“Get in, hurry!” Seohyun screamed from the passenger’s side of the car. When Siwon, whose body was only moving according to Seohyun’s command, slide into the driver’s seat she bellowed, “Step on it! Hurry!”

Without a word, Siwon started into the packed street. The further the car traveled down the street, the more Seohyun started to focus on the sweating pain in her arm. Her body was burning and waves of throbbing blood cells felt like they were tearing her skin apart. She had never remembered being so injured before.

Biting her lower lip to help suppress the pain, she shut her eyes and leaned against the window, hand still gripping her bloody arm as tightly as possible. The warmth of the liquid seeped down her fingers and she had to readjust them around her arm again.

“Seohyun…are you ok? Hang in there,” Siwon called from behind the wheel glancing over to see her condition.

Controlling her breathing helped somewhat but she could also feel her legs trembling from underneath her. How many shards of glass had pierced her? How was she going to explain this sudden occurrence to Siwon, the police officer?

Before she realized it, Siwon had the siren and was speeding through the streets. It was only minutes later when they arrived at the front of the hospital. Seohyun could only really recall being carried in his strong arms, Siwon being as careful as possible to avoid her injuries. The warmth of his broad shoulder seemed to promise her that he would make sure everything was going to be alright. After another calm breath left her she felt her head drop against his shoulder.

“Get in, hurry!” Seohyun screamed from the passenger’s side of the car. When Siwon, whose body was only moving according to Seohyun’s command, slide into the driver’s seat she bellowed, “Step on it! Hurry!”

Without a word, Siwon started into the packed street. The further the car traveled down the street, the more Seohyun started to focus on the sweating pain in her arm. Her body was burning and waves of throbbing blood cells felt like they were tearing her skin apart. She had never remembered being so injured before.

Biting her lower lip to help suppress the pain, she shut her eyes and leaned against the window, hand still gripping her bloody arm as tightly as possible. The warmth of the liquid seeped down her fingers and she had to readjust them around her arm again.

“Seohyun…are you ok? Hang in there,” Siwon called from behind the wheel glancing over to see her condition.

Controlling her breathing helped somewhat but she could also feel her legs trembling from underneath her. How many shards of glass had pierced her? How was she going to explain this sudden occurrence to Siwon, the police officer?

Before she realized it, Siwon had the siren and was speeding through the streets. It was only minutes later when they arrived at the front of the hospital. Seohyun could only really recall being carried in his strong arms, Siwon being as careful as possible to avoid her injuries. The warmth of his broad shoulder seemed to promise her that he would make sure everything was going to be alright. After another calm breath left her she felt her head drop against his shoulder. 

“Whew!” Seohyun let out a long sigh stretching her arms as far back as possible to release the tension from her arms.

With a small satisfied smile she glanced at the notebook before her filled with neat handwriting. Alas, her homework was finished. Swinging around in her chair she opened the door to her closet sized bedroom. Once the door creaked open she could hear the sounds of a wooden spoon swishing around in a cooking pot. This noise told her that her mother was currently working on dinner.

A sweet scent drifted through the air as Seohyun neared her mother. A genuine average height woman her mother was. She had the face of a slow aging woman who had very gentle touches. It was thanks to her that Seohyun had grown up in a gentle environment filled with much affection and passion, and because of that Seohyun had grown up a very sensitive girl. However, the past few days had been quite different from what Seohyun was used to and the atmosphere in the house itself made her feel somewhat anxious.

“What are you making, mom? Do you want help?” Seohyun questioned in her soft tone.

An irritated sigh released itself from her mother, “Just go stay in the corner until I call you for dinner! How annoying…”

Feeling a little hurt Seohyun remained in spot hesitating. Should she insist on helping or should she back away? Before an answer came to her the door opened and her tall father walked in, a briefcase in his hand. His face looked weary and was tired of wrinkles. Once he’d tossed his briefcase onto the table he started pulling at his necktie feeling restless and tired from the day’s business. 

“What do you think you’re doing? Take your dirty bag off the table! I just cleaned it for god’s sake! My goodness, I can’t stand you! Once you come home you just have to mess this household up!” her mother yelled.

“What!?” her father asked dissatisfied with how his wife was treating him. “Mess this household up? I just placed my bag on the table, woman! And why are you still cooking dinner!? There should be plates of food all set and ready for me the moment I walked through that damn door!”

“Well mind you who sits on a lazy chair all day! Who do you think I am!? I am not your servant!” her mother shot back.  

Her short tempered father bit his shaking bottom lip before shooting a hard stare at Seohyun and demanded through gritted teeth, “Go you in your room.”

“D…dad…”

“Did you hear me or not!?” her father bellowed, eyes red from irritation and exhaustion.

Swallowing down her feelings of uncertainty she backed off into her room. Dinner had been tossed to the ground and Seohyun had spent the evening sitting against the door, hands covering in hopes of muffling her cries.

“She’s already a grown girl! It’s enough of a burden having her around. I can’t stand this anymore, not you or her!”

And the argument had lasted all night…

A white sky met with Seohyun’s eyes and quickly flowered into dim yellow rosebuds.

“Seohyun? Seohyun?” someone repeatedly called her name. 

She winced from a pain striking up and down her arm before she realized she was unconsciously trying to sit up. Her mind was a buzz, spinning so hard that she couldn’t grasp a hold of anything. Where was she? In her home? Were her parents waiting for her outside her room? Why couldn’t she hear any arguing?

When a pair of warm hands touched her shoulders she seemed to wake from her trance. With her long hair drooping over her shoulders she turned to see Siwon staring at her. And he was so very close that it felt like he was only a breath away. Immediately, her heart stopped feeling the scared kind of anxious that had been pulsing through her veins and instead her heart began fluttering when she disappeared into his eyes.

“Are you ok?” Siwon questioned. “Were you having a bad dream?”

Her heart melted at his concern. It had been so long since someone had sincerely worried about her. Pressing her lips together she pulled on a smile and shook her head.

Siwon returned a gentle smile, “How are you feeling? 52 pieces of glass had been taken out.”

“I,” Seohyun started, “want to go home.”

“Ok, I’ll take you back.”

\ \ \ \ \

Restlessly tapping her foot against the floor of the kitchen Victoria stared out the window with arms crossed. Where was Seohyun? Why was she feeling anxious? Biting her lower lip she turned back to stare at the clock.

“Try calling again!” Victoria raised her voice.

Silence.

“She’s not picking up,” Luhan replied suddenly appearing at the doorway of the kitchen.

Victoria turned to look at him and felt her eyes move to the phone in his hand. She whispered a sigh from her lips before fully shifting herself to face him.

“I don’t feel good. Lets go look for her.”

Walking pass him she started for the door but even before she could fully walk toward it, it opened. Victoria found herself looking at Seohyun, who was held very intimately by both shoulders. And the person holding her was none other than Choi Siwon.

It was honestly awkward looking at them and feeling betrayed, yet hurt at the same time. Why Seohyun? Why Siwon? The only questions that crossed her selfish mind were those questions. Why did Seohyun have to be with him of all people?

“Thanks for accompanying me back,” Seohyun turned to Siwon with a smile.

Victoria averted her eyes hoping they didn’t notice and slightly turned back to steal a glance. She was in time to see Siwon flash Seohyun one of his charming smiles.

“I’ll go now then,” Siwon told before backing out the door and without even saying goodbye to Victoria he left.

It felt like her heart was hanging in dry air waiting to explode from an undiagnosed disease. The pain was spreading very fast and she could only feel hurt from recalling the way he’d looked at Seohyun. Unconsciously Victoria was already gripping onto her heart with a fist.

“Luhan,” Seohyun’s voice made its way to her ears, “can I talk to Victoria alone?”

Stiffly looking up from wherever her eyes were she and Luhan quickly glanced at each other before he nodded. Without a word he left the apartment. When Victoria finally brought her eyes to Seohyun she saw bandages, stitches, bruises, and fresh cuts all over her body. Forcing her jealousy and hurt away aware that she could no longer dwell on them, she frowned at Seohyun. 

“What’s this? What’s with all the injuries?” Victoria started.

“I’m hungry…” Seohyun weakly muttered with pitiful eyes that sent guilt fluttering inside Victoria’s body.

Minutes later in the kitchen with Seohyun sitting at the table and a plate of freshly cooked food in front of her and Victoria standing opposite from her, all was quiet. Seohyun suddenly had an image of a starved child. While looking at her Victoria realized she had suddenly grown a soft spot for this co-worker of hers.

“You want to explain where you were and what happened?” Victoria questioned.

After a spoonful of rice Seohyun dropped her spoon onto the plate and rubbed her belly. “I want to see Cha Tae Sung.”

Her eyes narrowed instantly, “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Seohyun apologized like a child who was ready for punishment and finally admitting their wrong, “I shouldn’t have gone. When I got there I realized how big of a part you played in all this. I was foolish…but I just wanted to help since you already did so much. I’m sorry, I’ll listen to you and I won’t wear heels anymore.”

Whatever Seohyun had just said ran through Victoria’s ears without transitioning into complete sentences.

Victoria’s face became a mix of confusion, “W…wh…what?” 

Seohyun moved her eyes elsewhere guilty.

“What did you go see Cha Tae Sung for?” Victoria hardened the tone of her voice. “Where did you go?”

“His office,” Seohyun replied, “I was found out. He knows I’m not a reporter and I was chased inside the building.”

The absurdity of it all left Victoria staring at Seohyun with intense eyes. How to react? She didn’t know. To yell at Seohyun about her idiocy or to leave as it was? For some reason, Victoria also felt like Seohyun’s actions would only help her and Luhan out. On the other hand, she still felt like slapping Seohyun for having moved alone.

Clamping her eyes shut she ran a hand up her face and silently rested her thoughts on each end. With a loud sigh she removed her hand and stared at Seohyun who had suddenly become like a child, an innocent child at the peak of a normal life turned wrong. No matter how it all turned out, Seohyun was no longer at the age to be disciplined by her. Honestly, Victoria knew she didn’t have much say in anything.

“You should have told me where you were going,” Victoria stated.

Seohyun stared at her as if she’d been wronged, “I called you for help. You didn’t pick up.”

Victoria blinked at Seohyun’s words then suddenly recalled she’d left her phone behind last night after having gone out. She had believed she’d come back, but things hadn’t turned out so well.

Feeling apologetic, Victoria said, “Sorry.”

“Forget it,” Seohyun pushed her apology off, “but you…you went to see Cha Tae Sung too, didn’t you?”

She stared at Seohyun.

“He’ll know you’re a fake by now,” Seohyun explained. “He must have been cautious after you visited him…but how…”

Victoria looked away. Seohyun couldn’t find out about what she and Luhan were doing. After working without Seohyun she knew Seohyun would only be upset if she found out they’d joined hands behind her back. And also if she knew the fact that Luhan was after the ‘Golden Mary’ had been kept a secret from her, she’d blow. Besides, Seohyun and Luhan were longtime friends.

“Luhan wanted to visit him, so I tagged along.” It was a white lie, but Victoria also meant no harm.

“Luhan? Is that where you two disappeared to yesterday?”

Victoria nodded.

“So, there wasn’t anything going on?”

Puzzled, Victoria frowned, “What?”

“Ah…nothing.” Seohyun shook her head.

“Look,” Victoria started, “since you’re not in the condition to do anything, we won’t be able to do our jobs at the moment. I can’t be sneaking into homes with an injured person, so we’ll wait until you get better. For now…just stay low. I’ll figure out what to do next. Do you hear me?”

Seohyun replied with a sullen nod.

\ \ \ \ \

Where had Seohyun gotten all those injuries? Bizarre images passed through Luhan’s mind as he kicked at the gravel on the ground. Sticking hands into his pockets he shifted his head up and glanced toward all the windows neatly aligned. What was Victoria saying to Seohyun? Was she perhaps scolding her? Lecturing her? Or was she coming up with another plan at the moment?

Luhan nervously chewed on his bottom lip and paced back and forth. If Seohyun had gotten that injured it could only mean that getting closer to the ‘Golden Mary’ might mean they would have to start sacrificing some things…whatever those things would be.

He turned when footsteps halted outside the door and saw Victoria looking over at him. She walked over and pulled him away from the sidewalk.

“Cha Tae Sung,” Victoria began, “how big is he?”

Luhan furrowed his brows taken off guard by her question.

“I mean, how big is his place in the industry? Is he an important authority? How wide is his network connection?” she poured the questions out.

“What?”

“How much people does he know in the industry? How many partners does he have? How many contracts does he hold?” Victoria tried. “Can he tap information from other networks he might not even be associated with?” 

“I…I don’t know…” Luhan muttered, his back closing in on the wall of the building.

Victoria turned to look away taking a step back.

“Why?”

“What are you going to do now?” Victoria ignored his question. “After seeing Cha Tae Sung, what are you going to do now?”

“What about Seohyun?” Luhan wondered also ignoring her question. “Is she ok?”

He could see the outline of her jawline come through her cheeks after clenching her teeth together.

“It’s crazy, beyond absurdity,” Victoria commented as though talking to herself, “Seohyun was sought after at the office.”

“What!?” Luhan raised his voice. “In public!? How!!?”

“Shh!!” Victoria ushered pulling him toward the small alley beside the apartment building where garbage was thrown.

“How could that happen!?”

“Did you not hear me say it’s crazy?” Victoria hissed letting go of his arm. After heaving another sigh she repeated, “So what’s your next move? Since this has happened, it’s becoming our advantage. I’m not letting Seohyun work with me with those injuries on her body. I need to have an idea of what you’re going to do in order for my goals to complement it.”

Luhan stared at her before slowly blinking his eyes. “With Seohyun like that, it’s only become more serious. I don’t know what I’m going to do either.”

“So?”

“I’m going to lay low and snoop around, I’m sure I’ll come across something,” Luhan answered. 

\ \ \ \ \

After dropping Seohyun back at the apartment, Siwon was sure she’d be safe. Questions still filled his mind. No matter how much possibilities he tried to think of, none filled the gaps for how Seohyun had gotten such injuries in a company that provided for the people. Should he ask Seohyun for answers? Would she tell him? Would she trust him enough to let him in on her secrets?

He’d driven back to the scene of the broken window. The knife Seohyun had wielded was gone and the chair that had been lying on the concrete was also gone. A couple of janitors were hard at work sweeping up the rest of the windows on the ground. Peering in through his car he could see government employees drifting in and out as if nothing had happened at all. None of it filled in the blanks. It didn’t make sense how Seohyun would have walked in like a normal person and came out all bloody.

\ \ \ \ \

Slouching down on her bed Seohyun gripped onto the end of her mattress. All she could think now was how much of a burden she was becoming to Victoria. Now she’d even delayed their work. If she kept being such a fool, how would they ever retrieve the ‘Golden Mary’?

Biting onto her tongue she tossed herself back and stared up at the ceiling. She couldn’t do anything. How would she become capable of compromising her personal life with her work if her work took up all her time?

\ \ \ \ \

Once she had entered her room she trotted over to the lonely desk awaiting her at the end. Nearing it Victoria saw her cellphone lying there untouched since last night. Picking it up she went through her missed calls and indeed Seohyun’s name was there. Heaving a small sigh she dropped the phone carelessly back onto the desktop. She felt bad for having left Seohyun alone. If she had had her phone on her she would have flown to her rescue in no time. No matter how capable Seohyun was of defending herself, Victoria never had imagined that she’d ever escape with scarred with cuts and bruises, but this time Seohyun had barely escaped alive. If they weren’t careful, they’d only get the worst of it.

Suddenly recalling the existence of the card handed to her that morning she reached into her pocket to pull it out. She found herself staring at Lee Donghae’s name engraved on it ever so neatly. The kiss, the pounding of her heart…his lips infiltrated her mind. Victoria gulped and felt her pulse race from just the thought of it.

Why was he suddenly so handsome?

The question flashed in her mind like lightning and she quickly tossed the card beside her phone. No, she couldn’t like him. She didn’t want to have feelings for him. Still, her heart raced and leapt at the mere thought of him.    

***I feel so annoyed with having to repost the chapters that were deleted -.- I mean, I know it's no one's fault either, but I had a stressful weekend so I'm feeling short on patience and angry for no reason at all.

***Just a reminder as I've written before this chapter was deleted, the charging cord to my laptop failed on me and I can't work my laptop without it so I just decided to buy a new one since my laptop was old anyway. And so, I lost the original copy I had of 'Golden Mary' that I had first written. Victoria was supposed to be furiously angry w/Seohyun in this chapter, but after I had to rewrite it I thought it through.

***The reason why Vic doesn't yell at Seohyun is because she realizes Seohyun is an adult for herself, and should have her own sense of judgment. There's really no point in lecturing her or giving her an outright scolding from Victoria's point of view. And everything's going to Vic's advantage since in the first place she doesn't want Seohyun finding out about what she and Luhan are doing behind her back, so she won't say anything more. This was the purpose behind her telling Seohyun to lay low and relax for a few days