A/N: Fifth installment! Please give me more love! :)

"Woohoo! Thirty seven seconds! Not bad!" Corey's voice overpowered everyone else's when Chanyeol removed his helmet. "We are sure to bag this event, Boss."

They practiced a couple of more laps before the competition. "Thanks Corey. It's all good. I think we have a good chance." Chanyeol said humbly. He tapped Corey's shoulder. "Be ready guys. Enduro starts in an hour. I'll just look for my sister." He gave him his helmet and unstrapped his karting suit from the neck down to his waist. He smiled to the girls trying to get his attention. He's the current FIA FK1 champion and a lot of his fans flew from Paris just to see him race. Bleachers were almost full and it would be impossible to look for her there without being nabbed. He tried to call her but it went directly to voicemail. He was deliberating about looking for her himself when someone tapped his shoulder. It was Taemin with Woobin behind him.

"Hey! Thank you for coming." He said sincerely.

"Good luck." Woobin messed his hair slightly.

"Bring home the bacon, Hyung." Taemin gave him a playful jab. "And, she says she’s here but she can't be here. Do you get that?" He laughed.

"Oh. Yeah. I know she'll be here." He smiled. "Where are you guys seated?" Woobin nodded to the bleachers east of his pit. Close enough to see how his team worked. "Where is she?" He managed to ask.

"With Amber. Their friend will race too." Woobin offered the information.

His face went sour. "He or she?"

"She. You're overreacting." Taemin whacked him on the head.

"She's still a baby! Taemin-ah, you are the only one here. If she gets--"

"Hey, hey! Go man! It's about to start." Taemin pushed him towards the pit. Woobin was laughing heartily.

**********************************

"You can do it girl!" Amber clapped her hands. The girls were attracting attention from the people also there to watch the UK FK1 Open.

"Thanks." Baekhyun was really nervous. It wasn’t her first time to join an international karting race but she didn’t know if her plan will materialize. Her trainer's the best in whole England and she's not even after winning. She took a deep breath. She purposely let her eyes roam and maybe a hundred yards away from her pit, she saw her target's group. A large banner says his name outside the large awning. She hadn't seen him in person and the photo that the investigator got was not helpful (his arms were covering his face, his date was Natalie Portman). She squinted through the London heat. She can't make out of his face but she knew that the tall guy with black-brown hair talking to the Caucasian male's the one she's looking for.

"You know him?" Amber noticed that Baekhyun was looking at Chanyeol's pit. Sehun gave her a wary glance.

"Who doesn't?" Baekhyun smiled. "I better get going. Pray for me." Since I'm going to hell after this. Both girls gave Baekhyun a hug. Amber was screaming her lungs out to cheer and the competition wasn't even due to start in an hour.

"Where did you learn to scream like that?" She asked Amber. Sometimes, she wonders if Amber's really a princess. She doesn't act like one most of the time.

"Chick flicks." She beamed. She remembered her Imperial maid  and winced inwardly.

Sehun was already busy on her phone. She was using the World Panorama to locate her team. They were in full force in taking care of Amber with the addition of three people that Xander sent to help them. Eva, who her father insisted that they reinstate, was also seated a few bleachers away—not to take care of Amber but to take care of her.

*************************************

"We have to do this as smoothly as possible. Do you understand me?" A tall Asian guy asked him. He was not even allowed to ask for his name. He was to listen to every instruction that they give and execute them. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Si." He replied. Karting's his passion. Racing gave him adrenaline rush. And the money kept him alive. And this man offered all three. Not just money but a big sum of money. He hadn't killed anyone before but the offer was very tempting. Sounded very easy too.

"I don't care how you do it but he should not step out of that kart alive. If ever he's lucky, you won't be." And the man left him.

He gritted his teeth. He had never met anyone as arrogant as him. But he already paid three quarters of the agreed amount. He sighed heavily and climbed to his kart. The head of his team gave him a thumbs up. He slowly drove to the starting line. Most of the racers were familiar to him. Including Choi Chanyeol. The bastard fed him dust in the Australian Open last year. It's pay back time. He won't just let him be the pitiful second like what he did to him. He will eradicate him in the karting world.

He pulled over beside a pink and black kart. He snorted in disgust. And before he can confirm his haunch, the driver removed her helmet and fixed the canvass head gear. She noticed that he was looking at her and she gave him a blank stare. He was sure he hadn't seen her before. He won't forget faces like that. "GOOD LUCK!" He shouted, trying to compete with the roaring engines.

"Thanks." She breathed and put her helmet on. Snob. But he was determined to get to know her better after the competition. Who can resist his charms anyway?

**************************************

Baekhyun snapped the cover of her helmet shut. She didn't want to talk to the arrogant male beside her. Actually, she neither wanted to talk to any male nor listen to their monologues about themselves. She remembered her sister and Minkyung. After what happened to Minseok, she promised herself that she won't be prey to scheming, deceitful, leeching males like Choi Luhan. Or Choi Chanyeol. She saw how females gawked and screamed for him. She sneered.

She saw another kart pull up in an empty space on her other side. She gave the driver a side glance and she was glad her helmet was heavily tinted or he would have recognized the narrowing of her eyes in slits. Choi Chanyeol. She can't be mistaken. Unruly hair, fair skin, aristocratic nose, big expressive orbs. He put his hood in place which ended her scrutiny of his face. But before he wore his helmet, "I really hope I was up to your standards." She could tell that he was laughing at her. Under the helmet, she felt her blood rushing from her earlobes to her whole face. She took a deep breath and focused her eyes forward before she broke his nose.

Then she heard the sports announcer introduce the participants. She heard her number. And then the number that she's waiting for. "Then last but not the least, every girl's favorite number, number twenty-seven! The FIA FK1 champion, the Australian Karting Society champion, and the former Karting World Championship winner, Choi Chanyeol!" Loud cheers and whistles, mostly from girls, annoyed her to the core. The guy in question waved to the crowd. Arrogant jerk. She thought dryly. For now on, she had to watch him closely. Twenty-seven. Choi Chanyeol.

She felt her hands trembling and sweating. She thought she would have a nervous breakdown just thinking of what she was about to do. Then she thought of Minseok and Minkyung. They gave her enough courage. Enough fury to fuel her system.

*****************************

A woman, indeed. Who else would paint the kart in hideous pink but a woman? Or maybe a girl. He tried very hard to stifle his laughter. He wondered how long she would hold up. He was not underestimating her. Nothing like that of course. His mother and sister were the epitome of women in power. But male racers can be cruel. And based on how the kart sparkled in broad daylight, this might even be her first race. And even with the padded suit on, she still looked fragile. Oh well, it's none of his business really. She didn't look like she's being held to race against her wishes anyway. Speaking of wishes, what if she had a death wish? Sheesh Chanyeol, you are making a big fuss out of the girl you didn't even know!

He revved the engine of his kart, his foot was stepping on the accelerator lightly. He had raced a thousand times before but aside from the usual adrenaline rush, he could feel the slight tingling at the back of his neck. It felt like something's going to happen. He pushed away unhealthy thoughts and uttered a short prayer. As soon as he heard the gunshot, his kart was already flying on the Tolworth racetrack.

Four hours, thirty-seven minutes, fifty-five seconds and twenty five pit stops later, only four of them were left racing. He underestimated the female. She was in the third lead. Gavino Cabreira, the Spaniard that he beat in Australian Open last year was behind him in close second. He never had a chance to befriend Gavino even if they fought more than a couple of times before. He took it personally, he guessed. They even turned up at the organizer's office the same time yesterday and he didn't even spare him a glance.

And earlier, he didn't know if he just imagined it, he was really trying very hard to push him to the guardrails. Not just once but twice. He was just racing almost all his life that he's able to avoid it. He must be really desperate to win. He may never be friends with Gavino but he always believed that he was a decent fighter. And a very good one at that. But now, he was trying to rethink his opinion. He was behind him, too close for comfort. Then ever so smoothly, he glided his kart to his own causing deafening acquaintance of steel. They were on the sharpest curve of Tolworth's race track. That was exactly where the other participants' fight ended. Gavino pushed his kart to the concrete guardrail. It crumpled the front of his kart like a helpless piece of paper. He felt numbness on his toes up to his leg. Then he felt Gavino's kart pushed his kart again before blackness dominated his system.

*************************************

"Oppa!" She saw what happened. She saw everything. She saw racer number fourteen pushed his brother to his defeat. And then to his. . .

"Oppa!" She jumped three bleachers lower, knocking people off in the process. Tears were blurring her eyesight. She was determined to cross the barriers that separated the bleachers and the race track when someone held her tightly. "Let me go! Let me go!" She was in hysterics. But the arms were vice tight around her.

"Ahgassi! The paramedics are there. Please." She heard Eva's voice in the middle of the commotion. You can't expose yourself. Please." The voice was pleading. She yanked herself off her by giving her a back kick but another powerful set of arms caught her. Then someone gave her a side snap and that stunt pushed her to the bleachers. She heard loud screaming.

"Sehun! Listen to me!" Amber caught her face. She was still in hysterics. Amber gave Yongguk a wary glance before she gave Sehun a full force backhand slap. "Aw! That hurts." She held her hand. She felt a little better when Sehun stopped screaming and yelling and hurting people. But fear crossed her eyes when she saw that Sehun lost consciousness. "Oh god! What have I done? Take her!" She ordered and Eva and Yongguk carried her outside the stadium to the waiting Cayenne.

************************************

Baekhyun's scream was muffled by the headgear she was wearing. She saw how the racer who bid her good luck earlier pushed Chanyeol to the concrete barrier. He withdrew and she thought the driver would race to make laps again. Judging by the impact, Chanyeol's kart wouldn't run anymore. The unknown competitor will emerge as the winner. He was so fast. In the last four hours, she wasn't even able to get near Chanyeol like what she planned. The one who pushed him was always behind him, tailing him. More like waiting for the right timing to execute his plan. Which he did. But what he did next horrified Baekhyun to the pit of her stomach. He withdrew slightly and then in full force, he pushed Chanyeol's kart to the concrete barrier again. Harder this time. She even saw Chanyeol's head tilted helplessly to the side before half of his body lunged forward, unconscious.

Then, as if the fearful scene wasn't over, what she did scared her even more. Before she knew it, she was pulling over behind his kart; she even caught a glimpse of the tail of the bastard's kart while he drove away. She didn't waste time. She threw her helmet carelessly aside and tried to pull Chanyeol from the seat. He was heavy but she supposed that adrenaline helped her. His leg was bleeding profusely. She was able to check his pulse before the paramedics took over. She released the breath that she was holding after making sure that he was alive. She just stared while they gave him first aid and until they loaded him to the ambulance. She just stood there frozen until the ambulance vanished from sight. Her trainer guided her out of the stadium.

"I am sorry." She muttered and looked at him with helpless eyes. She failed him.

"C'mon Baekhyun. What you did was awesome. You have all the chance of winning but you gave it up to help him." He smiled and messed her hair up. "I'll send you home, okay?"

"Thanks." That was what she didn't understand either. She already considered Chanyeol an enemy but she helped him. The other racer accomplished what she was originally planning to do. And she wasn't even an accessory to the crime. And she could have won if she didn't stop. But she did. And she was horrified of herself to even think of killing someone. Her plan of revenge seemed to backfire. It backfired faultily.

*************************************

"Amber, if you wish to go home, let me send you." Yongguk offered but Amber just shook her head. She can't leave Sehun in this state. The floor of Choi Hospital London where Minseok was billeted before was in very tight security and only authorized doctors and people were allowed in. Sehun was in a separate room and hadn't talked to anyone since her consciousness returned. She just stared outside the window, looking at nothing. They were still waiting for the doctor's notice about Chanyeol's operation. His leg was badly injured.

"Can you just check how Baekhyun is doing?" She was also worried about Baekhyun. They didn't even know where she was. Chances were she's already looking for them too.

"She's okay. Her trainer took her home. She was the one who stopped to help Chanyeol-ssi even before the paramedics were there. The race was discontinued after the incident and Mr. Cabreira, the one who hit him’s already being taken cared of."

Being taken cared of. But not in jail. "So…you guys took over?" She asked.

"I am sorry. I am not allowed to discuss this matter with you." His intelligent eyes met hers.

"I understand." It seemed that there was more to it than being desperate to win. "She really needs to snap out of it." She sighed. Then the door opened and Chanyeol's attending surgeon entered.

"Doctor." Amber scrambled from her seat and Sehun finally looked over but didn't say anything. "How is he?"

"His condition is stable now and it was a miracle that he only got a small fracture on one of the metatarsals of his right foot. Aside from bad bruises and scratches, he appears to be okay. He'll be in his room any minute now." Sehun didn't even acknowledge the doctor and ran for the door in a hospital gown, barefoot. She was also admitted because of her loss of consciousness earlier at the stadium.

"Thank you very much doctor. We'll see him now." Amber was about to head for the door when Eva spoke.

"Please let her be for now, Ms. Huang. They need sometime to talk and sort things out. Privately." She'd been working for Sehun and the Choi family for almost ten years and working with her closely allowed her to get to know her better. Mood swings and all.

Amber can't contradict that. "Alright. I'll just call someone." They understood and closed the door behind them after they left. But she can feel that they were just outside, ready to barge in with so much as a whisper from her. The call went directly to Baekhyun's voicemail after two rings.

Baekhyun here. I am sorry I can't take your call right now but I’ll return it as soon as I can. Please leave a message after the beep. Then she heard the translation of the same message in Korean, maybe for the people who will call her from home.

"Hey buddy. . .something came up and we're sorry we can't be with you right now. What you did was great and for me, you are the winner.” Amber struggled to keep her voice straight and enthusiastic.

*************************************

. . .what you did was great and for me, you are the winner. She was there but was too afraid to pick up. And upon hearing Amber's voice, her eyes welled up with tears again. She's a horrible, horrible person. She threw away all of Yesung's effort to be a good father. How can she even think of killing a person? Even if she ended up helping him, truth remained that she planned to kill him. The Cabreira guy just beat her to it. What if he didn't? She'll surely be in jail. How can she explain it to her father? To Minseok? And little Minkyung? She snorted in disgust in spite of herself.

*************************************

One of Chanyeol's bodyguards opened the door for her the moment they saw her. There were two men in generic suits and dark shades standing outside and she was sure there were more inside. She walked to his room silently. True enough, there were four people gathered in the suite's receiving area and there was one standing just outside the slightly opened door to the inner room. He stepped aside at once after opening and shutting the door for her.

She saw Chanyeol lying on the bed, his leg on a cast and there were visible bruises on his forearms. Her eyes blurred in tears. She felt bad being there, being able to witness everything but not able to do anything. She felt useless. She was determined to cross the barriers but looking at it now, she was also glad that they didn't let her. If she exposed herself, there would certainly be a lot to pay for. He smiled when he saw her. She hugged him, careful not to hurt him. "Oppa, I am sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!"

“Hey Princess, it was not your fault!" He reprimanded gently. "Don't cry. You look worse when you do." He laughed and pinched her cheek playfully.

“You really are a bad grass. No broken bones even." Finally, she was able to smile. Then, her face scrunched up. "Do you know that guy?"

Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders. "A couple or so races before. He was second during the Aussie Open last year." He didn't want to think that there was more to it than winning. But he acted like he really wanted to kill him. After he hit him, his kart wouldn't run anymore. Maybe it would but he will definitely not win. But did he have to push him again?

"But he pushed you twice! I saw it! I was there!" She can't help but be wary. It seemed that whoever it was that wanted to eliminate her whole family's back to work after months of being on hiatus. The last attempt was Jongin's in Athens.

"You are not thinking what I think you are thinking, are you?" He tried to humor the situation but as it started to sink in, he began to worry. He worried for his siblings, for his father, for Hankyung. Especially for Hankyung. Their mother cannot defend herself.

"I am. Ge, we do not have enemies. Okay, maybe we do but they will not come out in the open. And the enemies that are unknown to us are the most dangerous. You don't really believe that my failed kidnapping years ago and Jongin-oppa's frustrated murder in Athens are nothing but coincidental, do you? You know damn well such a thing does not exist in my job. We can't just be bumping into mishaps one after the other!" She was vehement.

"I know, I know. But what really frustrates me is that we don't even have a lead when we have all the resources at our disposal!" He felt his head throb.

Sehun laughed sarcastically. "They can't do what they did in Athens. I pulled some strings. He's in our custody." She was able to catch her brother's gunman in Athens but after she turned him over to the Greek authorities, he killed himself. "I didn't believe for one second that that bastard killed himself!"

"I don't believe that either. But we are on a blind spot here! We can't act offensively if we don't even know who the enemies are and defense side, we are doing everything we can." Proof's the legion of bodyguards that they employ just to watch them both closely and from a distance. They were all not into it. Who wanted to be watched twenty-four seven? But just to give Hankyung peace of mind, they obliged. But it seemed that it was not for show anymore.

"But whoever that is, he knows us. Knows us well. And to kill you in a race is just. . .intelligent. Your bodyguards, no matter how many, can't come to your rescue. And they also know Jongin-oppa usually worked alone!" Jongin's used to doing away without bodyguards abroad. Especially abroad. Where they enjoy greater anonymity than they do in Seoul.

"And that person knows who you are, too." For the first time in his life, Chanyeol was terrified. Nobody knew about his sister. The person who wanted them dead knew them. Watching closely as they fall apart.

*********************************

“Amber!” Baekhyun threw herself to Amber the moment she saw her. Amber almost dropped the platter of sushi she was carrying. Yongguk and Julie took her home after she visited Chanyeol. Sehun was finally okay after Woobin and Taemin arrived in the hospital. Her whole family’s already on their way to London.

“Hey.” She hugged her and she felt a little awkward when she noticed that Baekhyun’s sobbing helplessly. “Are you alright?” She guessed that it was a little traumatic to be able to witness something like that. Baekhyun shook her head frantically.

“I am going home. I need to go home.” She declared. She sat on the sofa and finally, Amber noticed all the big boxes that were scattered around.

“What? But why?” Surely, it was a little drastic not to finish school after all efforts exerted. Not to mention all money spent.

“I miss them so much. After yesterday, I realized that life’s short and I shouldn’t be spending it far from the ones I love.” She lied. Yes, she missed her family but it was not the reason why she’s going home.

“What are you saying? The guy’s alive, you know.” She informed.

“Really? How did you know?” She was wondering why her friends didn’t look for her and their cars weren’t in their garages until she fell asleep midnight.

“Oh.” Amber struggled to think of an alibi. Her and her big mouth. “Ahm, all the people were sent outside after the police blocked the area. Sehun got some domestic problems and she went home.” Now, she had to call Sehun to tell her the alibi. Their statements may not match.

“Seoul?” Baekhyun asked. “Why, what happened? When is she coming back?”

“Yes.” She hated lying. “Her brother had an accident. She’ll go back as soon as everything’s stable enough.” At least that was partly true. “And I heard from the news that the other racer’s okay and recuperating in Choi Hospital London.”

“Oh. Thank God.” Baekhyun sighed in relief.

“When are you planning to go home?” Amber asked. She knew that there wasn’t anything that she can say to make her change her mind.

“ASAP. I guess I’ll just wait for Sehun. I don’t want to go without saying goodbye.” She smiled weakly. She hadn’t called home yet to tell them about her plans.

“You’ll visit, will you not?” Amber was teary eyed. She was glad her family sent her to London. She met great friends. It was impossible for her to befriend anyone in China because of her status.

“Of course. And you have to be in Busan for Minkyung’s christening, right?” She reminded. “You have to prepare your gifts. It should be grand. Tell your brother too, okay?” Baekhyun laughed her ringing laughter.

“Oh yes, yes.” She was excited.

****************************************

Baekhyun took a deep breath before going out of her car. She went straight to the hospital’s information area. “Mr. Choi Chanyeol’s room number, please.” She asked politely. It took her a lot of time to consider this idea. She didn’t know why she should see him but she knew she had to.

“I am sorry Ma’am but we received a strict order not to allow anyone in except for family members.” The nurse on duty replied in the same polite manner while inconspicuously eyeing her from head to toe.

“Is that so? Alright.” Maybe it was a bad idea after all. She was about to turn around after murmuring her thanks when she remembered something. “Oh, he wouldn’t see the person who stopped to get him out of his kart, would he?”

*****************************************

“What is it?” Sehun asked one of the bodyguards who stepped inside.

“A certain Kim Baekhyun wants to see the Young Master.” He looked at Sehun after he saw that recognition didn’t register at all in Chanyeol’s face. Sehun’s jaw dropped.

“Being naughty in London, huh.” Woobin laughed but he frowned when he saw Sehun’s reaction. “Hunnie?”

“I don’t know any Kim Baekhyun.” Chanyeol’s face was blank.

‘I do.” Taemin muttered. He stared at Sehun.

“Care to tell us what’s happening, guys?” Chanyeol was getting irritated. The bodyguard was still there, waiting.

“She told the reception she was the girl who helped you.” It was the bodyguard.

“And I have to go hide. Both of us.” She looked at Taemin. “Send her in. Thank you.” She ordered to the bodyguard. “She’s my friend. Don’t tell her anything.” And she disappeared through the door with Taemin in tow.

So he was finally meeting her savior. Sehun didn’t even mention to him that she was her friend. So it was the girl that was staring at him before the race started. He didn’t pay attention when the commentator introduced the participants. He remembered being fresh and his face flushed. He heard Woobin giggle slightly.

“Don’t eat her alive while I’m here please.” Looking at Chanyeol, he could tell that he was thinking something inappropriate.

Chanyeol laughed. “I am not thinking about that.” He assured. He didn’t even know what she looked like. Then they heard a hesitant knock on the door. “Come in.” He held his breath. He didn’t know why he did though. It was the bodyguard that they saw first. His burly form covering the person behind him and all they could see was the gorgeous pair of legs that seemed to extend like forever.

“There you go Ms. Kim.” The bodyguard motioned her in.

“Thank you.” She bowed and ever so carefully, she turned to the person sitting on the bed in the middle of the room. “Good afternoon.” She greeted in a low voice. Another tall guy stood up from the couch.

“Good afternoon. Have a seat. . .Ms. Kim, right? I’m Kim Woobin.” Woobin shook her hand and motioned for the couch. His accommodating smile made her a little at ease.

“Yes. Thanks.” She looked at Chanyeol after she’s settled oh her seat. She didn’t dare go near him. Her legs would definitely give in. “How are you?” She asked and looked at him under her lashes. He really was good looking. In every angle possible.

“I am good. Thanks to you.” He was desperately trying to recall where he first saw this beautiful lady then it hit him. The girl at the airport! So she had very contradicting personalities huh? His excitement mellowed. Was she being nice to him now that she knew that he’s Choi Chanyeol? His face became formal because of that thought. And why would his sister befriend a person like her?

“Don’t mention it. I. . .” She swallowed. Now she believed it was really stupid of her to go. She can’t even think of anything coherent to say. “Just came here to see that you are okay.” She scrambled from her seat and she gathered her purse. “I think I better get going.” She glanced at the one named Woobin and bowed.

“Leaving so soon, Ms. Kim?” Chanyeol called.

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