He stood up abruptly, pulling her up with him thanks to the handcuffs, and pinned her against the wall. His grip on her wrist tightened.
Ni-ki leaned in closer, his voice a cold whisper. "You're playing with fire, angel. Don't think for a second tha...
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RHAINE DRAGGED HERSELF INTO THE HOUSE, HER ENTIRE BODY ACHING FROM THE LONG SHIFT AT THE RESTAURANT. The smell of fried chicken still clung to her clothes, a reminder of yet another exhausting day of work. Her father walked in behind her, looking just as tired, but there was a warmth in his eyes as they both kicked off their shoes and stepped into their small but cozy home.
"Mom, Jian, we're home!" Rhaine called out as she entered the living room.
Her mother appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, and smiled at them both. "You two must be starving," she said, walking over to give them quick hugs.
Rhaine smiled back weakly before crouching down as a small figure ran into the room, giggling. Her eight-year-old sister, Jian, latched onto her legs, nearly knocking her over.
"Unnie!" Jian squealed, holding on tightly to Rhaine.
"Hey, you little brat," Rhaine teased with a laugh, picking Jian up and spinning her around.
Jian squealed in delight again. "I missed you, unnie!"
"But you see me everyday?" Rhaine laughed, setting her down gently before patting her on the head.
"But we don't play everyday!" she whined.
"I do love playing with my little brat," Rhaine grinned sadly. "But your unnie needs to rest now, okay? She's very tired. I'll play with you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Your older sister has been working all week nonstop, darling," Mom pointed out from across the room.
Jian pouted but nodded obediently, shuffling back to their mother, who guided her into the kitchen.
With a heavy sigh, Rhaine made her way to her room and collapsed onto the bed, her muscles screaming for relief. Her room was modest, with faded posters on the walls and a small desk cluttered with books and papers.
This was one of the very few moments she was allowed to be lazy. As she lounged, she scrolled through her phone.
She was half-asleep when she suddenly remembered the weird letter her father had mentioned earlier. Groaning, she forced herself up and grabbed her bag.
She fished the envelope out of her bag, tearing it open without much care, expecting random junk mail. But as she read through the letter, her jaw dropped in shock.
"What... the heck is this?" she whispered, sitting up straight as a jolt of energy shot through her exhaustion.
The letter, signed by someone named Mr. Jin, contained details about a bizarre proposition.
This must be a stupid prank.
They wanted her to fake date someone to help his public image. She reread the letter twice, her heartbeat quickening as she tried to make sense of it.
