CBL Ch 22

The first Friday of October dawned with an unusually clear and blue sky.

However, Yisoo’s condition was not good. Entering her ninth week of pregnancy, she was beginning to experience real morning sickness; her stomach was constantly unsettled, and nothing she ate stayed down.

She tried not to show it, skipping breakfast to rush her preparations for going out. It was the day for her checkup at the town clinic, which she hadn’t visited much. Although the former director and Secretary Moon offered to call a taxi, she declined and walked with them to the village bus stop.

She had avoided going to the hospital as much as possible. After the initial diagnosis, she hadn’t gotten another ultrasound nor listened to the heartbeat. It was an unconscious attempt to maintain psychological distance and not grow attached.

But from the beginning, the answer was set. She didn’t know when it started. Was it the first day of checkups when she began taking folic acid regularly? Or perhaps a week ago when she bought vitamin D?

As the former director said, it might be an insane decision. She couldn’t even imagine how shocked Yihyun would be if he found out. There would be no future with Kwon Siheon.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy. There was no grand maternal instinct, nor any desire to reconnect with the child’s father, no justification at all.

However, the child certainly existed. What did it matter whose child it was? The important thing was that there was a life growing inside her, breathing through the placenta.

It’s my child. Not Kwon Siheon’s child… but mine, Yoo Yisoo’s child.

When she got off the village bus, her hand naturally went to her stomach. The moment her feet touched the ground, she felt a subtle tremor, a strange ripple spreading deep within her heart. A shiver, indescribable by words, ran from head to toe.

She felt really strange. For a moment, she was dazed by a sensation that couldn’t be described as just miraculous or mysterious. The child, to whom she hadn’t even given a nickname or spoken to, seemed to be sending some kind of signal from within her womb.

‘You’re not alone, after all.’

She remembered the conversation with Mrs. Emily a few days ago. That night, she couldn’t sleep easily because of the emotions she didn’t want to acknowledge.

But ultimately, it’s meaningless.

Kwon Siheon would never change his plans. Whatever he said through his secretary to Yihyun and Sera, not a single word could be trusted.

“You’ve decided to keep it. That’s a big decision.”

Even the doctor supported her choice. The blood test and abdominal ultrasound showed no issues. She had been worried because her belly was only slightly larger than expected for her gestation period, but fortunately, both mother and fetus were healthy, and the doctor was as pleased as if it were his own business.

Then she listened to the baby’s heartbeat. She gazed for a long time at the new ultrasound image, where the small form, often called a “jelly bean,” was visible. Now, the baby’s existence felt tangible, unlike how she had previously avoided it.

“Morning sickness will start getting serious soon. Ma’am, I’m worried you might get even thinner than you are now… You need to find something you can eat and eat a lot of it. Understood?”

The doctor spoke kindly in a local dialect.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Stepping outside with the envelope of vitamins, the autumn sunlight poured down as if it would shatter. Come to think of it, was it around the time she left Seoul, when she had a dream of this radiant sun? In that dream, the sun seemed to engulf her, then nestled into her arms – could that have been a dream about pregnancy?

Today, the sunlight was dazzling like in that dream, so much so that she didn’t recognize him at first. She made a visor with her hand to block the sun, and only after crossing the traffic light did she see the silhouette through her squinting eyes.

The man in front of her was very tall and imposing. From head to toe, his attire and demeanor didn’t match the simple town center at all. Yisoo knew the man who exuded such an overwhelming presence from afar.

＊＊＊

He was a man she knew better than anyone.

The air around them seemed to freeze for a moment.

If time is just an abstract concept, the space around the two of them truly stood still. At least, that’s how Yisoo felt.

“Yoo Yisoo.”

Only after hearing that familiar deep voice did her vision, which seemed like a vision, become clear. Strangely, she felt nothing. Contrary to her imagining her heart would sink and she’d run away in panic if she met him on the street.

To think he found her after nearly two months, perhaps she had overestimated his search capabilities. She even found the thought amusing.

Does he know about the pregnancy?

The building she had just exited before crossing the street was the largest shopping complex in town, housing several clinics, including an OB-GYN, restaurants, and offices. Even from the outside, it was filled with various signs.

And fortunately or unfortunately, the envelope she was holding had an advertisement for health supplements from within the hospital instead of anything related to the OB-GYN.

“It’s been a while.”

As Yihyun and Sera had described, Kwon Siheon was indeed much thinner. His hair was perfectly combed back without a single strand out of place, his suit from tie to trousers was impeccably ironed, and his coat was draped casually over it.

From one perspective, he looked as straight and orderly as if measured with a ruler.

However, his face was more emaciated than before. His sunken eyes glowed with an unfamiliar vigor, and his gaunt jawline was unfamiliar. He wasn’t exactly haggard, but he looked distinctly different from usual.

He broke the silence and abruptly got to the point.

“Can we talk?”

“…”

“You look pale, but you’ve put on some weight, unlike me.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Did Do Sungjun know from the beginning that Yoo Yisoo was here?”

Their conversation ended there with a non-sequitur.

He had investigated Do Sungjun.

It meant he had been monitoring anyone who had even the slightest connection with her.

“Let’s talk in the car.”

“No. Let’s do it over there.”

Yisoo looked around and pointed to the second floor of the building next door. The sign for a tea house was hanging crookedly as if it would fly away with the wind.

When he approached the sedan to give some instructions, Secretary Kim Jaewon got out and headed towards the building, not forgetting to bow slightly to Yisoo in passing.

As she climbed the steep stairs, she was out of breath but tried not to show it. Inside the tea house, there were a few customers, but by the time she returned from the restroom, they were all gone. The woman who seemed to be the owner was putting up a “Closed” sign on the shop door.

It wasn’t surprising. Moving people instantly with money was something Kwon Siheon did routinely. At least he hadn’t resorted to threats against the local elderly, which was a relief.

“…”

“I’d rather you didn’t smoke.”

Kwon Siheon, sitting opposite her with a cigarette between his lips, narrowed his eyes. The air was fresh and warm with the window wide open, but Yisoo’s voice was firm.

He didn’t argue and took the cigarette out of his mouth.

“If you don’t like it, I won’t.”

At his next words, Yisoo’s hand, reaching for her water glass, paused.

“Let’s go home, Yisoo.”

“…”

“I’ll do everything you want.”

“Mr. Kwon Siheon, we’re already over.”

“The May special pardon wasn’t me. The eldest son of H Construction was the target, and Han Dong-jae is still serving his sentence at the request of his family. If you still don’t believe me, I’ll show you all the documents.”

“No. There’s no need.”

Even Yihyun believed in Kwon Siheon’s innocence regarding that matter. After Yihyun thoroughly re-investigated, there was sufficient evidence, and Yisoo eventually accepted it.

But that was all; there was no justification for their contract to continue.

“I believe it wasn’t you, Mr. Kwon Siheon. For the accusations I made out of misunderstanding… I apologize like this.”

As lunchtime approached, the smell of food wafted through the window. The delicious aroma of frying fish and grilling meat from nearby restaurants now only came across as a nauseating stench to Yisoo. She pretended to wipe her mouth with a tissue to hold her breath before she managed to continue.

“And for everything you’ve done for Yihyun and me…”

The faces of Yoo Hyeok-su, Yoo Min-seop, and Yoo Hyunrak, along with Kwak Bu-gyeong and Kang Man-seob, flashed through her mind.

“We are alive and breathing because of you, Mr. Kwon Siheon. I am truly grateful.”

“…”

“If you think the reward was insufficient, I’ll give you everything I have. Even if it’s paying it back little by little each month…”

“What I need isn’t money, it’s you.”

Kwon Siheon gave a dry chuckle while wiping his face.

“No matter how much money you offer, it means nothing to me.”

That would be the case. The subsidiaries operated by Shinuehoe and the affiliates of Shinmyeong Group, along with the unofficial organizations, were like an endless fountain of cash.

Even if Yihyun handed over a lifetime’s worth of royalties, it would be pocket change to Kwon Siheon. People who don’t know or need to know the exact amount of their assets operate on a different concept of numbers altogether.

“I sincerely apologize for how I treated you before. I regret it to my bones.”

His voice was calm, but the shadowed look in his eyes was unfamiliar to her, unlike anything she’d seen before. The nausea from morning sickness ceased at the weight of the emotions entangled with him, an incalculable burden.

“Only after you disappeared did I realize.”

His voice, full of sorrow, came out roughly as if scratching his throat.

“What Yoo Yisoo meant to me.”

He looked tired as he stroked his chin, casting his gaze out the window. At the end of his thoughtful look was a small bird on a branch.

“Our contract is over, Mr. Kwon Siheon.”

“Yes, that contract is over. So, I want to start anew with you, properly.”

“You’re not going to marry Park Seohye…?”

“As I’ve conveyed through Lee Yihyun several times, there will be no marriage to another woman.”

“Have you informed Park Seohye…?”

“The process is underway, so the news of the engagement being broken off will soon appear in Jungshik.”

“I see. But…”

Yisoo tried to steady her heart, which had been on the verge of wavering. She looked at Kwon Siheon as if he couldn’t understand straightforward words. She had expressed her desires clearly enough in her letters, and just moments ago as well. Now was the time to think solely about that.

“Nothing changes. Our relationship ends here…”

“I’ll do whatever you want. If you want marriage, we’ll get married, and if you want to live under one roof as we have been, we’ll do that.”

“…”

“I’ll give you anything you want. Anything. As long as you’re by my side.”

A crack formed somewhere in her heart.

Is he sincere? Will he really do anything as long as it’s not about leaving him?

“Then, if…”

A gleam filled his cold pupils. Kwon Siheon was patiently waiting for her words. As hope and curiosity rose above his previously somber expression, his posture straightened, revealing his inherent arrogance.

“If I… wanted to have Kwon Siheon’s child…?”

Her voice was calm, but her palms were drenched with sweat from extreme tension. As she observed how his mood changed, she felt like her nerves might snap.

“Then have it.”

Kwon Siheon was surprisingly calm. Whether he was thoroughly hiding his true feelings or genuinely indifferent, there was no way to know.

“As long as you’re by my side, I’ll let you have as many as you want.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint vibration sounded. The dull, distant sound of a drum from a desert was coming from Yisoo’s phone. On the screen, the name “Secretary Kang” appeared.

〈 Secretary Kang ⋮

Hello, Ms. Yoo Yisoo? This is Kang Jinseo. Here are the results of the investigation you requested two days ago in the file. It’s the list of the bride and groom for the wedding at the S Hotel’s VIP Hall, confirmed for the first half of next year.

“Please wait a moment. I’ve received a call from the place where I’m staying.”

〈 Secretary Kang ⋮

The date marked in blue is the day when one team will use the entire day. Also, yesterday, the person in charge of Park Seohye’s wedding dress visited the hospital to confirm the revised design. Currently, there seems to be no change in the planned wedding. For details, please refer to the file, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

February 9th. The day when Kwon Siheon and Park Seohye would occupy the VIP Hall all day. Her tongue felt stuck to the roof of her mouth as if it were dry.

She exhaled with a sound like air escaping a balloon. Kwon Siheon watched Yisoo, who had suddenly turned pale.

“Is something wrong?”

“I need to go back. They need extra hands at the nursing home because it’s busy.”

Since he had tracked Do Sungjun to pinpoint her location, there was no point in hiding about the nursing home.

Yisoo tried to maintain her composure as she pocketed her phone. Her fingers twitched with spasms, but fortunately, they calmed down when she clenched them inside her pocket.

“I need time to sort things out. About a week.”

She deliberately asked for time to ‘sort things out’, not to think. Understanding the implication, Kwon Siheon’s eyes sharpened. The first emotion that surfaced was suspicion.

“Then I’ll come back in a week.”

Contrary to his sharp look, he answered readily. Yisoo got up and led the way down the stairs.

“The stairs are too steep. I’ll go first.”

Did he mean to catch her if she stumbled?

During the brief time they descended to the first floor together, Kwon Siheon’s broad back filled her vision. When she refused his offer to drive her to the nursing home, he hailed a taxi for her.

Only after the taxi started moving did Yisoo let out a big breath. The nausea she had momentarily forgotten about returned, bringing a cold sweat.

The phrase “chilling to the bone” didn’t suffice. Overwhelmed by a long-forgotten shiver, Yisoo tightly covered her mouth with both hands.

A year and a half ago, after feeling her life threatened in Hong Kong, this was the first time she felt such a chill.

＊＊＊

Thinking back to his gaunt face and lifeless eyes, she was once again thrown into confusion.

Perhaps the venue for the wedding hadn’t been canceled yet. Or there might be other circumstances no one knows about.

…No.

Yisoo shook her head, rigid as stone. She was impatient with how slow the truck seemed to be moving.

I have to run away.

If it had been anyone else, she might have considered the possibility. But an indescribable instinct made her heart race. After overcoming numerous crises, she couldn’t ignore the intuition she had developed.

The sense of urgency to hide surged to her throat. This ominous feeling was a certainty because the opponent was Kwon Siheon.

He won’t break off the engagement. He won’t give up even a bit of the benefits he’ll gain from the marriage as planned.

She felt like she had been hit in the back of the head with a blunt object.

To think he’d go through with the marriage and keep her on a leash like before. Kwon Siheon’s obsession and possessiveness towards her were far deeper and more persistent than she had anticipated.

It was a kind of madness beyond mere tenacity. It was nothing but vile, selfish greed, devoid of any genuine affection or respect.

Before dawn, Yisoo gathered her simple belongings and left the nursing home annex. The nursing home facing the sea was surrounded by closed pensions, hills, and trees.

If there were any strangers or cars watching the building, they would be easily noticeable. Fortunately, there was no sign of surveillance from Kwon Siheon’s side.

It took less than 30 minutes to reach the intercity bus terminal by riding in the truck that delivered food supplies to the town every morning, crossing the Geobukseon Bridge. Her heart was beating wildly as if it were malfunctioning.

Yisoo boarded the bus with the ticket the truck driver had bought for her at the former director’s request. Even after closing the window curtains tightly, her anxiety didn’t completely dissipate.

Surely, he wouldn’t harm the director or the nursing home.

Just in case, she left a message for Kang Jinseo, asking him to keep an eye on the nursing home for a few days and protect the elderly there. Although Chairman Jung’s power wouldn’t compare to Shinuehoe’s, it was better than doing nothing.

She also hoped that nothing would happen to the former director and Secretary Moon. A wave of guilt washed over her. She shouldn’t have come here in the first place, causing trouble for them. That’s why she had refused when Secretary Moon gave her the address of a distant farm.

‘No, I have somewhere to go. If that man finds his way there and causes trouble for your acquaintance…’

‘That won’t happen. It’s really in the middle of nowhere. Unless you’re a fugitive, all you need to do is hide out for a few months.’

‘Do that, Yisoo. You don’t have a proper place to hide, that’s why you came here in the first place.’

‘But…’

‘This time there’s no risk of being found out. It was because of Prosecutor Do that he found out before. Just don’t go outside the farm or contact outsiders, and you’ll be fine. You said you just need to hide for three months.’

‘Then I’ll go and decide. If I cause trouble for others because of me…’

‘No, but if he was monitoring the prosecutor, what kind of lowlife is he… He’s definitely a gangster, right?’

She couldn’t bring herself to confirm or deny, causing Secretary Moon to shudder.

‘Goodness. How hard it must have been for you all this time. At such a young age…’

‘The baby, are you going to… do it?’

‘Yes.’

To the former director’s question, Yisoo nodded.

‘It’s already too late.’

Even if it hadn’t been too late, she probably wouldn’t have been able to terminate the pregnancy.

Why? She even had the ironic thought that all the experiences she had gone through were to meet this child in her womb. From Yijin unnie to her biological father being killed, to witnessing Kwak Bugyeong’s end, all the dangers and betrayals she had been caught in until she ended up here.

Even the unfortunate connection with a man like Kwon Siheon.

Perhaps all of it was a process leading to her gaining a new family. Or maybe it was a reward for enduring all that time.

Kwon Siheon would soon know about the existence of the fetus. Perhaps he already knew by now. Just like he had repeatedly said he wouldn’t make an illegitimate child in the past, he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate his own bloodline.

Just as he had shown no hesitation when she mercilessly asked him to kill any blood relative of hers.

‘If I… wanted to have Kwon Siheon’s child…?’

‘Then have it. As long as you’re by my side, I’ll let you have as many as you want.’

That was a blatant lie. Like the false promise he made to be together, claiming he would break off the engagement and marry her instead of Park Seohye if she wanted.

She couldn’t lose the child. After losing Yijin and Yoo Incheol, if she lost this baby too, she would truly lose the will to live. It was an inevitability she could feel.

The sudden, intense attachment she felt for this child was different from the one she felt for her twin brother, Yihyun. In that emotion, there was no place for Kwon Siheon.

She had no intention left to allow him that place.

Even when he had just turned into a legal adult, Kwon Siheon wasn’t much different from his peers.

Back then, he was full of cynical bravado and flamboyant pessimism. And 11 years ago, when the world seemed to be filled with warm, mushy lumps.

Cat hair flew everywhere, even getting into his nostrils, making him sneeze repeatedly. Normally, he was tough enough not to care about getting hit, but today the luck was bad.

Having returned to Korea for the holidays, boredom was killing him. So, he had sneaked into the house of his uncle Kwon Giyeong, who was always eyeing him and Kwon Woohyuk, to provoke by winning all the gambling money, only to get beaten up and escape.

Half of the dried blood on his clothes wasn’t his, but since several guys had attacked him with knives and blunt objects, he had taken quite a beating.

Just as he had climbed over a grandiose fence, whether it was a park or a hill, to catch his breath, he felt someone’s presence. It was a different kind of breathing from the stray cats.

“What the fuck.”

His heart sank. Something reflecting the dim sunset light was shining towards him. Upon closer inspection, it was the eyes of a girl. Her eyes sparkled through the round, white-framed glasses.

Trying to stand up with his battered body, he grimaced. The sudden appearance of the girl made him growl like a cat, a defensive mechanism different from his survival instinct.

“Never seen a person before? Get lost.”

“Um… this is our family’s land. Our villa.”

Her pupils behind the glass were as pretty as jewels. His heart strangely fluttered, just as it had when he was surrounded by stray cats ten minutes ago.

Maybe because he was within his own boundary. This girl, not particularly scared of him, answered calmly with eyes shining brightly, making quite an impression. Her doll-like, clear, and transparent face somehow made his emotions soften.

“Before you get caught, come with me. Hide in the shed for now.”

“What if you change your mind and rat me out to them?”

“…Why would I do that? Don’t worry. I’m not on their side.”

“How can I trust that?”

He couldn’t remember if he had dropped or broken his phone during the fight. Even if it had been left at the scene, it didn’t matter. No matter how advanced the forensic techniques used to dissect it, he had ensured it would become a useless piece of metal the moment it was lost.

“Alright, lead the way. But remember this clearly. If you betray me and call someone, you won’t be safe either.”

“…”

“Got it?”

“Yes. …But please ask for help at least once before you do.”

“What?”

“That way, I have a reason to help you… Mr. Kim, the butler… Our housekeeper said that helping only those who ask for help ensures no trouble.”

What a crazy little girl.

“Looking at you, you’re not an ordinary kid either. Not being afraid of someone like me already shows a bad sign.”

He chuckled, but in the end, he did what she wanted.

“Hi? Nice to meet you. Can you help me out?”

It was a request. Please help me out.

He said it jokingly and, disheveled among the stray cats, followed the girl to the shed. He dozed off there and when he woke up, he was locked in Kwon Giyeong’s thugs’ den.

After being beaten to a pulp again and regaining consciousness, he was in a hospital owned by Shinmyeong. While getting several stitches due to a heavy blow to the head, parts of his memory from that day flew away, leaving only fragments.

Those missing pieces returned to their owner, Yoo Yisoo, on the morning they reunited. Siheon woke up, put a cigarette in his mouth, and gave a bitter smile.

So it was you, Yoo Yisoo. The mischievous person who told Yoo Yongjin my location, leading to me being caught by Kwon Giyeong’s gang again.

Round forehead and sparkling eyes behind oval glasses. Red lips that repeatedly pursed and released. A small, pointed nose. Everything about her was round and cute.

Yoo Yisoo was a damn pretty girl even when she was young. It was beyond comprehension why he had forgotten her, even though his head had been beaten.

He opened the home bar display, but the liquor he wanted wasn’t there. As he left the study and headed towards the first-floor storage, the only sound in the house was his footsteps.

The servants at the Hannam-dong house would retreat to the annex upon his return, so when he was alone in the vast main house, it was as quiet as being left in the middle of the universe.

It was a tomb-like silence he hadn’t known when Yoo Yisoo was around. That silence was instantly shattered by an unexpected phone call. At this hour, the only ones who could call him abruptly were Secretary Kim Jaewon and Kwon Woohyuk.

— Mr. President, it’s Kim Jaewon. I wanted to report that the schedule for next year’s first half at the S Hotel VIP Hall was leaked to the outside.

“Who looked at my schedule?”

— I contacted you because there’s that possibility… There was a hacking incident during a 5-minute downtime of our internal network traffic, and only the list data was copied. We’re currently tracing the source of the hack, but since it’s the work of a pro, it might take some time.

Why, he wondered. The moment he met Yoo Yisoo at that countryside teahouse yesterday flashed through his mind. The worn-out table typical of an old shop, the creaking floor, and the thick, mysterious smell, whether it was herbal tea or some kind of medicine. And…

He remembered Yoo Yisoo checking her phone, her smooth forehead showing no apparent disturbance, but the strange air around her for those few seconds was definitely not his imagination.

Was she looking at that?

Siheon tilted his head back, pushing his hair away from his forehead. His reflection in the mirror showed a face pale from overwork. That’s how it was until moments ago.

Now the fatigue seemed to have vanished like a lie. With a surge of ominous adrenaline, he tightly closed his eyes and then opened them. The thrill of blood rushing through his body was exhilarating.

His fingers trembled as he reached for a cigarette. An overwhelming sense of defeat followed by a familiar thrill soon ensued.

＊＊＊

“There’s really nothing there, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Unless you’re a fugitive, all you need to do is hide out for a few months.”

Only after arriving at the destination did she understand Secretary Moon’s words. Surrounded by greenery, all that could be seen were apple and pear orchards, flower farms, and herb tea fields.

“Only about five groups come for farm experiences each week, so you just need to stay on the second floor during those times. Let’s see, since they only come until October, you’ll only need to stay for a few weeks.”

The orchard owner, Kang Seongrye, was a distant relative and high school friend of Secretary Moon, speaking in a Seoul dialect with a thick local accent. She used the local dialect only when lamenting the circumstances of the Seoul woman who had come to stay there temporarily.

“Such a pity, such a pity. What kind of scoundrel is chasing you… And you’re still so young and pregnant.”

She had grown accustomed to Kang Seongrye’s muttering and tongue-clicking. Perhaps because Kang herself had experienced the pain of losing her husband to illness a few years ago, she and her family were very kind and gentle to Yisoo.

“My mother seems less lonely thanks to Yisoo.”

Her mother, well over eighty, had been spending her time alone in her room watching TV amidst her busy family members, so she seemed delighted to have someone to talk to.

The work at the orchard wasn’t too hard, as she helped only as much as her body could handle. If she wanted, she could give birth here and stay as long as she liked, words that felt sincere.

In the peaceful countryside, there were moments when she truly wanted to do just that. Maybe because of the clean air and healthy environment, her morning sickness wasn’t as severe as she had anticipated. But she knew better than anyone that reality didn’t allow for that.

At the latest, she would have to leave here after Kwon Siheon’s wedding in February next year. She could settle in the US, as Yihyun and Sera had consistently suggested. For the sake of the child.

“Yisoo, are you doing well? But, you see, that Prosecutor Do keeps calling… He’s asking where Yisoo is, and I feel a bit sorry for him.”

On the fifteenth day since she moved here, Secretary Moon from the nursing home called. This was the third time they had spoken since she came to the orchard.

“Looks like he still can’t let go of Yisoo. But don’t worry, I won’t tell him you’re here. I’ll pretend not to know until the end.”

“Thank you. Please give my regards to the director.”

She would not meet Do Sungjun again. She shouldn’t, and she hoped not to. Right now, she didn’t even have the energy to think about anyone other than herself and the baby inside her. It took a lot of energy just to shake off the lingering image of Kwon Siheon that occasionally surfaced in her consciousness.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there was no further contact from Kwon Siheon. And Yihyun’s surgery ended successfully. It was a piece of good news amidst the precarious days.

Yihyun

At least we need to watch the prognosis for two months. It might take longer. So you should come here, Yisoo.

I’m doing well now. I’m living so well at the orchard, so don’t worry about me and focus on your recovery.

News about him and Sera was shared only through a temporary anonymous SNS account Sera had created, with only what they needed to know. Just in case, she hadn’t used her previous account since Kwon Siheon came looking for her a fortnight ago.

If Yihyun and Sera knew she was pregnant, they would be shocked. They would tell her to get rid of the baby now. That’s why she couldn’t tell them yet.

After dinner, she took a short walk down the hill, her noticeably heavier body in tow. Under the bright moonlight, the serene farm looked like a painting. As she bent to pick up a fallen fruit that had rolled to the front yard, the fetus moved.

“Daon, are you awake?”

She spoke affectionately to the baby, whom she had only named yesterday. Calling the baby “baby, baby,” she hadn’t settled on a name, but the elderly at the orchard thought differently. They said the fetus would feel more of the mother’s love if she spoke to it by name, offering many traditional names.

There were many cute names like Kong-kongi, Teunteun-i, Sook-sook-i, and Ppoong-ppoongi, but in the end, she chose one of the pure Korean names Kang Seongrye had looked up. That was Daon.

It meant that from now on, only good and happy things would fill her life. If it was a girl, it could also be her real name after birth.

“Let’s go in now, Daon.”

Whether it was a boy or a girl, her biggest wish was for the baby to be born healthy. If she could be a bit selfish, she hoped for a daughter who would resemble her more than the father.

There was no falsehood in the time she was drawn to him. At least half of it was sincere.

And Kwon Siheon would walk down the path laid out for him, marrying Park Seohye, forever unaware of that half-truth, realizing the reality that he couldn’t have everything he wanted.

From the moment he was born, he was accustomed to a game of deception.

His mother, Jung Yukyung, had hidden the genetics of the child she bore from an affair with her father-in-law even before he came into the world. Deceiving her husband and the world had been an inevitable fate for her since she fell in love with her father-in-law before marriage.

When he was young, his father, Kwon Suhyun, sent him away to a distant rural area, following the advice of a shaman from the Hyeonshin Church, whom he worshipped like a deity.

In the desolate mountain, in a grand mansion standing alone, with servants who treated the child like a god, and strangers who attacked him day and night to harm him. At first, he cried and trembled in fear every time someone died without knowing why.

Then, days after hearing the audacious prophecy from a fortune-teller, he delivered his first judgment with hands that were not yet fully grown, to a servant who had cared for him like a real uncle.

“Kill him, young master! Betrayers must be dealt with cruelly to set an example, to avoid future trouble. The cult leader administered judgment when he was even younger than you are now.”

The fanatical servants handed him a knife, urging him to carry out the first punishment himself. He could never forget the raw madness and excitement in their eyes. That night was filled with such moments.

The chilling sensation of a well-sharpened blade cutting through living veins and organs. The sound of his own breath, panting in fear and horror, “hah, hah.” The shock of having killed someone with his own hands, leading to screams of anguish.

The sound of his cries, like those of a beast, burst out endlessly from his throat. He couldn’t sleep at all that night after committing his first murder.

He simply couldn’t. But with each subsequent experience, it gradually became easier, and he grew numb.

When dealing with those who betrayed, he became more ferocious. Instead of inflicting physical pain, he would crush the most precious things to them, whether it was their wealth, family, or anything else, in the most brutal ways.

The children raised with money stolen from others, their social obliteration and downfall. The moment a building they cherished more than life turned to ashes overnight, or when rows of long numbers in their bank accounts suddenly turned to zero. Watching them go mad or take their own lives, unable to bear the end.

All of it was exhilarating. Even as his emotions dulled like stone, that tragic excitement never changed. Each time he was betrayed, that contradictory thrill, accompanied by anger, only grew.

Crazy shaman bastard. Con artist.

“The closest person will betray you, again and again, endlessly… You will be betrayed, you bastard!”

The old man from the Hyeonshin Church had said such nonsense when he was young, acting as if he were a god rather than just a shaman who had received a divine spirit.

“That karma will strike you endlessly, and each time you’ll be beaten and forced to kneel. Because you can’t let go. Then you’ll be hit again, and you’ll cling to them again.”

“You will achieve everything and put it all under your feet. But because of one thing you can never have, your insides will rot. No matter how hard you try, it’ll be like trying to make rice from sand. If you’re not careful, you could choke to death.”

And what else did he ramble on about? That to make amends, one must be sincere? That he should avoid filling his heart with resentment by his own hands?

Nonsense. Rather than chasing after such vague moral teachings, the lessons from his treacherous biological father were far more practical and reasonable.

“Remember. What rules people is fear. Obedience and loyalty stem from fear, not from mercy or virtue.”

His grandfather, Kwon Myunghan, would say this as naturally as breathing whenever he visited him a few times a year. He diligently followed this teaching, steadily building his own position.

While Kwon Woohyuk took steps into the light, Kwon Siheon quietly expanded his influence in the shadows, both in the old Shinuehoe and Shinmyeong Group, and in America. During this time, the fate of his family gradually declined.

The death of his grandfather, his mother’s suicide, and his father’s demise in a foreign facility. Despite all these tragedies, the Shinmyeong Group did not collapse. Far from collapsing, it soared higher as the deep-seated corruption and backroom deals in Korea’s politics and business grew more intricate.

When the financial capital and investments laid by his grandfather bore fruit, transforming the group into something respectable, his brother Kwon Woohyuk, in his twenties, managed to control the extended family and the executives. Kwon Siheon rose to the head of Shinuehoe, ascending to a seat of power in the shadows.

Looking back, his existence had meaning in punishing that endless chain of betrayal and enlightening through pain. Crushing, breaking, and destroying someone was more significant than any noble duty.

Thus, his life was shitty and despicable from the moment he was born as Kwon Siheon. It wasn’t surprising anymore.

“Is the medicine ready?”

Siheon, sitting in the middle of the warehouse, pressed his temples down to his wrists. For hours now, a sharp pain had been constricting his throat with every breath.

One of the ‘cleaners’ handed him a small vial of medicine. Known as PH1, this drug, which paralyzes the hypoglossal nerve and renders one unable to speak for several hours, was a creation from the lab of a recently acquired global healthcare company. Of course, it was far from anything legally available on the market.

He looked calmly at the clear liquid inside the vial. The thought that such a small amount could temporarily control the muscles and nerves under the tongue was quite encouraging.

“It can be solidified into tablet form.”

“Thoroughly test what effects and side effects it has. How much needs to be administered to cause a blood pressure rise leading to death, keep detailed data.”

“Understood, Mr. President.”

The clinical trial results were already sufficient, but the more test data, the better.

As Siheon handed the vial to his subordinate, the bloody man kneeling at a distance trembled. This was another betrayer who, after Kim, the former director, had embezzled Shinuehoe’s funds and fled.

“Use him as a test subject too and deal with him according to protocol within a week.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Ugh, ugh… ugh!”

The man was gagged and shedding tears of repentance, but Siheon didn’t even blink. He brought it upon himself. If he had any sense, he should have anticipated this before being blinded by greed.

“What about the accomplice?”

“They are being moved to the house as you instructed.”

Behind him, as he walked out of the warehouse, he heard his subordinate talking to the house manager. The young male employee who had been bribed by Director Kim and assisted in the escape was set to pay for his crimes in the clubhouse for sexual minority customers.

He would become a tool for the diverse needs of VVIP members, including those with hybristophilia, engaging in activities from anal sucking to face shots and scat in threesomes. He hoped the man would serve his purpose for as long as possible.

The end of betrayal is always the same.

There will be no mercy or leniency.

＊＊＊

Yisoo, it’s me.

An email notification appeared on her phone when she turned it on after three days. Since she had fled in haste, there was no time to change her number or device. She had put it on hold, so she could only access the internet via Wi-Fi, not through the carrier.

However, the location tracking prevention app installed by Yihyun had already proven its effectiveness. Indeed, Kwon Siheon couldn’t find her whereabouts until he tracked Do Sungjun. So, she would only turn on the phone occasionally to check on Yihyun and Sera’s well-being and then turn it off quickly.

Only Park Seohye knows about the breakup so far. I plan to inform Assemblyman Park soon, so please don’t misunderstand.

Yisoo took a deep breath and read each line of text calmly. Just as the last fruit harvest had ended, the Kang family had gone out to the town for the first time in months, leaving her alone at the orchard.

As I said before, my feelings haven’t changed. You are the only one for me, Yisoo. So please come back. I’m repenting like this.

It was as expected. Perhaps the breakup was indeed the promised end, but even if that were true, the conclusion between Kwon Siheon and her would not change. She concluded that this was the right path.

Yoo Yisoo and Kwon Siheon were already over. Their contract had ended, and it should not continue in any form.

Give me one chance. Just one last time.

As she scrolled to read the rest of the email, the message “Cannot connect to site” appeared, and the email window closed. Internet connectivity issues were not uncommon in a mountainous agricultural area like the orchard.

Yisoo stared at the blank screen for a while before turning off her phone. She recalled the gaunt and almost lifeless Kwon Siheon. Even though it was just twenty days ago, the moment they met felt like a distant memory.

How much longer would she have to hold on? If he really did break off the engagement, she couldn’t decide whether it would be better to stay hidden here or to go through with moving to the US.

She started to get up, feeling the strain in her lower back. She might not look fully pregnant yet, but her belly was slowly growing day by day.

As she gently caressed her abdomen while heading back to the main house, a truck drove up and stopped in front of the house. Kang Seongrye got out of the car and hurried towards her.

“Have you arrived? I was just about to prepare dinner. What about the others?”

“Sungsan got injured, so everyone’s at the hospital! I was worried about leaving you alone, so I stopped by… I don’t know what’s going on.”

The woman exhaled heavily, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Kang Sungsan is Kang Seongrye’s youngest brother.

It seems that while taking photos at a new cable car site on a hill in an urban tourist area, someone pushed him, and he fell because he was standing on a slope.

“He was lucky to hold onto a rope in the middle; otherwise, it could have been a real disaster. I was so shocked I nearly lost the baby… Oh, what am I saying in front of Yisoo!”

Yisoo reassured her not to worry, that she was fine. It seemed his life wasn’t in danger, but he had suffered serious fractures.

Kang Seongrye looked quite flustered, her mind all over the place. She added that the person who pushed him was lost in the crowd of tourists and couldn’t be found.

“There were so many people, it must have been an accidental push. Still, they should have been more careful, goodness…”

“You must have been very surprised… I’ll make some tea, please sit down.”

Yisoo held the woman’s hand to calm her down, then quickly set up the tea and started preparing dinner. If the family had to stay longer at the hospital, she wanted to make some lunch boxes to take to them.

Somehow, she felt uneasy. A 14-week recovery period was far from minor, but this kind of accident, although not impossible, was unlikely to happen on a crowded hilltop.

Watching Kang Seongrye, who was full of worry for her brother, made Yisoo feel uneasy. The image of Kang Sungsan, who always looked up to his big sister like a mother, overlapped with Yihyun.

And she also remembered the young Yihyun, who had fallen down the stairs in her place and ended up with twisted legs.

＊＊＊

The second incident came to Kang Seongrye’s eldest uncle.

Kim Myungnam, the most diligent in the family, was pruning pear trees alone on a quiet Sunday afternoon when he was hit by two blank shots. There were no military installations or hunting grounds nearby. It was a mystery where the blanks had come from.

“The police are searching like crazy, but they found nothing!”

“What in the world, shooting in broad daylight like in a movie? They should turn the village upside down to find and lock up the culprit! Oh, now I’m afraid to go outside thinking bullets might fly from somewhere!”

Not only the Kang family but also neighbors came by to express their concerns. Yisoo couldn’t shake off her own unease.

She remembered hearing that even blanks can be dangerous at close range. Although no actual bullets are fired, the gas and debris from the burning powder can cause significant injury or death if hit at close range.

Fortunately, the blanks that hit Kim Myungnam were estimated to have been fired from over a meter away, so he only fell from the ladder with some abrasions, avoiding fatal injury.

The problem was the indelible marks. No matter how much he washed, the red stains on his forehead and neck from whatever ammunition was used wouldn’t come off.

The forehead and neck.

Yisoo closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. The scene she was most afraid to remember slowly seeped into her mind like water-soaked paper.

“Lee Yihyun doesn’t know, but Yoo Yijin died instantly from a gunshot.”

It was when Kwon Siheon had informed her of unnie Yijin’s death in the chaotic Hong Kong hideout last spring. Later, at the hospital, when she learned the exact cause of death, she realized Yijin had been shot once in the forehead and once in the neck, dying instantly.

A chilling shiver ran down her spine. Yisoo shuddered involuntarily, gripping the still-warm teacup with both hands. Her fingertips started to tremble.

The small but cozy room was warm. Yet, the chill that enveloped her body was so cold she hugged her knees tightly, curling up. Suddenly, the fear of being alone made her want to go downstairs where people were, but her body wouldn’t move.

Suddenly, she felt nauseous and retched. She kicked off the blanket and rushed to the bathroom at the end of the second-floor hallway, her vision blurring with dizziness the whole way. Breathing was hard with the pain of her stomach twisting and refluxing.

No way. It can’t be…

She hurriedly lifted the toilet lid and bent over. Even after vomiting everything she had eaten for dinner, the stomach pain didn’t subside easily. This was the worst morning sickness she had experienced.

Yisoo, while stroking her belly, sat on the cold bathroom tiles and then stood up. The pale face she saw in the mirror looked like a ghost.

It’s just an overactive imagination. Such things… that’s not his style.

Although Yijin’s death weighed heavily on her mind, now wasn’t the time to wallow in sadness. For the sake of Daon inside her, she needed to pull herself together.

Yisoo rinsed her mouth, took deep breaths, and returned to her room to lie down. She turned off the light early to try to sleep, but sleep was elusive.

It must have been someone illegally hunting mountain birds who accidentally misfired a blank. That was the most likely scenario they had discussed.

Hadn’t there been a similar case caught in the mountains across the river a few years ago?

＊＊＊

Several days passed, but there was no progress in the investigation of the blank shot incident.

Another incident occurred when Kang Seongrye returned from visiting her hospitalized youngest brother. This time, her eldest brother Kang Seongbeom’s whereabouts were unknown.

His wife and relatives searched the fields and town thoroughly, but Kang Seongbeom was nowhere to be found. Eventually, even the local police were mobilized, and a search began in the back mountain.

“Mom, isn’t there something a bit off here?”

“What do you mean by ‘off’?”

Yisoo was looking for an old flashlight in the tool shed when she planned to search the area. She overheard the voices of a mother and daughter, cousins of Kang Seongrye, from behind the shed.

“I mean that Seoul girl! Ever since that pretty-faced girl came here, strange things keep happening. Her husband treated her so badly that she ran away here, didn’t she say?”

“What does that have to do with Seongbeom going missing? Come on.”

“Oh, it’s just that the timing is off, I mean. Not like we’re possessed by an evil spirit or anything, but ever since that girl suddenly got pregnant and came here, things have been going wrong for Sungsan, Mr. Myungnam, and now even Seongbeom.”

Yisoo gently placed the flashlight on the ground, not moving an inch. Some of the dialect expressions were unfamiliar, but she understood the general context.

“Actually, I’ve felt uncomfortable about her from the start. Ever since Seongrye unnie took her in because she felt sorry for her being pregnant.”

“What are you talking about? That girl isn’t freeloading here. Seongrye has been sending money to her bank account in town!”

“But taking in an outsider as one of our own…”

“Seongbeom, I bet, with no farming work these days, he’s probably just drunk and passed out somewhere. Remember when he had a huge fight with his wife and got drunk, sleeping in the paddy field because he was so upset? Stop talking nonsense and go up the mountain to look for him already?”

“Oh, really! Mom, you don’t understand what I’m saying!”

Their conversation was cut off as people passed by the shed. Even after the mother and daughter left, Yisoo couldn’t move from her spot. Her stomach churned, and she felt a dry heave.

Covering her mouth with one hand, she whispered “baby, Daon” several times before managing to stand up. She staggered into the empty house and started cleaning the kitchen to calm her nerves.

Those who didn’t go up the mountain were pacing around nearby, talking with anxious faces.

I have to leave.

She couldn’t shake off the alarm bell ringing in her mind. She needed to find a place in the city. She couldn’t burden anyone emotionally.

The balance in the account Yihyun had sent money to was enough to buy even the largest house in town. She decided to first find Kang Seongbeom safely and then talk to Kang Seongrye when day broke.

Someone rang the back door bell. The door wasn’t locked, but Yisoo quickly went downstairs to the entrance to avoid waking Kang Seongrye’s mother.

When she opened the door, no one was there. Standing on tiptoe to look towards the front gate, she saw the village women gathered in groups like before.

“Who…”

Yisoo stepped one foot into the darkness where the porch light didn’t reach. At her feet lay a piece of paper. She cautiously picked it up, finding it was a photo.

Inside the square frame, a middle-aged man was bound hand and foot, sitting on a chair. His eyes were wide with fear, shining brightly. His mouth was covered by something like a mask gag from his philtrum to his chin.

This is…

The man was Kang Seongrye’s brother, Kang Seongbeom, whom the whole village was looking for. But what Yisoo saw in that fear-filled face was someone else.

Yoo Hyunrak.

Overlapping Kang Seongbeom’s innocent features was the fierce brow of Yoo Hyunrak, covered in blood clots. The face of a half-blood relative, an ugly murderer, who had mercilessly killed his half-brother for his own benefit, yet begged and pleaded for his own life.

“Yisoo, please! Save me! Please! If you spare my life, I’ll leave far away and never come back! Huh? Please, just my life… Ugh!”

At the sight of the monster in a hood meeting his end, Yisoo trembled violently. The shock of being hit in the back of the head with a blunt object, the nausea as if she would vomit her insides out, made her cover her mouth.

It was a warning. All of it up to now.

From Sungsan to Myungnam and now Seongbeom, none of this was a coincidence. The voice of Kang Seongrye’s cousin, clicking her tongue outside the shed, saying something felt off, replayed in her mind.

Kang Sungsan was pushed from the top of a tourist spot hill to the middle, injuring his leg. Just like when Yihyun fell from the second-floor stairs as a child and ended up with a leg disability.

Kim Myungnam was hit by a blank shot, one in the forehead and one in the neck, which came out of nowhere. Last year, Yoo Yijin died from gunshots in Hong Kong in the same manner.

Unlike Kim Myungnam, Yijin’s body was pierced by real bullets, damaging organs and causing fatal bleeding, stopping her heart instantly.

And now, Kang Seongbeom is somewhere unknown, trembling with his limbs bound, just like Yoo Hyunrak was.

Right before she begged Kwon Siheon to end her life with her own words, facing a cruel end. In the same condition as then.

“Yay! We’ve found him! We’ve found him!”

“Oh my, oh my, have you found him?”

There was a commotion by the front gate. They found Kang Seongbeom collapsed on the floor of a container shed at the far west end of the orchard, and fortunately, it seemed he was unharmed. Yisoo, clutching the photo in her hand, stopped in her tracks as she was about to head over.

She didn’t remember how she made her way back inside. When she came to, she was frantically grabbing her phone from the second-floor room.

As if an invisible hand was controlling her reason, her fingers turned on the device and clicked on the email site. Her fingernails were white as she reopened the email in her inbox.

As I said before, my feelings haven’t changed. You are the only one for me, Yisoo. So please come back. I’m repenting like this. Give me one chance. Just one last time.

She had read up to that point before the connection broke due to interference. At that time, she thought the same words would just repeat and conclude. She really believed that.

It would be better for the innocent people around you, Yisoo.

It was purely her misunderstanding. Kwon Siheon’s real message was clearly stated at the end of the email.

The fact that you helped a woman named Yoo Yisoo can change their lives. The price for helping you hide from me will be quite substantial.

Her breath caught in her throat. It felt like a cold, heavy rock had settled in her stomach.

No, no. It shouldn’t be like this. I have my child, Daon.

I hope you remember my words. As a sign of that hope, I will send a signal today. One day should be enough time to respond.

The email ended there. The ‘signal’ Kwon Siheon mentioned was Kang Sungsan’s fall. There was no doubt about it.

And when she read the email and didn’t respond, he continued to send the second and third signals. Kim Myungnam and Kang Seongbeom were unwittingly used for these warnings.

“Ugh…!”

Her stomach twisted, and a violent abdominal pain surged from her lower abdomen. She couldn’t bear the burning sensation from within and the sudden feeling of reflux. She ran to the bathroom, vomiting everything she had eaten that day until her throat ached.

Her body, consumed by fear, instantly went cold. The sound of her teeth chattering seemed to come from far away; it felt unreal. Despite feeling relief that Kang Seongbeom was safe, she struggled to gather her thoughts for the impending situation.

The noise outside was growing louder. Only then did Yisoo lift her face, drenched with tears and sweat, from the tile floor.

At that time, she thought it was the commotion of people bringing in the fallen Kang Seongbeom. She never imagined it would be a sudden fire.

The orchard was engulfed in red flames. The expression “spreading like wildfire” didn’t do justice to how rapidly the flames were spreading in all directions.

Yisoo ran outside, confirmed the crimson flames with her own eyes, and then sat down on the spot. Kang Seongrye came running to support her, but her touch felt unreal. Are you okay, we need to escape, come here quickly, the voice pulling her along echoed like an auditory hallucination.

As she watched the fire rapidly expand, a ominous premonition that she could never return to how things were before overwhelmed her. At least half of the orchard, tea fields, and rice paddies would be destroyed. Kang Seongrye’s kind-hearted family would lose their long-standing home overnight, without even understanding why.

Because of her. As payment for their kindness in taking in a pregnant woman they barely knew.

Just the fact that they helped a woman named Yoo Yisoo could change their lives. The cost of aiding you to keep hiding from me will be quite high.

Just as Kwon Siheon had prophesied.

Her teeth clattered, and her whole body convulsed. Her legs gave out, and she found herself sitting on the ground. The flames, dancing wildly, stabbed into her pupils, making it impossible to close her eyes.

‘Yisoo! Yihyun!’

While watching the flames dance under the dark sky, something began to stir in her mind. A memory from the distant past, sealed away by her subconscious.

“Yisoo, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Yisoo!”

‘Let’s go with Mom, she came to get us.’

Kang Seongrye’s urgent voice was drowned out by a real hallucination. The voice of a woman, both unfamiliar and familiar, had something that poked at her heart.

‘Has this woman gone mad? Get out of here now, who do you think you’re taking?’

The fierce roar of Chairman Yoo Namcheol, arriving late, tore through her ears.

‘They’re my children! They’re not yours!’

‘They’re mine! You were just the tool that bore them!’

‘When Yisoo and Yihyun grow up, they’ll just become your tools too. I won’t allow that. As I told you, those children aren’t yours…’

‘Kim! What are you doing not dragging this bitch out? Huh?’

In the midst of Yoo Namcheol kicking and throwing things at Lee Jiwon, the side table with candles tipped over.

‘Oh no! Yisoo-!’

As the candle fell towards her, the woman covered Yisoo with her body. The spark that caught on her clothes grew rapidly. In a panic, she pushed Yisoo away to protect her from the fire on her own clothes.

Just as Yisoo was about to fall over the stair railing, Yihyun grabbed her arm with all his might, pulling her back. Thanks to the pull, she barely regained her balance, but Yihyun lost his and fell down the stairs.

Someone’s scream tore through the air – Yisoo’s own, and the woman’s as she staggered, engulfed in flames behind her. Only then did the servants rush in to handle the situation, but the woman who had called herself their mother was already lying on the floor, motionless.

The flames had spread from her clothes to the curtains and walls. Before the fire was completely put out, Yisoo lost consciousness.

When she woke up in the hospital, all memories of her biological mother, Lee Jiwon, had vanished.

Ah, so that’s how it was. That was the truth.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. The long-dormant memory had awakened, bringing the events of that night to the surface.

That’s how our mother passed away. Burned by the flames.

On the day our biological father, Yoo Incheol, was away on business, she came to take us, and was caught in the fire caused by Yoo Namcheol knocking over a candle, dying so tragically.

There was no robbery from the start.

It was just that on the day Lee Jiwon came to see her twins, robbers broke in, damaging furniture, and Yihyun severely injured his leg trying to save her. Their biological mother died in the fire started by the decorative candle knocked over by the robbers.

The result, the fire and death, remained unchanged. But the process was vastly different. Their real mother was caught in the blaze Yoo Namcheol had caused, meeting such a cruel death because of that vile, base Yoo Namcheol.

That’s why Yihyun had hated Yoo Namcheol so much, even before knowing he wasn’t their real father. And he filled in the gaps in Yisoo’s lost memories with the notion of ‘robbers.’

He must have thought it was enough for him to live with the trauma of watching their mother die before his eyes. Desperately hoping that Yisoo’s bad memories, the horrific truth, would remain buried forever.

“Ah… ugh…”

Yisoo moaned in pain, as if something was stabbing her insides. There was no time to process the shock of the unsealed memories. After the burning pain in her abdomen, something burst between her legs.

Red blood flowed down her thigh, to her calf, and pooled at her feet.