"You stupid ." Tiffany barely managed to breathe out, panting harshly. "Who told you?"

The old man cackled, throwing his head back in the process. "No one my dear. I found out all by myself. Did you really think I was that stupid? Well let me tell you a secret." He leaned down and Tiffany winced when she felt his nasty breath down her neck. "This was all planned. All from the beginning."

At once her eyes flung open in shock, mouth becoming dry. "Y-You mean..."

"That's right. I always knew that you and your friends would betray me. I knew that you would join that pathetic group of theirs. And I knew that you would strike. The mafia leader? Ha! He was nobody. He wasn't even real. Just somebody I hired."

Her world came crashing down as his words flowed. They had walked right into his trap unknowingly. All this time she thought that she had been finally wrecked free of his sinister grasps but the sad truth was that she was never free. She was only on a leash. And now that he had no use for her, she knew he would kill her sooner or later.

"What about N-Nichkhun then. Was he all part of your sick plot to capture me?"

"Oh not at all. Originally he was primary mission but don't fret my dear. Once I'm finished with you and your pesky little gang, I go after him next. He
won't see an ounce of daylight in a week from now."

Abruptly, a loud shriek came from down below and a needle whisked past them at an almost inhumane speed. Tiffany watched as Victoria glared at them, exhaling heavily. She could actually feel her rage seeping out of the girl's body.

"If you think I'll let you do that, you must be crazy, old man!" More needles zoomed past but the boss managed to evade them with ease.

"What are you fools doing?! Seize her!"

At once three men surrounded her, tackling her to the ground. One of them coercively pulled her up by her hair and placed a knife on her neck. Other Gaia members made a move to aid her but were held back by the enemies.

"L-let go!" Victoria made a swift move and stabbed the side of the predator's neck with one of her poisonous needles. The man made a strange gurgling noise before dropping to the ground, lifeless. She had swiftly risen to her feet, hands full of needles as she cautiously eyed the enemies around her.

"Tiffany, what are you doing?! Attack him!"

"I'm afraid she can't, princess. Her body seems to be at its limit." The boss only lightly loosened his grip and yet Tiffany fell down helplessly like a rag doll.

Her arms tingled with pain as she propped herself up with all the leftover strength she had. Tiffany couldn't even feel her legs. Sweat covered her face, making multiple strands stick. She looked so pitiful that it amazed her teammates to see her in that condition. The once amazing Tiffany Hwang had fallen.

"What are you doing there looking like a kicked puppy?! Get up Hwang!" CL rashly yelled, glaring at the crowd of enemies around her.

"What part of 'can't' don't you understand?" The boss made arrogant steps towards Tiffany and bent down, cupping her chin in those filthy hands of his. "I honestly can't believe you left my side for a bunch of pathetic people like those."

"Better than a cockroach like you." She spat in his face. He never looked more offended and angry as he tightened his grip on her.

"Listen to me you worthless piece of scrap. You are my tool. I own you. How dare you defy me. Are you not aware of what I can do to you? I'm the one that made you so pitiful like this and oh believe me, I can do so much worse." He sneered and Tiffany couldn't help but to pale at his words. She bit her lip in fury until she could feel a copper taste.

While she remained on the ground, the boss stood up and faced the crowd of spies below. "This is what will happen if you defy me." He pointed at Tiffany's state. "If any of you dare to betray me then you will end up exactly like her. See this?" He dug through his pocket to pull out a small object.

Yoona gasped as she instantly recognized that pill. It was that same silver metallic one Wooyoung had told them about. No doubt about it. But was this what had made Tiffany behave like this?

"You see this?! This is no ordinary pill! This is a specialized pill that enhances one's physical and mental abilities! This pill will make the best and most adept humans. This is why Tiffany here is one of the best fighters. This is also why she is so weak right now." He held up the pill proudly in his hands. "And this exact pill will be the death of Tiffany Hwang."

"Shut up...." She muttered but it was no use. He kept on babbling.

"All who defy me will face a similar fate as this wretched girl. Look at her. The once the arrogant yet top notch spy has morphed into nothing but a useless speck of dust."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" She mustered all her strength to croak those words towards him. "What do you know? You're the one who forced me! You're the one who sweet talked me into believing you. And you're the one who made my life this kind of hell. Why?! All because you killed my parents!" She slammed her fist down on the ground with fury. "I was your first spy. You took me at such a young age. You robbed me of my innocence too! Without me, there would be ET and you would've decayed in the streets like the filthy rodent you are!"

Her speech only infuriated him further as his foot connected with her stomach, making the girl fly back a few meters with her back hitting the wall harshly. Tiffany groaned in pain and even coughed up some blood.

"You're no use to me anymore. You're nothing but replaceable. There are plenty of others out there that are more capable than you ever will be... Like... Like... Hyuna! Kim Hyuna where are you?!" His booming voice echoed throughout the warehouse but there seemed to be no sign of the girl. Tiffany secretly smirked to herself, remembering that the 4minute girls were still locked up back in Seoul.

"Damn it Hyuna. Where are you?!"

"She's right here." The doors opened in such a fashionably late manner that it seemed to be right out of a drama.

Upon watching the scene, Jessica couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the people entering. Ugh, it was him. He was such a drama queen sometimes. He and his little group. What a bunch of losers.

Four of the 4minute girls were arrogantly walking through the confused crowd with their chins held high even though the nasty bruises inflicted on their face was as plain as day. Yoona giggled when the youngest stumbled a bit because of her bruised knee.

But meanwhile ugh, the main course looked sickening. Hyuna was in the arms of Jang Hyunseun