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“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things hard for you. Thank you for covering for me,” I said, swallowing my pride. It was a simple truth that if Ho Jin hadn’t sent away the guards, the entire Song family would have known what I’d done.
My friend nodded, his anger dissipating as well. He blew out a harsh breath. “Well, you’re not hurt, so no harm done – this time. Don’t do it again, Hana, promise me.”
“I promise. I’ve had my night of freedom. I’m done.” The words were a heavy weight to drape across my shoulders.
Ho Jin smiled, relieved, and looked at his watch.
“We better get home, before your mother gets worried.”
* * *
The Song familycompound sat in an upscale neighborhood in the city. It was set out in a traditional style, and I loved every inch of it. Well, I had when I was younger, and running around playing with Ho Jin and Suna. Then, as I’d gotten older, I’d recognized it for the cage it was. A gilded, pretty prison to keep me in.
I showered slowly and hung my dress back up in my dressing room, hair wrapped in a towel. My body felt sore and tired. I’d gotten about two hours of sleep at most, but my mind was racing. I had already replayed the events of last night a hundred times in my head, and I knew I was doomed to only retread the same eight hours again and again until the memories became polished jade in my mind.
“Hana! Are you coming shopping with me?” My mother demanded, barging into the room. Dami didn’t like locked doors in her house and liked to take advantage of the element of surprise when she entered a room. Her flare for the dramatic couldn’t be overstated.
“No, I’ve got some studying to do,” I told her, grabbing my textbooks out of my bag. Dami’s nose wrinkled with disapproval.
“I don’t know why you waste so much time on all of that, you might not even use this fancy degree at all.”
“Someone can be interested in a subject without needing to use it,” I told her, already knowing it was like fighting a losing battle.
“A useless waste of time, if you ask me.”
Don’t let anyone make you feel small, Hana.Kon’s insightful words flickered through my memory and gave me the strength to shrug and look unbothered by Dami’s criticism.
She left moments later, muttering about how I didn’t know how to prioritize things, and the room was wonderfully quiet in her absence. I snuggled down under my covers, still in my bathrobe, with my hair turban. I’d probably get the pillow wet, but I didn’t care. I was tired, and warm from the shower, and I just wanted to close my eyes and linger on my delicious memories while they were fresh.
I closed my eyes and let myself drift. I didn’t know how much time passed in that cozy state, only that a sudden shock of cold air dragged me from it. Had the window blown open? Opening my eyes, I sat up reluctantly, my heavy towel sliding forward and covering my eyes. I went to tug it off and froze as I heard the sound of boots walking slowly across the wooden floorboards between the window and my bed.
“Jae Han really should take better care of his family,” a low, strangely familiar voice called. I reached up for the towel, and a hand grabbed my wrist, the grip tight and painful.
I cried out, and a black hood enveloped my head, towel, wet hair and all, and fear cut off my cry of protest.
“I suppose he might say the same about me,” the voice continued, and I nearly placed it, just before the shocking sensation of being lifted knocked all thoughts from my head. I was flung upside down, over a shoulder, if the swaying motion was anything to go by. Finally realizing exactly what was happening, and shaking off my shock just enough to function, I started to kick and fight. The man swore, surprised by my sudden burst of motion.
“Bilyet, watch your head-,” he swore, just as I arched my back, and attempted to kick him in the stomach at the same time.
My head connected sharply with the window edge, and blackness rushed in.
CHAPTER6
Konstantin
After the night I’d passed, the most pleasurable one in a very long time, maybe even ever, it only mildly irritated me to find my little Cinderella gone in the morning. Running off, before she turned into a pumpkin, I thought to myself with satisfaction. It didn’t matter where she’d gone. I’d find her. Last night was nothing ordinary. We were meant to meet again.
Getting up and getting on with my business of revenge and ruin was a pain, like so much of my bratva work was lately. Since things had gone south with my sister, going through the motions of my day had been harder than ever. After last night, and the experience of taking Hana, so young and innocent, the flaws in my plans to wed Katya off to keep her safe were clear. I was never going to get the chance to make it up to her, however, if I couldn’t get her back from Jae Han fucking Song.
For that reason, I was up early and on my way across town to the wealthy neighborhood the Songs lived in.
Seo Jun, Jae Han’s piece of shit uncle, met me and my bratva brothers down the street from the compound.
“So, you have the money we talked about?” he pressed, licking his lips.
“You’ll get it after I get the girl,” I told him. He was an odd bird. Surely he lived luxuriously enough, considering he was brother to the great Min-Ho Song, the patriarch of one of the most powerful families in the whole city.
“And if Jae gets above himself, you’ll teach him a lesson, right? Don’t hold back,” Seo Jun prodded. Ah, there it was. The reason he was so eager to help wasn't really the money. He would like someone like me to teach his nephew, now the boss of the outfit, a lesson.
