The dim hallway swallowed every sound but the sharp, deliberate click of boots against polished floors. Each step echoed like a command, a queen's decree.
Over-the-knee black boots molded to her legs, their glossy sheen cutting through the shadows. Skinny black jeans clung to her frame like a second skin. Her stride never faltered, long, purposeful steps carried her forward with regal precision.
A raven-black ponytail hung straight down her back, swaying subtly with every movement, striking against the crisp white shirt tucked neatly into her waistband. The sleeves were rolled to her elbows, revealing slender wrists and an understated strength in the way she carried herself.
Power radiated from her effortlessly, an untouchable aura of dominance woven into every detail, from the tilt of chin to how fingers twitched at sides as though anticipating action yet restrained by sheer will alone.
No crown needed when presence alone could bend rooms silent.
Her footsteps halted at a grand door, guarded by two black-suited guards. They promptly opened it in her wake.
She stepped in, and stood across a large table. And then the heavy silence was broken by Myung's deep tone. A swiveling chair rotated, revealing him with an oddly regal air.
"The Queen of the dark world, Canadian mafia boss of Crimson Hawks graces my villainous court again," he remarked, studying her keenly from his perch.
"But this time this queen brought your worst destruction with her in the crime of usurping her princess."
The cool evening breeze passed through the window and touched her gorgeous face, revealing her identity as she was—Bella.
"But your little princess wants to be queen of mine." A devilish laugh escaped from his mouth, making Bella scoff at his words.
"Mr. Liam, you're not so stupid that you don't even know that she has been fooling you from the beginning just to find out about her blood one."
A slow, sinful smirk curled on his lips. "And I'm having far too much fun letting her play her little game."
Bella's eyes burned with searing intensity, a glare that could melt steel. Her voice was lethal ice. "How many times must I remind you? You are our stepbrother. Yet here you are, tangled in this disgusting charade, luring her with promises of 'truth about her blood, who and where she is' as if I couldn't reveal it myself when the time is right."
His smirk widened, a serpent tasting venom. "Stepbrother? Hardly matters….she knows we share no blood. Or have you forgotten?" He tilted his head, mocking her rage with every syllable. "And you have already lost the right time to tell her the truth yourself because now she is in my captivity."
Bella's fingers curled into fists, but her chuckle was ice-cold amusement. "What do you think is why I come here again and again? Just to stare at your revolting face? Or perhaps... is it too difficult for me to not to get her out of your clutches?"
Myung's laughter slithered through the room, dark, unhinged. Holding back it, he leaned forward, palms flat against the table. "Hmm? Difficult?" His voice dripped with mock sympathy before twisting into something darker. "No, no…whoever told you that was lying. The truth is far more fun."
He lowered his voice to a taunting whisper, "It's not just difficult for you... It's impossible."
Bella didn't flinch. Instead, she stepped closer until the table was the only thing separating them, her own hands slamming down on its surface as she bent forward with equal intensity. A scoff escaped her lips before she matched his venom word for word.
"You underestimate me, Mr. Liam. While you were busy playing your little games... did you ever stop to wonder what I've been doing all this time?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, laced with venom. "Patience isn't inaction, it's calculation. And Jae? Do you truly believe he'll stay idle once he awakens?"
His silence was answer enough, his smirk faltering for just a fraction of a second before it steeled back into place.
"Call me cruel... but I came here for one reason only." A slow smile spread across her face, the kind that promised ruin. "To watch the show when your empire crumbles around you. And trust me… the performance will be exquisite."
His lips parted, a retort poised on his tongue, when suddenly the world outside shattered.
A deafening blast shook the walls, Myung's head snapped toward the sound, his smug demeanor cracked. Right that moment, the door burst open without warning. His manager stumbled in, face pale and breath ragged as if he'd sprinted through hell itself.
Perfect timing.
Bella didn't so much as glance at his manager. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on Myung, slowly tilting her head, standing straight like a predator watching its prey finally realize… the trap was sprung.
The manager's voice was a desperate rasp. "Sir! J—Jae and his men—they blasted through the underground sector! They're slaughtering our men like it's nothing, and Jae... he's tearing the place apart looking for Jia—!"
Myung's chair screeched as he shot to his feet, fury twisting his face into something unrecognizable. "SO YOU CAME HERE TO GIVE ME A F*CKING COMMENTARY?!" He roared, slamming his fist onto the desk hard enough to make the wood groan. "MOVE YOUR USELESS BODY AND BLOW THEIR HEADS OFF!!!"
His manager flinched backward before scrambling out of the room like a terrified mouse. While Myung hurriedly shifted his gaze toward Bella.
A smug smirk on her face.
<<<<<<>>>>>>
Flashback.
"Jae, stop! Where are you trying to go?" Jackson urged, hands firm around Jae's waist.
"Your wounds haven't healed yet. Why won't you listen?" Daniel held on tight from the other side, struggling to hold him back.
But Jae was beyond reason, thrashing wildly under their grips. "Leave me before I decapitate both of you!" he growled, teeth clenched, muscles straining under their hands.
While after realising that they can't control him, Jackson tried to use his words to stop him.
"Where do you want to go? Tell us, we'll take you ourselves."
"I'm not a suckling baby that I need you guys to take me anywhere."
"So where are you trying to go after all??" Daniel asked, at the same time he signalled to the nurse to leave.
"I'm going to get Jia back from that Psycho!! And you both just leave me or else I'll throw you both out of the world!"
"She has known him for a long time already and is very happy with him the way he treats her like a queen ... .and she was not abducted, she went to him of her own free will. Now even after knowing this, do you still want to bring her back to you??"
Jackson's words slammed into Jae like a cold bucket of water, halting him mid-motion. He stood there, chest heaving and gaze locked on him, like a cornered animal.
Daniel pulled out his phone, flipping through images of Jia with Myung, smiles, food, laughter. Every picture was like a punch to the gut.
His entire frame shook with unbridled rage, the air around him almost crackled. Every muscle was tight as a coiled spring on the verge of snapping at any moment. Anger burned in his gaze, a wildfire threatening to consume everything in its path.
Jae shook his head, taking slow, deliberate steps backward, each movement laced with tension. His jaw was clenched so tight the muscles under his skin stood out like cords. His lips trembled slightly, trying but failing to find the right words.
"I don't believe this—"
A sudden, violent crash cut off his own words as he heaved the entire hospital bed off the ground, flipping it over with raw, unchecked fury. The metal frame smashed against the floor in a deafening explosion of sound, scattering medical equipment and sending IV stands clattering sideways.
A heartbeat later, he roared, "NOT UNTIL SHE SAYS IT TO MY FACE HERSELF!"
Jackson and Daniel jolted backward instinctively at the outburst, then lunged forward again just as fast when Jae's stitches visibly strained under his rage.
Daniel barely managed to grab his arm before he could lash out at anything else in reach. "Jae! You'll rip your wounds open!" His voice was firm but edged with alarm.
"If you still want to bring her back to you….you can, we will not stop you. But please just stop doing all this. You have just come to your senses, it's more important for you to rest." Jackson said.
Their struggle to handle him eventually succeeded, because finally Jae stopped. Looking at them in determination, as he started saying something while they heaved a sigh of relief.
"Whatever intel you've gathered these past days... tell me everything. And prepare to end them….immediately." Jae's voice was low, laced with chilling finality. "Make sure when our preparation is ready, it should be their last wretched day breathing this air. I'm thirsty for their pretty blood."
Jackson and Daniel exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. There was no room for argument, no hesitation left to temper Jae's wrath. They nodded sharply, defiance wasn't an option now.
Then—
A noise cut through the tension. All three men turned sharply toward the sound behind them.
"So all of you are planning to finish them."
Standing right in front of them, Bella said, looking at them with raised brow while her side of lips were a little upward.
Meanwhile their gazes locked on her in disconcert.
"That's great! These days I was waiting for the end of the one who took Jia away from us."
After hearing the unexpected sentence from her mouth, their faces twisted with disbelief.
"And I also want her to be brought back as soon as quickly because her career is pretty much going down the drain because of her absence ... .and yeah i know, she has gone to him of her own free will, but this decision is not at all right for her career. So get her back as soon as possible."
Her face displayed a cheerful expression. "And don't worry about Max, Leo and Sarah, I'll inform them about Jae's regaining consciousness, who were getting worried these days for Jae and Jia…..You guys just focus on getting her back as soon as quickly."
As she was saying, she sensed their doubtful gaze at her, prompting her to quickly handle the situation. "Why are you guys looking at me with such doubtful eyes??"
They didn't reply to her, staring at her silently with the same doubtful eyes.
"Hey, I just want her back, that's why I'm behaving like this. Don't doubt my behaviour, man!" She let out a low jumpy chuckle.
"I don't know about others, but I'm used to such behaviour of yours that you change your behaviour in two seconds like a chameleon." Listening to Jackson's irritating words, she shot him a death glare.
"By the way, best of luck!" She gave them a tight lip smile.
"Miss. Bodyguard! We don't need luck to do anything." Leaning his head closer to her, Jackson said.
"Okay, so Mr. Son of Jack! Best of you!" She mocked before exiting the room, leaving him annoyed.
"You probably don't know but your behaviour is also no less than a chameleon. Sometimes you behave like her best friend and sometimes like an enemy, arguing with her on such stupid things." Daniel said, looking at Jackson with a done face.
Suddenly they both flinched, as remembering Bella's words that Jia had gone to Myung of her own free will, Jae swiftly kicked the object on the floor in front of him in a fit of rage.
"WHY ARE YOU WASTING TIME ON UNNECESSARY TALKS? IMMEDIATELY PREPARE TO ATTACK THEM!!" Jae shouted.
End of flashback.
<<<<<<>>>>>>
Taking his eyes off Bella, Myung immediately stormed out of the room in a hurry with indignation, leaving her alone, laughing at him triumphantly.
••••••
Reaching to the devastated area, Myung completely panicked as he saw his entire underground secret area burning in reverence before his eyes. Widening his eyes and mouth in indignation, he just kept looking at the devastation caused by Jae. His mouth was literally struggling to let out a indignated groan.
Suddenly something hit on his mind.
"Jia." He remembered her. "I can't let that f*cking Jae take her." Saying this, he rushed from there to reach Jia before Jae.
""""""
The deafening staccato of gunfire filled the hallway, a relentless barrage that left no room for hesitation or retreat. Jae moved like a storm, efficient, deadly, his masked face revealing only the cold fury in his eyes as he cut down anyone foolish enough to stand in his way. Beside him, Jackson, Daniel, their faces covered with masks like a shield to their identity, and their gang members fought with equal precision, bullets tore through flesh, but when firearms weren't enough, they struck with hands and feet, every movement calculated to kill swiftly and stylishly.
Bodies fell like broken puppets around them. None of Myung's men lasted more than a heartbeat against their brutality.
"Finish this garbage immediately!" Jae snarled over the chaos before turning sharply on his heel to the other hallway to find Jia frantically.
Dead bodies were laying here and there, the wall of the entire hallway was painted with blood as Jae continued to walk forward with long strides, shooting everyone's brain off without mercy whoever was coming on his way, making the whole place a cemetery.
Grabbing one of those men's hair tightly, Jae threw him on the floor harshly before shooting right on his throat, earning a muffled groan.
He made his way towards the elevator after taking the lives of everyone whoever was coming on his way.
Reaching a random upper floor, the elevator door slid open with a whisper, revealing the silhouette of armed men already positioned, waiting for Jae. Right that moment, a hail of bullets erupted toward Jae, but he was quick to dodge them as his instinct drove him low, he dropped into a crouch, returning fire with lethal precision. Each shot struck its mark, kneecaps, shoulders, every weak part, sending sparks of agony through their bodies. Their staggered movements betrayed them for just a second.
A second was all he needed.
In one fluid motion, he launched himself airborne, pivoting midair to drive his heel into the nearest man's temple. The impact cracked like thunder against bone, the man's skull whipped sideways, colliding with the elevator doorframe before his body crumpled to the floor unconscious.
Seeing Jae's powerful kick, the other men got scared but despite being scared, injured and unbalanced, they still tried to kill him by shooting at him.
In a heartbeat, Jae was out of the elevator, dodging shots like a seasoned veteran, too fast, too smooth. He weaved through the air as bullets whizzed past, each movement graceful, fluid. It almost looked like his opponents weren't trying to hit him, their aim was careless as they sprayed bullets wildly, but it was a deadly illusion. Every bullet targeted his vital points, seeking the kill, and he evaded each with breathtaking skill as if he had experience to dodge bullets for years.
In no time, all their guns ran out of bullets and they all looked at Jae with fear in their eyes.
"Nice try!" Jae spoke, as he was looking at them, the hint of derisiveness was lingering in his eyes.
But the men weren't backing down.
"You won't be able to escape from here today." One of those men uttered before they all started to go closer to him to fight with him.
Jae was impressed by their daring and fighting personality despite their injured condition as he tucked his gun behind him in his waistband before fighting with them.
They were good at fighting but for Jae they were all like flies as he knocked them unconscious with just a few punches and flying kicks.
Walking over all their unconscious bodies, taking out his gun back, he immediately started searching for Jia desperately by kicking the doors of every room.
""""""
In the opulent hall, Jackson, Daniel and their gang members killed all the men of Myung who were trying to defeat them and scattered their corpses everywhere.
"Was that all? This was boring." Jackson uttered in a bored sceptical tone, sitting on a dead body, scanning his eyes around at the corpses' surroundings where after killing all Myung's men, some of their members were sitting on dead bodies and some were standing leaning their back against the pillars. While the gun was hanging in their hands.
"Be patient for a little while, more will come by themselves." Daniel said in a laid back tone, his back leaned against the pillar.
And as soon as he said this, more than 150 Myung's men came from all sides and started showering bullets on their gang, but before their bullets could hit them, Jackson, Daniel and their members reacted immediately to the situation by firing back on them and shielding themselves with whatever hardware of the hall were present, as they all were already alert and knew this was about to come.
"Are they more or less than the earlier men?" Jackson asked Daniel without glancing at him, firing on Myung's men and shielding himself with a pillar.
"More!" Daniel replied, shielding himself with another pillar next to Jackson.
The entire hall was filled with the sounds of gunfire and the groan of pain of Myung's men.
"Hey, buddy!" Jackson called Daniel with mischief, still firing on them. "My hands are itching!"
"Mine too!" Daniel responded.
"Then?" Jackson looked towards Daniel with mischievous eyes.
"Let's do it!" Daniel said, locking eyes with Jackson, the same mischief fire burning in his gaze.
Without hesitation, Daniel snatched up a heavy iron object to use as a shield and stepped boldly into the open, facing down Myung's men head-on.
"Hey! Stop! Stop all of you, if you all have the courage then stop firing!" His voice roared through the chaos, demanding attention. "I said if you've got any courage left…then stop hiding behind bullets!"
Hearing his loud voice and provocative words, not only Myung's men but also his own gang members immediately stopped firing, looking at his iron covered figure in bewilderment. But hatred and anger was visible on Myung's men's faces.
As soon as everyone stopped firing and gave him their full attention, Daniel began speaking. "Let's fight fair without any weapons!!" He screamed, offering his demand.
"And why would we listen to you?" One of Myung's men asked in a rough and furious tone.
"Because whoever doesn't listen to me…..will be Gay." The mischievous was lingering from his covered face.
He shouldn't have said that, it would be disrespectful to the gay community. But now he couldn't take his words back and maybe he doesn't want to, as he knew his sentence would work out. He deliberately used the 'Gay' word for his advantage.
At the same time he looked at Jackson who winked at him in mischief.
"YOU BASTARD!!!" Myung's men howled, their anger palpable.
"Stop barking! And now if you all agree with me then throw all your weapons to the side and we will also throw ours. If you have balls then let's fight fair." Hearing Daniel's words, Myung's men glanced amongst themselves.
Seeing that they were not completely convinced, he spoke again. "Okay, I understand that you guys are Gay!" Daniel shrugged his shoulders in fake acceptance.
But suddenly one of Myung's men screamed and said, "You all throw away your weapons first!"
Hearing his words, Daniel, Jackson, and all their other members smirked inwardly in victory. Without hesitation, Daniel signaled to his men to toss their weapons aside as both of them did the same, and they obeyed instantly. Watching this, Myung's men reluctantly followed suit, discarding their own guns with tense reluctance.
A silent laugh curled inside Daniel and Jackson—ridiculously easy. The mere threat of that one word had been enough to strip even the most dangerous enemies of their defenses.
"Let's go!!"
Jackson shouted with a smirk behind his mask as he and Daniel, along with their gang members, charged forward towards the bunch of more than 150 Myung's men, creating a huge fists and kicks fight.
The gangs on both sides were fighting very skillfully with fists, flying kicks, and other techniques, but the gang that was gaining the upper hand was that of Jackson and Daniel. They were more capable of defeating the gang of Myung's men with their powerful fists and hard flying kicks.
However, among them there were some men who were giving tough competition to Jackson and Daniel's gang with their impressive fighting skills.
On the other side, Jackson knocked out a man with his strong punch and at that very time his eyes fell on the mirror on the front wall where he saw another approaching from behind with a knife in his hand. Jackson quickly turned around and saw the man reach very close to him in a second.
But before the blade could sink into his flesh, Daniel was there, delivering a flying kick to the incoming assailant. The man hit the floor hard, dazed but still aware.
Jackson couldn't help but admire Daniel's timing, who was looking down at the man with the wind down before grabbing the dazed man's collar, hauling him to his feet. However, the man's legs were shaky, unable to support the sudden movement.
"Thought of cheating?" Daniel snarled, his grip on the man's collar taut as he forced him to stand. The man's eyes seemed to swim dizzily, struggling to maintain focus.
"It's not... cheating... I'm actually... gay..." It was clear the man's head was spinning, the words labored and disoriented.
Hearing his words, Jackson and Daniel exchanged their gaze before looking at the man again.
Suddenly Daniel spun the man around, positioning him squarely before Jackson by grabbing his forearm. The man's body was entirely supported by Daniel's grip as he himself wasn't able to stand properly. Then Daniel gestured to Jackson with his eyes to kick the man.
Maintaining the space first, Jackson did some quick footwork, moving his feet back and forth and bouncing on his toes before he delivered a lightning-fast flying kick. The man crumbled as soon as Daniel let go, hitting the floor like a sack of bricks, unconscious.
The two of them high-fived each other, their hands meeting with a loud smack in a gesture of mutual celebration before turning their attention back to the battle.
Soon Jackson and Daniel's gang emerged victorious, leaving Myung's men scattered across the floor, some were unconscious while some were conscious but not in a condition to fight.
Jackson and Daniel looked at their lying bodies in satisfaction before glancing at their own members. Some of them had many sporting bruises and injuries on their faces, showing that Myung's men had given their members a hard fight.
"You guys did great! Come on, give me a high five!" Jackson said before walking towards his gang members and showing both of his hands for a high five.
He did a high five with eight of his members but just as the 9th member named Sano Hiroto raised his hands with his shining eyes to high five with Jackson, Jackson turned around.
"You guys are a total of 100, I can't high five everyone of you." Jackson uttered, walking away from that member Hiroto, while hearing his words everyone chuckled.
"We are done here, should we go upstairs and see? Who knows we might find more of them?" One of their members named Kato Ken asked, making Jackson and Daniel turn their head towards him in amusement.
"You really said something interesting." Jackson said, looking at him then at Daniel who was already looking at Jackson with an agreeing look.
"Let's go!" Daniel uttered before picking up the gun from the floor while others did the same and they all headed towards upstairs with adrenaline of excitement.
""""""
In the top floor room of the mansion, which was covered with huge glass windows, with a forceful grip, Myung seized Jia's wrist, his expression urgent.
"Come with me, quickly! We have to go from here." he barked, dragging her towards the exit door. But Jia's agitation got the better of her.
"What the hell is going on?!' she demanded amidst the panicked rush.
"Don't ask anything at thi–" His words got cut off when the door burst open, revealing furious Jae. They both halted at their track, looking at him with an aghast expression with wide open eyes.
Seeing Myung holding her wrist, Jae's anger went to its last verge. Tightening his grip on the gun, he turned his bloodshot gaze towards Jia who was staring at him after so many days with her scared honey doe eyes. Even though he was wearing a mask, his dominating dark eyes were enough for her to recognise him.
Jae took slow, deliberate steps toward them. "Did you come to him of your own free will?" he growled. But she remained silent, her gaze bouncing between Jae and Myung. While Myung was already staring at her.
"I DON'T LIKE TO REPEAT MY WORDS!!" At his thunderous outburst, she tried to speak, the words coming out in a stuttering whisper.
"Y…yes"
Suddenly she flinched and her eyes automatically shut closed for a moment by a sudden gunshot and a loud groan escaped from Myung's mouth because Jae shot his hand with which he was holding Jia's wrist.
Seeing the bloody mess caused by Jae, Jia was about to touch Myung but she flinched again as before she could touch him, Jae dug the hole all over Myung's stomach by shooting until his gun was eventually out of bullets.
Due to being shot several times, Myung collapsed to the floor by his back, making a loud thud sound.
"YOU DAMNED BASTARD!!" Saying this to Jae in rage, she fell on her knees and tried to communicate with Myung by patting his cheeks. While silent tears rolled down from her cheeks on Myung's miserable state as no matter whatever he did to her, whatever happened to his mentality, he was still her step-brother with whom she spent her childhood, the most precious moments. She definitely hates him now, but never want him to die.
"Myung! Myung! Wake up please! Liam! Please wake up! Don't die Liam please!" She called him in a desperate, crack voice, making Jae's blood boil.
Myung was barely able to keep his eyes slightly open which was on the verge of closing anytime. While his lips were moving, trying to say something but his voice was coming out like a mumble.
She tried to hear his voice better by moving her ear close to his mouth and the next thing she heard from his mouth made her shocked with her whole body and mind.
"B-bella is y-your s-sister!"
His voice came out like a crack whisper but due to her ear being close to his mouth, it was enough for her to understand his mumbled words.
She was processing in her mind by staying in the same posture as what he just said. Then suddenly she heard another painful groan from his mouth and some droplets of blood splashed on her face messily. Her heart skipped when she saw that there was a knife st@bbed on Myung's chest that no one else was holding except Jae.
She slowly turned her eyes and head up with a trembling body. And the first scaring thing her eyes saw were his bloodshot eyes that were spitting fire, enough to burn alive anyone.
"My pretty little slave was calling this psycho by NICKNAME??" He instantaneously pulled out the knife from Myung's chest only to stab him again in the same place.
While Jia let out a deep shaky breath, tears were continuously shading from her eyes.
""""""
On the other side, a man sat on the couch, engrossed in snacks and the comedy show playing on the phone. The sudden crash of the door interrupted his moment, turning his startled gaze toward Jackson as he appeared.
"Hello, Brother!" Jackson taunted. "Guess the news of our arrival didn't reach your room, or is this place just soundproofed or something?" His squeezed eyes were showing that he was smirking behind his mask.
"Who are you?" The man asked in a serious tone with bewilderment and an incensed expression, rising to his feet.
"Relax, brother!" Jackson said smoothly, stepping closer. He glanced at the phone resting on the sofa before locking eyes with the man again. "So you were just sitting here... laughing?"
In a flash, the man whipped out his gun, pointing at him—but Jackson was faster. A single brutal punch sent both the weapon and its owner stumbling backward. Before the man could recover, Jackson launched into a crushing flying kick straight to his head, knocking him unconscious where he stood.
"I was just talking casually, what was the need to get so hyper?" Jackson asked with a normal tone, looking down at the lying figure of the man before picking up the snack from the bowl on the table and munching it.
"You were very weak!" While munching the snack, he uttered before turning around and leaving the room, not after taking some packets of snacks with him.
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