“Urgh!” she moaned to herself when she turned another long corner and found herself facing another long hallway. 

 

Where were the doors leading to the freaking staircase? Seohyun ran down the long hallway, the clicks of her shoe annoying her to the edge of the world. When she reached the goddamn corner and was prepared to enter it she quickly slid to a halt almost falling forward when she saw men running toward her. Men in neat suits, who looked built and strong. Well it would only make sense for someone like Cha Tae Sung to hire fit men to become his security, Seohyun guessed. And with no choice turned around to run back the way she’d come. A middle aged woman let out a bellow when Seohyun almost ran into her. As clumsy as the incident seemed, it was worse when Seohyun noticed the sprawled papers on the ground. 

 

“,” she whispered to herself before the woman started scolding. 

 

“And it was such hard work! Now I’ll have to organize everything again! Why can’t you be any more careful! Gosh, don’t you people have any manners at all!?” 

 

“Why, lady, doesn’t picking your papers in the middle of escaping seem very manner-like of me?” Seohyun wanted to say the words but grumbled to herself instead. When pounding footsteps poured out from around the corner, Seohyun just grabbed the rest of the papers unworried about whether she’d accidentally created any creases or wrinkles in them and shoved them into the woman’s arms. 

 

Once Seohyun lifted her eyes up, she came to another halt when she spotted three other men running right at her. 

 

“Oh great,” she muttered. 

 

When she out her foot at one of the men who ran toward her, she could hear the high screeched scream of the woman echo around in the hall. Slowly, one by one, the workers of the floor started appearing at the doorway. Seohyun felt like punching herself. Why hadn’t Seohyun thought ahead? What would happen if she disrupted work? But then, again, using a crowd would help her. However, it could be her downfall too. She couldn’t forget all these people worked for Cha Tae Sung, and if he ordered anyone to stop her, they most likely would. 

So, Seohyun, decided, she’d have to try not to create havoc in the building if she didn’t want to die yet. Then the fact hit her again. She was 40 floors up. For certain there would be other security waiting for her downstairs. And, she was still in heels. Crap. 

 

Spinning around she smashed her elbow into the next security’s throat throwing him into the wall. Grabbing the third security’s flying arm, she turned and flipped him over her shoulder, a very basic move she’d learned in class, before continuing back where she’d come from. 

 

“Door, door, door,” Seohyun repeated to herself in mumbles before she skidded to a stop. “Oh my God, Seohyun, are you blind today!?” 

 

The heavenly door leading to her escape had been standing in the same hallway as Cha Tae Sung’s office and she’d run pass it like a rat missing its hole. Pushing open the heavy door she raced down at least two flights of stairs before she stopped to hear about 5 pairs of feet running up. 

 

“Really? From down there too?” Seohyun heaved another annoyed sigh and slid through the door to the 38th floor. 

 

Bounding through another identical hallway, she quieted her steps pressing her back into the wall. Chewing her lower lip she took a small breath to steady her pattern of breathing before leaning her head out from the corner. At least two security guards were paroling the hallway. Turning back she hobbled down the hallway and pushed a slightly left open door before entering the dark computer room. 

Getting down onto her knees beside the closed door she pulled out her phone. She might need help, after all, and no one could help her like Victoria. Very silently she pressed the phone to her ear to hear it ring before she was sent to the voicemail. Groaning she tried again. Victoria wasn’t picking up. Or worse, her phone was dead. 

 

“Great, great, great,” Seohyun ran a hand up her forehead which was now condensed with slight trails of sweat. 

 

She was starting to feel nervous now. What if she couldn’t take them all down by herself? Seohyun reminded herself again that she was still 38 floors away from escaping, and yet she would have to avoid as many security guards as possible. It would be near impossible to fight in heels she wasn’t used to, nor did she want to go barefoot. Injuring her feet was the last thing she could ask for. 

 

Seohyun stared at her phone before she saw Siwno’s name in her small list of contacts. Could she? Was it possible? She bit her lower lip. She wouldn’t have a choice, and this was perhaps the only chance she would have to use her phone. 

 

She listened to the phone ring at least three times, her heart seizing itself within her chest before the familiar voice answered, “Hello?” 

 

“I’m sorry for bothering you, I have a favor to ask.” Seohyun quietly relayed her message. 

 

\ \ \ \ \

Donghae wasn’t very surprised when he woke up alone. He didn’t expect Victoria to stay for him. The first thing he did was pull his fingers up to his lips. His blood tingling as soon as he remembered her kissing him so passionately just last night. It wouldn’t matter if she didn’t mean to do it since she’d been drunk, but she’d kissed him. A heavy smiled armed itself along his lips as he started down the hallway in a jolly mood. 

 

“Excuse me, sir,” a voice stopped him. 

 

Donghae turned to look at the woman behind the desk, “Oh, yea, I forgot.” Donghae trotted over to them and slipped the key across the desk. “My card?” 

 

“Ah…I gave it to your girlfriend when she was on her way out.” 

 

“Who?” Donghae repeated. “Girlfriend?” 

 

The busy day of running cars and walking people all appeared in front of him, each sound vibrating carefully through his senses as the fresh scent of wind whipped itself across his nose. He wanted to find Victoria right away or perhaps he’d use the card as another excuse to see her some other day. Tucking hands into his pockets and shifted his shoulders up and started down the walk peacefully. He knew he had better clock in for work before they called him in. 

 

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun slammed another security guard against the railing before jumping down another flight of stairs. The heel of the shoe felt like it was digging into her feet at every jump. There had even been a time when she’d taken her heel off and used it as a weapon. It didn’t turn out so well and she found she’d rather use her hands for attacks. 

 

She paused when a crowd of security started up looking like a swarm of bees trapped in an overcrowded space. 

 

“!” she groaned before running up the flight of stairs she’d just jumped and pushed open the door running pass the large numbers 35.

 

Her heels resounded down the hallway as she continued running. 

 

“Ah! Sorry!” Seohyun shouted when she ran around the corner and almost rammed into an old man head on. 

 

Slightly moving him aside she continued on aware that the loud heels were most likely a nuisance to those concentrating on their daily work. But she had no choice. Her work was to run. 

 

Out of all the things in her mind she hadn’t expected for Cha Tae Sung to have a high trained gang inside his insurance company, lest she’d have thought it as a battle zone. Cutting down a short hallway she scurried passed closed doors before suddenly reaching the door leading to the stairway. Pausing, she felt her chest lift itself up before falling down. No noise. Even if they were waiting for her on the other side, she knew she’d outwit them. But it was getting dangerous. She didn’t have much energy from just a granola bar to spare. Everybody had their own limits, Seohyun reminded herself and she better get down to the first floor before Siwon arrived. 

Closing her eyes and exhaling she pulled the door opened. A hand grabbed for her arm almost at once. Pressing her feet against the door to hold it where it was she wrapped her other hand around the arm and pulled back and forth repeatedly listening to the man’s body slam against the door before he let her go. Pushing the door against him as hard as she could she slammed her foot into the shoulder of the man running up the steps, pushed him aside, and continued her way down. The numbers by the doors seemingly dwindled as she fought on.

 

28. She flipped one over her shoulder and watched him fall down the stairs. Jumped over the railing to avoid another conflict with another security and continued on. 25, 24, 23...

 

In all her years of training, Seohyun had been taught to stop panting even if she did it very often at the start. Throughout her years, breathing essentially quiet had become a habit and panting had been a skill long lost. However, now, Seohyun found herself almost breathless. She wasn’t panting, but she was for air a little harder than usual.

 

The last few security tumbled down the stairs, the rest of the overcrowded bees still swarming after her as she dashed out from the last door. In no time she had emerged down the hallway she had during the beginning of the day and at last, the bright hue of sunlight shining in through the large blissful window sent her a shiver she’d never felt before. It had felt as if she’d been locked forever, trying to find her way out. 

 

Seohyun had to stop for a brief second to catch a hold of herself. Bending forward ever so slightly she felt both hands land on her knees, and she heaved another deep sigh before bringing herself back up. She needed to go. 

 

Sprinting forward, Seohyun ran toward the large window and placed her hand on it. If it was thin enough it was possible for her to break through. Lifting her foot up she kicked it a few times to discover that it wasn’t as hollow as she’d wished for it to be. Hard, intense windows was something she should have expected from Cha Tae Sung. 

 

“Get her!” someone screamed. 

Pounding footsteps echoed from behind her. Seohyun took a slight glance over her shoulder to see the swarm of bees running toward her, must faster than ever now that they were in the lobby. The two guards at the door halted giving permission for those who were heading out and those where were returning to stare. Seohyun stared around before she saw an arrow pointing to the canteen at the far right of the golden desk. The swarm of bees were heading that way, but it didn’t matter. All Seohyun needed to do was get there before they did.  

 

Seohyun swore she would never wear heels ever again and suddenly understood why Victoria very rarely wore them. As she dashed down the hall with her shoes clicking against every footstep she made, she let everything drown out of her system when the tables and chairs came into view. 

 

“Perfect,” she mumbled. 

 

Speeding up she ran in, looked, and grabbed one looking heavy enough to break window. When Seohyun spun around she saw that the swarm of bees had already infiltrated the canteen from both doorways. Now she was completely cornered. 

 

“Don’t let her get away!” 

 

At the sudden order all of them flew at her. And it became so crazy that Seohyun couldn’t be sure anymore if she’d killed anyone with her swinging chair and kicking. Through it all she could hear shouts from pain and bodies falling, she couldn’t leave out the screaming all around her. She must have given the employees quite a shock. 

She slightly turned her face away just in time when a butter knife flew at her slitting her cheek. The point of something hard slamming into her mid-back forced her forward, but Seohyun had no time to deal with the pain it would spread through her body. Rolling onto her back she grabbed a pair of legs using it as a center of gravity to pull herself up and forced him down onto the ground. Now that she was on her knee she swiped her leg out kicking another down before standing back up. This time, when she turned, she felt something cold slice into her left arm. All was numb at first before she felt something trickle down to the palm of her hand. Seohyun turned to glare at the man wielding a knife and watched him step back cautious of her glare, the content fear from being unsure about what she’d do next shone in his eyes. 

 

Certainly, very certainly she felt sorry for them. Killing wasn’t on her list, but if today called for it, Seohyun was sure she wouldn’t hesitate. Abruptly grabbing his hand and prying the knife out she turned around, pointing it at them. 

 

“Move, and I’ll kill you.” she growled. 

 

They crowded away, someone screamed, a woman for sure, before Seohyun started backing away while dragging the chair along with her. 

 

“Don’t move,” she repeated. 

 

When she was sure she was far enough down the hallway she turned. Entering men and women froze screaming in their spots.

 

“Stop her!” someone from the back screamed. 

Seohyun turned recognizing the voice. For sure, Cha Tae Sung was springing into action again. He was now running toward her, the man from earlier at his back. Seohyun was really out of time. If Siwon were outside, she didn’t know what she’d say to him, but that would come later would come later. 

 

Dropping the knife onto the ground Seohyun rushed at the window and threw the chair at the window turning away as shards of glass flew. When the chair had thrashed through the window, Seohyun had only realized what a mistake she’d made. The hole in the window was far too small for her to go through, and Cha Tae Sung and his men were only nearing. Since injuring herself had been last on her list, Seohyun figured she was really at her wits’ end. Her stomach was crying for more food and she was exerting herself of energy. 

 

Kicking her foot out, she cleared away the rest of the window, almost gently at first until she realized the window needed real kicking. Seohyun turned around to check their distance again before her eyes landed on the beloved knife she’d left behind. Running forward to take it she stabbed at the window and kicked with her foot as hard as she could. 

 

Footsteps deafened her ear. 

 

“Catch her!”

 

Footsteps nearing. 

 

“Stop! Catch her at once!” 

 

Footsteps…

 

It was barely big enough for her, but if Seohyun didn’t take the chance to jump out, she probably never would. The sharp edges of the remaining distorted window slid through her skin like ice cold water, arms held high to block her face from injury. The slow motion injury of her epic jump ended when she landed against the concrete. Seohyun rolled along the rest of the glass shards before pulling herself up unable to hear the screeching tires up ahead. 

 

“Ah…” 

Blood oozed out uncontrollably from her skin and the cuts from just the other day as she forced herself up. Gasps and whispers floated around her as passersby stopped to watch. For the first time in her life her arms were shaking, her legs as well. 

 

“Seohyun!” 

 

Attention caught, she tossed up her head to see Siwon running out from his police car. Police car. Her savior, the police car. 

 

“Stop where you are!” a voice shouted as a man ran from through the revolving door. 

 

Pushing herself up, Seohyun dropped the knife to the ground and ran with all her might toward her heaven, the police car. 

 

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***Woohoo! Siwon to the rescue! 

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