"As of right now, an investigation is underway for the whereabouts of the child known as Zulay Kwon. The authorities are currently combing the area she was last seen for any leads. For those interested in helping the search, the child is approxiametely 2 feet tall, has long brown hair and was last seen wearing a purple coat and pink boats. We have set up a helpline for those who want to..."

The Chief of Police's voice blurred away as Amelle stared over the crowd from where she sat. She didn't care what the polieman said as he talked and talked and talked. She sat in a daze. They had made her sit next to Ji-Yong and it had comforted her, but a part of her felt to guilty to be this close to him. This time the day before she had been pregnant, with SooHyun's child no less and he had no idea. He squeezed her hand gently, letting her know he was there. It made her want to vomit.

"If you have any questions, now is the time to ask"

The crowd was noisier now, all fighting to get their voices heard. To Amelle, it was just white noise.

"Do you believe that the child was abducted by someone you know because according to statistics-"

"Have there been any ransom demands?"

"Do you believe this is mafia related?"

"Are you sure your child wasn't abducted due to your involvement with seperate parties while still being married?"

This question broke through the whiteness and caught her. Her vision cleared to the women who had asked the question. A smartly dressed woman, perhaps too overdressed. She was young, younger than Amelle anyways. She guessed it was her first press conference. A sneer appeared on her face.

"Excuse me bi-"

"My wife and I" Ji-Yong cut it, speaking loudly into the microphone, "are very committed parents. We were determined not to let our trial seperation affect the relationship we have with our daughter..."

"But if you'd both been together, then you'd still have your child"

"Excuse me!"

Ji-Yong winced. Amelle was about to go off on a tangent and with all the press here, it was not going to go well at all. 

"Don't you think you should be sitting there taking down details about the fact that our child is MISSING, rather than prodding at our marriage like some pathetic deranged fan girl? Amelle snarled into the microphone staring the girl down. The room had gone oddly quiet now, and Ji-Yong watched as the journalist was escorted, protesting no less out of the building. Ji-Yong's manager came into frame.

"If there are any important questions that need to be asked, now would be the time..."

The chief of police was interrupted as the projector suddenly whirred into life and a video appeared on the screen.

"Annyeonghasaeyo! Ji-Yong oppa! Amelle-unni!"

The faces of young VIPs appeared on the screen, shouting and waving their hellos. Ji-Yong squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Was someone pulling a prank?

"We know you're very sad at the moment because of what has happened, and we hope this video will make you feel better!"

The scene changed and Zulay's face filled the screen, smiling and giggling. Amelle's stomach dropped to the floor and she felt bile rise in . Instinctively she reached for SooHyun's hand and found Ji-Yongs, which sha glasped so hard it hard. The scene changed again and the song 'Cinderella' by Steven Curtis Chapman began to play. Ji-Yong paled.

As the song began, a compilation of recorded Zulay moment's filled the screen. Videos of her in the practice room with Ji-Yong, dancing along to 'Crayon', videos of her dropping by the concert arena to see her daddy, her at photoshoots with her mummy. The scenes carried on, each making Ji-Yong sink deeper into his chair. The technicians were working hard to gain control over the system, but nothing was working. As he turned to face Amelle, he found her seat empty and a blurr rushed past him. 

He watched as Amelle, as frail as she had been the past few days, wrapper her arms around the projector and heaved it up, yanking the cords out of the sockets.

"Amelle, NO!" He cried, as she hurled it against the nearby wall, it smashing into large uneven pieces. The crowd silenced. The show was officially over.

When Amelle woke up, she was on the bed she and Ji-Yong used to share. Her clothes had changed, she was wearing only a t-shirt and underwear. She felt exposed, that Ji-Yong had seen her semi- body, even though he was her husband and he had seen her countless numbers of times. She clutched the covers to herself and scanned the room. He was nowhere to be seen. She called out for him softly.

"Ji?"

No answer. 

Slowly, she climbed out of the bed, her toes flinching against the cold wood floor, and tiptoed towards the door and opened it a crack. She could hear him, but she couldn't see him. Journeying further in, she found him asleep on the sofa, his body hunched up in discomfort. He had always hated sleeping on the couch. She smiled miserably. His place was in the bed she had slept in, but he respected her enough not to join her. She circled the sofa, and sat at the end, moving his feet gently. Small tears started to fall down her face.

"Babe?"

Amelle froze, before letting her shoulders drop. She had woken him up. She motioned to get up.

"Stay" Ji-Yong grasped at her wrist and she floated back down. He pulled his legs up slightly, making more room for her.

"Couldn't sleep?" He enquired, wanting desperately to hold her. As the sleep cleared from his eyes, he noticed the tears running down her cheeks.

"Amelle-?"

"Do you regret marrying me?" She asked miserably through her tears. She was the black mark that relentlessly followed around their family. First Jae-sun, then the death of Leon, then SooHyun and now Zulay. Even Ji-Yong was suffering because of her. Maybe it would have been better if they had never met.

Ji-Yong pressed his hand againsts her cheek and wiped away a few stray tears, forcing her to look at him. He crouched next to her on the sofa.

"You...you were by far the best thing that has ever happened to me" Amelle laughed, a drunken laugh full of tears and sniffed softly. She pressed her cheek into his palm and relished his touch. She had missed him deeply. 

Ji-Yong watched her, her eyes closed and caressed her cheek. No other woman in the world would ever be able to replace her. She was his north star. He his lips slowly, as she opened her eyes to find him watching her. 

"I never stopped loving you"

With that, he did something he had wanted to for a long time. After months and months, Ji-Yong leaned in, smelling the sweet familiar smell of his wife, and pressed his lips against hers. Pulling away, he wrapped one arm around her and whispered into her ear.

"I love you Amelle"

"I'm sorry" Amelle whispered back, pressing her lips against his and allowing him to kiss her properly. His lips were soft and longing, wishing to be closer to her, and she allowed it, desired it even. Their kiss deepened as they remembered how long it had been since they had last touched each other. Ji-Yong's hand was warm in the ball of her back as she ran her fingers through his short hair. 

Pulling away from her lips, Ji-Yong began a trail of kisses down her neck, excentuating each with the phrase 'I love you'. Amelle rolled her head back as she let her hands wander underneath his shirt. She was right. He had lost weight. Her hands grazed over his abdomen and he jolted, pulling away. 

Immediately, Amelle removed her hands, and Ji-Yong shrunk away. He was bruised and battered. Maybe this wasn't the right time to do this. Standing up, Amelle motioned to return to their bed, when she turned and held her hand out to him. She wanted him, mind, body and soul. As if reading her mind, he took her hand and stood up to facing her. Gently, the material of his t-shirt, she pulled the material up and over his head

Amelle didn't think she had wanted Ji-Yong before as much as she did now. She was scared, she was angry, she was lost and she had no idea where to begin in her search for Zulay. She was completely out of control and he was the only thing holding her down. 

He held his body weight up as her hands busied themselves with undoing his button and zipper. She was desperate to feel something, to become part of reality. 

Ji-Yong had wished and wanted, waited for his chance to be with her in this way again. Now he was finally being given the chance and this time it wasn't simply for pleasure. They were deeply hurt, both needing something to bring them back together, and if this was it, he would never say no. 

"I love you' he whispered, an inch away from his face, and she noticed how his eyes watered as he spoke. He was hurting so ing much.

"I love you too"

Amelle lay facing the ceiling as Ji-Yong showered, wondering what the future held. She and Ji-Yong were closer now, they had used each other for comfort and now they would find their daughter together, it was simply baby steps. She winced at her use of the term. Holding Ji-Yong's shirt to her chest, she breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. If she could get through the night, she would find her baby tomorrow.

BUZZ

Amelle opened one eye. It was almost 4am. Who would be calling at such a time? She reached for her phone and scanned the screen.

*BLOCKED NUMBER*

Pressing the ignore button, she settled down onto the bed and tried to get some sleep. She hadn't slept for days now. Her phone buzzed again. She snatched it up and motioned to turn it off when she caught sight of the message

*I have your child*

Amelle tensed. Should she call Ji-Yong? Should she call the police? The phone remained cold in her hand. Staring at it, it began to ring again. Immediately the phone buzzed again and without hesitation, she answered the call.

"You're lying"

"I don't make it my habit to lie, Belle" 

Amelle paled as she heard a word she had not been called for almost six years. 

"What did you say?"

Her tone quivered though she tried to cover it.

"You heard me Belle"

"Who is this?" Amelle hissed angrily. Someone had to be playing a trick on her and when she found out, she was going to ring their scrawny little neck.

"Let's try and refresh your memory, shall we? Tiger, tiger"

A click signified the call was over, and Amelle sat in silence. Bile rose in . Tiger, tiger. She knew exactly who it was, and she knew what he was capable. And what was worst, he had her child. She looked towards the bathroom door, Ji-Yong was still in the shower, but he wouldn't be for long. She had to do something.

Rushing to her dresser, she yanked it away from the wall, and slid out the secret compartment. She had made it herself, making sure Ji-Yong wouldn't know it was there, even if he tried. Sliding it open, she grabbed the one thing she knew she'd need. Placing it on the desk, she motioned to get dressed, grabbing a pair of durable jeans and yanking them on, followed by a singlet and a dark jacket. Grabbing the name card and stuffing into her pocket, she headed for the door when she heard her shower turn off. Ji-Yong popped his head around the corner, frowning at her clothes. 

"Where are you going?"

"Just hitting the 24 hour store for some vitamins, I need all my strength for tomorrow" Amelle lied, her nails digging into her palm. She prayed he wouldn't see the guilt in her eyes. She had done this before, disappearing in the middle of the night without leaving him a clue of where she was going, but she needed him to take care of Jae-sun, and this matter was too personal for him to handle.

He nodded and almost turned away, before smiling at her.

"I love you, you know that"

"I love you too Ji"

She reached for the door.

"Take your phone! It's late..." Ji-Yong yelled from the bathroom, and Amelle complied, taking the phone and shutting the door behind her. Creeping into Jae-sun's room, she found the boy sleeping, his breathing gentle and slow. Crouching by the bed, she his hair and brushed away a tear.

"I did it for you. I will do the same for her"

Planting a kiss on his forehead, she left the apartment. Locking the doors, she slid her keys into Ricky and Hwayoung's apartment letterbox. They'd hand them back to Ji-Yong when they found them, but by then she'd be gone. Taking the elevator down to the lobby, Amelle took what she believed would be her final look at the moon. She was going back into the belly of the beast, and there was no light there. 

Her phone buzzed as she stepped onto the street, a message from Ji-Yong.

Can you buy milk?

-Ji

Ok sweetie

-Amelle

Sending the message, Amelle located the nearest storm drain and tossed her phone in. She watched as the black liquid devoured it, symbolically stealing her identity away. By the time Ji-Yong found out, she would be long gone. Taking out the namecard, she located the name of the man she meant to see, Harper, and slid down an alleyway.

For the third time in her life, Amelle was officially off the radar.