Chapter 103
“Uweeek!”
The old man turned his head to the side and spat out bile. Belov, with a grimace, covered his nose as if disgusted. Karlena stood not far away, watching her dying father without a hint of emotion.
Yuri lifted the old man’s half-slumped head back into place on his knees before pressing the cushion firmly down again. The futile struggles became more intense.
After a moment, when the body completely relaxed, the cushion was removed.
It was a death without even closing his eyes.
As Karlena quietly approached, Yuri bowed his head towards her and then stepped aside.
“For ruining my life, it’s quite a peaceful death.”
She reached out and gently brushed Nikolai’s eyelids closed. It was the last courtesy she could offer. Then she turned directly to Owen.
His death must not be seen as murder. It had to be discovered as due to natural causes. Otherwise, it would cause turmoil in the shadows of Russia.
“Karlena.”
Those were not the eyes of a living person. She looked at Owen with dead eyes.
“I will find her.”
“From where? Someone who’s already dead.”
“You found even the tiniest piece of flesh, didn’t you? And anyone who’s alive is bound to leave a trace.”
“…We should hope that a loving child would want that.”
Karlena replied with an ambiguous statement whose meaning was not clear. But as soon as he heard it, a warm flower blossomed in his heart. It was a feeling of relief, as if a blocked breath had been released.
With golden eyes sparkling with excitement, Karlena licked her lips.
The leash of the acting devil had been loosened. What the future held was unknown to everyone.
“Finish this before the doctor arrives. I’ve already given my instructions regarding my father’s successor…”
“Ah, I heard you wanted to seat your own people.”
“Very well. This should be quick then. Among those who have long served my father, there are a few with whom I have a close bond, so I’ll send a list.”
Owen chuckled briefly at Belov’s quickly responding words.
“There’s already someone I’ve been thinking about.”
“Who’s that?”
Belov asked, unable to hide his displeasure. If Owen was talking about someone, it was as good as his own person.
“She’s already quite close, so there shouldn’t be any objections.”
Owen’s gaze slowly turned towards Karlena. Belov’s forehead wrinkled instantly. He rose from his seat and gritted his teeth lowly, unable to make a loud noise.
“She’s my wife.”
“Before she’s your wife, isn’t she the only child Nikolai left behind?”
“Do you think this woman can handle the business her father built? There are suitable candidates…”
Belov had always been overturning the misconception that he ascended to the presidency through Nikolai’s money and power. He had coveted everything of Nikolai’s, aiming to swallow it all and gain true power.
“If someone without a legitimate claim follows Nikolai, everything will fall apart. By now, you should know why Nikolai shouted about his bloodline.”
“This deal was wrong from the start. I can’t accept it.”
Belov quickly cut Owen off, venting his frustration.
“Fine. If you can’t accept it, then open that door and leave. It seems ideal to reveal what we’ve done.”
Belov’s face twisted with suppressed anger. He muttered a long Russian curse while pressing his temples hard. Karlena, not understanding Owen’s intentions, merely raised an eyebrow. She thought Nikolai’s death would suppress her.
However…
A strange smile played on Karlena’s lips.
Her usefulness wasn’t over yet. Owen’s calculation was to keep her alive. After looking at Karlena and then Belov, Owen sat on the one-person sofa next to the couch, unbuttoning the lower button of his suit jacket. He crossed his long legs leisurely, wearing a chilly smile.
“Since there seems to be no objection, Karlena will succeed Nikolai. Say hello to your partner, Mr President. She’s not your wife anymore; she’s your partner.”
“What…”
“You don’t need to say anything. She’s tracing the passport your wife made. There’s no room for negotiation anymore.”
There was no more room for negotiation. Karlena had realized to an extreme degree that she would never find peace. But she had no regrets.
Because she already knew she had to pay the price for briefly holding the Doberman’s leash. Even if she had been told not to get involved with the men of this house and to run away, she would still end up here, just as the woman had said.
“You’re quite arrogant now that you control the purse strings…”
“Sit quietly in that seat. One day, you’ll come to collect the debt.”
Owen interrupted Belov’s words and spoke. For now, Eden City was enough. There was no falsehood in his promise to return for this seat after seating Karlena.
Until the summoned doctor arrived, Belov’s frustrated groans, Karlena’s laughter, and Owen’s breathing filled the study.
***
Unfamiliar yet familiar languages echoed.
The conversation of happy lovers and the one that seemed like friends fighting passed by Sarin’s ears. The night in New York was as glamorous as it was lonely. She sat quietly on a bench, holding a cup of coffee, watching the countless people passing by.
For the first two days, she slept as if dead in her accommodation. Then hunger pangs forced her outside, and now she sat all day watching people passing by without any sign of sleep. The hot Americano she held in one hand quickly cooled down.
She couldn’t understand why she was here.
Being in a place she had only seen on TV didn’t evoke any excitement in her.
Karlena had handed her a passport and plane ticket, telling her to start a new life. To start life over in a place where nobody knew her. But Sarin couldn’t even think about where to start.
In the end, she got up from her seat where she had done nothing.
She threw away the cold coffee and headed back to her accommodation. The piercing sound of sirens, which had seemed distant, now approached closer.
“Julia, how was your day?”
Sarah, the hostel manager located slightly off the center of New York, greeted Sarin warmly.
Even though she was being called, Sarin didn’t turn around several times, barely remembering the name written on her passport.
“…It was okay.”
“Only okay? New York is such an amazing city. It’s a shopping paradise, and you can eat cuisines from all over the world. You should even visit the Statue of Liberty.”
Sarah had thought Sarin was dead after sleeping in bed for two days and had shaken her awake, relieved when she slowly opened her eyes and heard her breathing.
From then on, Sarah recommended places frequented by people to Sarin, who seemed lifeless. Sarin continued to have her meals at the closest place among them.
“Thanks for caring.”
“Are you just sitting on the bench again?”
She remembered meeting Sarah yesterday while sitting there. When Sarin faintly smiled, Sarah sighed.
The siren, which she thought was close by, came even closer. She saw people moving quickly outside through the glass door.
“It looks like another homeless person got stabbed in the alley over there.”
Sarah warned her not to go into the dark alley without any streetlights. She explained the situation to Sarin, who watched outside, waiting for the police to arrive before anyone discovered a body.
“Did they… die?”
“Unfortunately, they’re probably already dead. If their identity isn’t confirmed, they might end up as an unidentified body.”
Sarah shrugged, mentioning that there were quite a few unidentified bodies.
“If their identity isn’t confirmed?”
“Well, then after the holding period ends, they’ll probably be buried in the cemetery for unidentified bodies.”
If she died here, it would be Julia who died, not Sarin. Even thinking about death, it didn’t feel real because of the unfamiliar name on her lips.
“What happens next?”
Sarin asked a foolish question. Sarah, after thinking for a moment with a puzzled expression, answered.
“Well, dying means it’s over, right?”
After hearing the answer, Sarin greeted her and pressed the elevator button to her room. Maybe one day she’ll get used to the name Julia.
Back in her room, Sarin curled up under the blanket, covering herself from head to toe. As soon as she arrived in New York, she removed the pendant from the souvenir necklace she bought at the airport and replaced it with Owen’s ring. Sarin clung to the ring around her neck desperately, as if praying.
It would be nice if she could dream tonight.
It was a night where she missed Owen, Hayan, and the three dogs.
