The noise coming from the ventilator that was moving left and right, a poor attempt to refresh the air inside the dirty dark room, only disturbed gained from it, driving him crazier than his actual situation, the smell of tobacco almost covering the solid metallic smell coming from the used gauzes on the nightstand, also the sheets that were covered in significant stains of blood, giving shivers to anyone looking at the grotesque scene, that seemed more like a massacre.

The walls were covered in moisture, adding another disgusting smell to the existing one. However, it was soon covered when he decided to pour the whiskey on his injury, another poor attempt to sterilize the wound, an injury for which he needed a doctor.

Grabbing the scalpel that he bought from the black market, he opened with his mouth the packaging; without hesitating twice, he started opening the gunshot wound, hissing in insupportable pain, his hand fetched the pillow near him, into which he started vigorously biting, and here it goes another failed attempt to deviate his attention from the pain he felt from the scalpel that was cutting open the wound.

Someone must tell him about anesthesia, but he perhaps couldn't afford it or find it.

To give his pain a break, he lighted the umpteenth cigarette; the nicotine helped ease his situation, but not his heart rate, which was more than 150 bpm, worsening the case; he opted for the damned tobacco.

Ignorant.

His hand crushed the cigarette in the ashtray without bothering about hygiene, as he didn't even think about washing his now dirty hands from the smoke; he rushed to the following package, taking out from it a "Kelly Forceps" into which he finally poured before using, some rubbing alcohol, that he seemed to finally have learned about its presence in the black plastic bag.

This time, he prepared his mind for what it's going to come next, sipping the whiskey straight from the bottle, attempting to use some primitive anesthetic methods; he stopped a bit when he felt his arm losing force, almost dropping the bottle to the ground, now, sweat was dripping from his face and neck, his situation was getting worst to say the less.

The pillow found its way to his mouth once again; he bit on it as his tomorrow depended only on that, nearing the forceps to his wound that was located in his lower abdomen; luckily, the bullet was still visible as it didn't penetrate deep, which could have resulted in organ damage, giving him a view on the situation without needing a CT-scan, which was indeed not an option for a man who couldn't visit the hospital. This man opted for surgery DYI.

The forceps touched the bullet from the first attempt; his strong hand was almost more substantial than the pain that resulted from the pressure the latter caused on the wound when he took out the bullet.

Such a strong-minded person.

The blood that was blocked by the bullet started flowing out heavily, forcing him to speed up the process, grabbing handy the surgical staplers, and suturing the wound carefully before patching it, covering it from any potential infections.

Infection that could have already taken place, seeing the lousy job he did.

The guy leaned down on the bed, almost fainting from the intense pain and the traumatic event, which wasn't a first for him; he was practically used to those kinds of events; the slight difference is that no one was by his side to take care of his wound this time, not even a comforting word, just silence, just pain, just him.

While she was waiting for Seokjin to come to the accorded meeting in her house, she was trying her best to calm the thoughts in her head, it has been now more than a month since their first meeting, and as he requested, she is still waiting for his decision, she wanted to give him time, before changing her approach.

That seemed like it would change very soon.

To divert her thoughts, which were running wild between mistrust, and longing, she heard a few moans coming from the living room bathroom; the situation seemed weird to her ears, as no one besides her used that bathroom; moreover, she was alone, only maids were in the house, which made her a bit uneasy, not being able to differentiate or to know the source of the sound.

Her hand rushed to the gun behind her tiny waist, a fine snob-nosed revolver she inherited from Mr. Park, it was a gun very dear to him, and he carried it around often for protection wise; she stood up from the couch softly without making any sound, following the soft noises coming from the opposite side of the room.

Opening the door wide open hurriedly, not giving any time to the person behind it to hide or to flee, she was shocked, to put it mildly, by the scene that unfolded in front of her eyes.

Disgust, we can call that gaze in her eyes; Min-ho and his features with the maid have no end. However, she felt a bit relieved seeing that this time it was consensual, which meant no problems would arise afterward.

" Take your leave at once, and you, Min-ho-ssi, you need to free out the house; I'm expecting guests, don't humiliate me, please."

"Am I a source of shame now? You hurt me with your words, Katarina."

The man spoke while trying to button up his shirt; his lips stained red from the younger woman's lipstick and a few love bites on his neck, proofing the act he was involved in. He couldn't be less refined.

" I'll give you ten minutes to free up the house; you can come back within an hour; I'd be gone by then."

Exiting the bathroom, he leaned his tall figure, stealing a kiss from her cheek, which greatly disgusted her.

" good night, babe; I know I won't see you when I'm back; I love you."

She knew that arguing with such a person would lead her nowhere; she knew better; only threats could work with such a tick-headed person, but that wasn't the time for that either, she had bigger plans and way more critical situations to take care of, Min-ho was not one of them.

Seokjin arrived at the accorded timing; he was a man of word, and respecting his rendezvous was a way of proofing that the man was never late for an appointment before, no matter the circumstances, he'd do everything to reach the person waiting for him without failing the time.

Seeing the revolver on the table, Seokjin mused while watching Katarina drinking her coffee calmly; curiosity started visiting his brain; what was the need for the gun inside the house? She was meticulous.

" Are you trying to threaten me with that small revolver? I don't think it will work, though"

"Oppa, don't act like you're not holding one in your waist right now; please have a seat. Would you like to drink something?"

" Coffee, I need caffeine seeing how you urged me here; the matter must be important."

" It is; the matter is Jeon Jungkook."

Placing the espresso on the table facing Seokjin, she turned back to the couch on the opposite side of the mentioned man. This man was now almost frowning at the topic she brought out, not like he didn't guess when she first summoned him, but he had hoped she would give up after almost a month from the almost refusal she got from the younger one.

But she was no woman to give up.

In addition, the refusal wasn't definitive either.

" It has been a month since I gave him time to think it over; my patience has reached an end now; where is he? Jimin is still following him around, isn't he?"

" He is Katarina, but..."

"What oppa, I thought in our line of work there was no place for 'but'"

" The guy disappeared fifteen days ago, never came back home, and didn't even visit his son in the hospital; Jimin is still looking for him."

Only silence followed Seokjin's stance; she seemed blocked for a bit, seemed like she was trying to come out with a rapid counterattack.

She needed to.

Directing her beautiful hand to her left, there where her phone was laying on the couch near to her, she dialed a number, and the owner answered in no time.

"Taehyung, let's meet in my penthouse, the one in Yongsan-gu, within half an hour from now."

" I'll be there on time."

Seokjin was listening to her conversation with an unbothered aura while enjoying the arabica coffee she had served him earlier. However, his little smirk seemed way too artificial, not showing his true sentiment regarding whatever was taking place.

" Oppa, I need to leave; see you tomorrow."

" Katarina, what are you cooking again?"

" I'm only doing my job."

" Are you sure it's just work related?"

She gave the older man a scrutinizing look, as his stance was very unlikable to her ears; it seemed to be a rushed judgment, very different from Seokjin's usual remarks.

Or was it really?

" It is oppa."

Giving such a small answer to his doubtful stance, she rushed to her car, leading her way to Yongsan-gu, where Taehyung would be waiting.

" I need you to find someone and to hold another hostage."

" I will take a guess, the one I need to find is Jungkook, and the hostage is the child."

"Bingo"

No blame on her, though; she gave him the time he needed, only to disappear, breaking his own words; he should have acted better; she gauged him for an intelligent person, but he turned out to be ignorant, breaking an ongoing deal wasn't a move he should have done in the first place.

He should have at least made his stance clear, accepting his fate as a real man would do, but he turned out coward, not at all like she expected him to be.

To Katarina, people who couldn't bear the weight of their words were the most repellent. When she showed him nothing but pure understanding, he acted very much out of the line.

Outrageous.

" Before you leave Taehyung, there is another thing I need you to find for me."

" I'm listening."

" A heart, a child one at that"

"I will use the medical report Jimin found; I will make sure it's available in the shortest delay."

Taehyung is the ultimate representation of a man living up to Katarina's expectations, a strong lad, a man of word with few talks only when necessary, and a man who could handle any situation without fearing anything, even death.

She created out of him a beast.

As the plan started, she knew some strands were left behind, one of them being Min-ho and his behavior and angry Seokjin.

As per Seokjin, she knew exactly what to do to soothe his anger; in all cases, everything she was doing was for their profit, a significant profit that would open new horizons for them both; therefore, she knew how to put sense in his brain while discussing business.

However, delaying the matter related to Min-ho wasn't a great idea; she should have cut the numb hand before getting the whole arm infected. Wrong move from her side, wrong judgment.

Clouded one.

Although she learned carefully not to let her guard down, not when living with an enemy and surrounded by many of them, Katarina seemed to have made the exact error Julia had warned her about many times, almost uncountable times.

She couldn't be blamed, though; too much on her plate, too much on her mind; a mistake was bound to happen at a particular time. However, the betrayal came from someone she belittled as an enemy, another mistake she should have avoided.

There was no need for arrogance while dealing with foxes; she should have known better and paid more attention to the sly fox in her company.

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