$ f i f t y f o u r $

For the first three days, Ciel was kept in bed rest with bandages covering her eyes which were sensitive from the chemicals that had been used to blind her. Fu Jian's death had been all over the news and the woman who was with him at the time--the only witness--had disappeared without a trace. She didn't want to be involved in cooperating with the investigation. She had seen what had happened to her lover and didn't want to suffer the same fate if she were to tell what she knew about the night that he died. 

Ciel had quickly grown impatient and as soon as the doctor cleared her, mostly out of her own insistence, she had immediately left the safety of her room at the casino's hotel. Yifan didn't yet want to move everyone back to China. With his wife's unexpected disability, he found strength through his brothers and he knew that there was a strength in numbers. No one would mess with them knowing that they were complete again, and even counted with more members including the wives of the members who had been there since the beginning. 

She had tried to surprise him, leaving her room with excitement to go and find him. But as she stepped outside, she was at first hesitant. She hadn't spent much time at the casino and didn't know the layout of it by memory. But her other senses heightened and she was able to use them to make her way down the hallway. She had also been given a white cane which she could use to move around.

Ciel had gotten to the end of the hall when she heard the ding of the elevator followed by the sound of the doors opening slowly. She turned in the direction of the sound only to collide with someone. Their hands caught her arms as she stumbled slightly and they steadied her. "I'm sorry." She said politely in Korean trying to pry her arms away from their hold. The moment she heard the sigh escaping their lips, she knew exactly who was standing before her. She also knew it when he loosened his grip on her arms and she pulled back, grazing his hands as she pulled away. 

It was her husband, just the person she had been wanting to find.

"What are you doing here, baby?" He asked her with genuine concern in his voice. Though she could no longer see him, she could almost picture the look on his face. In between frustration and patience, but always being gentle with her. Probably with furrowed eyebrows and chewing on his lower lip.

But she remained cheerful and balanced on her tiptoes to meet his lips with hers in a sweet kiss which he was glad to return. "I wanted to surprise you." She informed him, changing her voice into a cute tone.

For Yifan it had been the exact opposite of what Ciel was experiencing. The more that time passed, and it became more clear that she would never see again, the more he tried to compensate for it and tried to protect her more. The more he was also put in a bad mood and the more he felt self loathing for being unable to save her from that terrible fate. All the while Ciel tried so hard to show him that she didn't blame him and that she didn't mind living that way if there was nothing they could do to salvage the situation.

There was a hint of a smile in his words. "I think its more like you want to give me a heart attack." He corrected her with a sigh, pulling her into his embrace and resting his chin atop her head.

"Is it wrong to want to go find my husband so we can have lunch together?" She wondered, pulling away just enough to be able to tilt her head up in his direction.

"No." He shook his head, but proceeded to explain, defending his point. "But you don't know the casino too well, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm a big girl, Fan." She said to him with confidence.

"But you're my baby girl, my Ciel." He said as he nodded in agreement. "I'll always take care of you. Promise you'll wait until I can come see you, and that you won't try to go anywhere by yourself."

Ciel didn't reply. 

That wasn't the kind of life she wanted to live--cooped up in a room until her husband could come and see her. That was the same kind of life she had when she worked at the End of the Night. Always waiting for someone to come and request her services. If she agreed to that, it would be just the same.

-

Minha hadn't heard from Baekhyun since the Wolves had cut ties with the Jackals. They were no longer allies to each other, but they weren't enemies either. But Baekhyun wanted to see his son once the Pack had gotten settled in at Yifan's casino and he had called Minha to bring their son over.

Since the Jackals and the Coven were declared enemies, she was to be escorted onto the territory by one of Yifan's people. The leader of the Coven had sent his second in command--Lu Han--to pick Minha and the child up from her house. Baekhyun had gotten in the shower shortly after his hyung left and he anticipated that he would be out by the time he returned to the casino with his former wife and their three year old son. 

But they had returned before they anticipated. Lu Han had dropped Minha off in the lobby and informed her which room Baekhyun was staying in. Minha nodded a thanks and asked him for a favor--to watch over her soon for a little while while she talked to Baekhyun. She was once again going to ask him for another chance in their relationship even though she knew her efforts would be futile. Her husband no longer loved her and had even found someone else to be with. 

Lu Han agreed with some hesitance, and she left the two in the lobby in search of Baekhyun's room at the casino's hotel. It was on the twelfth floor and she made her way down the hallway, until she found the room number that Lu Han had given her--room number four. She thought to knock on the door, but remembered that Baekhyun was forgetful like that. He hardly ever locked the door when he was in a room. Knowing this, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, not surprised that it had been unlocked.

As soon as she stepped into the room, she looked around the dimly lit space. There was an unmade bed and no one else in the room. Further into the room, behind a door in the back, she heard the shower running and assumed he was there. 

Thinking up an idea, she tiptoed her way towards the bathroom and opened the door. 

Her husband was in the shower, running his long fingers through his hair as he washed it. Minha quickly stripped out of her clothes and pulled the glass shower door open, stepping inside. 

Closing it behind herself, she immediately forced her lips onto his, startling him. He opened his eyes through the running water and shampoo that skidded down his body. His vision blurry by the water and soap, he still knew the woman standing before him wasn't his girlfriend Miran. but Minha was relentless as she tried to deepen their kiss, all the while he placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to force her away.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He snapped at her.

She was about to reply when the door opened once more, this time revealing Miran, who had been planning to surprise him by doing the same thing. But Minha had beaten her to it. 

Miran's eyes widened in surprise and instantly filled with hurt.

"Light--" Miran started, but stopped herself when she found that no other words left her mouth. She was utterly speechless and felt betrayed.

"Baby wait--" Baekhyun called after her, but Miran turned on her heel and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

-

what the fuck am i doing with my life?

this chap is dedicated to brandy amazingbadlady because as avid novela watchers, she showed me this clip from the mexican novela "lo que la vida me robo" and so we were like: "this needs to happen in roulette" since it has that kind of vibe.

in the clip, montserrat finds her man alejandro in the shower with maria. but he thought it was monterrat and blindly kissed her back. 

creds to the writers of televisa for that scene.

thank you for reading. have a wonderful night!

-clary