Unlawful Devotion

Show You My Heart

Thank you to @chumchururum for the amazing new story cover!

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Severely underestimating the resources at Tae Gu's disposal, Chae Yoon has to reel back her awe at every stop that they make on their journey exiting Korean borders. A luxurious, heavily-tinted car provided by a rich, albeit shady acquaintance of his takes them to the neighboring city where a private plane with a private runway was waiting for them. And once they have landed at their destination, they take another flight, a helicopter, that serves as their transportation for the final leg of their trip.

Another journey and another half an hour later, it lands on the helipad of one of the tallest, most expensive residential towers in the capital. Tae Gu guides her to where the elevator was and punches in the code for his floor. When the doors opened, a penthouse made of glass and marble greets her, leaving her stunned by the extravagance of it all.

She should have expected the money and the luxury, given that she had snooped into his files way back when the negotiation happened, but seeing it up close and personal is an entirely different experience. Fresh with the bruised ego from her failed escape plan, she cannot help but feel even more of an impostor jumping into a dangerous life where she had no place to be in.

Tae Gu shows her to the room where she will be staying in and tells her to make herself at home, entirely oblivious to the insecure thoughts running inside her head. Once alone, she hops into the shower of the adjoining bathroom to rinse off the sweat and the grime her body had accumulated from the eventful day.

Afterwards, she stands in shock inside the walk-in closet that contained rows of designer clothing with tags bearing the obnoxiously high prices still attached. She had to dig deep to find a simple white shirt and a pair of black shorts to wear comfortably. Catching a glimpse of the familiar department store brand makes her stop short, and an unexpected wave of emotion hits her.

What the hell is she doing here? Why did she have to let him get under her skin? Why did she choose a life on the run rather than just live a comfortable, boring life back in Seoul?

Deciding to do something productive rather than drown in questions she doesn't have the answers to, she wanders back out into the dimly lit home and into the kitchen. There was nothing in the cupboards and in the refrigerator to make a decent home-cooked meal except for some packs of ramen and a couple cans of beer. She takes the ramen out and begins to boil the water.

Before long, she finds herself leaning back against the counter to wait for the noodles to cook, once again with nothing to distract her mind from overthinking. With some time in her hands, she walks over to the living room area and marvels at the city skyline displayed by the huge glass windows that replaced the outer walls of the apartment.

There is something mesmerizing about watching the city at night, with the lights coming from individual windows of a building and the traffic of cars passing through the streets. It is a momentary glimpse of people's lives from a distance, and she wonders what people think when they see her passing by.

And then, out of the blue, a helicopter flies past the building and casts a momentary light into her eyes, sending Chae Yoon back inside the penthouse on that fateful night.

"Is this all you wanted? I can uncover the truth!"

"Why don't you fuck off?"

Rage shining in his eyes. Gun pointing at her face. Time standing still.

"What do you want with a shitty life like mine?"

"Give me one more chance."

The undeniable sound of footsteps coming in. The fear slamming against her chest. The face of resignation softening his expression.