disbelief with what she just heard. Winter only smiled at her before looking back at Karina's poker face.

"Did you even know that she's only with you to get information through you?" Wendy asked Winter.

"I don't mind." Winter shrugged off her shoulders.

"You're hopeless." Wendy's jaw dropped.

"Fine." Wendy throws her hands in frustration.

"One thing, Karina. You better leave as soon as possible. That if you still want to live." Wendy said and Winter frowned.

"Why?" Winter asked instead.

"She's on number one wanted list by her family's enemy. The one who ordered Park Chanyeol to kill her entire family."

Karina's jaw tightened and she stepped closer.

"So, Chanyeol was really the one who killed my family."

"Yes."

"Under someone's command?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the name?"

"No, I don't. I only know Chanyeol. You need to get to him to be able to find out the real mastermind behind all of this murder but it's not easy to even get Chanyeol, that boy know his way a lot and hard to reach. I've never met him, not even once."

"I have."

Wendy widened her eyes when Karina said that.

"What?"

"He came to me, personally."

"That's not good."

"So, what else do you know?" Karina asked.

"You have to leave, Karina. And stay away from Winter too." Wendy grabbed Winter's wrist.

"Why do you insisted that I have to leave?"

"It's for your own good."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you more than that."

"And why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't but I'm telling you, this is not your battle."

Wendy then pulled Winter with her.

"You can't leave yet."

"Unnie-"

Wendy was strong, Winter cannot let go of her hand from Wendy's hold.

"Unnie!"

"Let's leave, Winter."

"We are not done yet!" Karina growled and pulled Winter's other hand.

"Look, Karina. You do whatever you want, but don't involve Winter in this mess." Wendy glared at her.

"I will stop bothering you if only you would tell me everything." 

"Yeah, well, never. Sometimes, it's best not to know anything at all."

"Then, I'm afraid I can't let you take Winter." Karina said, pulling Winter towards her.

"You-" Wendy stopped when she saw a shadow just behind Karina, not far from them. 

Karina turned her head to look where Wendy was looking at. She was alerted immediately and pulled Winter behind her and looked at the shadow. The shadow then moved, appearing out of the wall to show herself. Karina's eyes widened as it was the same woman who attacked her last time.

"Who are you?" Karina asked, hands ready to take out her gun when necessary.

Wendy used the chance to pull Winter towards her and wrapped an arm around Winter protectively. The unknown woman glanced at both Wendy and Winter before looking back at Karina.

"We'll talk, without them." The woman said.

"No." Winter disagreed.

"You both can leave." Karina told them.

"What? No-"

"Let's go, Winter."

"I can't- Karina!"

Karina glanced at Winter.

"I'll get back to you. For now, you go with Wendy."

"She'll be fine." Wendy told Winter when she's hesitated to leave Karina alone.

Karina looked at Wendy, but Wendy refused to look at her. Karina nodded at Winter and told her that she'll call her later. Wendy then managed to drag Winter away.

"You're someone Wendy know." Karina said once Wendy and Winter left.

"Are you?" Karina asked again.

"Yes."

"Are you with the Kim?"

"She's with me." Another voice said.

Karina looked at another figure who just appeared out of nowhere. Suho?

Suho walked calmly with his hands inside his pocket, a smirk on his face. He stopped beside the unknown woman and smiled fondly at her, eventhough the woman kept her eyes on Karina.

"Meet my girlfriend." Suho said, circling his arm around her.

Karina's eyes were on her as she slowly taking off her mask. Karina froze. 

"You must have known her already, right?" Suho chuckled.

"Irene unnie..." Karina whispered.

Irene looked cold and no emotion on her face. She does not look at Karina the way she used to. Now, Karina saw nothing in her eyes that used to be warm.

"I- I thought you- what? So, all this time, you're alive?"

"She is. And she has been with me for all these years." Suho answered instead.

"You should listen to Wendy, Karina. Leave Winter out of your mess. If our father knows that you're risking Winter's safety with your problem, he wouldn't like it." Suho said.

"Why are you with him, unnie? Why didn't you find me and-" Karina paused, forgetting that she was not supposed to mention Johnny's name.

Suho then glanced at Irene, and patted her back gently.

"I'll wait in the car." Suho told her before looking back at Karina.

"Don't bother to come and find Winter again. We're good if you leave Winter alone." Suho warned her again before leaving the both of them to talk.

"Unnie-"

"Yoo Jimin."

"Did you really try to kill me last time?" Karina asked in shocked.

Irene clenched her fists and staring straight at Karina with no emotion.

"I thought- I thought we're family-"

"Family?" Irene scoffed and bit her bottom lip.

"Seulgi would have still been here, breathing and alive, if your father did not betray his own family." Irene growled, venom could be heard in her tone.

"W-What?"

"Your father. He was the reason why my aunt, your mother got killed. And the reason why my- my Seulgi-" Irene's lips trembled and her eyes were red as she mentioned Seulgi's name again.

"I- I don't understand, unnie. What- My father, what did he do?"

Irene glared at her and raised her head, keeping her cold face again.

"It's best that you leave everything behind and just focus on your new life, Jimin. You don't have to know everything."

"I can't do that! I need to know what happened and who the hell killed my family!" Karina shouted.

"If- If my father did betray us, then how come he still got killed?" Karina asked.

"And- were you trying to kill me because of that? Because I am my father's daughter?" Karina asked again.

"I wasn't trying to kill you. I tried to warn you, to scare you so you would stop and leave." Irene answered honestly.

"Why didn't you try to find me?"

"I knew where you have been, with Johnny."

"Huh?"

"But I can't- I can't see you, Jimin. You remind me of your father and I can't handle it. Seulgi... I still remembered that day vividly. Her last breath, I was there-" Irene closed her eyes, trying to get rid of Seulgi's last moment when she was still alive.

"I couldn't- I didn't get to tell her of how much she means to me. Of how much I love her. She didn't get to know about my real feelings." Irene whispered and looked down.

Karina clenched her jaw and holds her tears as she too, remembered her last moment with Seulgi. It's not just Irene who got affected by Seulgi's death. She sees Seulgi just like her older sister already. She means so much to her too.

"Leave, Jimin. You're the target now. Winter is precious to the Kim, they will do anything to protect her. That's including getting rid of you if your presence will threaten her safety." Irene told her again.

"And I will do anything to get my family's killer." Karina glared.

"Winter doesn't know anything-"

"But people around her seems to know what I want to know. You, Suho and Wendy."

"Do not even think about getting Wendy involved too, Karina."

Karina raised her eyebrows hearing the protective tone from Irene which sounds very familiar to her and how Irene suddenly called her by the name Karina instead of her real name, Jimin.

"Who is she?"

"You're not going to get any more information from me. I'm asking you to leave, Karina. Or you'll regret it."

"Did the Kim, somehow involved in this?" Karina asked, her face turned serious at this moment.

"Things are not the same anymore now. We- We are not a family like before." Irene said without looking at Karina.

"If the Kim is involved, and you're with them, I swear Irene... I'll get my hands on all of you." Karina ignored what Irene had just said and still focused on the main topic.

"Even after your father betrayed your whole family?"

"He was not the only one who got killed! Don't you forget about my mother, Aeri's family and Seulgi unnie." 

Karina then stepped closer, eyes glaring sharply at Irene who glared back at her.

"Fine. You don't have to tell me anything. I will find out, eventually. And when I do, I won't let anyone live. Everyone will pay, Irene unnie. I don't have anything to lose anyway." Karina said before bumping on her shoulder and went to her bike to leave.

Irene sighed and looked at Karina's figure until she disappeared.

"You don't understand, Jimin. I'm doing this for you, for all of us." Irene whispered to herself.

 

 

...

 

 

Karina locked her door once she reached her apartment and rested her head on the door as she closed her eyes. She was happy to see Irene again, to know that she's still alive. Yet, the happiness faded away in a short of time. Irene was not the same Irene she knew. Then Karina remembered about everything Irene had told her. Her father betrayed them? Why? Her father was the most loving husband and father she ever known. Why would he betray them? What did he do?

"Argh!" Karina punched the door and kicked it before stepping away from it and ruffled her hair in frustration.

"No, I'm not going to let it go. I will find out about everything and I will kill everyone who's involved." 

Karina then went to her room and pulled out a drawer to find a piece of photo under the bundle of papers inside. She took out the photo and smiled sadly, it was a photo of her completed family. Her father, her mother, Irene, Seulgi and her. Everything was beautiful back then. Everything was perfect. They were perfect. 

"I- I will continue until the end. I will avenge you all." Karina whispered as her tears finally rolled down out of her eyes after a long time.

"They will pay for this. I promise."

 

 

 

 

.....

 

 

 

 

"Winter."

"You can't just take me away like this, Wendy unnie!"

"Winter, hanging out with Karina is dangerous."

"I don't care! I've been in danger for way too many times already to care."

"Winter-"

"No, I will go to Karina."

"Stay where you are, Winter Kim."

Both Wendy and Winter froze hearing the voice full with authority.

"M-Mother."

Wendy bowed respectfully before stood up straight as she greeted her boss.

"I thought I told you to listen well to Wendy." Mrs Kim said.

"I..." Winter frowned and looked down.

"Don't be stubborn, Winter. Listen to her. We are trying to protect you."

"I can take care of myself and Karina can protect me-"

"You are no one to her."

"You don't know that! You haven't even met her yet. She saved me-"

"For money. She saved you because it's her job, she's getting paid for it."

"But-"

"Winter Kim!"

Winter got startled again this time by another cold voice.

"U-Unnie I-"

"Go to your room. You are not allowed to leave this mansion unless we tell you so."

Winter opened to protest, but one look from her older sister shut her off immediately.

"Did you call them here?" Winter asked Wendy and glared at her.

"Winter." Her sister warned.

Winter frowned but she knew, she can't go against her sister's order. She respects her sister so much. So, she bowed her head before going to her room.

"Wendy."

"Welcome back, ma'am." Wendy bowed again.

"Come to my office, Wendy. We need you to fill us in with everything." Mrs Kim said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, Kim Taeyeon. Please find Suho and your father. I need to talk to them."

"Yes, mother."

 

 

 

 

.....

 

 

 

 

Hello! How's everyone doing there? Hope yall are doing fine yeah. I just got better from falling sick and work had been hectic too! So, here's the update for you. Take care as always, guys. Do not skip meals okay. 

 

 

xx