60
Defence
***I know the last chapter wasn't a chapter but I'll start from the next chapter and call this Chapter 60 f.y.i.
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Donghae awoke at a time he had never expected to. When his eyes opened at seven in the morning he decided he didn’t need sleep anymore. After taking a quick shower, he threw his formal shirt up, and shot glances at his reflection in the mirror every few seconds. Buttoning his shirt he ran his daily schedule over in his mind.
After a quick morning meeting he’d get out of work and get something healthy for Victoria. Maybe he should have consulted with Eun Chul about whether a walk would be fine for Victoria. With jacket in arm he was out the door.
Minutes later in the meeting lab Donghae stuffed his papers into a folder and stood up from the chair. Handing the folder to Secretary Jung he said as they walked out of the large doors, “I’ll be out for the rest of the day. If there’s anything that comes up, you deal with them for me.”
Stepping into the elevator he pressed the first floor button and waited as the lift took him down. When the doors opened he stepped out and headed down the hall. While walking out he glanced down to the reception area curious to see if Taecyeon had come in for work and there he was in his usual formal wear. Seeing him standing there sort of secured his doubts about whether Victoria would be alone or not.
Picking up some soup along the way he drove over to the apartment. At the third ring of the doorbell he was beginning to wonder if Victoria would start ignoring him but the door opened a few seconds later. She didn’t look one bit surprised or excited to see him or if she did then she didn’t quite show it.
“I brought you some lunch in case you were hungry,” he explained holding up a bag for her to see.
She glanced at the bag then gave him a small smile before allowing him in. For some reason the usual cheery vibe he always felt from her had disappeared. Actually, he hadn’t seen her cheery self for a while now and he couldn’t help but wonder that during the time he’d been there, why hadn’t he ever noticed anything else that was going on with her? Had he really been so lost in his own fascination that he didn’t care for her at all?
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. It’s only been a day or so since you’ve left the hospital.”
“I’m fine, really.” she assured walking into the kitchen.
He watched her grab two bowls and set them down on the table then took the bag from him pouring the soup into the bowls.
“Did you just buy it?” she asked. “It’s still really warm.”
“Yes,” he replied looking around to find a cookbook open on the counter. “Have you been looking through that? It still looks pretty new, did you just buy it?”
Victoria seemed to stop at what she was doing and just stared at the table. “It was a gift.”
“From Ok Taecyeon?” Donghae wondered.
Victoria set the soup container down and went to search for two spoons. “Did you eat already?”
Donghae watched her wondering if she was feeling uncomfortable. In the end he decided to dismiss it. After a quick lunch they watched some shows on the TV. It was surprising, yet, interesting at the same time that during that whole hour they were together Victoria didn’t really speak to him at all. If he asked a question she’d reply with a short answer that ended the conversation right away. Why was that?
Running things over in his mind he realized that he knew nothing about her at all. Her name was Victoria Song, she was 26 years old, and she’d been missing for the past 14 years. And the only personal fact he knew, the only thing she’d ever told him herself, was that she’d been locked up in a cell - the most terrifying experience she’d had. Other than those few things he knew nothing else.
Why?
Miscommunication? Maybe because he’d been too lenient about forcing her to tell him things about her past? Even if she didn’t say anything maybe he could have possibly questioned her more. Maybe it was his wrong that he hadn’t asked her anything else. Because no matter how long he waited Victoria never would have said anything.
“Do you want to take a short walk?” he suggested. “Eun Chul said that small exercise would help relax your muscles and prevent them from stiffening.”
“Sure,” she easily replied.
Why did it feel as if he was forcing her into doing something she didn’t want to? Why did his proposal to start anew feel like it was running down the drain right from the start? Where was he going wrong?
- - - - -
The leaves rolled along the side of the street as the cars zoomed pass and the wind whirled by. Victoria held her hands into loose fists inside the pockets of her jacket as she walked alongside Donghae. Honestly, before he showed up she’d wanted to spend the day alone. For some reason she felt really burdened that morning. It felt as if a heavy force were weighing down on her oppressing her from breathing correctly.
“There’s a café a few blocks ahead. Lets make that our stop, get something warm to drink, then head back to the apartment. You seem kind of tired, so I’ll drop you off and leave. Does that sound ok?” he asked from beside her.
Why did he have to accustom everything to her liking? He didn’t need to. It made her feel worse. It made her feel as if she were becoming the rock in his life bringing him down.
Crowds formed in the streets and at the end of the block they waited for the lights to go green and let them cross to the other side. She ran her eyes swiftly over each person wondering where each of them were headed. As her eyes swept over them her head also followed the direction in which she were looking. There across the street the most familiar face stared back at her.
Victoria’s heart thumped loudly.
Out of the large crowd he was standing in, why was it that he was so visible? His eyes were darkly penetrating. Full of rage, full of anger, yet he held a mischievous streak to them. It looked as if a dark aura were pouring about him and settling into the air calling for her to look over.
Stopping in her tracks she realized that Donghae were still there with her. Jung Min would see him. What if Jung Min did something to him?! Victoria turned to her right to look for Donghae but he wasn’t there. Where had he gone?! Her mind screamed. Searching around in circles she suddenly caught sight of his back about ten feet ahead of her. He had walked off before her without realizing that she’d stopped farther back.
Now was the time to lose him. If she were to stick with him any longer she would only drown him in danger. A danger that he possibly wouldn’t have the courage to live through. She didn’t want to scar his life.
Pivoting her feet she quickly turned around without looking back and made her way pushing through the crowd heading the way she had come. The wind blew pass her and the racing of her heart was only beginning. From the corner of her eyes she could see Jung Min following her every step.
With her feet moving wildly below her she pondered in her mind about any options, any places she could go. The apartment was no choice. Going back there to where anybody else would go would only lead them to danger.
Victoria gulped before she felt something run into her pushing her out of the crowd and pull her into a small alleyway full of large garbage bins. Possibly an area behind open restaurants where they disposed of their unwanted leftovers and where employees stole to smoke.
“You don’t have a gun on you? I don’t see you pulling one out, trickster,” he smirked at her.
Jung Min’s hollow eyes had become even darker after So Young’s death. He was certainly enraged. The curiosity of where he had taken So Young’s body came to her but she wasn’t in the position to ask. Asking would probably garner her a knife tucked up the bottom of her chin and either get tortured or killed right away.
But he wouldn’t kill her because instinct told her so. As he’d probably wanted from the beginning: he only wanted to toy with her. Give her some more misery. That’d be much more fun to watch. That was Jung Min’s style. His way of work. His way of fooling around.
Jung Min pushed her into the wall and held her there with an arm tucked under her chin against .
“How much time should I give you before the finale?” he asked strangely happy. “A week? Yes, that sounds good. A week to bid goodbyes to all your friends. Sherriff Deputy Im Yoona, your friend Ok Taecyeon, and CEO Lee Donghae.”
Victoria couldn’t conceal the shock she felt when he said all their names. Her eyes went wide and she tried to push against him but he held her back with much more strength.
“As I’ve come to know it, you aren’t well enough to be moving around. Correct?” he smiled again.
Victoria decided she hated the sight of his smile.
“I’ve been watching your every move,” he explained, “don’t think that I don’t have my ways of finding you and those around you. Lets play fair this time, Victoria. So that if you die, you die without cussing at me. I’d hate to know that your ghost is following me around.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“By fair I mean lets set up a place to meet and talk things through.” he went on. “And whoever survives through this whole ordeal can live their life the way they want to. That means that if I don’t walk out alive, you don’t have to go back, and no one will return to report that you’re dead. They will assume that we’ve died together or we’ve gone missing in action.”
Victoria stared at him long and hard. Never would she trust any word from the man of lies. He’d never play truth with her. But playing in a card game she’d have to take the deal out of it and confront it best as she could.
“Leave me alone.” Victoria directly stated. “After a week, I’ll meet you behind the woods in the factory where So Young last stood. Lets end it there. Lets face it Jung Min. I didn’t want to live like this, neither did you.”
Jung Min only stared at her and took a step back. His arm gone from . “A week and if you don’t show, Sherriff Deputy Im Yoona will be first to go. As for the other two I’ll gamble their lives out.”
“You wouldn’t!” Victoria shouted.
“You wouldn’t know, but their lives all depend on you, Victoria.” Jung Min reminded. “I’ll see you then. Our promise…” he held his finger up to his lips then smiled again.
Feeling choked up Victoria remained frozen on spot. She was afraid to move.
- - - - -
When Victoria had turned around to run the way they had come Donghae had only turned to notice that she wasn’t by his side anymore. Glancing worriedly into the crowd he hoped to catch sight of her but she was nowhere to be found. Among all the people surrounding him there was no Victoria.
Where had she gone? Why the sudden disappearance? How would he find her now? If he were to head back to the apartment and wait for her, would it burden her?
In the end he decided to just go back and fetch his car. Victoria probably wanted some time alone and he didn’t want to interfere. What if, by trying to get closer to her, they ended up slowly drifting apart as he and Yoona had since long ago? Donghae didn’t want that to happen. He didn’t want to have another sincere relationship become insincere in the end.
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It was a silent, lonesome dinner that night. Another nightmare came and went by. Awake in the bedroom Victoria sat leaning against the bed with knees drawn up to her chest. She had never felt so alone in that lively apartment. The warmth that had always surrounded the apartment the earlier weeks were now gone. She was cold, her skin tingled from the goosebumps that were forming on her forearms.
Even if she wished to call someone to keep her company, her pride was too high and all their lives were at stake. She couldn’t bear the thought that if she took a wrong step she’d bring them to hell with her. The burden, which should have never been a burden to start with, were becoming heavier.
In the corner of silence she lowered her head into her arms and sat like that the rest of the night.
- - - - -
Yoona awoke early, made breakfast, and sat down to enjoy a cartoon show. After a night of gathering her thoughts Yoona felt that she’d be ok if she saw Victoria and Taecyeon together. Besides…her best friend deserved the best out of the best. All that torture had deeply scarred her and Victoria would never be able to go back to who she used to be. And during all this time…what had Yoona given her?
Sitting there on the couch she moved her eyes to glance out the window. The streets were empty, the sky was grey, and it all looked gloomy. Just like how she was feeling.
When her mother changed the channel she got up and walked into her room. Slipping on a sweater she grabbed her keys and headed out. Minutes later she arrived down the empty streets and parked the car near a brick wall. Down the road, Yoona came to a stop at the black gates and rung the doorbell. Mrs. Kim hurriedly walked out to greet her with the same cheerful smile.
“How have you been recently? You haven’t visited as often as you used to,” Mrs. Kim said stirring the pot of porridge on the stove.
Yoona stood beside her staring at the food, “Busy…kind of. Like you say, there are plenty of ups and downs. I’ve been having a lot of those but nonetheless it makes me happy at the same time as it stresses me.”
“Why so much to worry about? Is something going on?” she asked worried then smiled mischievously leaning over in a whisper, “Or is it a new man in your life?”
Yoona glanced at the woman with enlarged eyes then smiled, “It won’t work out.”
“What? Why would you say that?” the woman seemed to gasp.
“Because I think he’s found someone who’s more capable of making him happy, but my hopes haven’t died yet. He still has the answer I’m waiting for,” Yoona explained optimistically.
“That man will sure regret it if he loses such a great woman like you.”
“And it’d be the same if he loses her,” Yoona silently thought to herself.
***I'm back!!! YES!! I got my laptop back as well! All my files have been retrieved, thank GOODNESS!! No, Thank God!!! =DD
***During this time that I didn't have my laptop I realized how attached I am with it. Weird how humans can bond with items. I don't think I could have understood it at first, but now I understand it because I've bonded with my computer. Its like a silent friend to me during all those years that I've been lonely. =DD I feel like the happiest person ever now!!!
***Good thing, now I can update everyday.
***On the other hand I have 3 stories to work on =( but I can do it!!!
***Welcome back everyone to this story!!! =DD
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