\ \ \ \ \

For a slight moment Victoria had believed that she might be able to chase after Donghae and believe in the love she was feeling again. Once again her feelings were a tingled mess and there were loops and loops of trouble waiting for her. She needed to attend every concern selflessly. Siwon and Jeju were next on her list then there was just so much for her to do. Locating the ‘Golden Mary’ was exhausting and making the trip back to the government would come after. It was for sure going to be a long process. There was no joy in having a personal life, not like she could have one in the first place.

It was dark now. The sun had set while they’d been talking and the streets were as empty as her heart. A soft wind flew by before a tiny rock skipped toward her feet. Looking up she found Donghae smiling at her. Like any other time he was charming and handsome.

“Hey.” He simply greeted as if she’d been waiting for him all along.

“What are you doing here?” Victoria asked.

“I couldn’t reach you by phone so I wanted to see you.”

Victoria hesitated. Stepping on his feelings was better than losing him later. She would probably never see him again after she obtained the ‘Golden Mary’.

“That’s enough now.” She said. “You should go your own way.”

Obviously, his face expression changed in less than a second. He looked worried than serious. He turned his face toward the ground with a painful smile which he tried to use to pull himself together.

“Then why…did you come last night?”

“I felt obligated.” Victoria lied.

“Are you going to say…you felt obligated to sleep with me too?”

A wave of feelings made Victoria waver on her two feet.

“I poured my heart and soul into you…and this is the false hope you gave me?” his voice trembled. “That hurts, Victoria.” 

Donghae turned around to leave and without thinking Victoria’s foot took a step forward, opened, but no call for him came out. She just stood there in the dark watching his shadow get further and further away from her.

\ \ \ \ \

“Have you figured out anything?” Seohyun asked.

“I’m still searching for anything Noh Ki Young may have purchased,” Siwon explained in the apartment kitchen.

Seohyun sighed, “We’re on a dead end here too. Luhan believes there’s nothing left for us to find out in Seoul.”

“That may be the case."

“This game’s so dirty, don’t you think?” Seohyun questioned then said slowly. “Everything’s…money, money, money. I mean…I used to think highly of money, but I wouldn’t do it to the point where I take from others.”

Siwon pressed his lips into a thin line before grabbing her hand in comfort.

“Victoria came back, but don’t ask her anything. She must have appeared there out of concern for Donghae.” Seohyun said then paused to think for a moment. “Do you think Victoria and Donghae had something going on?” 

Siwon looked at her with a small smile. “He likes her. He told me a lot that he really likes her.”

So was Victoria feeling burdened by her streak of troublemaking that she felt she couldn’t have a life of her own? A sense of guilt plunged into her.

“How’s your job? You didn’t get into a lot of trouble, did you?” asked Seohyun.

“It’s fine, I told them something concerning my family came up so I left,” Siwon proudly said, “I’ve taken the next few days off as well.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “I should be going now, though. I’ll see you later.”

\ \ \ \ \

When Siwon walked out of the door he ran into Victoria who was just about to walk in. He glanced at the heavy circles under her eyes and wondered to himself if she’d been sleeping decently. She smiled at him somewhat before trying to go around him.

“Want to chat for a bit?” Siwon suggested spinning around quickly to stop her from going in.

A few minutes later he quickly walked back to the small table in a metallic café before giving Victoria the coffee he’d bought for her. She gave a small thanks before sipping it.

“You look tired, have you been sleeping?” Siwon started. 

“Somewhat.” Victoria replied nonchalantly.

“Sorry, I heard everything from Seohyun. I went to her that night and forced her to explain to me about what’s going on. I hope you’re not upset.”

“If that’s it, then what are you apologizing for?” Victoria wondered. “So what if you know, what can you do?”

Her words made him feel a little useless.

“I can help you, I can fight with you guys.”

Victoria snorted at him, “Do what? You’re just a cop who moves under the demands of his chief. The chief who makes one move will fall into danger. His plans will be found out, the one who is stronger than him will give him money and tell him to remain quiet, so thus the chief remains quiet and let things go corrupt. That is society. What can you do without a job, without your chief’s orders?”

Siwon pursed his lips.

“Sorry,” Victoria ran a hand up the side of her face and into her hair. “I haven’t been feeling well. Don’t mind me.”

Siwon glanced at her with much understanding.

“Has Donghae contacted you?”

Victoria’s eyes stilled on him.

“I let him go, don’t worry about him.” Siwon began.

“I don’t want to hear about him.” Victoria shook her head. “Just…Seohyun still looms over her parents abandoning her. If you can give to her what they couldn’t, that’s well enough. I’d like it if you could just take care of her. My time’s up, I should go. Thanks again for the coffee.”

Victoria walked away with just that. Siwon turned to watch her go and was sure that as Seohyun had wondered, something had been going on between her and Donghae.

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun watched Victoria come back quietly and sit quietly with her heart on edge. She felt pain and sympathy for Victoria. Victoria was older than her and Luhan, it was a duty for her to feel like she needed to take care of them. But had she forgotten the fact that they were very well adults who have faced my dangers themselves? Or had Victoria been too busy to realize that?

If Luhan weren’t there, perhaps her communication with Victoria may have remained at a platonic stage. She wouldn’t know anything about Victoria as they would have only minded their own matters. It was a good thing they had run into Luhan and she’d brought him with her. Victoria would be nothing but a lonely soul without him. He understood her on so many different levels that Seohyun felt alienated from them.

She had been too cooped up with her own business to worry about what was going through Victoria’s mind. She was always too busy making a mess and leaving Victoria to clean up after her. Seohyun couldn’t just let Victoria lead forever. Right now, Victoria needed someone to lead her. All this time, Seohyun finally realized, she’d been selfish and greedy by only thinking of her own happiness. It was about time she tell Victoria to go for the person who’d be there for her at the end of the day.

At the end of the day Seohyun found Victoria sitting on her bed quietly. When had the last time she seen Victoria like this?

“Hey,” Seohyun greeted with a knock on the open door. “Can I come in?”

Victoria nodded. Seohyun grabbed herself a seat at Victoria’s desk with a warm smile. 

“You look a little off. Are you sure you can go to Jeju like this?” Seohyun asked.

“Work is work.”

Seohyun glanced at the ground. “Victoria, I’m sorry I don’t know about what’s going on in your life. For causing you so much worries and trouble, I’m really sorry. Why did you abort the mission Friday?”

Victoria stared back at her quietly.

“Did you know Donghae was breaking into Yun Man’s place?”

Victoria lowered her eyelids.

“You were worried, so you went, then the cops came.” Seohyun summarized it up with her gentle voice. “Victoria, a person should have feelings too. It’s ok for you to have feelings. You’re not just an agent but a person, and a person will need someone who’ll wait for them at the end of their hard day.

“You don’t need to worry about Luhan or me. We can take care of ourselves, you need to let go and care about yourself. It’s ok, it’s really ok. Don’t feel like we’re your job, we aren’t. You work so hard and all this for a measly key, it’s not worth it, but what’s really painful is seeing you like this. Victoria, do something for yourself. Please.” 

The tears that spilled from her still eyes were endless and honestly was a shock for Seohyun to see. She had never imagined Victoria crying before. Her tears were so sad and it was heartbreaking to see her shoulders shaking. A few tears reached Seohyun’s eyes when she smiled and she reached forward to hug her partner, her leader.

When Seohyun stepped out of Victoria’s room, Luhan was leaning against the wall in the hallway with a smile plastered on his face.

“For the first time since high school, I feel really relieved and happy,” Seohyun spoke, her eyes on the stars above while cradling her knees to her chest on the stairs outside the front door of the apartment.

Luhan smiled along with her.

“Thanks, Luhan,” Seohyun thanked, “for always being there for Victoria. I would have never known that she’s just like a glass doll. How she always remained so confident and strong is amazing.”

“You were there for her too.”

Seohyun nodded, “I feel like we can face the ‘Golden Mary’ head on now. It’s almost over.”

“Yea, I can’t wait until we can say, ‘It’s over’,” Luhan agreed.

\ \ \ \ \

When was the last time she ever did anything for herself? Just purely for herself? Victoria couldn’t remember. It was impossible to remember. Whenever it had been, Victoria slept well that night.

When she woke up she felt more than prepared to just go to Jeju. She was ready to fight and get the ‘Golden Mary’ back.

Siwon stopped by early in the morning with urgent news. He first shook Luhan’s hand when he walked in before reporting to them that Noh Ki Young had purchased a large home, though not as huge as his mansion in Korea.  

“Are you sure that’s where he is?” questioned Victoria. 

“He is in Jeju,” Seohyun backed Siwon up. “I want to see Butler Kim in Gwangju a few days ago, he’s verified the fact that Noh Ki Young is in Jeju.”

“Then we’re going to need to go there as soon as possible.” Victoria said.

“Hold on, let me go with you.” Siwon jumped in.

Victoria frowned at him. “I think this is where you can stop. Seohyun and I can manage from here.”

“If you just waltz right into his home, it’s like a mouse going right for his cheese on a trap,” Siwon tried, “at least I can give us a reason for going. Luhan will remain safe as well. Isn’t he the one who’ll be in the most danger?”

Victoria turned to look at Luhan.

“Fine, what reason?” Victoria asked.

“That there’s been suspicious activity there.” Siwon explained. “There have been reports about ranches being bought off and business nearby closing down. I can say we’re there to investigate these matters.”

Victoria looked at Seohyun before turning back to look at Siwon. 

“I’ll work on the tickets for tomorrow morning.” Siwon offered. “I have connections with the airport manager. We can figure out something, but before that, can I talk to you, Victoria?”

When they were outside Siwon handed her a spare key.

“The thief I’ve been searching for is still on the loose,” Siwon said almost sarcastically, “he should be there well and alone. At least go see him before we go to Jeju.”

\ \ \ \ \

“Are you ready?” Seohyun asked Luhan. “You look scared and excited.”

“We’re getting so close to the key and my father,” Luhan said. “It’s almost…really over.”

Seohyun put a hand on his head, “Don’t do anything out of your boundaries. We all need to make it alive.”

\ \ \ \ \

Victoria gripped the spare key in the palm of her hand so tightly she could feel it prick her skin. It could be the last time, it might really be the last time she would ever see him again. She needed to make it meaningful and confess the words inside her heart. She needed to do it for no one but herself. She could only live if she told him those three words.

“Ahjusshi, can you go faster?” Victoria asked the driver.

It was almost 45 minutes later when she reached the small built cabin just 10 miles away from the popular campsite. The two windows upfront look well-kept and clean. Besides Donghae’s car upfront she saw nothing else but wild flowers before walking toward the wooden shut door. Quietly she peered at the key sitting in the palm of her hand and inserted it into the lock. It fit in perfectly.

With a turn of the key the door unlocked almost silently and Victoria pushed the door open. The cabin was well furnished with comfy sofas further up in front and a spare wall at the side blocking her better view of the living room. A stove and a fridge sat on her immediate right along with a long rectangular table adjacent to the stove and away from the fridge. There was one bedroom ahead, but no Donghae in sight.

Victoria glanced down to see a pair of shoes and closed the door behind her. After sliding out of her shoes she stepped forward and glanced around. The cabin looked really empty. When Victoria stopped by the living room she turned and saw Donghae sleeping on a long sofa against the wall, a pillow in his arms. His neck looked a little crooked but he seemed peaceful at sleep.

She walked over toward him and stared down at his face, handsome and charming as always. Looking at him made her heart thump. She really missed him. As if sensing that someone was there Donghae sleepily opened his eyes first to stare at her for a long time with his eyes repetitively blinking before he shot up. Victoria almost tripped back but maintained her balance and they stared at each other. He still blinked at her clueless about whether she was a dream he was seeing or if she was a mirage.

“Can I…hug you?” Victoria asked.

He locked his eyes on her for the longest time before Victoria stepped forward, put her arms around him, and sunk into a pit of warmth.

“I…love you so much.” She tilted her face into his warm neck. “I’m sorry, sorry for hurting you.”

“You’re really…here?” he asked, eyes wide, a hand at her back. “You’re really, really here?”

Victoria stepped back from the hug and smiled at him. With a kiss on his cheek she said, “Yes.” 

“Stay with me tonight?”

“Sure.”

“Since when have you been staying here?” Victoria wondered toying with his fingers.

They were now seated on the sofa leaning against the other comfortably.

“Since the night you turned me down again.” He snuggled against her.

“Don’t you want to know why I came?”

“No. I only care about the fact that you came. I knew you like me, I always knew it. If I persisted hard enough in liking you, you’d start feeling the same way.”

“Who gave you that philosophy?”

“A book.”

Victoria laughed and leaned against his head on her shoulder.

“I came because I was told to do something for myself.”

“I’m glad.”

“Me too.” 

“The stars appear really prettily here,” Donghae told. “Should we go look at them later?”

“Yea, lets do that.”

He lifted his head off her shoulder to look at her.

His eyes sparkled, “I’m really happy right now.”

Leaning forward he kissed her slowly before passionately.