The man standing at the kitchen sink had a twisted look on his face as he poured steaming water from the kettle into a cup. His jaw worked restlessly while his tongue clicked against his teeth as his eyes wandered to the large living room.
There, sprawled across the sofa like it was a throne, Raven lay with his phone angled above him, scrolling as if the entire world depended on his feed.
Chief Kim exhaled, the sound heavy and exhausted. He couldn't tell anymore what wore him down… his endless work, his aching body, or the infuriating man stretched on that sofa as if nothing in the world could touch him.
"Raven!" Chief Kim snapped, his voice rising an octave despite his best effort to keep it level. He had been holding back ever since dragging Raven from the police station, but restraint only lasted so long.
Raven lazily tilted his head up, a smug grin tugging his lips.
"Chief Kim," he drawled, "thanks for picking me up at the police station. Although…" his eyes were filled with mockery, "...you could've come a little earlier, don't you think?"
Chief Kim's face stiffened, the kind of expression that aged a man ten years in a second. He crossed the room and handed Raven the steaming cup.
"It would have been better if your manager could've handled this mess. But then again…" his tone dripped with frustration, "your managers don't last longer than three months. I'm exhausted, Raven Park. I really am."
Raven chuckled softly into his drink, "Then why don't you ask the CEO to terminate my contract?"
Chief Kim froze, his hand halfway back from delivering the cup. He shot Raven a look, half warning, half despair, but said nothing. Raven knew exactly what he was doing. He always played that card because he knew the company couldn't dare cut him loose.
If Raven left Vega Entertainment, the empire that had built itself around him would crumble. They'd never felt loss since Raven Park had walked in eight years ago, declaring to the CEO with boyish arrogance, 'I'm too handsome to let it all go to waste.'
Now, he was their golden boy, their lifeline, and he knew it.
The popular story of how Raven had become an actor was a common story in the entertainment industry. He'd asked for the CEO when he arrived at Vega Entertainment, a barely surviving entertainment company, eight years ago.
Raven was definitely very handsome and even though everyone thought he was spewing rubbish by demanding the CEO's attention, no one could tell him no. And when the CEO later agreed to meet him, the young man had stated very smugly that he wanted to be famous and that his face was too handsome to let it all go to waste.
Fortunately, Raven wasn't just handsome, he was talented too and soon enough, he was making waves in the industry.
Chief Kim sank into a chair, fatigue pulling at his shoulders, while Raven leaned back, sipping as if life had no consequences. Being Raven's manager wasn't a job, it was babysitting a spoiled child and restraining a dangerous old man all at once.
No wonder none of the others lasted.
But Chief Kim knew Raven's managers quitting their job barely had something to do with him being difficult to attend to. Although the man was crazy, he knew how to treat people. He acts too good to them in disguise and in the end, the managers quit their jobs, probably feeling Raven was too good to be served.
After a long silence, Raven broke it. His voice was quiet but the venom in it was unmistakable. "So… what do we do about that woman?" His eyes gleamed. "She knows I'm not exactly right in the head."
Chief Kim's stomach twisted. For a brief, foolish moment, he had forgotten. He had actually let himself forget the reporter who had heard too much, the very secret that could unravel Raven, Vega Entertainment, and everything they'd built.
"What do you mean, what do we do?" Chief Kim hissed, sitting forward. His pulse spiked. "She's a reporter, Raven. Do you understand? If she writes one word, one word, it's over. Everyone will start talking about it even if we deny it. I know people who would really dig deep into it. What if she already—"
Raven cut him off with a low and careless laugh.. His lips curled, eyes glinting like a predator cornering prey.
"She won't," he said smoothly, tapping his finger against the rim of the cup. Then his smile stretched wider, just a fraction too wide. "That woman doesn't have the balls… but I almost wish she did."
He leaned back, the steam from his cup curling around his face, shadowing the grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"It would be fun to watch her try."
Chief Kim rolled his eyes, feeling too tired to make sense of what Raven was saying again. "What do you mean she doesn't have the 'balls'? Raven, this isn't…" he stopped mid-sentence, his jaw clenching. Realizing there was no point in reasoning with someone who enjoyed pulling apart sanity thread by thread. "You know what, I'll handle it. I'll schedule a meeting with her and—"
"And do what?" Raven cut in sharply, his tone like a blade slipping between ribs. He tilted his head as a faint grin tugged at his lips. "Offer her money?"
"What do you think?" Chief Kim shot back in exasperation. His voice cracked with frustration, his hand pressing against his temple as if the mere thought of Raven was giving him a migraine. "What else could we possibly offer her? God! I feel like I'm going crazy."
Raven's grin widened, his dark eyes sparkling with a manic amusement. He leaned forward ever so slightly, his words filled with mockery. "Then go crazy, Mr. Kim… It's fun."
Chief Kim froze, staring at him for a long beat. That smile, those words… sometimes he forgot Raven wasn't just difficult, he was dangerous. Truly dangerous. A shiver went through him before he tore his eyes away, muttering under his breath.
Thankfully, the dangerous silence was broken by the shrill buzz of Chief Kim's phone. He fumbled it out of his pocket, grateful for the excuse, and glanced at the caller ID. His expression darkened instantly. "…The CEO."
He got up quickly, straightening his jacket as if his responsibility had suddenly doubled. "Don't do anything stupid until I'm back," he warned Raven, though he knew how pointless the words were. He answered the call as he walked toward the door, his voice clipped and formal now.
A moment later, he was gone, leaving only the sound of his voice echoing faintly down the hall.
The large living room grew still. Raven sat in the dim light, the curve of his jaw lit by the blue glow of his phone screen. He swiped, tapped, and a video filled the silence.
It was the viral clip of the hospital incident showing the blurry figure, the sickening fall and blood smeared across the tiles.
Raven zoomed in. The lifeless body twisted unnaturally on the floor. For a moment, the only sound was the faint hiss of the video's low-quality audio.
Slowly, his lips curved upward. It was the kind of smile you give when you see something beautiful.
And for Raven Park, maybe this was beautiful.