I didn’t know where I was being taken to. Immediately after grabbing me from the hospital, they placed a blindfold on me, and shoved me into a car.

My hands were tied and I was tugged out once the car came to a stop. With no sense of direction, my feet stumbled and I fell to my knees, then only to be grabbed by the arm and placed on my feet once again.

I tried to steady my breathing and calm myself as they pushed me forward. No one says a word and without much freedom, I could only go where they were forcing me to go.

I heard a door shut from behind and some hushed tones coming from all around me. I snapped my head from side to side uselessly. I couldn’t see anything and I didn’t know what was going on or where I was.

I was pushed from behind roughly and fell to the ground. This time, a hand was placed on my shoulder to keep me there. Without sight, I had to rely on my other senses and I bent forward to touch the cold concrete ground. My breath turns into pants and I could only guess what was awaiting me.

“That was easier than expected.”

My head snapped up hearing the gruffly voice.

“Who are you?” I managed to ask without wavering.

“Take off the blindfold.”

At once the cloth was taken off and I blink my eyes a few times to adjust my sight. I was in the middle of a dark room, lit by a few dim light bulbs. The room had a large number of people standing on the sides, their eyes on me. I faced forward and my eyes land on the old guy sitting in the middle. Obviously, the mastermind behind all of this.

He speaks again. “Kim Na Ri…I heard how pretty you were but my expectations have been blown away.” He walked up to me and held my chin to lift up my face. “You’re more beautiful than the rumors.” He turned my face side to side.

I clenched my jaw and smacked his hands away. “You have no right to touch me.”

“I heard about your attitude too.” He chuckled and walked back to take a seat. No one else was saying a word and a young boy walked out from the darkness into the light. Our eyes met and he smirked after seeing the recognition that flashed across my face.

“Why are you here?” I directed the question towards him.

“I see you met my son already.” The old man smiled and it made me so angry to see how pleased he was about the whole thing. “Since you already met Min Guk, I should also introduce myself.” He grinned wider. “I’m Lim Gi Bum and your master from now on.”

After he said that, a door on the side opened and a line of about nine girls walked in. They were dressed with measly clothing and seeing how skinny they were, they looked malnourished.

“Lift your heads!” Someone yelled out and they did.

My body froze. They were the young girls missing from TV. What was more frightening was the more I looked the more I noticed that there was no life behind their eyes. “What did you do?” My voice came out in a whisper. Some didn’t react and others were about to cry.

“I have to make a living.” Gi Bum walked over to look at the girls. “I told you not to beat them up too much! No customers want to see bruises!” He scolded the guy that walked the girls out.

Customers?

“Jae Ho!”

Doesn’t the name sound familiar? I watched as another man walked out and he looked over to me. His eyes widened seeing me there.

“What are you looking at?” Gi Bum followed Jae Ho’s line of vision to me. “Ah~ She’s beautiful isn’t she?” He smiled not catching on the fact that Jae Ho and I knew each other. “I think she’ll make us a lot of money, don’t you think so?” I get up from the ground but get shove to my knees again.

“Why am I here?” I managed to ask.

Gi Bum only smiles. “Would you like to talk to the person who is the reason?” I watched as he took a phone out of his pocket. He puts it on speaker phone and I hear the ringing… once, twice –

“Who the hell is this?”

It was Bang.

“Yong Guk? You sound a little stressed.”

“I ing dare you to lay a finger on her.”

“Why are you so angry? To think I called so you could talk to her.” He smirked. He walks over and places the phone in front of me. I couldn’t help but feel a rush of tears.

“Yong Guk?” I choked on the words.

“Oh God, Na Ri.”

I bit back a sob. “Yong Guk. I’m okay.”

“I’m going to find you.”

At that moment, Gi Bum pulls me by my hair and I cry out in pain.

“Na Ri?” Yong Guk’s panicked tone called out.

“Tell him to come save you. Tell him to give himself up and I’