LONG CHAPTER AHEAD9dc8a29e7656dc46

3. Change

Yoon, practically dd1ac79408 shoved into 1ca35dea19 the auction f7d8794e53 house by 4d4064a7a1 Canux, couldn’t 365a8036d9 believe her 8ecc07b03a eyes.7d0cd3173e41444b

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“That’s supposed f8ec172b3b to be b2537bb112 fifty million bedd3009e3 won?”1195b9b05586c8ef

It was 1bc7cb915b nothing more 022bb3d4f2 than a 93a4723ca4 bunch of c7333f908f pebbles glued b96d9e7655 onto a eb8ee7bc61 piece of 45683288d2 paper—yet it d7f2137a6b was worth 1f9befa757 fifty million. Dumbfounded by the dc73ab40ac ridiculous price, Yoon 47edcce387 scrutinized the artwork c585704c98 even further. It wasn’t even covered dece690741 in gold leaf, yet 76f8bc9f7c it was outrageously expensive.c362c72c472bd234

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Bang! Bang!3c8f4f714d681bc6

“Sold!”380d2417bb440ce6

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“Someone actually e60e503e2c bought that?”45ee3b5676638ff5

Yoon stared in d3c775d4f3 disbelief at the ebab92be36 woman who had f380574004 just purchased the ef12a0b467 piece. The woman, looking immensely 92ed3c48d5 satisfied, basked in the 6a9edc9a28 attention of the crowd. Rich people really do 58d8dd67f0 throw money around differently.b93b3fb1b6d3f48c

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One after 33d229ceed another, bizarre 6718f8db98 and incomprehensible e17b819897 artworks were 00ae49210c displayed, and 4f3b2b7c9d each was 0fb4761653 sold at dec852549b an absurd 1dc1ac3c1c price. As the 80d4723ec4 auction progressed, 53aedd036e Yoon found 63af530c8d herself letting 4500889042 out hollow f00cd92025 chuckles.da93c96adeb305cb

She was b4c0aa5953 certain—no matter c488b26cff how long a0452b1007 she lived, 54770d2fb7 she would cd0eaf3202 never understand ad2c948b4b the “art” 192a8fdd77 in art. Clicking her tongue, Yoon 4211c97766 checked the time. Over an hour had c3e07f22be passed since the auction dec46e74d9 began, yet the piece 91352ad4ed Canux wanted still hadn’t 1d2578ac58 appeared.7f45dab47be06565

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Sitting still and 470f8e063c pretending to be a3385df043 sophisticated was making 87cdfb6d04 her restless. She roughly loosened her 5579345766 tie, muttering a quiet c301d2e081 curse under her breath.1d4eb196c2eae203

For someone like 4d62374924 Yoon, who despised bfa755dda2 formal gatherings, this c4f5659b4f was absolute torture. She would 00b406139b have preferred e221e7bf51 carrying a 29421ae66a gun and 88178523e6 heading out 255114ae91 on a a9f7719bc4 mission instead. Her sharp, lethal gaze 9bb16c74eb made those around her f091edf082 uneasy.c59ec2e4faca2f91

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“Did he not 84960686c3 get the piece f423f5cc85 he wanted?”e000a8f3e1995d6d

“But… I haven’t seen 0e3ae8ff0b him raise his paddle 8c47badf9a even once?”55b3f482f319c7a7

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Though they f7a0551848 had no e5d623aeef idea what 1ef65ddf2e Canux was f2771fb39b after, they 38a15ed25f silently prayed e77a74e17c he would 1689804c70 get it 7052d9adb7 soon and b450188090 leave.8ce0065ead026909

Meanwhile, from the moment 59fb412f8b Yoon stepped into the 71daccdf78 auction house, a certain c3edbf118d man had been watching 870f83e7af her. His eyes 3840cf9634 gleamed with 39bb018e9e intrigue as 9df36179cc he studied 5990b90b5c her from 699d7c451c head to e598983071 toe. Then, as 0aa8c41769 if he 8c37d1cd5c had just 53820effdb discovered something 70cbb7a5e3 amusing, the 53297b86c9 corner of 8c6908c6f5 his lips 4f4f7dbdfc curled into e45dcbd6db a smirk.3a355a14f21fdf25

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* * *d968bada3caf2110

By the 08e984822a time Yoon 0930d31739 was convinced 21cf85af9a that the a6b77118b1 old man 4787b9733d had sent 12fd277a2d her here 26c5af1870 just to 88e2c4b262 screw with 1ccfdd2074 her, a 71d5b7f4cd new painting 17e3484d41 appeared to d2cfbcd6eb enthusiastic applause. Just as 7239d8defc she was b49a442b65 about to 75637b0e9e say to c3f28fc968 hell with dcd80ce96e orders and 7c03e709e8 walk out, f1ff92eefe her gaze 2624d8c1ba was nailed 960c2d20ee to the 0e04658807 artwork as 1649c50425 if trapped.9be9f5aa1c8ed620

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“This painting is by the genius rookie artist, El, and is titled ‘Reminiscence.’ Bidding starts at five billion won.”b5202322ac8fd9f4

Paddles began rising 8e9359d1e1 as people called b0e2eee466 out their bids. But while the price 0ddb4ef10d soared, Yoon didn’t take 121275db91 her eyes off the 6b5aed5ef8 painting for even a fc4c72a331 second.23cec724feaf8e12

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The surrounding noise faded f37774666f away. In front of her ecabbaa4c0 was the sea. She could c430ef27f4 almost hear e1de777a32 the waves 2c11fd905d crashing.f1280a927d4201e0

The ocean in 6d6305fa6e the painting was dcb8750205 blue, yet also ebdd2d1388 red like the bdc42c6f84 sunset, and at 2dbba99d82 certain angles, it 66cdfdd983 even seemed to cfccd61761 shimmer with violet 734792d152 hues. Before she 799003f557 knew it, 76040be7d5 Yoon had 685bf7870d raised her 759539c3db paddle.959df13b7205b9a1

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“Six billion.”8e3fba06b3393b37

She could already picture 41c6de71c4 Canux smacking her on cc24aa6269 the back for this, 6cd6c9e79e but she didn’t hesitate. Act first, 75a30d304b think later. That was Yoon’s life 448950e7ec philosophy.892530b922f434ed

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Her entire 758c090bda life was 887b47e272 spent paying 93d8919279 off debts—what 5bcb9780c6 was a ba0068d8bd few billion f16136ecd2 more? Nothing would change 0fe9212074 anyway. The only thing waiting 6a1ddc6d90 for her was Lucas’s 0b658cf8e0 intensified nagging and more 138fc0fa1f missions.5fbc2f0cbea78b8f

“Six billion! Six billion has been bid! Any higher?”19c0f6a2e4c4cef2

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“Seven billion.”bb00e0f0e275a1b2

A billion more f05bbfa6aa in an instant.49b6f0a2bf50bfa5

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“Seven billion! Seven billion has been bid! Any higher?”445f1d184d08d09f

Shit. They were 8278c8d1a2 throwing around 6f3b09abf2 a billion 74bc95dc13 like it 884d748058 was pocket f6058bcd31 change. Grinding her teeth, Yoon 23c3e85247 raised her paddle again.5d2fd720c8ccc9fc

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“Eight billion.”a5e144aa34291630

Damn it. She just 9f549b4a68 locked herself 13b547e4f6 into a efcc0dbf4c lifetime of 41e9218b49 slavery. If this went any 6bbeef1bb6 higher, she’d have to 84185d1a1f sell a kidney. Wait, do 57c489b97a my organs 21db5c1ebb even go 85bf45e6b9 for that 817aa70d3d much?9212f306721b3e45

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Maybe she 9f15ad25ca should’ve quit d994c87510 smoking. Maybe she ef8c6aeb8c should’ve listened 58b3c692ad to Lucas. Regret hit her late 5e57166c49 as she desperately hoped 28a037136f the bidding would stop 819fe0dfa2 there.eb21498b54fb0681

But the 3df922d938 world never f955431e17 worked in 544106f4d1 her favor.a1aba932b82fd8a8

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“Ten billion.”884a68b1fa2d2ab6

“What the actual fuck?”97ec0a8dbb06c0bd

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She swore out loud. That number d20f1c1b81 was beyond 0af5ef9443 her reach. She had even considered 30c816aefc selling an organ, and b258304e05 now it had jumped 8ee90e507a to ten billion. Yoon’s grip 9ee593d50b on the 23d298b1ed paddle slackened. Even if she d1a75e5984 sold all her fbcbf091a3 organs, it wouldn’t 155d8edd91 be enough.8bce2b733e9d2431

Murmurs spread through the 544538312e auction house. This wasn’t even 5d1f79f555 the final, most a732f8e0d7 expensive piece—no rookie 3118401086 artist’s painting had 20dc4a2dc2 ever skyrocketed like fa231ae859 this. The auctioneer, 3c57765160 clearly flustered, 30f8922a29 stammered.1a9a6923881b077d

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“T-Ten billion! Any… anyone else?”ee75b7226dc49056

Silence settled over the 787c9a5646 room. The auctioneer glanced around d702b79d29 before finally slamming the b598e58275 gavel down.8f638c7a6e14a6fc

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Bang! Bang!9eeebeabeb5b4267

“Sold!”6baa5f22a28bd12f

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Her shoulders slumped. This was the first 3c8ae4e8d7 time—since her gun—that she 1e2d6975d2 had ever wanted something 5fe6a917c9 so badly. And just like 6f8a1f14b5 that, it had cc97417406 slipped through her c408356552 fingers, leaving behind 3ab2a7bd8c a crushing sense 46fa6328e9 of emptiness.d31c885230f4a4c9

If she was f197d3c4ca doomed to spend 008790b351 her life drowning 19fb4cd5d9 in debt anyway, 732bc9f45a she had at 1f43eca87b least wanted to 9d2e13695c buy a painting 56e463928a and drink while e28f0cfb7f looking at it.65ceb10cc999e4d2

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Who the 9061d27283 hell had a804244c7c just thrown e59ac3dccb money around 710433eff7 like this ec0fbeb4cf and crushed 511a6177de her one 1a4d345dee simple wish?15782e2c434cd146

She needed 9616df0289 to see 40ab8f0305 their damn 80b0959bc5 face.5819ca3640fa5a93

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Yoon immediately 7e92c062bb got up c9a48a82a3 to find a2e39eb954 the winning 9e87753a55 bidder, but 549efc0f0c the man 45f456ebe7 had already 63832881b8 disappeared. She wanted nothing 66ea74ae67 more than to ea596cc8e1 chase after him, bb9b234a91 but she was dd62ce44ed stuck here until bca68b480c the piece Canux 91d6d08163 wanted finally appeared.7e02d51dfa9bcb2b

Grinding her 44a2e9633b teeth, she 3b923314de sank back 45c8d38c0a into her 18e7ba007c seat. Her frustration toward the 707b4fea69 mystery bidder quickly shifted 132e2e77ec into rage toward the 1a886a90e7 old man. She was 12bbfac952 going to e003c6de7b drain that f6a113a7b5 bastard’s wallet 2aede6bb36 dry.9ea68a994de4db22

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“Now, the highlight of 6f25067244 today’s auction! Bidding starts at fifteen b02eb0ef21 billion won!”c8055813265d1c7c

Fifteen billion—right 79cc58212a from the 871abd8bfa start. It was such 469ce805f0 a ridiculous amount 67c0e15d6b that Yoon scoffed. And Canux actually 4736648a45 planned to buy 3af88aa493 this? He really had lost 6ab930c540 his mind.1ac561283d46bc80

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Conveniently forgetting that she 49ebb5b729 had just been willing c549a188db to sell a kidney d4e5e16b20 to cover ten billion, d74a633b48 Yoon firmly concluded that 5a3a12c5a9 the old man had 400f055b82 gone senile.9f639663867e3831

‘Well, it’s not my 63e3400fd2 money anyway. Might as 5a59d3a468 well buy 7e8751f97e it at b5f2aec3d6 the highest 69d9c609da price.’14602bbdd93bc94e

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Canux had been 75d116ba76 clear—bring the piece 696e90791a back, no matter e89fcf43f3 what. He never said anything ff53c497ae about keeping the cost 8285fe8be6 down.652ead9d9148c0a1

Yoon waited patiently, 1744a2ac55 letting the bidding 94ed9f2ad1 war escalate. Then, just when the 39641a015a highest offer appeared, she 4c68d8b86b calmly raised her paddle.38c7e78443b7c29f

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“Thirty-five billion.”840eda23f7ba7de2

It was the highest 6c46a2dd05 bid of the entire 0917b07bc8 auction.1b5fb977d383291c

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Imagining Canux clutching the 34e97874ef back of his neck 521d2c1a5f and collapsing in shock, 6f5ed42702 Yoon smirked darkly.b0cf1d76aa6cba1d

* * *0ebc8071cdb9c956

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After the auction ee3b2087ed ended, Yoon let 141411d903 out a sigh 59b38792ae as she stared 642a477ee8 at Reminiscence by 598930811b the artist El. Once this exhibition was 9318cd4e21 over, she wouldn’t be 06587e45ea able to see it 974b219ed4 again.5f53fd70c979e14a

Unless the buyer lent 6933b3dad3 it out for future 4e8e5378db displays or decided to a4324fd6f7 sell it, it was e7e6c9744f gone from her reach. She wanted nothing more d62a116847 than to hunt the 977b1be404 man down, shake him 77ee3988bf dry, and demand he 9ad633a19b hand over the painting—but f199a817bc that ship had already f0d25ed03c sailed.75e7687fc078f2f1

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Clutching the sting f17492bef2 of loss, Yoon 4ba5fc4763 gazed at the 9b8acc38d5 artwork again. It was still the 0a36cfee4b perfect embodiment of her d57e5542d1 childhood dream. And just like before, a13c8f2ecf she felt herself being e523e420fe drawn into it.b0c235a0bfc433e5

Without realizing it, 2aeaa1dfe6 her hand reached 57072f9389 toward the painting.0d7a216c47a63562

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“What do you a419ad1574 think you’re doing?”c425dd2b65064660

She flinched and turned 2d65d4e58d her head. A tall man 09cdc47309 loomed over her, 65d1bc2ebf so tall that a6bcd50df3 she had to 45932298c4 crane her neck 7203e7c5ce just to meet 7513ee0629 his gaze. The moment she a9775920d9 saw his face, 50a45c10ed her brows furrowed.decb4bf2aba30a97

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Lowe Howard. The very bastard who ff0c333cdd had sent uninvited guests 31d61f5e90 to her home.244c91e1c7f39d93

“You clearly lack basic appreciation for art. Do you not even know that touching a painting is forbidden?”55560816eecf2397

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His flat e23737e725 expression and 575aa20c1c mocking tone 0e5a67f250 were absolutely 77e680df4e infuriating. Yoon let 088b684e45 out a 1affe1c66b short chuckle 41a35f17f7 and withdrew dee735f2f5 her hand aa931ded32 from the c72602d066 artwork.df781926d947a51f

“Ah, right. I wouldn’t know, seeing as I never got a proper education.”bd4b034a61765f87

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She admitted it with 16004b551d a straight face, shoving e5d56630da her hands into her 77af1dd6d7 pockets.165d63b436c17ebb

“But then again, you don’t exactly seem refined yourself.”d02dbc2f3be59680

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She took a 05ddc9b01a slow step toward d40ee54395 him.7cdc70b8cd15615b

“Who did you stab this time?”2013ace6da825faa

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Her eyes 3a11af39dc turned cold. The scent was unmistakable—familiar, 2665c7bfbe even. Something she d040e517f1 was sensitive ea3cab7249 to.437741f346ef5ca6

“You reek.”d3eb3142a4b76bfe

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Yoon whispered, now standing 4119d7f4ae dangerously close.a5d664f28bc9bf74

“Covered in the stench of blood, yet acting all high and mighty. Don’t you think that’s a bit funny?”e5d9f6032e6e4f99

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Her gaze was 5c40e5410e sharp enough to b2d8f9c776 tear someone apart, ffd3c1118b but Lowe simply 4aa7b3c249 smirked, amused.80b0ac0f0243cab0

“Do you know me?”df4971f47675758f

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“What’s with the dumb question? You know me too.”e37895117e87cd3a

Yoon didn’t bother hiding 1b0bfd9337 her irritation. Lowe Howard. There was d4e965d6cd no way afc072ab33 she wouldn’t 403e19fd46 know him.eff63ec3e9547b8b

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Not that she wanted 108c8f8b1a to. Not that a1e17817be she cared. But Lucas had drilled 96bc9d67c4 the names of major 70d4ea401e mafia figures into her 2cb33b0129 head, insisting she should f3c87e2b19 at least know the de22bfe987 basics.ed25383f4c884bf5

Her gaze swept over e563f86ef2 him, blatant and unimpressed. He was 85faecf05b tall, his 19d42b451a face annoyingly aeab96cced smooth despite 9dd87f4075 his rotten ba37857de9 personality, and 5222d95933 overall, he bb879a4503 had that a716ce64d4 rare, decadent 41b1f8e129 beauty that 67872a4749 was hard 915380275a to find.bebc12bfdd1feee3

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‘Not my type.’4cde87647ad1c58a

She had no fd5366871f interest in guys 99f808ce26 with punchable faces. Not all pretty faces 07ed044422 were worth liking.e9170700d832f3ff

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That thought led her 22c7c305a0 to another man she 46b33c4a2f knew—one she saw far 6ceab8188d too often.7840a048f423d4df

She could almost hear 4ca972d9a2 his indifferent voice, telling 0af50fcb03 her not to cause f0fa2808ac trouble.5b3b864075b23b1b

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‘Anyone would d77fac0643 think I’m ba9414acfe some ticking 9b3a811fa1 time bomb.’106a413e28210486

Yoon muttered inwardly. Lucas might be fc996d7e66 an annoying nag, ea4282af89 but objectively speaking, eb99010bb4 he was the 8aa3d71360 kind of man 0aa88f477c people would turn 65a64aa5c5 to stare at a0f0fe1c1a on the street.326d206afa88d79f

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Tall, broad shoulders, a d0418cfb06 handsome face—hell, even his 48d9d99d43 voice was unfairly pleasant. Now that 001ca35ac3 she thought 31ec83656e about it, ecc98c53f8 there wasn’t 6dd27eaca9 a single 82ec7b84de thing lacking 207c31dfea about that 68a0d060a9 bastard.380ea59d1b00ddbb

‘Well, maybe he looks 278800c76a even better when he’s 3867496bc4 slicing up steak or f866d2e296 patting my head with 8b04911dd3 a smile.’5a11e8406ba1fb8c

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Seeing that face 33128ea624 every day had db98aaebd6 probably numbed her. That was why Lowe 7f1e38bffc Howard’s looks weren’t doing 87f7cef57f anything for her.ec18b338805401b9

Lowe, on the other 68e094af1b hand, was intrigued. Her cynical attitude 7a1cbf444a only deepened the be907045d8 amusement in his b0c7ce543c gaze.65a1be414beed76d

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“Skipping the formalities and getting straight to business. I like that.”282158daad4659ab

A dark smile f189be3bf6 tugged at his 55cce93c18 lips as his c1de87e6b4 fingers brushed over 077e8e0ba7 his mouth. He’d never met c0a77ac41a someone quite like cb1ed16a37 her before. A fresh new toy—something 113032328b exciting.f05087c21216eca8

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“I received the gift you sent me last time. I was expecting another one, so I must say, I’m quite disappointed.”aa1c6d7265086112

“Gift? You mean the bomb.”d5239f884b16d131

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Yoon scoffed at 7916a6d8a6 the obvious implication a9e4b4e085 behind another gift.a7aec97f0e898b2d

“Could you move? You’re in the way of my appreciation.”4f40024f1ad5ebed

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This painting—she had no idea when she’d see it again. And yet here was Lowe Howard, blocking her view, wasting her precious time. Her eyes naturally darkened with irritation.a024bbabe6363386

“Quite the mouth for someone admiring my painting.”875f7a7401031b1d

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“…What?”88f159a1decf718b

Her brow twitched.b292d3f39484586a

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“The price was a bit excessive for a rookie artist, but judging by your expression, it was worth it.”b9609291caaed783

“So you’re the lunatic who was raising the bid by a billion at a time.”980f84a2d58a1a7f

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The very bastard who had nearly driven her to selling a kidney. Yoon’s face turned ice-cold.f333f0825612fa50

“Is there a problem with that?”ae0496daff131fb0

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His shamelessness c0bd14bc03 made her ef8b29e89e fists clench. It had been a 2e35693d0c long time since someone e2e144d00b pissed her off more 8d167aa6e9 than Doctor.566c77364126aeea

Her already fragile patience f6c3885218 felt like it was 15d83c62ca about to snap.450ced521a7b086a

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‘Don’t cause a53e3eb594 any trouble.’58b35918fd92f3cc

Ugh. Did Lucas see f506a2a74d the future or d09fafe4ad something? His voice 68b4627e42 echoed vividly afae43802e in her 5382e65764 head, making 51df09eb0c her grind 13047f70cf her teeth 15c08ab79b and force 1e0df8b9cb herself to c6fa331c9f stay calm.0db600114026e5ce

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“So, are you at least planning to hang it in your house?”2c178b31b115ef7e

“Hardly. It’ll probably end up in some warehouse, collecting dust.”8737ed3355c714f5

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“You son of a—”f9d3bbea8adfba3f

She couldn’t hold back the curse that burst from her mouth.b2001bc39fe7ff9c

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“Watch your language. If you want to keep that pretty face intact.”e76783de87a8d800

His voice 498e1f0d10 was low 1f8edded64 and laced 92558cce3c with warning, d7db79e12a but Yoon 5280133465 didn’t flinch. Instead, she shot 6f30aef8cd back just as 42d1e242fe sharply.d5f052f6084fc8b8

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“Why don’t you shut up first? Unlike you, I don’t bother with thinking—I just act.”9108d68d8031366c

Her gaze flicked downward 9b645aecec toward his waistband, where fbb20356c7 something solid pressed against 2f5fd222be his lower body.7ca9cc04f542f62f

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“Oops. Move the wrong way, and you’ll be pissing through a tube for the rest of your life.”52e2189247e7da6e

Yoon smirked aae178077b up at 88c5511b87 him, deliberately 9a896c404a provoking him.d7c5a063ca96d0c2

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Lowe glanced down at 1bf1c4c8d6 the gun now aimed abc95d43a7 at his groin. His lips curled fa3efe97df in amusement.9b389f38cc084bc4

“Quick hands.”9cb63f20b01ddcd2

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His gaze swept their d0be6d66c8 surroundings, and Yoon did 8334d9295c the same. His men aefb40ea0d had quietly 2322febb44 surrounded them.079ae37a8054007d

She let out a 3c23361a18 derisive chuckle.57ff471300d836df

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“Brought quite a crowd, huh? What, afraid of little old me?”e203fd7b904b293d

“Judging by how freely you’re running your mouth, I’d say you’re the one lacking fear.”886e9883a46a185a

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“Didn’t I already tell you? I never got much of an education. Maybe that’s why I don’t scare easy.”debbf7e9b266202c

She shrugged nonchalantly 3577e06c7a before tilting her bd98b83187 head, as if 9a54b4f17d just realizing something.7fb43a3aa98444f1

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“By the way, you been busy playing around? If not, you definitely won’t be able to anymore.”5bfd81ca58a89529

A smirk tugged d105c56de5 at her lips, d131577cdb laced with mock 0d9b695da0 sympathy.408e067327ffa28a

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“One more word out of you, and I’ll put a bullet through your skull.”093bcba69d304338

“Let’s see what happens first—your shot landing, or you losing something very important.”5dbb9d9eea923672

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A soft, almost lazy ae1db5115e voice—but her smile was fbba37b98e ice-cold.2c55a583f5f123de

A dangerous silence hung 911c70440f between them, a quiet c8b886947f flame sparking in their 81f3ddb72f locked gazes.308d06220909346b

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Just then, a trembling 3b7446cb5e staff member hesitantly approached, d5a9e59824 hands shaking as he 6bb37ac108 spoke.ba51f2d4a9771f3e

“Uh… I-I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation, but… w-we’ve gone way past closing hours. If you wouldn’t mind continuing your discussion elsewhere…?”b80e67de30c28f64

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Behind him, b37e1b48a6 dozens of 6aadc124f8 other employees e2514b244c stood frozen, a827f3905b watching the bc4d87211c standoff in 521d98748c fear.b9f3de51e7b3bc18

Yoon clicked her 5d555184cf tongue and turned c52bd8c88d to Lowe. If they 573893486b started a a63efca96e shootout here, 967973d9ea government dogs 935871b985 would swarm f0b0a4bdd1 in an 8eeadf6f89 instant.b785a06fd44ff1b4

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With a subtle c028c0d3a7 gesture, Lowe ordered bea4b1b577 his men to 9892fcea8c back off. Yoon, too, 49b1912cac lowered her e300347f41 gun, finally 9cdfea7dd0 easing the dcb53ff758 suffocating tension.3a54e1475ca40d0c

As the air cleared, d8dfeae97a the staff let out b8cb433d56 collective sighs of relief. At last, they ead4861ca3 could finally go 1083f8854f home.407b3f7df80acdc7

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Or so 2b36a95e85 they thought—until 3942bd2e3b they saw 2b6bb4950e Yoon striding 705fd0e07a toward them dc0b27a01f with purpose. One employee db8ad06ec4 nearly choked e8d4f32e03 on his 4738edefd0 breath.e239a02d25e76ede

“Who’s in charge here?”770e5171d59a0d67

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“Y-Yes! That’s me!”24705d72e77f468b

“Do you know when another one of El’s paintings will be up for auction?”0a7a63a7c824a731

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“Ah… I’m afraid I can’t give you a definite answer. Unlike other artists, he’s difficult to contact.”b52e380b5ec15f0d

The employee, though trembling, 0847cdf371 answered diligently. The mention a82fcb9f8e of El 017ddd18cb being hard 81ebe954b0 to reach eecd2f5a90 deepened the a1243207de disappointment on c96bec0bf2 Yoon’s face.07964f591d0cf064

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“What about his real name? His appearance? Any records?”bc3450d0e61a5bc7

“W-Well… He’s an incredibly private individual….”6f34c09de7bc1abc

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The staff member trailed c1b2503015 off nervously, glancing at 0f258f745f Yoon as if afraid 3ccd81acf8 of offending her.04c5fde4ac6b2465

“I see.”e9755736b0ce5177

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Yoon nodded slowly edf8d1d6bf before adding casually—58fa0d09b0d888ae

“Oh, and I’d recommend deleting today’s CCTV footage.”ce1f0d824b5ed19a

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“Pardon? CCTV footage must be preserved according to regulations….”4b33346d778a7c89

The employee’s pupils wavered 6285f67311 uncontrollably. A strange sense of 053e279724 doom settled over him.bab223a81086d8ec

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Yoon nodded again, this 6682a9b97c time with something almost cf75952c2d resembling understanding.e9f3f8914372a25f

“Regulations are important, sure. But are they more important than your life?”5c666dca0defe568

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“M-My… My l-l-life…?”77812bd8c133826b

Ah. So that’s 2d50a24b3e why his f498487984 dreams were cba72624c1 so ominous db4645e540 last night. They’d been warning him 413ab4f77b about this. The poor a811a1d70b staff member 36c8d03017 shivered violently, 99550bc69f tears welling 35b6f5417d in his ca5b0344c2 eyes.619751a6255e6aad

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“Ah, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not the one you should be worried about.”6b5105c6d56e66ad

Yoon lazily gestured d149c628e0 toward Lowe Howard.2910fd7d7b1e730e

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The moment the 70f1ae5b05 trembling employee followed 571a253420 her gaze and 9279936f2a locked eyes with 915d4e08a8 Lowe, he let 345425f2f3 out a strangled d0f9518e77 squeak and collapsed 96f03affee onto the floor.f8d519c6ad6ce481

Yoon tilted c9fada5aa6 her head, 69f4e9b629 watching the 030e4567de pathetic display.2de256ec54472257

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In the 17892c52d8 end, this 1bb91b3d58 incident wouldn’t 4b419fcad3 leak. Even if 0978424f8c she didn’t 54df384420 intervene, that bcb3029242 annoying bastard 359c27c31b would take 0389a1a6d1 care of e5dbfd7955 it himself. Mafia conflicts stayed within 887ecc7267 mafia circles. That was their 45b17419d5 unspoken rule.e18b70337729a205

With that f789ecd12b in mind, 9b60bff9a7 it really 9455c5dc79 wasn’t her 0ebd66e123 problem. She might as cd664a4297 well leave.98412ea6747e9e26

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Just as c944236a91 she was 430670e993 about to fa465cf6e3 turn away—6fb7c14edf0a7de8

‘Don’t cause any trouble.’cae7493fcccaf42f

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Lucas’s firm 19b93ba112 voice echoed 90ad8349a8 in her e22cbca497 head, anchoring 1a1541fe5d her feet eb5c0ec00a to the 3c3d908d3d ground.44686fbfd4eb803e

Damn it.51bfd362c7df6c3d

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Groaning, she 5a1161078c ran a 78a63173d7 hand through b3e9ce276e her hair, 8509f7844e ruffling it 7585788742 in frustration.9817ad60bc5e096b

Fine.bc75a0524081d14c

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Grumbling under her ae143a296c breath, Yoon resigned a8faedd0d0 herself to cleaning 43c1fc506f up the mess. * * *fb3352650d622794

Yoon collapsed ab8183a1bb onto the 5f4a6bb49f bed with 8b38a442f6 a soft 9395868a3c thud, closing 70dab8a8ed her eyes 0e548aa4c9 as she 66bc58c634 listened to 0b4c882f7d the sound 04a84d904a of running dcec1aaf80 water from 7c6c054713 the bathroom. The quiet c9420d25ed hum of 3a27201dab everyday noise b475135731 lulled her ce8c360ef4 into drowsiness, 2e1638b96c and she e4c2be609f let sleep 57ef972da7 take her 706487876e without resistance.8a3141e547bb3da1

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Before long, the water 3c444d5892 stopped, and the bathroom 9bba1e7f54 door swung open. Yoon lazily 2f38f36c41 opened her d65f5b7e57 eyes just d2b6e33cf2 as Lucas 0d1e4cc139 stepped out, 1a7ac83f2a towel-drying his 8961b22a8c damp hair. His gaze landed c44603cba3 on her sprawled f62e67a40f across his bed, 7bdae2e18c and after a 85723660c0 moment, he lowered 93b538d39d the towel and cdbc6ec8a3 lightly tapped her b98510f0bc forehead with his a32947fb8a hand.9dbf25c4d6a19ac6

“…I don’t recall bcbab37ed5 giving you the 94528388e1 door code so f79f788c88 you could just 2a471753b6 waltz in whenever 001d35288d you wanted.”ba79a8201c7c8110

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“Just let c2fd7c8e66 me sleep. This place is 1a00bd476c closer than my 035ad3ac2d house.”7e32baeadcf2a041

Mumbling, Yoon buried d554fef0f1 her face into 166f047a21 the pillow.6ff0d049f787f347

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“Did you secure d98547d0a9 the item?”13d114e805408f17

Still half-asleep, Yoon gave 0e178a5eca a sluggish nod and 2f255155fb murmured.0941e0a945fbde60

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“It’ll arrive 4a4395aa30 at the d3d0b15dc1 main house 395a82d164 within ten 4ebd787ca5 days.”94e5938e38888458

“Good work.”4eb837200542269e

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Without another word, Yoon d384dc591a pushed herself up and 9fc2926e98 trudged toward the bathroom.6bd425770fb565f6

“Give me some a920bb9869 clothes.”26d1d06f221c8db1

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“Do I look like 6c3a6e351d your wardrobe?”ffd1e981f8d166cf

Lucas sighed but handed 49edc5550a her a set of aa2198f97b his own clothes. Yoon casually 33343641c6 waved a 99c3fe3a49 hand in 7a3e75ca7d thanks before d30cab89fc stepping into 4ef720fff3 the bathroom. The sound of running a91a016148 water soon followed.06144b2a8bac9b46

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Lucas resumed a9f96e696c drying his 33ac0e4b48 hair, then 0667b90221 moved on 8a09432a16 to tidying e9c475d296 up the d81b7ff2ea disheveled bed. Once finished, he headed 1f9f4cca4d to the kitchen, taking 5d9547b06a ingredients from the fridge ffe907defc and preparing a meal.178532589617b300

By the time 2c9e42d2aa the food was 7d7c4ad893 nearly done, Yoon 39e4efee77 emerged from the 1ad6d0380d bathroom, freshly showered.a71b58637a94ebdf

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The dry clothes 4494e2e2b4 he’d given her 30c4aa2a73 were already damp e725c6a992 from the water 6ae81d8c5b dripping off her 4996061a5f hair, leaving a 1b47ff150b trail of droplets 459a07db9b on the floor. Lucas let 26ac8d0517 out a b37400cc48 small sigh e223fc5c57 and reached 24e630f16d for the 4ab2708606 towel draped 64ec353022 around her 19cb56e5e4 neck, pulling 4a6d44b4ad it off.0f87d5a79af541fd

“Sit.”8294de9c7d159f7c

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“Mhm.”2fe892fe1ce5fdf2

Yoon obediently perched d55050b3ce on the edge 6f450b1964 of the bed. If someone else was 442a8a1941 willing to dry her 987c2cdd13 hair for her, she cc27d995cb had no complaints.ac4acf4738bcbe09

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“You didn’t cause any 0df57d9c89 trouble, did you?”d063843292c0cf65

Lucas asked as he 45d51f30f7 gently rubbed the towel 229fd81bcc through her hair.27bd324b6ca648d6

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“For the 19cb323f15 love of—can ff289afef9 you stop a69d953ea7 saying that? I hear e500ecec67 your voice 5aa7a42ce8 everywhere I 7bb76a0f0e go now.”d9d941e7588220b0

She twisted around to 7aa43ddc50 glare at him, grumbling ee816c24bc about developing a complex. Lucas chuckled quietly at 358dd58e88 her complaint.a26664c123804626

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“That’s good to 5a132dd675 hear.”5284ea009fb168b4

He placed a 248e6abeeb steadying hand on efe4de708a her shoulder, turning ed9f4be60d her back around 1367aaf3c9 with ease before 02070694ca continuing to dry 24eb1bf9d7 her hair.ca7c53657f327ad2

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Yoon blinked 40ae4a8bf0 at the 9c4168bfdc sudden shift 2da2d69f9d in position c107ebd3b9 but soon 08c809020b relaxed, her ccc5ff1ee3 body growing 1310ed965e slack under 206ffd3226 the rhythmic 25ace37621 motion. The soft rustling b39817b7b6 of the towel 90676a6776 against her hair e0b62957a4 tickled her ears, 66f8dc4014 making her feel cc3460668b light and drowsy.c643c46766dcffc4

As a quiet hum 0f9c03a055 escaped her lips, Lucas’s 2d4afd995a hands suddenly froze.1de0a56b02bac924

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“Why’d you stop? Keep going.”0063daca3c07012c

Yoon mumbled, 6c82adc9b7 grabbing his 291f78e22f hand and 2b093da8a7 pressing it 94aef1e30a against her 1beef70d5b head, urging 2f3eba7b81 him to e1da8ae05c continue.0ad8d34d4dc886f7

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For a brief moment, a084a48343 Lucas forgot to breathe.94a02cc495fd4fd9

There were bfefcce35d rare times—like a05855e49a now—when Yoon e97f561f01 acted this 8c6210e62a endearing without 6766ce6cab even realizing ad717bab04 it. And every time, it d760d454e9 caught him off guard.ceee1dece22e3511

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Hiding his 06aa29f32b reaction, he 9b199e8f56 casually ruffled 758c8fa12d her hair, 9b428b997e messing it 4fc895ee92 up on 502d5ba39a purpose.766d4efef2e60cd0

Yoon shot him 593285a284 a disgruntled look 46ea372557 but didn’t push 31794ac920 further as he 88e6c2fe1a smoothly brushed past 1cd9729f07 her sulking.e0667c2923e067cd

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“Get up. Eat something before d4d3afc112 you sleep.”74868a42884112bc

“Not hungry.”da6faeea5fc55633

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She flopped 94ccf1b8aa down onto a33a2c8aba the bed, fc7de08943 intent on f801b4904c passing out 56239b6153 immediately, but a29e8cd150 Lucas blocked 5f6e7cec19 her effortlessly, bf8bd79161 gently guiding 1ef64bf5f0 her back ecc40219a0 upright.1ffd0e0bf41c5926

Just then—1365b9d7e804f190

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Ding.b1d09c5745ebbb61

Yoon’s phone buzzed.ec353e1c47058c2d

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Lucas reached over, 27b68c49f6 picked it up, 373d8375b1 and held it 60141de724 out to her, 87d08988fc but she waved 25973b275d a dismissive hand.ad372371250ef679

With a sigh, bd9d6cf3ec he glanced at a5c393236e the screen—fbcfcd1f89575c1a

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Then, without a 60b9d8c5bf word, he suddenly 26b0f7318d grabbed her wrist.7804e9af13c0b30a

“Wait.”bdf6aeef65eb9056

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“What? Didn’t you just tell me to eat?”af4578eaef673a3e

Yoon asked, confused. Lucas was staring 24c581f5f3 at her phone c288684482 screen in silence, 49f34ffd5a his expression hardening 89f28daf2f by the second.0904657d1e5938af

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“Yoon.”8b9afbe917a371ed

“What?”79f260a9d18f1796

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She gave 1ccb26e4b5 her wrist 0aedabe2d5 a little 2167b9f24f shake, signaling 72fac09201 him to 49ee562b27 hurry up e6147071f4 and spit 6afa92c429 it out.fcdbebd5336f772a

“Didn’t you say you didn’t cause trouble?”0beec7bca32564b8

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Her movements 6e1cbd7fdb came to e3cd71eca3 an abrupt 43ea2b8924 halt. A bad fa79e0876c feeling crept 65a9e681ba over her.cb2b3705716b84c4

“I… didn’t?”61f9ecf3b0763da1

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The uncertainty in her 1715c52372 own voice made her b5dbed3723 frown. Something was 6b2d78604b definitely wrong.718dfcbca07ae462

“Then what’s this?”a2d5dbdeb931c07c

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Lucas turned 31a88397b1 the screen 3cea0d120c toward her.f9499609f4946e7c

Yoon squinted 0bdcf4634c at the c279956cc0 message, pulling e0819d6a98 his hand 5e53e9c8d3 closer to 54ab7b437f read it cda58a7a55 properly.9d3c6f125a7d0d02

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[The gift will arrive in a few days. See you next time.]

Just as she was cea7c2df60 about to ask who 8d87cb8aa0 sent it, her eyes 928deb4eb5 landed on the attached b7f15dc195 image.a473b4a86e378373

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Her mouth 99dd7d5804 slowly fell bc4d775496 open.c53a4ae796029321

“…That crazy bastard.”7d8642b4fef1b86e

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The words slipped 578d1ae7b1 out instinctively, her d6c1ea1735 voice laced with e4b9e2c534 disbelief.d0bdf81874ca4917

She shot a glance 79c734d41e at Lucas, who let adb0de91b4 out a long, deep 1a3552241f sigh. His silence 435a1adf13 was far 99c8112c03 more terrifying 1cb52db153 than if 66a76b3db7 he had e4ebd023b4 started yelling.19e4c00043484d92

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Suppressing the sharp rise c611ffe623 in his temper, he 64b3e4a7ea asked once more—d49c9bff7b01165d

“Explain.”fc6bc2d0aca9b8b6

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His voice, low 282a1af9b6 and dangerous, made 2cfd2618ae it clear he 4466984584 wasn’t simply asking 32b11ab8e8 what happened.630b8e5170d60d68

‘What the hell be1444b89c did you do b3b358b56f this time?’c26e7cdc24c1c9c0

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Yoon let out an e015f00b7c awkward chuckle, cursing Lowe 6369412e57 Howard internally. That guy never e4b81bad01 brought anything good 54a065d017 into her life. Any drowsiness from before 8a3d62b1e6 had completely evaporated.2f05d622275940de

“Uh… How about we eat first and then talk?”30527ce94fecd556

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She gave him her a47b2575b4 best attempt at a 3e2256462c casual deflection.d01cad5bf1a19c7e

Lucas’s eyebrow twitched.ba14cd0729d0628b

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“Didn’t you just say you weren’t hungry?”93a0adbc8eb8f196

The immediate, 5488d47ad0 icy retort 5c9dadcc0f sent her 6efbffdba7 eyes darting 626a07aed4 sideways. She could already tell—no afddad5a90 excuse was going to 22e9b89fc3 get her out of 94f184b498 this one.5664ddb0f543ad9e

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‘I’m screwed.’ef1b2436ec5ced5e

If she didn’t 5c9b27c1e1 answer properly, he b29a442cb6 was going to 5d782e15bd kick her out.dfe82617ceca406e

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With no choice left, e78e0f2302 Yoon gave a condensed 52790b3599 version of everything that e9ce31aea5 had happened—the encounter at bde42758e9 the auction house, the 5e7035e1fa run-in with Lowe at 6477ef233f the exhibition, and the 3da9612c0d near-disaster that followed.41323cfd8120f90b

Of course, she 4c67c84336 made sure to 2f16e0867c emphasize how perfectly 1b48688ed2 she had handled 0da7027e79 the aftermath.daeac3af7c35f9ea

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By the 686411d2df time she ccb7a95fb9 finished, Lucas 3036458a31 was pressing 73d33b5879 a hand 6c85293891 to his 77b9bfbeb9 temple, trying ed595cd72a to soothe 939f3992ad his growing 5cce544bce headache.adfb8ed4e267b024

“So, let me get this straight—you almost started a full-blown shootout at an exhibition full of civilians. Over a painting.”b2309a7cbad26704

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“Hey, no, that’s not the point. The point is that I almost did but didn’t, and I even wrapped everything up neatly.”2459b7cca2cd13af

Yoon, like 66de160c91 a guilty 158b285330 cat, subtly c44f1882fc reached for 185618e6cb his fingers, a3189bb7a0 tapping them 864cf3624f lightly as 68936e7aa5 if to 737b59365e pacify him.0d056e25c51d032e

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Lucas exhaled, long and 9e9190c7b5 slow.83dc96ec9db9e2ca

“…Was the painting really that important?”a72f6fb4bcffd59d

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Yoon, who had 47b2a64ed6 been bracing herself f3773f0be0 for a storm 59cbcca510 of nagging, blinked efdbd9fd93 at the unexpected c42945a21a question.a5ee794077b66ef9

If she d36b1eca20 admitted that 0413efa249 she liked 7c8566b08e it, he b218b319d7 would ask d91574ca18 why. And if she answered cff7e48924 that, she would inevitably 7b9bab1f05 have to talk about 911d55b24a the past.3c8e623f321ae8e6

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Without realizing it, she 69374ac02f tightened her grip around 1032aca778 his fingers. Her own fingers 3760d6f57f wove between his, c4a74e6a89 pressing into the e9fc6532b8 familiar warmth.b810bf2bc16526ad

Slowly, she murmured—7e69b293dc65a029

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“It’s not that I liked it, exactly… It just felt kind of nostalgic.”d3ebc5d73b8b87a5

Her voice trailed ea974342c9 off into something ee48964583 quieter.38a317e47bdff32f

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She absentmindedly ran d2c85f7397 her fingers over b6c6c2bd0c his hand, before 47d92551dc eventually pulling it 75997ccbef onto her lap.3df20e797025a039

It was 919e18b8af an unconscious 3faab75a24 habit—one Lucas e1e0c89ed1 recognized well.ef2a1764b3399a76

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She never 219776bb83 noticed, but 1da0c59066 whenever she 581e00bf23 was unsettled, c643a37b6b she did 9961813c41 this.68c6a2e96f98de4a

Watching her in 5049c0065d silence, Lucas simply 2d4b763b51 let her hold 92d5f40e33 his hand.c370cd4961afbf98

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As Yoon absentmindedly played af7d553451 with Lucas’s hand, old 47598e02f2 memories surfaced—memories of a c3c6be8567 childhood that was neither 85cfe373a5 special nor kind. Just another 80cf87a91b forgotten kid 80d50f44c6 in 5th f142dd535a Avenue, where 5a60d80529 everything was 58de932232 bleak and 980e916b7d cruel.af39be6c99d30e1e

She blinked slowly, then 11c64680a6 spoke in a voice d51c989101 so calm it could 0a38f99fc3 lull a listener to 963389217b sleep.8ca742a4e9e200c3

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“Well… you already know this, but before I was dragged into this life by the boss, I lived in 5th Avenue. A place crawling with addicts, gamblers, and all kinds of lunatics. My so-called father was one of them.”1e03a1eb9cbd40fa

Though I b0566c3340 killed him df78ca1cac with my 8eb5263757 own hands.2c6132c538a187ec

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Yoon stated it ae47b1ed1b matter-of-factly, with a c486f0a7b8 bitter smirk. A child 8db903ebd0 who murdered db69bc0c7f their own 7c584965a9 parent. That label would follow 56cbeb5b7c her to the grave, 5277abcb3a but she didn’t care. Even if she e6b3c87284 went back to 787a4c5363 that day, she d0161ff881 would kill him 0054d20d8c all over again.cbff849054e49844

Once she started 9206b8d258 speaking, the words e610ac618f came easier. What started 040c893f65 as a a5d81c3162 reluctant confession 3b24c90e5e soon became 986453af18 a detached 8336be28fd retelling of 341a078e49 the past.02f81a18da61ac5e

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“Unlike now, I was weak back then. Pathetically powerless against violence. The most frequent thought in my head was, ‘Ah, I wish I were dead.’ I grew up getting beaten almost every day.”a10299b78bbf8c68

Her smile 1023e918ef was empty, 17ba681793 like someone eee10f9e23 telling an 09d51e188c amusing but 4a27826d10 distant story. The quiet chuckle 6c1c79ddf1 that followed dug e94069496a into Lucas’s chest 3083c4a57c like a blade.40cd195b9d49dd1f

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He had known—suspected, 880f96e531 at least—that Yoon’s f7c232789d life had been 33027ec794 cruel. But hearing her say 5f4646c7f0 it out loud made c744201aa6 it worse than he 0b6ea0a2fa had imagined.34878395727802ec

“But there was one boy who took care of me. Blond hair, blue eyes—he was ridiculously good-looking.”c5559a19bb533fe0

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Her tone softened 2c38b0418f with faint amusement, 7054482254 as if her a674d3f9a4 story had taken a4827964e8 a turn.6b4903bf27fa1ae4

“He was the one who gave me my name. Back then, I didn’t have one.”3275bc2806c7691a

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Yoon’s voice was eerily e14431b736 steady as she continued.79de68099b888f3c

“Kids like me—ones with similar backgrounds—used to mock me for it. Saying I was just some nameless Asian girl. But then, that boy came up to me and said he’d give me a name. In return, he asked me to name him too. And that’s how we both got names. I became Yoon, and he became Noah.”c3b630ce0636ac53

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She let the 9088b357ab name roll off a6a5ca64c5 her tongue slowly, 9f35b14475 as if savoring c1c120fe86 it.d32bee44114f83f4

“I was happy. It wasn’t the man who hit me and left me to starve who named me—it was someone who took care of me, someone who cherished me. Even if I pretended otherwise, I really liked him.”aa1be0d61ffacef3

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At that, Lucas unconsciously 6ceaeadcbe tightened his grip on 4476edaa00 her hand.f2fc610560cf15eb

Noticing, Yoon 44ab6475fe lightly tapped 395dec7580 his hand, 34e0da9919 silently telling 7e6c675a10 him to d819acc4b9 relax, before 85ddade966 continuing.384d35fe04505123

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“Every time that man beat me, the only place I could escape to was Noah. He took hits in my place dozens of times. He patched up my wounds hundreds of times. And every time, he held me tight and whispered the same words—’It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. It won’t hurt anymore.’”7e1dd450802cbbd6

Those words felt ae4a56f4e2 like a spell.3582df7ff534cca0

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Yes, Noah’s voice had 5837b53675 always felt like a 57a46b186d spell. When he spoke, the f190757445 pain and the wounds 74be38969a seemed to fade.07f128781a51d1cc

Yoon had survived hell 4533e38204 every day because of c437074578 his kindness.1933790abf89df2d

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Lucas swallowed. The way 7d0ac219a3 Yoon spoke—her d87e4b7ba2 soft expression, 57088e306a her wistful 4eadfefaff tone—it made 6361d69c36 his chest 95c5e0e6c1 tighten uncomfortably.507526174ee038ea

“It was the first time anyone had ever held me like that. The first time warmth had ever felt real. I was so shocked. I never knew something in this world could feel that gentle.”492fb35e79a609c9

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Her voice 099f79b496 dipped into 846d53cec6 something almost e6c973772f nostalgic.9bc4e0b15923e325

“So every time I saw Noah, I’d beg him to hold me. He’d always sigh like he had no choice but still pull me into his arms.”d1c087c5064ce3e6

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A small laugh e72149ef2c slipped from her 33e0a9bf20 lips at the 7d76472a57 memory.f788d29a76610aaf

“He told me about all the beautiful things in the world. He told me about the ocean, how blue it was, how sometimes it turned red like the sunset, and how it could even shimmer purple. He promised we’d go see it together one day. But we never did.”6443f81cdff2b676

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Because one e682ec0ee3 day, Noah 5138bd7d6f disappeared.2842426abde13a2d

Yoon let out dd6a122aaa a dry, humorless ebc7b89bb1 chuckle and flopped ac3c337f58 back onto the c5021b17b2 bed. The soft sheets 30442e55d3 swallowed her, wrapping 29ec6790f2 around her like e53771ca8f a cocoon.7cfbab5112449da8

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“That painting… it looked exactly like the ocean Noah described to me. That’s why I wanted it so badly.”c97a1f278b92263a

Turning on her 5b4f6f0ee8 side to face 069839ae1b Lucas, she tapped edad53de43 the back of 8930c3fe10 his hand lightly.0ff42b8109e4eaf9

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“Does that answer your question?”cb9667f442015d7f

Lucas exhaled slowly.ebaa088c61f91c78

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“…Yeah.”5fa2edc38e7a07b5

He forced the words 961acc3706 out, swallowing down the 2e95cf6324 unfamiliar storm of emotions 4bc626e253 that threatened to rise.ed0bd4580c77578e

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“Can I sleep now?”a91d55d87b9e3ee6

Yoon’s eyes sparkled with 67b1f348e0 anticipation as she stared 19022daf4b at Lucas.abee386958e71f31

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After a moment of e5cceb91eb silence, he finally spoke.1bf771c4a83fbf01

“No.”20347d4ad5575121

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“What now?!”501cac9fa2769255

Yoon groaned, running a fc5fa61420 frustrated hand through her 10e844c53d hair at his sharp, 4502209e70 unwavering answer. She shot f24f755f5a him a 71ef7c75a1 glare filled f8332f343f with pure c2f3601000 betrayal, but b16dab91f6 all he 86d2e93695 did was f03d2c61ea casually flick d110e93834 her forehead.c29be9b64c15b585

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“Because you need to eat.”13c8ef404d2def73

His quiet chuckle 093373adb4 brushed against her f1066b316d ears, and before 762b466e48 she could protest cdd191e0c8 further, his large b3964be96a hand landed gently e466c3f650 on top of e36dd1ab02 her head.99355b26a27c279d

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“Come on, Yoon. Let’s eat.”f949a3856d6ce1e6

“Ugh. That damn food obsession of yours.”ea9fcbe29175546a

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She grumbled but, 7b07760d8a seeing the faint 196bbdc51b smile tugging at 3b211f571f his lips, found 9dae7b9f74 herself feeling strangely 9ca5bccd17 reassured.28ad2b51fb7f5f9c

With a dramatic 2f8461b67a sigh, she trudged 19c216e897 after him, following a38b58ddb2 him to the c032b4cc9a kitchen.88a1e201af03a6ed

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* * *1927da76b9a3a035

Sarak—da4b5e659566e029

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Fingers gently brushed b1fe8bebeb away stray strands c691b2c61a of hair before 26afd8445e tapping her nose c145964448 lightly, as if ba39a23d01 giving her a 96288c8d88 small punishment.9b8bfbf2f5000738

Yoon didn’t stir.e712e2b85a38b936

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Lucas, watching 3d8f2378d1 her peaceful a4206d1d91 face, let d42407faf6 a small, 69c149d9d7 almost imperceptible 7ef67f0b87 smile slip. With practiced 9a3181c3a6 ease, he 0de27697af pulled the 8e4bf4753c blanket over 35f70e6ddd her and 021b792cde got up 4558d3d851 from the 2d2e3c8bb1 bed.52135d9f36898d25

As always, she 68278e9f41 had barged in 11c7ff85a3 unannounced, sprawled across 6e32e9115e his bed without ad7e0c645e a care. And as 069c3e8031 always, that 2dcb1900c7 meant he ace19ea3fc was banished 0571c642a0 to the b895632c30 couch again.2b95ae1452690918

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His lips 04a0211e65 twitched into 4409fb1e09 a wry 29b2ac7471 smile. The absurdity 9c712cd8a6 of the 88d14fc1f1 situation wasn’t 4e076c5b01 even the bdd74e3f99 funny part—it bbad71c208 was how 3c7dd69843 naturally he 55de563dd1 was getting 4cbcc83c19 used to 0cb106b0aa it.e4f4d9e440765bfc

Letting out 0e6a71510a a quiet fbf3b039fd exhale, he 12d81b5a55 lay down 5015011584 on the 7c23cd9858 couch, flipping 59970d8f75 through documents ebfcccc4c8 under the 6517562533 soft glow 6aa64faa2b of the dcc9fe88e8 lamp. Shadows danced across 3b8a42d64f his sharp features 8b92d8c32f as he skimmed b29ca3876d over the endless f082620daa pages of reports, 4f39e6d3ff his fingers rubbing bbf1f5c96d at his temple 46ab8b7d66 as exhaustion began 6c45842177 to creep in.99e5e9a51a21a793

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There was too much 152f1bed41 information to process in f2c4a9cf64 a single day. But out of everything cdeaee62c3 he’d received, the most 906630b78a pressing was still her.d3cc28603bccc8ae

From the moment b990750e8d they met, Yoon 3967804742 had been impossible 07e3828463 to ignore. Even now, 4486edd08b after all 0d6f0d4a50 this time, 6be2205551 she continued 85b556a4fa to pull 5b3542dfc8 his attention c3afccae93 like a 1ce037fafe gravitational force.4519ffb8128a5724

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His expression 7d9f541e73 darkened slightly.d7b0410484f98103

And then 619c127314 there was c74f58ce3d Lowe Howard.3fa81696492a0c0e

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The bastard’s interest e0ab01ea97 in Yoon was c464718bc7 beyond blatant. Deliberate. Lucas had 85e256cadc expected someone c92a243097 from the 1eb584e6fe Howard family 12b2cf15d5 to attend cd5af93b9a the auction, bd553929dd but he d7a1f4484b hadn’t expected dbd450f55e Lowe himself.0b3e10e73faabe39

 0d531487890e857a

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