The house was hectic, people were walking around, chatting, talking and planning. As Jiyong closed the door, everyone stopped to look at him. For a moment he remember the times he got back home really late, after his scheduled was done hours before.

“Care to tell us where have you been?” Seunghyun said and Jiyong shrugged as he set his keys on the table next to the front door.

“In my villa, why?” Jiyong said. Seunghyun raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“And I supposed you went back alone to reminiscence on the past?” Seunghyun said and Jiyong raised an eyebrow this time, all of a sudden his leader mode , and his chest grew while his face turned stern.

“I don’t remember having to ask you guys for permission.” He said and Seunghyun scoffed.

“Your stupidity has brought chaos, I hope you know.” Seunghyun said and pointed at Bom, who was almost in a trance while typing on her laptop.

“Woochoong ordered his men to eliminate you on sight. He said Chaerin turned her back against him and now is siding with you. Now you’re the number one priority. And her.” Bom said and Jiyong widened his eyes.

“What do you mean ‘and her’? What does that means?” Jiyong said and Bom finally looked at him.

“It means she will also be killed on sight.” She said, then looked at Seunghyun. “I was told he was smart.” She murmured. Jiyong didn’t put any thoughts on her insult and shook his head.

“I have to find her.” Jiyong said as he grabbed his keys. Youngbae, who was now at his side, grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“And do what? Die together like Romeo and Juliet? Don’t be stupid Jiyong, that’s what he wants.” Youngbae said and Jiyong glared at him.

“Then what do you suggest? That I hide while she’s being murdered?” Jiyong almost yelled, and Youngbae just looked back at Seunghyun.

“I suggest that we plan things through, without hesitation.” Seunghyun said and Jiyong scoffed, his free hand pulling his hair back in exasperation. He knew he didn’t had any choices but do as told, but the thought of her being killed on spot was driving him crazy.

“Alright, but if she’s killed while we’re thinking things through, I’ll personally kill you all.” He said, and his inner self slapped him for threatening his comrades, s, his brothers. Seunghyun, however, just nodded.

“Aside from all that. We have good news for you.” Seunghyun said while sitting next to Bom. She looked at Jiyong and smiled.

“We found some whereabouts on your sister. You were right on one thing, she’s now called Kim Dami. Apparently Kim Woochoong adopted her. Her last address was in the United States. She’s not living there now, apparently, she’s here in Korea. That’s all we know for now.” Bom quickly explained and Jiyong nodded, suddenly feeling a slight hint of relieve.

“That’s good. Thanks.” Jiyong said.

“One more thing.” Bom quickly said. Jiyong looked at her with wide eyes. “Since her profile is hidden even from me, she’s probably in the company too. We have to be careful.”

“You mean she became… a hired killer like us?” Jiyong said and all the people on the room nodded.

“For all we know, she could be working with Woochoong.” Youngbae said.

“I guess that’s the bad news.” Jiyong said and sat down. Minjie came back with a tray of juice. She handed one glass to everyone, then looked at Jiyong. Her face told him she wasn’t expecting him there, since there was no other glass left.

“I’m sorry, I’ll bring you one right away.” She said and Jiyong shook his head while he lifted his hand.

“No need, you’re not our servant Minjie.” He said and Minjie nodded.

“Still, would you like something?” She said and Jiyong shook his head again.

“I lost my appetite.” He said and she nodded again, setting the tray on the coffee table and grabbing her laptop.

“So, where do we start?” Youngbae said. Everyone looked at their hands, at the floor or at Jiyong, who was resting his back on his chair, his legs crossed and his right hand close to his face. He looked at them all, then let his hand fall on the arm chair, his fingers moving involuntarily as he thought of what Chaerin told him.

“We should start with Chaerin’s father.” Jiyong said.

“Chaerin’s father?” Seunghyun said.

“Right, Professor Lee Kijin, that’s good.” Bom said as she started typing on her laptop.

“What does Chaerin’s father has to do with all of this?” Seunghyun asked and Bom patted his shoulder as she looked at her screen.

“Honey, aside from being the best Physic professor out there, he has been working with Kim Woochoong almost all his life.” Bom said.

“So?” Seunghyun said.

“He might know a way to penetrate Woochoong’s empire without being noticed.” Jiyong said. For a moment, Seunghyun still looked confused, but a second later, as if a breeze of realization had hit him, his eyes lit up and he nodded.

“Then he’s the key.” Seunghyun said.

“No, he’s the road, we still need to find a key.” Youngbae said. James, who was sitting quietly on a chair not too far from Jiyong, finally looked up at them.

“We have that key. Jiyong, remember that Taemin we met last night?” he said and Jiyong nodded, then quickly searched his jacket for the paper that Taemin handed him the night before.

“Hotel Hyatt, room 1001.” Jiyong read the paper aloud.

“Hotel Hyatt?” Seunghyun said. Jiyong shrugged and nodded.

“Who’s coming with me?” Jiyong said. Youngbae and James both stood up.

“I’m coming.” Both James and Youngbae said. Jiyong nodded and stood up.

“While we search for that key, why don’t you search for Lee Kijin? We might as well find our road and our key today, I don’t think Chaerin has a lot of time.” Jiyong said as he grabbed his key. James handed him a gun and some ammo while Youngbae gave him a dagger. Jiyong looked at them both and nodded, and the three of them left the house.

As always, Jiyong decided to drive, while Youngbae sat on the passenger’s seat and James on the backseat. As if they were being followed, Jiyong drove top speed until he reached the hotel, not that far from their house. As he parked the car in front of the hotel, the three of them looked at the place. People with expensive clothes walked around the place. It was a normal winter night on the hotel, but there was something on the atmosphere between them that made them feel uncomfortable, and Jiyong, having an inner instinct of protection, felt his muscles tense and his body moving uncontrollably.

“We should go.” Jiyong murmured and the other two guys nodded, all three of them getting out of the car. James walked first, being the tallest gave him the advantage of walking faster. Jiyong tried to position himself at the back, but Youngbae made him move in the middle of them, a way of protecting him. After all, it was his head at stake. As they entered the lobby, a few attendants walked towards them, their eyes instantly widening as they realized who they were.

“It’s a pleasure to have you tonight, can we help you?” A man said. Jiyong looked at both Youngbae and James, then smiled, his signature smile.

“No, thank you. We’re just visiting a friend.” Jiyong said and the man slightly bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, we have to ask you who you are visiting. Hotel’s policy.” The man said. Jiyong cursed on his mind but still smiled.

“Sure, we’re here to see Lee Taemin, he’s staying at the room 1001.” Jiyong said and the man nodded, quickly searching on a small tablet he had in hand.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have any Lee Taemin on record. Are you sure you’re in the correct hotel?” The man said. Jiyong his lips and raised his eyebrow immediately. Youngbae elbowed him, he was, after all, starting to look menacing and dangerous.

“Look, I honestly don’t have any time for games. I’m a busy person, we all have things to do. Can you just let us in?” Jiyong said, his voice dangerously calm. The man looked at them, James was now resting his body on the counter while Youngbae was looking at his nails.

“I’ll bring the manager.” The man said and quickly walked away. Jiyong looked at Youngbae, who was looking intently at the door that led to the stairs.

“You go ahead, I’ll stay here.” He said. Both James and Jiyong nodded and walked quickly towards the stairs. James looked around while Jiyong opened the door, and they both got in, closing the door behind.

“It’s the tenth floor, make a run for it?” James said. Jiyong chuckled and put a foot on the first step.

“Let’s go.” He said and the both of them started to run. Both of them were fast, but James was a slight faster than Jiyong. As they reached the 8^th floor, Jiyong was starting to feel suffocated, out of breath and his panting was getting louder.

“Are you ok in there?” James said. He was panting too, but it wasn’t as severe as Jiyong’s. Jiyong just nodded, holding himself with the handrails.

“Yeah, it’s just… I’m getting old.” He said, trying to sound humorous, but he knew too well it wasn’t that. His condition was slowly degenerating him, he could feel it within him. He could feel it every time he walked, every time he talked or had . It was as if his endurance had lowered to a point he could no longer exercise properly, and it was frightening him.

“Yeah, we all are. Come on, we’re just two floors away.” James said patting his shoulder. Jiyong gulped down and took a deep breath, then nodded and started walking. It was bizarre, what he was feeling. He didn’t felt his legs sore, or his knees trembling, but his chest felt as if it was going to explode, his lungs hurt every time he took a breath, his throat felt dry and his head felt dizzy. He shook all that out and continued running up. It was the longest run he had made, but he finally made it towards the 10^th floor, out of breath, sweating and dizzy.

“I need a rest.” Jiyong said and he collapse on the floor, his hand holding him against the wall. James turned around, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” James said as he kneeled next to him. Jiyong shook his head as he tried to breathe normally.

“It’s… hard…” Jiyong said panting. James looked at him, his expression stern and worried.

“It’s not the age.” James said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. Jiyong nodded as he gulped down another gush of saliva.

“It’s getting worse…” Jiyong said again. James nodded and sat next to him, looking at the door.

“Is she alright?” James asked. Jiyong looked at him with confused eyes.

“What?”

“Chaerin, is she alright?” James asked again, this time looking at him.

“How do you think I’ll know?”

“Oh come on, I know you guys spent the night together. Just tell me, is my best friend alright?” James said. Jiyong took a deep breath and nodded. His breathing was slowly normalizing, his lungs didn’t hurt anymore and his throat was slowly refreshing.

“Yeah, she’s alright.” Jiyong said as he remembered his night with her. A smile slowly plastered on his face as he remember her face, her aroma, her body against him, her sweet voice calling his name. “She’s absolutely fine.”

“I’m glad.” James said as he stood up. “Shall we? I’m not too fond on the idea of hanging out here all day.” Jiyong smirked and nodded.

“Sure, help me up.” Jiyong said as he extended a hand. James grabbed it and helped him stand up. Jiyong smirked and winked at him as he opened the door. Both of them looked at the hallway. It was empty, a red rug decorated the floor as golden portrays and mirrors decorated the white walls. The place smelled like lavender, and the only noise that could be heard was the slight sounds of a T.V on one of the rooms. The hallway only had two rooms, one on the right and one on the left. The one on the left was the room 1001, and the noises were coming from there. James looked at Jiyong and both of them nodded as they walked into the hallway. They reached the door and knocked slightly on it. The noises suddenly lowered and footsteps were heard approaching the door. Both James and Jiyong fixed their shirts, then the door opened, revealing a petite woman with dark brown hair. She looked at them both wide eyes, a pair of eyes, Jiyong thought, could melt everyone’s heart.

“Hello?” She said, her wide eyes slowly furrowing as she looked at them both.

“Hi, we’re here to see Taemin.” Jiyong spoke. She then nodded, her face still furrowed, her expression aware and alert.

“And who might you be?” She said. Both James and Jiyong looked at each other, then at her.

“G-Dragon.”

“Jamie.”

“Alright, wait here.” She said then closed the door. Jiyong was about to say some curses out loud when the doors opened, and none other than Taemin appeared in front of them.

“I didn’t expected you so soon. Come in.” He said, moving aside to allow them entrance.

“First, call the manager and tell him that our friend Taeyang will come.” Jiyong said. Taemin raised an eyebrow, then press a button on the intercom, a voice quickly answering it.

“Yes Mr. Choi? Is there anything we can do for you?” a man said. Both James and Jiyong shared a confused look, then looked at Taemin.

“Indeed, I need you to allow entrance to my good friend Taeyang, I bet he’s there with you.”

“Yes sir, right away.”

“Thank you.” And he pressed another button that hung the call. Taemin then turned to face Jiyong and James, who were looking at him with expectant eyes.

“Choi?” James said. Taemin shrugged and gesture them to walk into the living room. Jiyong noticed he looked tired, his eyes had dark circles and his hair was an absolute mess.

“I need the privacy.” Taemin said as he threw himself on the sofa. “Sit.” And both Jiyong and James sat next to each other on the Love seat. Taemin nodded and crossed his legs, his arms extended on the sofa, his face a slight mixture of amusement and tiredness.

“We need the key.” Jiyong said straight to the point. Taemin nodded again, and as he did, the same lady that opened the door appeared on the hallway, wearing only a little black dress.

“Taemin, do you need me gone?” She said, her voice sounded nice, sweet and tender, unlike how she spoke to Jiyong and James.

“No honey, stay. This won’t take long.” Taemin said. The lady nodded and walked towards him, sitting next to him.

“This is Krystal. My girlfriend.” Taemin said as he put his hand on her hips. Krystal bowed her head slightly. “Krystal, honey, this is Kwon Jiyong and James Bower.”

“I know who they are, G-Dragon and Jamie Bower. Nice to meet you.” She said. Jiyong looked at her with a bit of dismay, she was too blunt for his taste.

“Yeah, back to business. Taemin, we don’t have all day.” Jiyong said. James looked at him slightly, then back at Taemin, who was wearing a smirk.

“Are we in a hurry?” Taemin said. Jiyong saw himself strangling him, but instead, he just crossed his leg and smirked back while nodding.

“I guess you already know why.” Jiyong said, to which Taemin nodded.

“Yeah, it’s the hot topic right now. Woochoong’s too much, his going out of hand.” Taemin said as he straightened himself.

“Tell me about it.”

“Your sister Jiyong. Dami’s the key to the great Empire of the Kims. But you have to be careful, there’s more than Woochoong after you.” Taemin said. Jiyong raised an eyebrow, his head slightly crooked as he tried to understand what had been told.

“Do you have any idea where to find her?” James said. Taemin moved his head to look at James, another smirk plastered on his face.

“Oh yeah, I have.” He said as he rested his back again on the sofa. “But it will be hard.”

“Stop going around the bush and tell us all the details.” Jiyong said, his voice starting to sound angry.

“Just ask Chaerin. She has the key to your answers. I only have the information to where that key is. Go find her, Jiyong. She’s in danger right now.”

Gily's Notes: ARE YOU AT THE EDGE OF YOUR SEATS NOW?!

Because I'm surely am!! I'm too impressed, too excited! This is going places I never thought it would go, and I love it!

It's all thanks to you my dear readers, and it's all for you! Love you all!! THANKS for all the feedback, it helps me and my mind to be able to write and write and write and write!!

Happy Reading ~

Gily ♥