Back home, Winter is trying to settle back into her routine, hoping for some peace after her recent adventures. However, the arrival of Karina Yoo, the beautiful VIP investor, stirs up unresolved emotions and echoes from her past. Karina's presence...
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"Give up now, Kim!" The girl's voice echoed, sharp and filled with authority.
It was a voice I recognized all too well. Despite the chaos, I couldn't help but laugh, a dry and bitter sound escaping me as I clutched at my aching stomach. I could taste the metallic tang of blood on my tongue. Next to me lay Chaewon, her body limp and lifeless, a stark reminder of just how dire the situation had become. The highway was littered with the fallen, most of my men reduced to cold, motionless figures. I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it all—this hopeless, final stand.
Winter was in my grasp, my arm tightly wound around her slender neck. Her breath hitched as I tightened my hold, the barrel of my gun pressing against her temple, a cold warning for her not to do anything reckless. She felt so fragile in my grip, but her eyes told a different story—defiant, sharp, burning with an unyielding resolve even in the face of death.
We crouched behind a dented car, the only barrier between us and the inevitable. I could hear the shuffle of boots on gravel, the faint click of guns being cocked. Karina and her men had us surrounded, their weapons trained on me, each one ready to fire the moment I made a wrong move. The air was thick with tension, my pulse pounding loudly in my ears. I knew there was no way out, but I refused to let them have the satisfaction of watching me surrender.
Winter shifted slightly in my hold, her eyes darting toward Karina, who stood in the distance—a figure of steely determination, her gaze piercing through the chaos, locked onto me with a fury that sent a chill down my spine. I could see it in her eyes: the desperation, the anger, the fierce protectiveness for the girl in my grasp. The game was almost over, and all I could do was cling to this last shred of control.
Pain shot through my body as I staggered to my feet, the ache in my side burning with every movement. I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself to swallow the agony as I dragged Winter up with me. My arm stayed firm around her neck, the cold metal of the gun pressed tightly to her temple. I could feel her pulse racing against my skin, the tension radiating off her like heat. Her body trembled slightly, but her eyes remained unwavering, a silent challenge to the fate I was forcing upon us both.
"Well, well, well. Nice to see you again, partner," I called out, my voice carrying a sardonic edge as it cut through the tense atmosphere. Karina froze, her steps halting as she stood just a few paces away. Her face twisted into a mix of rage and disbelief, the intensity in her gaze enough to pierce through the layers of darkness around us. I saw the way her jaw clenched, her hands curling into fists at her sides. She was holding herself back, caught between the impulse to rush forward and the knowledge that any sudden move could cost Winter her life.
"Let Winter go Kim!" Karina demands and I only chuckled.
The moment hung in the air, thick and suffocating, as if the whole world was balancing on the edge of a knife. Karina's men tightened their grips on their weapons, awaiting her command, while I leaned into the silence, letting the sick satisfaction of control seep through me. This was a game we'd played before, a twisted dance of loyalty and betrayal, and here we were, locked in another deadly round.
