The chapters from here get longer, since we are approaching the end :)

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I press my ear up against the door to listen for anybody walking past. There's been nothing but silence for the past thirty minutes... Best time to escape.

I peek through the gap to check for a golden light but instead I'm met with the blackness of the guard's suit jacket. He's been in the same position all night.

"Great." I back away.

My eyes wander the room in hopes of another way out. It's so dark in here, all light comes from the large glass window presenting stars and black clouds that tell me the time when a clock cannot...

.....It's the only way.

I remove the cushiony slippers from my feet and hurry over to the window before unhooking the handles and slowly drawing them open. With only an inch of separation, the harsh wind blasts my robe like a flag, as well as every curtain in the room.

Expecting to see a balcony when I peak my head, my soul leaves my body and vision bounces when I'm faced with a never-ending pit to the ground, 200 feet up in the air.

Ohhhhhh hell no.

I thought I was on the third floor or something! That bastard really put me at the very top of the mansion?!

This is... Insane... But I can't just sit up here feeling sorry for myself until Jaebum comes back. I've got to do something...

My right foot slowly creeps onto the ledge. I hold the position and pace my breaths before following with the other foot.

With a hand still latched around the wall, I flip over so that my stomach and chest cling to it. The wind instantly attacks my clothes and hair, making it hard to see past the loose strands. The harsh howling wind sounds like scrunching paper to my ears as I carefully begin to shimmy across the ledge.

Don't look down... Don't look down... That's all my brain keeps repeating... but of course my chin disobeys and hangs over the sill, giving the impression that my whole body will crash forward with it. That's when my heart pumps dangerously fast and mouth becomes breathless. The trees that guard the mansion below me wave in unison, as if inviting me to fall.

"Oh my god oh my god of my god..." I keep going with shaky knees and clammy hands.

Once I've made it a fair distance, I hug the wall corner whilst elongating my right leg until my toes successfully meet the ledge below. With a sigh of relief, I carefully lower myself onto the ledge and keep moving. That's it Lilo... One baby step at a time...

Prayers run through my minds with every move I make. Even the most harmless of winds feel like they could knock me off at any moment. Despite being so high in the air it feels like I can't breathe, yet I can't stop panting.

I lower my leg a second time... When suddenly my sole slips.

"—Ahh!!" My body comes crashing down against the beds of wind under me until my fingers latch onto another sill, now three stories high. I throw my other hand up so that I'm hanging from the building with dangling legs and weighing feet.

I'm trying to hoist myself up with gritted teeth but the ledge is too narrow to meet my foot. My fingertips turn white from the pressure until—

*Crack.*

"Oh no... no no no..."

*Crack!*

I let out a yelp when my fingers lose grip of the weak wood and I fall all the way to the lowest balcony. An intense throbbing pain shoots my back when it meets the cold stone but I try not to make noises. Luckily the fall wasn't as high as where I started.

"Ugh..." I lift my head up to rub it, only to realize I've fallen right in front of a window displaying one of the tall, bright, golden hallways. I quickly shift behind the wall when footsteps become prominent and wait for the guards to pass.

Once they're gone I run to the edge of the balcony and throw one leg over at a time before leaping into the dark garden. I land in a bush, the cushiony grass protects my raw feet and contains the sound of my weight.

Nothing but silence and nightly crickets fill the air. The greenery is mostly empty with just a few guards by the door...

I look to the gate at the end of my sight...

Then I run.

My feet speed faster than my brain can process. I have no choice but to endure the bitter cold breeze biting away at my skin, my breath grows louder the closer I get to the gate.

"Hey you! STOP!"

Oh no.

Fuck!

My pace picks when I hear a pair of concrete footsteps in the distance behind me... One pair turns into two, two pairs turn into four. Masculine voices shoot the back of my head like darts, but their orders are easily drowned out by the intense thumping of my heart.

"She's escaping! Don't let her get out!"

I... can't go on... But I have to...

No matter how tired I get, no matter how much my legs want to give out right now, I have to keep running.

"Don't escape, don't even try."

My teeth grit and arms thrust forcefully, not even sparing time to breathe while I sprint. Stones and gravel stab into my heels with the newfound spike of energy, a burning cushion expanding in my chest and lungs that feel like they're going to collapse. My champagne robe loses hold of my arms and falls back with the wind, leaving me in a beige silk jumpsuit.

The gates are getting closer... Just a little further...

As soon as I get close to the metal bars my arm gets yanked back and body crashes to the rocky ground. A ring of six suited men hover over me. One of them shakes his head and massages his knuckles. "You shouldn't have done that little girl."

I use my elbows to support my weight but one of the men kick me in the stomach, making me fall onto my back and scream in pain.

I'm kicked again in my side. "Stop!" I beg with tightly creased eyes. Through the small slit of my vision I catch two of the men exchange a nod before a shoe bottom takes over my sight and I'm blacked out.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙

My lids slowly part and blink rapidly. I'm moving forward... but I'm not walking.

When I look around I see a guard at each of my sides dragging me along the floor by the arms. The throbbing pain in my stomach doesn't cease, reminding me of the beatings I took. The room is square and dim like a box, the only other people in here are more guards and a man in the center whose silhouette I can't quite make out.

The men dragging me halt until one of them kicks me in the back of my knees, making me fall to my knees while they still hold back my arms back.

"...What's going on?"

The man standing in the middle of the room walks closer, the light bulb's cast driving up his body and revealing it to be none other than Jaebum. His white shirt remains unbuttoned at the collar and sleeves are rolled up to expose his forearms, his skin extremely tanned and glowy.

"So... I hear you tried to escape tonight."

I admit his tone is intimidating. But I refuse to make him think I fear him, so I return a flatline gaze. He strolls closer to me before bringing up his hand and slapping my cheek hard.

"I should snap both your legs for even trying." He sneers. "You wait in that room until I say so, those are the rules."

After watching me cough and wince in pain he walks back to the center of the room where one of the guards hands him a pair of black gloves. I gulp and let my head hang as he puts them on, "What are you going to do to me...?"

"Oh, I won't do anything to you." He smirks. "Bring him in."

The doors on the other end of the room open, revealing two guards reeling in somebody with a bag over their head.

They drop the unidentified man opposite me before removing the bag from his head.

Bogum.

He looks courageous yet nervous at the same time. Despite shooting Jaebum a deathly glare I can see the sweat breaking from his forehead.

Jaebum pulls out a gun from the back of his pants and looks at me. "You recognize this man, right?"

"L-l-let him go."

Jaebum looks at the ceiling in thought and taps the end of his pistol against his chin. "It's Bogum, right? I believe your father was a loyal worker for KimTech since what? 2001? He was Kim's right-hand man, always doing whatever he could to help take my father down." Jaebum crouches in front of Bogum and smiles cutely. "Got anything to say about that?"

Bogum scowls at him in return. "Go to hell. I'm not apologising for anything and I'll never betray Taehyung."

Jaebum grins before smacking Bogum across the cheek with the gun. My heart aches and body jumps at the sound of buckling metal. A streak of blood leaks from his nose.

Jaebum walks back in my direction with one foot in front of the other and the gun twiddling casually in his hand.

"Tell me Lilo... Are you a good girl? Or a bad girl?"

"I think you already know the answer."

He stops in front of me and looks at the guards holding my arms, tilting his head as a signal to release me. Once I'm thrown to the ground I pick myself up and furrow my eyebrows. Jaebum takes another step closer and hands me the gun.

"Kill this man."

Bogum's eyes bulge and shoot at me. My eyes bulge too.

"W-what?"

"I want to see how bad a good girl can get." He smirks and pushes the weapon to my stomach, "If you want to keep your life, end his."

My eyes shift over Jaebum's shoulder to Bogum. A bright purple bruise now stains his cheek. He's a great worker, devoted his life to KimTech and not only helping the Kims but honoring the legacy of his own father. If it wasn't for him who knows what the streets would be like today? Not to mention he has been a loyal friend to Taehyung for years...

There's no way I could do that. I won't kill him.

I shake my head and re-avert my gaze to Jaebum's. "No... I won't..."

He scoffs and shakes his head in disappointment before retracting the gun. "Well isn't that a shame."

Once again, he slowly strolls back to the center of the room.

"I must say, you've built a happy life for yourself Bogum. High paying job... A cozy house... Engaged to the woman of your dreams with two beautiful daughters... a third child on the way..."

Abruptly, Jaebum shoots a bullet right between Bogum's eyebrows.

"Oops."

"NOOO!!!!!!!!" I immediately lunge myself forward but my arms get pinned back by guards, leading me to kick.

"NO! GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!!! BOGUM!! GOD BOGUM WAKE UP!!! WAKE THE FUCK UP PLEASE BOGUM GET UP PLEASE!!!!!" Tears pool from my eyes until Bogum's blood is a mere blur. Choking on my cracked voice, I can barely execute my screams clearly.

"Remember this the next time you think about escaping." Jaebum nods his gun and begins walking away. My eyes wave all over Bogum's lifeless body and skull that now exposes his bleeding brain.

"Take her back to her room, lock her up good this time. I want 20 men guarding her door and the windows sealed. We don't want a repeat of tonight."

"Yes sir."

"And clean up this mess." He removes his gloves and dumps them in the guard's hands, then heads for the door.

"GET BACK HERE! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS YOU SICK BASTARD! I SWEAR TO GOD YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!!!!"

Jaebum halts and looks over his shoulder, a devious grin smears his lips with a wink.

"Calm down baby girl, I might just meet you up there tonight."