Chapter 108
Clink!
The flying glass collided with the wall, shattering into countless pieces. Crimson wine spread across the floor like blood.
At the top floor of Utopia, where her father once sat, the woman occupying his seat had a face devoid of joy.
“The bastard is still alive.”
Yuhwa ground her teeth in fury. Before her, a CCTV recording of the burning hall was playing—a scene of Yugyeom being supported by a woman amidst the flames.
“Yeah, we should have just killed him earlier. That damn girl messed everything up.”
Yuhwa threw whatever she could find at the monitor. The screen shattered, and a nameplate bearing her father’s name was left among the wreckage.
“Kang Taejun, that crazy bastard, messed everything up. If he’d just handled what he started, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Unable to control her rage, Yuhwa roughly tugged at her black tie, tearing it off. She wasn’t done there; her meticulously tailored black suit jacket joined the tie in being thrown at the member standing before her.
Today marked the conclusion of Yuhwa’s father, Yuhobum’s, funeral proceedings. Now, as the successor, she was set to take control of this place.
But it wasn’t yet perfect.
“That fox-like bastard is stubbornly holding on to life…”
After killing Yuhobum, Yugyeom, the betrayer, should have died alongside him. Yet, he survived.
The explosion that occurred after Yuhobum’s death wasn’t part of her plan.
Still, it wasn’t a completely bad outcome. It spared her from having to orchestrate everything directly and left everything to naturally burn away. Yet, she had her contingencies in place—ensuring that the organization was ready should Yugyeom somehow survive the fire.
Even though it wasn’t how she wanted things to play out, her main focus was seizing control of the throne without dirtying her hands directly.
However, there was a traitor among them.
‘Yuhwa-sama instructed for everyone to retreat. S-sorry! Please spare… Arghh!’
Yuhwa vividly recalled her foolish subordinate’s desperate pleas before his screams were silenced by her hand.
The message that had been sent without her consent was something she had already anticipated.
“Find 44. Now.”
Yuhwa sat down heavily in her chair, giving the command.
She knew that imperfections would eventually crack and fall apart. She had seized the highest position precisely because of her ability to anticipate those cracks.
To avoid following her father’s foolish end, she had to ensure that the seat she occupied was absolutely perfect.
“Yuhwa-sama.”
With her legs lazily crossed on the desk, Yuhwa pointed a gun at the man who addressed her.
The man, seeing the barrel aimed at him, opened his dry mouth hastily.
“Boss.”
Blood ties or not, she always found his expressions of kinship absurd. Now, she would end it all.
A satisfied smile curved on Yuhwa’s lips as she lowered the gun. The man took a deep breath in relief, but Yuhwa interrupted him before he could speak further.
“There’s a message from someone wanting to see you.”
“Cut to the chase. Who’s the arrogant bastard?”
“That would be….”
The man hesitated, glancing nervously at Yuhwa.
But the moment his eyes met Yuhwa’s piercing gaze, it was as if his mouth opened on its own.
“Yugyeom’s friend.”
Yuhwa’s sharp, dark eyes gleamed brightly.
“…said he’d come if you’re willing to set up a meeting.”
* * *
“How?”
I asked softly with dry lips.
Originally, the plan was to bring down Utopia—a reckless, seemingly impossible plan that undoubtedly involved risking our lives.
A sudden fear gripped me. The look in Chan’s eyes suggested he had included his own death in his plan.
“Let’s make a new plan starting now.”
Chan shrugged lightly, contrasting with the heavy weight his words carried.
It felt like he was avoiding my gaze deliberately, but it was hard to tell for sure in a fleeting moment like this.
“The current situation wasn’t part of what I expected.”
Chan locked eyes with me as if piercing into my very soul.
“Things have changed drastically in just a few months.”
“…”
“Since you showed up.”
He clearly noticed my suspicion and added, reinforcing his statement.
Quick-witted as ever.
“Attacking Yuhwa…”
I hesitated before continuing.
“…is dangerous.”
Chan smiled knowingly, as if he understood what I meant.
“Staying still is just as dangerous. From the beginning, the goal has been to accept death if necessary.”
His casual words stabbed deep into my most vulnerable place.
And what if I die? The unspoken question weighed heavily as Chan’s words pierced through my thoughts.
“There’s no need to worry.”
A lively voice snapped me out of my thoughts. It was as though Chan knew exactly what I was thinking and deliberately said the words to shake me.
I blinked, trying to focus my blurry vision. Chan’s face became clear again.
“The one you’re thinking about…”
Chan chuckled softly, a strange and unsettling smile playing on his lips.
“Yugyeom… seems to want to live now.”
A sudden feeling of being trapped overwhelmed me.
I couldn’t move. A strange, suffocating emotion twisted in my chest.
“I’ll go first. Check inside.”
Before I could say anything, Chan turned swiftly and disappeared down the stairs.
He moved so quickly that his figure vanished in an instant.
I stood there for a long while, watching his retreating back. His words continued to haunt my thoughts, gripping my ankles.
The sun had long since set, and the sky had turned dark. I lightly tapped my cheeks, then retrieved the key.
I unlocked the door to the top floor with the key. Inside, another door opened into a vast, open space.
It was too spacious to be cozy, yet it resembled an attic in a way.
I paused as I walked toward the bed, always stopping at the same spot.
For the past ten days, I had been looking up at the domed ceiling in the center. The square-shaped stained glass was a rather unique interior feature.
The colorful beams of light cascading down were both mysterious and soothing.
If I had to pick my favorite thing about this island, it would be that.
I slipped off my thin cardigan and placed the key in my pocket.
Unlike the other rooms with card keys, this room only had one key, mine.
If I lost it, would I have to break down the door?
That thought crossed my mind when I first heard that there was only one key.
‘I’ll manage.’
It wasn’t something I cared too much about, so I let it go.
I changed into my pajamas and lay down on the bed. My consciousness gradually drifted away.
Knock knock.
The sound of a knock jolted me awake. It was strange, though. The surroundings were dark, almost like the early hours of dawn.
I sat up groggily, shaking my hazy head.
“…Huh?”
With a foggy mind, I easily recognized that I was still in bed.
I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to recall my last memory. It seemed I had fallen asleep as soon as I lay down.
Knock knock.
The sound came again.
Maybe it was a dream? I twisted my stiff neck and checked the time—just past midnight.
“No one comes to visit at this hour.”
In reality, even at this late hour, there are rarely visitors. Could it be Chan? Perhaps he has something he didn’t say earlier.
Standing right outside the door was a bit intimidating, so the guards stationed at the end of the corridor—the only way to enter this space—stood watch.
If they were allowed to be here, then whoever was on the other side couldn’t be dangerous.
As I stepped down from the bed and walked toward the door, a soft knock sounded again.
The moment I heard it, I froze in my tracks.
It wasn’t the sound of someone knocking on the door.
It came from a different direction.
I slowly turned my head toward the source of the sound.
‘No way.’
I carefully took a step in that direction.
And when I reached the transparent glass door of the terrace, not the door with the keyhole, it suddenly swung open.
A sweet, lingering breeze flowed into the room, carrying with it an intoxicating scent.
In an instant, a dark shadow enveloped my vision.
As the shadow drew closer toward me, the intensity of the sweet scent clung tighter to me.
A low, amused laugh drifted down from above, tickling my ears.
Rather than stepping back, I kept my gaze upward.
“Hello.”
The soft greeting seemed far too gentle for an intrusion. Our eyes locked as the warm, transparent gaze met mine.
The crimson hue around his eyes curved subtly. Now that I was facing him properly, not just his eyes but his cheeks were faintly flushed—red as if from wine.
Like someone who had drunk too much.
“Is this not my room?”
The brazen intruder smiled as beautifully as on their first offense.
