Victor watched with a barely concealed grin as Zack’s face contorted with frustration and disbelief. He had seen Zack confront ruthless adversaries, face lethal threats, and emerge unscathed. But it seemed that this charming, seemingly harmless girl was the latest twist in Zack’s ever-complicated narrative.
“When some wretched animal tried to scratch and tangle you, the only way for the squire to break through was to headbutt if you can’t use your hand.”
Yuna felt the need to explain. But, due to the tension, she just added insult to injury.
Wild laughter erupted from the driver’s seat while a guy with murderous intent touched his sore forehead behind him. Yuna astounded Victor once again.
“WRETCHED ANIMAL?!”
Seeing the devil’s rage was her doom. Yuna bit her lip and averted her gaze, her heart pounding.
“Please forgive me for this once. I didn’t mean to speak it loudly.”
She tried to apologize sincerely. Her hands covered her face and elevated her knee on defense.
“These postures showed you still wanted to live.”
Zack leaned back casually in his chair, his posture relaxed despite the charged atmosphere.
“These postures show you still want to live,” he said, his voice smooth but edged with menace. “This constant struggle to breathe might make you prefer death, but I won’t allow you to do anything that could damage my valuable asset.”
His tone was casual, almost nonchalant, yet the underlying threat was unmistakable. Zack’s dangerous calm was as unsettling as ever, a sharp contrast to his handsome face, which often bore an unsettlingly bloodthirsty aura.
Yuna’s eyes widened in fear as she clutched her hands together. “I’m sure I’m of no use to you. Unless you’re planning to sell my organs?”
Zack’s grin was chilling, a predator’s smile that hinted at his dark amusement. “Trust me, I’m an expert at identifying valuable objects,” he said, his eyes glinting with a menacing promise.
She stopped debating with the devil and closed her eyes again.
Yuna always thought of her father when she was having an awful day. Her father had always been her hero, the beacon of righteousness in a world that seemed increasingly dark and unforgiving.
“Why won’t you go easy on me? Are you not bored of winning?”
Her father always attuned to her love for games, and since they don’t have entertainment technologies, they spend their leisure time playing various card and board games with strategic aspects.
“Because I don’t want you to take it easy in life,” he replied. “Games are more than just games to us. They’re a way to prepare you for the real world.”
They sat across from each other, the King in the Corner card game spread between them. Her father continued, his tone both firm and encouraging. “Imagine life as a gamble. You’re betting your future with every decision you make. Your opponents won’t let you off the hook if you lose, so you must win no matter what.
First, choose your game—your path—carefully. Make sure you understand the rules and the stakes. Second, remember that luck isn’t limitless, no matter how fortunate you may be. If your life is a gamble, then you need to have a trick up your sleeve and make sure your opponents can’t read you.”
“Every decision counts, just like every move in this game. You need to be strategic and prepared for the unexpected. That’s how you’ll succeed in both the game and life.”
Yuna nodded, absorbing the lesson as she studied her hand. Her father’s wisdom, conveyed through their shared moments of strategy and competition, was a guiding force in her life, helping her face challenges with the same determination and skill.
“You have the resources to pay a capable people. I don’t see how I could be as effective as Mr. Victor.”
She still had no idea who was who. And whenever she assumed Zack was Victor, it enraged him even more.
“Trust me. You are the most fitted tools in my plan.”
He arched an eyebrow and grinned cunningly while trying to contain his deranged expression.
“I have a negative feeling about it, but am I left with any choices? Is it not unfair? I saved my neck because of Zack’s name. Yes. However, I already paid by the USB you will get tomorrow.”
“I am not that unreasonable, so you have a choice.”
The car halted at the entrance to the enormous house. Zack pushed open the vehicle door wide. The two people astounded Yuna with how perfectly their brains worked collectively. They have not talked since, but Zack and Victor shared the same ideas.
“You can get off right now, and everything’s settled between us.”
Yuna looked around the area outside.
“This house must be?”
Yuna gritted her teeth.
Her stare was razor-sharp. Just thinking about Mr. Greg’s threats made her blood boil. To be devoured by numerous kinds of pigs. It’s the worst of all worst.
“Clever! Greg’s the old man’s house.”
He chuckled while telling her the truth.
Yuna gazed at him helplessly with a pitiful countenance.
“Good girl.”
He said softly, smiling when he saw Yuna remain in her seat.
“Now, how can I help you with your plan?”
When she asked him, she clenched her teeth. Yuna’s expression displayed more intense anger than concern.
“Don’t be too eager. You will know in just a few days.”
…
5 a.m. Zack glanced at his wristwatch as they dropped Yuna off in front of her apartment.
“Just the right time to process marriage documents.”
Victor fixed his sight in the rearview mirror.
He understood what Zack meant.
…
“Blake? I screwed up.”
Anxiety and tiredness made her voice hoarse, and her strength drained. Yuna lay on the bed tucked the blanket over her head with her button mobile on a loudspeaker.
“Condolences.”
Blake’s voice was deadly serious.
“Huh? You haven’t even listened to me yet.”
“Aren’t you calling because of Erica, your friend?”
“Not at all. But well. My life was messed up because of her. So please listen because you’re the only person I can count on for my family.”
Blake Johan. A person Yuna helped with the money Roy gave to her from Liar’s dice game. Unlike Yuna, who is responsible for providing for her family, Blake can concentrate on starting a new life with a new identity, so he chooses to go to school.
He was a delinquent who grew up on the street after he escaped from the orphanage. Robbery, assault, fraud, and running an errand from dangerous people were what Blake usually did before until one incident happened. He promised to rather die from hunger than commit an offense again. He was close to death when Yuna found him.
Yuna didn’t leave out any specifics of what happened so that he could comprehend her dilemma.
“What do you think they wanted from me, Blake?” I have nothing except my healthy organs.”
Blake’s response was a long sigh as he could only guess their reason.
“Let me ask? Do you know anything about Zack Avere and Victor Green?”
“No. I mean, not really.”
“I may know very little about them, but I can learn more from my gang members and bosses before…”
“Blake, don’t get involved. If something bad happens to you, I have no one to look after my family. Furthermore, let me judge their character. I don’t want my critique mingled with the tale.”
What Yuna wanted was for Blake to remain secure and never be discovered having a connection with her.
“Have you ever thought of running?”
Yuna sat up in bed and coughed once more.
“Of course. But I know it’s not a better option.”
Blake breathed a sigh of relief as he heard her answer.
Indeed. Escape has never been an option.
They chatted for hours over the phone.
They plan well on how she could hide her situation with her family and secure their safety.
“Don’t worry. I can promise no one would find out about your real identity.”
“Erica knows.”
“She’s not…” Blake paused. “a problem.”
“Don’t you get it, man? She’s the root of my problem, though.”
“Trust me. Erica is not in the city anymore.”
Yuna dozed from exhaustion without realizing that her button mobile had fallen on the floor.
Blake muttered as he realized she was asleep.
“Deadman tell no tales, though. And I believe you can only survive with Zack and Victor.”
…
Yuna leaned against the doorway frame of her humble apartment, her grip firm on her luggage. The weight of the impending challenge hung heavy in the air, a sense of foreboding that matched her steely resolve. She was ready to face her fate, knowing that whatever lay ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty.
At exactly 5 a.m., the luxury black car arrived. The vehicle’s polished surface gleamed in the early morning light, a stark contrast to the simplicity of her surroundings. As the engine rumbled to a halt, the atmosphere shifted, the weight of the moment settling in as Yuna prepared to step into a world far removed from her usual reality.
“I wonder what’s inside the bag that you hugged dearly.”
When Victor saw Yuna finally open her eyes, he gripped the steering wheel with one hand and reached into the passenger seat with the other. He retrieved a stack of newspapers and handed them to her.
Yuna glanced at the newspapers Victor handed her, her expression unreadable. “Nothing,” she responded briefly, her tone flat and stubborn.
“Won’t you read what’s written in the newspaper?”
It’s not a question but a command. Zack snatched her bag and tossed it aside so she could hold the papers.
Yuna sighed in disappointment at his behavior but complied. She skimmed through the newspapers quickly, her eyes darting across the headlines and articles. Once she had finished, she handed them back to Victor.
“I can read a little, but comprehension isn’t my strong suit, Sir Zack. Of course, your name is on the headlines of any tabloids, but can you tell me how it relates to me?”
With no delay, Victor narrates all the news headlines.
“On May 28: ‘Rumor has it that Zack Avere is engaged to the daughter of an oil business tycoon.”
He continued without pause. “On May 29, Zack’s concise response to the rumor: ‘My life is not predestined in any way.”
Victor moved on to the next headline. “June 1: ‘The Avere family confirmed the rumor that the newly appointed CEO of Avere Group is engaged.’”
He then relayed the subsequent update. “June 6: ‘In contrast to earlier reports, Zack disclosed that he was engaged to a different person.”
Finally, Victor concluded with today’s headline. “And today, June 9: ‘Zack Avere announced on social media that he will marry a great woman today and spend the rest of his life with her.”
“…”
As Yuna listened to Victor, a tight knot formed in her chest, making each breath brutal. Her keen intuition, always sharp and precise, had already connected the dots, revealing the unsettling truth about how the news was tied to her. The weight of the realization was almost suffocating.
“Hah!”
Yuna opened her lips, but no words came out, and her entire body shuddered.
She let out a heavy sigh as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I don’t need to elaborate because you guessed what I will say next.”
Victor steals a glance in the rearview mirror at her face.
‘Papa?’
Yuna sourly shut her eyes. She could picture herself being treated horribly by these people.
She recalled when she climbed on tall fruit trees when she was young, Yuna was nearly crushed by the big branch above her head when the wind blew with an extraordinary amount of energy. Fortunately, her father saw it, and he screamed.
“Wrap your arms around the tree trunk tightly. Don’t look up!”
She narrowly avoided being killed by the falling branch, but her legs were so stiff that she couldn’t get down. And the length of the wind was still wild.
“Calm down. Hug the tree as if it is me and close your eyes. Nothing about which you should be concerned when your father is here.”
Her father’s loud, reassuring voice eased her fear.
“I got you. You are safe now.”
She opened her eyes when her father got her from the tall tree.
She doesn’t have a father to save her from danger and will say, “I got you. You are safe now.” this time.
She’s all on her own.
…
Yuna climbed on a dangerous fruit tree because she ran out of money to buy vitamins for her sisters. She thought fruits would be the best alternative.
Yuna used to work part-time while studying, but her father caught her, and she had to quit for a while.
