The Devil Doesn't Bargain | Daerin

17 | Between Love and Vengeance

𝐇𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕

There's a knock on the door. I'm busying myself, reviewing quarterly financial reports on my computer screen, my legs crossed as I lean back in my chair. 

I press the intercom button on my desk, signaling my secretary to let the visitor in. 

The door opens, revealing a tall man dressed in a black and dark green suit. I glance up, raising an eyebrow.

"Miss Kang," he greets me, striding confidently to my desk. He places a thick document in front of me. "This is all the information I could gather overnight about the guy you asked me to investigate."

I pick up the document skeptically, then look back at him, frowning. 

He's my informant. Why does he look so familiar?

A sly smirk tugs at his lips as he slips his hands into his pockets. "You don't remember me, don't you?"

I scrutinize his face more closely before giving up. Damn it, I always feel like I've seen people before but can't place them. 

First, it was Danielle's ex, and now it's my informant. I've been away from people for too long, except for those two stupidos, obviously. I've forgotten my past.

"I'm Han Jihoon. Your brother's friend and Eunha's older brother," he explains.

"Oh, I see," I mutter as I begin flipping through the document, taking in the information.

"His full name is Ryan Patrick Anderson, 28 years old, two years older than Danielle. He has a younger brother and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He met Danielle in high school, and they attended the same college as Hanni. They started dating four years ago when he was 24, and Danielle was 22. His record is mostly clean, aside from a few minor crimes he committed, for which he was charged but not sentenced. He's an engineering student and was known for his looks in college," Jihoon recounts all the data he's gathered.

It sounds like I'm obsessed with him, but I swear I'm not. Well, maybe I am. I'm actually obsessed with hunting him down, killing him, and making sure he never harms Danielle again. Correction, I want to do much worse than that.

No one touches my Danielle.

She belongs to me.

And anyone who gets in my way will face the consequences. I don't bargain.

"I believe he abused Danielle for a long period of time, both mentally and physically, or maybe even sexually. At least a year," he voices his opinion.

"What makes you think so?" I ask, looking up from the document.

"From what I've gathered, there were signs of control and manipulation. Isolating her from friends, emotional manipulation, and the occasional bruise she tried to hide. It all points to a pattern of abuse," he answers.

"What he did to Danielle is unforgivable. Even after she's married, he won't leave her alone. He's a sick psycho who will always hunt Danielle and never stop." I grit my teeth. "He'll pay for every bruise and every moment of mental torture he's inflicted on her. This fucker won't live much longer."

"We can't act recklessly, Haerin. You know one wrong move and everything could come crashing down," Jihoon warns me in a very serious tone.

"I know," I respond calmly. "I'm anything but reckless. I know exactly what I'm doing. Everything I plan is always meticulous, just like trapping a king on the chessboard."

"What's your plan for now?"

"My plan is simple, I want to kill this bastard," I state coldly and menacingly. The thought of slicing his throat with my own pair of hands brings a dark satisfaction. "However, if it turns out his heart is a perfect match for Danielle, then..." I smirk devilishly. "I can use him to my advantage."