《Doberman》 Chapter 1 The falling snow was stained with dirt as soon as it hit the ground. Sarin had been watching it fall at her feet, but soon, she turned her gaze away from the pile of snow that was now nothing more than just muddy filth. As she slowly raised her head, what appeared before her was the main entrance of a luxurious hotel. It was the total opposite of the block paved with unruly sidewalks she had just been on. She hesitated to even step inside. Eden Hotel. In this strange place where black and white clearly coexisted with one another, she stood like a foreign object. [T/N: Black and white means the good and the bad.] Many hotels shine brightly during the dark nights, but when one takes a step back from that brightness, the reality is unveiled and what they see is just a garbage dump. It was no longer news that dozens of bodies were found on the streets frozen to death overnight. Streets where people addicted to drugs, alcohol, and gambling would wander and freeze overnight since they were unable to withstand the below zero temperature. Eden City. Was the name derived from the paradise built on the passage from Russia to Europe or is the hotel named after Eden City? Sarin was still looking up at the hotel with a cloudy gaze. Eden City was modelled after the city of pleasure, Las Vegas. It is said to be the capital of the Red Mafia because it borders Russia. It was like a small principality created by Russia and Belarus holding hands and providing the land its independence. The name of the place where no territory was governed was Paradise, Eden City. It was named after Paradise to make it more tourist-friendly, but that was not the case from the start. The casino became a route for drugs, prostitution and illegal immigrants, which caused difficulties for travellers to travel to Europe to see a second Las Vegas. That word circulated like a joke. Once you enter Eden City, you can¡¯t get out. It is because they live in darkness to lick even the soles of their feet with pleasure. [T/N: It means that once you enter, you would be addicted to all the bad shits.] Where the money comes and goes, there will always be a shadow. As public security became unstable, this place became a lawless zone. It gained credibility by saying that the purpose of establishing the city in the first place was for the purpose of laundering money with Russia. At some point, Eden City was called the evil city or ruined city. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± One of the hotel staff stationed outside kindly told her with a service smile as he saw Sarin wandering around in front of the hotel¡¯s entrance. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Sarin¡¯s eyes were quickly lowered. ¡°If you¡¯re here to use the hotel or casino¡­¡± The voice of the staff was kind, but his intention was implying that if that was not the case, to get away from the entrance. His gaze was cold as though he was looking at one of those gamblers. Sarin seemed to understand the employee¡¯s intentions without raising her head, so she eventually turned back. A week¡¯s rent was provided in advance for a small and shabby hostel where gambling addicts mainly stay. The staff seemed to remember Sarin when she came here for three days just to look up blankly at the casino entrance she dared not step foot in. The hotel door was open to everyone, but it also quickly identifies people like Sarin. In cases like hers, employees or guards often scare them out with some overbearing words. The largest casino in Eden City, ¡®Hotel, Eden¡¯ is a place that¡¯s full of mayhem and lit up very brightly during the night. The faces of those who passed by the hotel and entered it were full of hope, but those who left the hotel late at night seemed to have no souls. Perhaps they may have left a part of their soul in the casino. Sarin slowly walked out of the hotel while mingling with them. It was when she stepped into the icy road leading down the streetlight road. She put her hand down on a cold lamppost to control her slipping body. At the same time, the headlights of a black and smooth car flashed as it had stopped at the signal right in front of them. Sarin frowned at the light as she tried to take her hands off the lamppost. Her palm, which had been cold the entire day, was stuck onto the lamppost and did not budge at all. ¡°Idiot..¡± She laughed out loud at the thought that she was going to do something stupid. Her fingers were frozen by the cold air and it would almost certainly hurt her skin if she pulled them off like this. The person inside the car that had been next to her waiting at the traffic light, distractectly looked at her hand without knowing the signal had already changed. As the car passed by, like stepping on a puddle, black water splashed all over her body in an instant like a wave. It was like adding insult to injury. ¡°Ha¡­¡± A second disheartened voice came out through Sarin¡¯s mouth. She felt like she was coming to her senses. Without looking down, she knew that the muddy water that was splattered on her clothes under the light was starting to freeze quickly. She thought she had gotten used to the cold, but this is too much. ¡°Are you okay?¡± When she barely turned her head around, the car that she thought had passed her was right behind her. The man in the black coat in the backseat of the car caught Sarin¡¯s eyes first. Standing past the streetlight lights, he looked like a huge shadow. When he moved one step toward herself, she almost stepped back. If he hadn¡¯t spoken to her, she would have believed him to be a giant brown bear living nearby. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The man was speaking impeccably smooth English. He stretched his feet carelessly over the frozen path under his feet. The man looked down at Sarin¡¯s head as he walked in a big stride. ¡°I think I should at least pay for laundry.¡± She felt his gaze looking at her hands. There was a faint mixture of laughter in his voice. She felt as if he had seen everything she was doing while waiting for the signal. If she didn¡¯t look up, all she could see was his broad chest. Her bangs that had not been trimmed were blocking her view. ¡°¡­Just go.¡± Jiik. The feeling of her flesh peeling from her palm was awful. With a terrible sound of her hands tearing apart, blood started dripping onto the pile of snow next to the sidewalk. Sarin clenched her fist and hid her hand behind her back. ¡°Can you do that?¡± She thought the man¡¯s voice contained unspeakable cruelty. Suddenly, as she raised her head up, a face that was subtly twisting his thin lips entered her view. Her eyes fell over his pale skin with his black hair neatly pulled back in pomade. His shimmering golden coloured eyes were looking down at Sarin without breaking any eye contact. The man then proceeded to slowly take what was in his hand to his mouth. Only then did Sarin realise he was holding a cigarette at his fingertips. A man who smoked his cigarette deep enough to poke his cheek, laughed. The light flashed red over the black leather gloves. The man was well over 190cm with a peremptory build, and he was the most frighteningly attractive person she¡¯d ever met. She vaguely wondered if that¡¯s what the devil looks like if he looks like a human being. He wouldn¡¯t know her, but she knew him. He was called the Serpent of Eden City, the devil who took Eden City into his hands and bought people¡¯s pleasures. Owen Doberman. ¡° ¡­ O ¡­ oo¡­.¡± Some say that he is called Doberman because his dogs are Dobermans, another saids he got his nickname because he threw the people he killed as dog food. Even Sarin, who flew a few days to meet him, never thought she would actually be able to meet the man. It didn¡¯t come out properly. It seemed like it was her lips that were stuck and not the palms of her hands. Does the man know that the faint sound that barely came out of her mouth was his name? Once again, a big whiff of cigarette smoke spat out at her like a sigh. A cloud of smoke passed in front of her eyes. ¡°At least let me pay for the laundry.¡± He threw the cigarette on the floor. He then took some bills out from his wallet. Sarin shook her head. ¡°Hand.¡± He pointed his chin at her hand as he opened his mouth.It was a high-pressure attitude that did not leave space to refuse his words. One word that had a heavy echo made refusing unthinkable. It was an arrogant way of speaking that would only come from a person who had never failed in everything he wanted to do. His golden eyes froze her, so she couldn¡¯t even say his name properly, let alone reach out to him. She was reminded of her sister warning her to never get involved with him. But she ignored it, and she came here. The moment she saw him, she realized that she would eventually get on a plane again and have no choice but to return to her home country. Sarin swallowed her breath and extended her good hand. The right hand that was hidden behind her back was in pain and slippery due to blood. The man was holding the money in the air without saying anything. The snow fell over the bill making watermarks. Sarin reached out with her other hand as if she was possessed. The correct answer. The man put the bluish-tinted banknote on her blood-stained palm. ¡°Right.¡± The bloodstained fingertips were a little grazed. The man was wearing gloves, so he wouldn¡¯t know anyway. She felt as if she had become one of his dogs as she heard that she did well. His cold eyes looked down at her. A face that no one expected any humanity from only made her realise that he pulled over and got off here on a whim. Sarin crumpled up the bill that the man had dropped on her palm. It was also a stupid choice. She did not just rob people of money and came into this country with no connection. The man had already turned his back and walked to the car. Soon, with the sound of the door closing, the car departed. The car gently swerved into Eden, where Sarin just came from. Chapter 2 Sarin watched where the car had entered as she stared with her mouth open wide. Her hands clutched the banknotes she had been given as she walked back to the hotel. The hotel staff looked at her in bewilderment as she returned with a pale blank expression. However, she paid no attention to the man as she walked straight past him. She was momentarily dazed by the chandelier lights and closed her eyes briefly. Sarin grabbed her passport from her bag as she headed towards the casino. She was surrounded by the sound of slot machines being played and people talking overlapped into a mumble of noise. ¡°I would like to exchange this please.¡± She handed the casino staff member the bloody bills and showed her proof of identification in the form of her passport. The staff member looked down at the money. She waited for the amount of bills to be counted, and it was found to be five $100 bills. Sarin watched the staff member look at her with trembling eyes. She remained calm and asked for what she wanted. ¡°One $500 chip, please.¡± The staff member frowned and appeared troubled looking at the bloody bills. However, soon a chip came out from the slot opening. Sarin grabbed it and turned her back with no hesitation. She didn¡¯t pay attention as she passed the guards surrounding the area. She made her way past the people sitting in front of slot machines with flashing lights as they focused on the screen, or sat at the tables as they played games with the dealers. If you think you¡¯re lucky, a casino would be the best place to test the theory out. She met Owen by chance. When she travelled all the way here, she vaguely thought that she might not be able to see him after all. Then she met him. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t get much out of it in the end. She wanted to test her luck out one more time. So much so that she even took a return flight back to the casino. If she¡¯s lucky, she might be able to see him again. She had yet to figure out what to say to him when they did. In the meantime, she decided to bet on one particular game. It was the same game that she played with her sister when they were younger. They played the game when there was nothing to do. They would go out many times and pick many flower petals to use as a substitute for money to bet with. The two would bet on how many white bikes would pass by as they sat in front of the supermarket. She stopped walking as she reached the roulette game table she had been eyeing. She stood in front of it as she watched the current game that just to began. The numbers 1 to 36, 0, 00, and 38 were drawn on the board of the table. The dealer rolls a white ball on the wheel with all the same numbers with little slots. A bet is placed on the table, while the ball lands on one of the slots in the wheel. Usually, she¡¯s not the reckless kind to take bets on just one number. If she was playing like she normally did, she would choose multiple numbers and sides. Sometimes even by the colour of a number divided into two and taken in double or triple. The dealer placed the small ball down into the roulette wheel before turning it. The white ball began to quickly spin on the wheel as the game began. ¡°All bets down, please.¡± Everyone with a chip in their hands began to place their bets down as soon as they heard the dealer give a greenlight. The people surrounding the table tossed chips on the open numbers for fun, while she decided to place her cash chip in one of the frontmost numbers. Sarin didn¡¯t have time to change her cash chip for a coloured chip, so she had to play with the chip as she had it. [TLS/NOTE: Coloured chips are of a specific colour (ie red, blue, green etc). When you buy chips from the croupier, you can choose the colour. It makes it easier for you to know where your bets are, and which wins are yours. They can only be used in roulette. Cash chip are chips have their actual value clearly written on the actual chip itself, and can be used in other casino games as well. ] At the same time, the man next to her hit her arm as she was leaning towards a number. The bump made her chip fall on the number 11. [QC puppy: R U D E, LEMME SLAP HIM ] He turned to take a look at her with an intriguing gaze as he glanced down at her chip. He placed his own cash chips on the numbers 11 and 14. ¡°No more bets.¡± The dealer announced once the bell rang. The hands of those wandering around the roulette board stopped. The white ball continued to spin in the wheel and rolled about four or five times before it stopped. Sarin¡¯s eyes closed for a second as she realised that this was a test of fate. ¡°Number 11.¡± It was a straight bet. There was one out of thirty-five chances of the white ball landing on a number she bet on. She had one chance with her $500 chip, so she only had one opportunity. [TLS/NOTE: A straight bet: It means you will be given 35 times the money of your original bet plus your original bet. The numbers are from 1 to 36, including 0 and 00 in standard American casinos.] Sarin fixated her gaze on the number with an unbelievable expression on her face. The man that had pushed her from earlier started to cheer. He had a naturally cheerful expression as he swept all the chips given by the dealer. ¡°Excuse me. I bet on it too.¡± Sarin protested to the dealer. The dealer¡¯s eyes shook as she spoke in a quiet but persistent voice. At once, the man¡¯s gaze beside her became harsh. They had both placed their cash chips in the same spot coincidentally. The man had to take 17x of the bet because he had split his bet over two numbers. However, he took his share of 17x and her share of 35x of the bet as well. ¡°It was my bet. You had a chip, but you stupidly dropped it.¡± [QC puppy: BRUHHH HE KEEPS BEING R U D E DISGUSTENG ] He said as he pointed down towards Sarin¡¯s feet. A $500 chip was on the floor by her feet as if it had been dropped like the man said. It couldn¡¯t be. Sarin looked at the dealer pleading for help, but the dealer smiled awkwardly then looked away. There would be no help as no one would intervene in their dispute. Even if the dealer had seen the scene play out, he wouldn¡¯t intervene even if he wanted to. He knew if he did, then he would be caught in a very troublesome situation. The man stretched out his tattooed hand to the back of his head. His voice sounded raspy from the phlegm in his throat. His accent was strong as it was clearly heard when he spoke to her. Sarin tried to request the CCTV recording from the game. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder as she tried to ask. ¡°Don¡¯t. Unless you want to be found dead in the street with a bullet in your head.¡± A person beside her gave her a warning in a low voice. The men in black suits stood behind the man¡¯s back. They were all looking at Sarin and watched her every move. If she was deemed troublesome, they would make sure to take care of her. ¡°They are the Red Mafia.¡± In other words, there are countless bodies of frozen and murdered people everywhere in Eden City each morning. This was a warning to her to not add her own body into that count. She could check the CCTV, even though the process seems simple enough, in casinos it becomes very burdensome. A person needs to be prepared for the casino and its management to be corrupted in some sort of way. It was hard to tell what kind of penalty she would get in the end. It would be an inevitable death. Sarin¡¯s mouth dried at the warning that she would indeed become a corpse the moment she stepped foot out of the hotel. The woman who had uttered the warning clicked her tongue softly. It was natural that one of the 35 chances proved her luck. However, luck always came with its own misfortune. Those who knew that the man was from the Red Mafia actively avoided him. Sarin was the only one that had stood closely next to him. She had no idea who he was from the moment she started betting as they just met during the start of the roulette game. The man threw a chip at the woman as he was satisfied that the whole dispute was taken care of by her explanation. The woman had just felt sorry for Sarin, but happily accepted the $500 chip with a loud cheer. His thin and torn lips formed into a pleased smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick up the chip you dropped? Try actually betting this time. Maybe the goddess of luck will be on your side.¡± The man said in an incomprehensible accent as he chuckled at her. When she clenched her hands into tight fists, Sarin dug her nails in her palms. The stinging pain brought her back to her senses. It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t even her own money anyway. 35 times chances to win with the money she bet. She did win a large amount, and she could fight the man for it. The amount of money automatically passed through Sarin¡¯s head, but it wasn¡¯t enough for her to give up her life. She remembered how shocked she had been when she saw a frozen dead body on the street on her first day. She tried to convince herself that losing money was logically better for her than dying. It was better than dying¡­though the money might help solve her problem. Human beings are so cunning. She just wanted to see how much luck she had left, and she knew that it would be almost impossible to hit one of the 38 numbers. Now, she felt wronged about the money that flew right out of her hands in front of her. Kwaang! Strangely, her heart was filled with hot anger. Sarin suddenly turned her head to the intense loud sound, when tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Someone¡¯s upper body was rammed into the slot machine next to the roulette table. Their head was slammed into the monitor of the machine, while their hands and legs wiggled together before they slumped down. Then she saw a pair of leather gloves holding the person¡¯s neck. Sarin¡¯s eyes focused on the individual to confirm the owner of the gloves. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have played if you were going to tamper with it in the first place, Sir.¡± Strands of the black hair that had been neatly swept back with pomade escaped his hairdo and flowed down onto his forehead. His golden eyes shined like the colour of a chandelier¡¯s bright light. The man shook his hand towards the men around him. Right away, the rest of the situation was handled by the guards following him. [QC puppy: OUR DADDY OWEN ASGDJFDS ] They pulled out the bloody unconscious man from the broken machine monitor. His face was stuck inside of it and looked badly injured. The men took him somewhere as they dragged him away. A casino employee appeared and put up a sign ¡®IN REPAIR¡¯ on the slot machine. The smile was never gone from his face the whole time. As if the commotion was important, the eyes that had gathered during her game had dispersed in an instant. Everyone had focused on the more alarming and dramatic situation. The man in an expensive three-piece suit took off his leather gloves one by one. He made his way down the red carpet. Whenever his body moved as he walked, his suit seemed so tight that it looked like it would rip anytime soon. He clearly showed off the presence of the large muscles on his body. [QC puppy: AHSDGS PLEASE, HOW CAN HE BE SO SEXY ] ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± He approached Sarin, and asked her in a business-like voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Owen. There¡¯s nothing wrong here. Isn¡¯t that right, miss?¡± The man¡¯s face started to show signs of frustration. However, he stood up casually and patted Owen¡¯s back. It was his attempt to show him that there was no problem going on. Sarin was so small in stature that she had to look up to see the man¡¯s face. Her height was 160cm, and it was considered average back in her home country. However, here she was so short that she looked like she would collapse if she got hit a couple of times. Owen tilted his head and looked down at Sarin. Her face seemed pale from what he could see, but it was mostly covered with her long hair. When he saw that, he didn¡¯t say anything even though he wanted to. He frowned without checking the man¡¯s face that had touched his back. Suddenly, the hands that had nearly killed a man reached out to the countless chips. He found the same $500 chip that the man had claimed to use to bet with in the roulette game. As if he was watching from start to finish, he found it easily among the numerous chips. He inspected it closely and flipped it over. ¡°There¡¯s blood on it.¡± Owen¡¯s gaze focused on the man with a smaller body than his. He had calmly spat out those words, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. Sarin was familiar with that kind of gaze, but she couldn¡¯t remember the particular name for it. Owen turned away from her to face the man. He grabbed his wrists and turned his palms back and forth as he checked them briefly. ¡°Oh, Owen?¡± He let go of one of the man¡¯s hands. The man stretched it out after the harsh grip on his wrist caused him discomfort. Then proceeded to extend his hand out behind him. One of the expressionless guards beside the man placed a knife in the palm of his hand. Unexpectedly, something happened in an instant. Chapter 3 Owen applied pressure to the man¡¯s wrist and shoved the knife into the back of his hand. At that moment, blood spattered everywhere which surprised people causing them to take a step back. Even the man¡¯s subordinates or companions did not dare intervene or stop them. ¡°Ah!!!¡± The chip he had picked up earlier now had blood on it. Every time he struggled to escape the pain, the chips on his palms shook as well. The only sound made was by the injured man. To avoid interfering with the situation, no one dared utter a sound and just watched as the scene unraveled. ¡°It looks like you have gotten some blood on you.¡± Owen lowered his head close to the man¡¯s face to look at the blood-stained chips and spoke kindly to him. Sarin had to admit that the blood-stained lucky chips belong to the man now. Before she knew it, she unclenched her fists. Her fingers twitched slightly. She did not feel avenged even though the man was seen screaming while the back of his hands were pierced. The whole scenario seemed so surreal. Everyone here was unfazed by the scene. It was only Sarin who didn¡¯t fit in with the crowd. She got goosebumps instantly when she realised the situation she was in with this stranger. People went back to their jobs as if the incident that occurred was just a small fight. The dealer in front of her smiled briefly while calling for a cleaner and arranging the chips. The injured man was rushed away by his subordinates. When Owen looked up, he had removed the chips that were put in his pockets. As with the slot machine incident, this was not a big deal either. Sarin, who freaked out at the sight of dead bodies, had to admit this on her third day here. Everything that happens in Eden City is abnormal. The fact that no one said anything is strange. The messy table was rearranged back to its original form. All she could hear was the roulette dealer asking for people to place their bets again. Owen approached the confused woman and bowed deeply in front of her eyes. Surprised by his action, she took a step back and noticed he was holding the chip that fell on her feet earlier. He looked at her with the chip in between his fingers. ¡°Bet.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not my chip.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s yours.¡± How did Owen know what the injured man had said? She was instinctively reluctant. Sarin wanted to run away when Owen approached the subject of her betting the $500 he gave her on whether to go back or to see him again. His golden eyes glowed devilishly. The man was looking at her with a clear curiosity unlike when they first met at the roadside. With an amused expression, he reached out to Sarin and handed her the chip. The corners of Owen¡¯s eyes folded slightly. Their encounter by the roadside interested him. As soon as she took the chip from him, he moved his hands towards her shoulder and turned her body back to the roulette wheel easily. He then proceeded to pull her back toward him in between his arms, held her there and put both his arms towards the edge of the table. Sarin was startled by his hard chest that touched her back. ¡°Place your bets, please.¡± She was well aware that the dealer¡¯s gaze, which glanced at her multiple times, was actually on the man standing behind her. ¡°Just wait and see.¡± ¡°¡­.You¡¯ll lose.¡± Sarin, who knew that her once-in-a-lifetime luck would never come again, replied in a cracked voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to do that, did you?¡± The tone of his answer sounded like he saw through everything from the beginning and was quite happy about it. However, even without turning to see him, she could tell that his eyes were not smiling. Sarin swept the roof of her mouth with her tongue as she took a glance at his temple. ¡°No more bets.¡± Her bet ended with the dealer¡¯s announcement. Regardless, the man did not get off her back. Sarin lowered her head significantly knowing where the chip would end up. The back of her neck was exposed under Owen¡¯s gaze. Thin and straight. Her nape surrounded by her hair brought back a memory. Not long ago, he had struck an arrow onto the neck of a deer. This felt familiar to him, hence his golden eyes relaxed at the sight of her neck that he could break with one hand. ¡°Bets down, please.¡± A new round had started again. The roulette wheel was spinning in circles. The sound of the ball rolling sounded like her life being rolled on the wheel. Sarin held onto the chip that was in her hands several times and loosened her grip. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching how you are fucking wasting the favour I gave you. So, bet.¡± He said kindly. Throw it away again like shit. Those terrifying words pierced through her ears. She was right that he was watching her from the beginning. He grabbed Sarin¡¯s waist since she was just standing still, and made her move. Her hand trembled as she witnessed what happened to the man earlier when he held his hand. His and Sarin¡¯s hands stopped at number 11, the same number she had won money from. ¡°Here.¡± The number 11 will never be the winner again. He knew that but yet he had chosen it. She looked at the man holding her hand with a hand stained with another¡¯s blood. Again, her chip fell onto the number 11 as her finger lost its strength. The bell rang along the dealer¡¯s voice telling them not to bet anymore. As the sound of the wheel slowed down, the sound of the bell felt like the end of her life. ¡°Oh my.¡± He knew that the probability of it landing on the same number twice was extremely slim yet he still voiced his disappointment. As soon as she felt him slowly backing from her, Sarin felt freed of the pressure that had been weighing her down. ¡°What a shame.¡± He said calmly as he picked up a glass of whiskey from a passing servant¡¯s tray. He casually poured the whiskey on his hand to wipe away the blood then and there. Sarin watched the amber liquid run through his fingers and disappear into the carpeted floor. The reflection from the liquid as it ran through the gaps of his long thick fingers made her feel as though time momentarily stopped. The man who gave Owen the knife held out a handkerchief to him this time. Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, the man knew his next move and remained standing next to him. It was nice to see his fingers being wiped off one by one. The remainder of the blood was gone now. Owen stared attentively at Sarin who couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his hands. He lowered his gaze as if it seemed strange to watch her. She couldn¡¯t help herself and kept looking at his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± Owen spat out impulsively. It was a rare urge for him to want to lift her small face, which was still looking at his fingers to make eye contact with him. Even more so when the words came out of his mouth. Owen had been keeping an eye on Sarin ever since she had turned the cash into a money chip. He was half sure that the word that stayed in her mouth when she puffed up like a carp fish on the street was his name. [ t/n: reference to chapter 1 Some say that he is called Doberman because his dogs are Dobermans, another said he got his nickname because he threw the people he killed as dog food. Even Sarin, who flew a few days to meet him, never thought she would actually be able to meet the man. It didn¡¯t come out properly. It seemed like it was her lips that were stuck and not the palms of her hands. ] When he had found her again, he thought she was a common gambling addict. He was quite curious about her lips that couldn¡¯t spit out what she wanted to say like a carp that was out of the water. Owen held her hand lightly. [qc puppy: DADDY HOLD MY PAW TOO ?( ? ?? )??*?] Her gaze followed along as he held onto her last finger with her thumb. Let¡¯s see what he can do with this new excitement in his old life. ¡°I was wondering what kind of fool you are.¡± He said as he raised her chin. The tip of his tongue was salivating. His low tone was only noticeable by the man next to him. Owen got strangely excited when he found a fool that had her palm stuck on a lamp post when he looked out of his car¡¯s window. As if she had lost her place, her uneven breath, her bet on the chip barely hanging on, her trembling body as she bet, and then all the cells in her body wanting to tell Owen that her purpose was not the casino. He turned the other way as he tried to reverse what he thought was amusing. As he walked forward, she felt her reflexes telling her to follow him. It was like a small dog chasing after its owner. There was a faint smile on his face as he walked forward without looking back. He liked dogs. No one stood in Sarin¡¯s way. They didn¡¯t even block the elevator leading directly up the suite. It was too late for her to come to her senses when she stopped walking towards him. Owen went into the elevator and waited for Sarin as he pressed the hold button. ¡°Are you just going to stand there when you already came all the way here?¡± It was like agonizing a mouse to come into this narrow square box after its predator lured it here. He liked to see people¡¯s eyes but with her long bangs, he couldn¡¯t see hers, and it bothered him. It was hard to tell whether she was scared or not or what she was thinking. So maybe that¡¯s why it was more interesting. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± What should she say? He lifted his head and nodded as he listened to the blurred words. He meant for Sarin to come inside the elevator and talk, but she refused to go any closer. She was worried that he would take his hand off the hold button at any time and it would be the last remaining warning to stop her from talking. Owen is a dangerous man. Chapter 4 He was a person who could do anything fearlessly without caring about other people¡¯s lives. Red bright lights flashed in her mind like a stop light signaling a car to come to a halt. Her inner consciousness whispered to turn around and run far away from this man.Sarin regretted her words as she realised there was a huge difference between what she had heard about him and what she had seen with her own eyes. ¡°You better start talking now while I¡¯m still having fun.¡± The hunter whispered gently for her to come into the elevator that resembled a trap, like a small box waiting to catch her. Her sister always told her to be careful about making bad decisions, and to avoid such situations, since she had a tendency to get herself into them frequently. Whatever choice she had chosen, she had the best of luck to always choose the worst one. Now was the time to decide what she would do. She shook her head. The kindness in Owen¡¯s eyes disappeared in an instant. When his expression hardened, someone forcibly pushed Sarin from the back into the elevator. She didn¡¯t even notice that the man that was behind Owen had moved behind her. ¡°While I¡¯m being nice.¡± Owen spoke dangerously in a low tone as Sarin was forced into the elevator with him. As soon as he took his hand off the button, the door closed in front of them. There was only one button that lit up to signal which floor it would stop at. The 48th floor. 48?. It took less than a minute for the elevator to go up rapidly to its destination. She momentarily felt dizzy as soon as the door opened. It was directly connected to the interior of the suite. The night sky unfolded within the sight of the glass ceiling. The pilling snow melted quickly and turned into water that flowed down off it. Sarin opened her mouth in awe as she looked at the white snow pouring off the roof as water. She looked down at the dark blue carpet, when suddenly the man from behind her grabbed her by her back and pulled her down. ¡°Ugh..¡± Owen was already walking ahead of them. The man dragged her to where his master had instructed him to take her. ¡°Let go. Let go of me!¡± They passed through a glass ceiling hallway to the living room. The monotonal large space was neatly organized without any unnecessary items. It was minimalistic in design and color. The color of his floor was Turkish white marble with a dark grey buffalo leather sofa. Owen crossed his long legs as he sat down. He calmly faced Sarin who was dragged by his subordinate to stand in front of him. Tack, tack, tack. Suddenly, several footsteps could be heard echoing against the white marble floor. Three Doberman dogs rushed out instantly from an open door behind her and ran to Owen¡¯s side. The tallest dog naturally sat next to Owen on the sofa. The dog reached out to him and quickly pushed forward his head asking for affection. The other two dogs sat side by side in front of Owen¡¯s feet eagerly waiting for their turn. Sarin saw with her own eyes why his nickname was Doberman. If a Doberman had a human form, it would probably be Owen himself. The black coloured skin of the Doberman resembled Owen¡¯s dark glossy black hair. The fact that these animals with eyes similar to the color yellow were looking at Owen made her feel strange. The man pulled off her cross bag from her body without giving any time for Sarin to react. The string of the old bag snapped and tore off making all the items in her bag instantly fall onto the white marble floor with a clatter. The contents exposed were her passport, a palm-sized wallet, and an old diary. They were the only items in her bag. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t touch¡­¡± The man did not respond to her as he picked up her belongings off the floor, and shook off her hands on them as he delivered those items to his master. Owen petted the dog beside him with one hand and took the items with the other. He looked at the cover of the passport and flipped through it. He scanned the small and honest passport picture once, but his gaze fell on Sarin¡¯s face over and over again. Perhaps she took the picture in a rush as her hair was messy. However, he found the pair of eyes he had been curious about were finally revealed. Owen looked at all the fallen items as he looked at Sarin who was sitting on the floor. He narrowed his eyes and continued to stare at her eyes in the picture. He brought the passport up to his face and rubbed its edge against his lips.Owen finally looked at Sarin after so long only to question her. ¡°Where is your phone?¡± ¡°¡­As soon as I arrived here, I was robbed at the airport.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± His lips tilted upwards slightly. She knew she was the unluckiest person without having to be told otherwise. Sarin had hoped things would go differently, but the dirty look in her eyes reflected the luckless life she had. . ¡°You came from afar. Lee Sarin from Korea.¡± Lee Sarin. Owen called her name with a slight familiarity. Sarin observed closely his expression when he called out her nationality, but it was hard to tell anything of it. He was the type of man that knew better than to reveal emotions and thoughts on his face because it would allow others to see right through him. It was like a game of poker where only the players with the best expressionless faces and ability to lie would win the game. He rubbed the dog¡¯s nose bridge gently as he put down her passport. He moved on to the diary when Sarin quickly uttered something to him. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to read it anyway.¡± It was all written in Korean. Her heart sank for a moment that he might find out the content written inside it, but she remembered that there is no way he could read Korean. Sarin had no intention of telling him anything, so he would need to bring another Korean person to read it for him if he really wanted to know. She was proven right as he looked over the diary that was filled with words and letters that he didn¡¯t know of. He lost interest in it and put down her diary faster than he did with her passport. Then he laid his empty hand on his lap. ¡°Okay. What are you going to tell me?¡± He turned his attention towards her as he asked her a question. At the sudden change, the eyes of the three Doberman dogs suddenly turned to her. The muscles of her legs clenched as she was ready to run off at any moment. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to talk, can I do what I want first?¡± His offer seemed innocent, but his actions were the opposite. Owen got up from the sofa and approached her. She was afraid to look up as he was quite tall with a huge stature like a mountain. She seemed to have forgotten their size difference, since he had been sitting on the sofa for so long. Out of nowhere the back of her hair was grabbed as a man had come close to her without her noticing him. ¡°Ugh. Uhh¡­¡± She could have told Owen¡¯s subordinates to let her go, but no words came out of her lips. She had no choice in the matter either way. All she could do was struggle like a mess as she was dragged along the marble floor. She grabbed the man¡¯s wrist with both of her hands and tried to remove herself from his grip, but she was too weak to do much. She could hear the sound of a door being opened in the direction she was being dragged. Her scalp was hurting like hell, like it was about to be pulled off of her skin. Once inside the room, she was forced to get up. Realizing that it was a bathroom and that there was a mirror, she looked into it. ¡°Stay still.¡± The man took his hands off her. She looked like a mess. Her cheeks were flushed with redness and tears rolled down her chin while she was gasping for air. Then Owen entered the bathroom with her and brought a sharp silver razor. ¡°Hngg.¡± Sarin had already witnessed what he could with a knife. She tried to escape as fast as the whistling wind, but he was much faster. Owen grabbed her neck and pressed her face against the mirror. ¡°You were told to stay still. Don¡¯t move.¡± She didn¡¯t want to listen because then she would feel like a dog ordered to stay still. However, she had no other choice. Sarin closed her eyes as his hand moved to lift her chin from her neck. She could feel the tip of his nail against her skin. She could feel his touch through her long bangs that covered her face. She focused on taking deep breaths and noticed the smell of whisky. She felt like she was getting dizzy. She stuck her tongue out as she hastily licked her dry lips. ¡°Let me go, please¡­¡± Thump, thump. His breath and the scent of his odor mixed together. She could feel Owen¡¯s breathing as his face was very close to hers. Instantly, her bangs were cut off with a snapping sound that was close enough to the tip of her nose. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± He said that as he folded the razor blade in half and put it away. Sarin opened her eyes shakily. The remains of her hair were on her cheeks like whiskers. Her eyes were revealed with her new haircut that removed her long bangs completely. One eye was a dark brown that looked almost black in most settings. On the other hand, the other eye was a grey shade, light enough that it was noticeable. She was considered a rare and odd child. Especially, being raised and living in Korea. It had been a habit of hers ever since she was a child to grow out her bangs. She didn¡¯t want people to stare and point at her eyes. The little rural town she lived in had less than 30 students in her school. Mismatching eyes was an open joke. Adults with conservative thoughts ran their mouths wildly. Her mother had constantly been suspected by others because of Sarin¡¯s existence. She lived most of her life not realising what was going on until she got to middle school. Then she understood the meaning behind the mockery. Everyone spread a rumor that her mother had an affair with a foreigner and ended up alone with a child to raise. His eyes looked at hers with such a keen interest. The melanin pigment in her eyes were light in one eye, which explained the cloudy grey eye he was intensely staring into. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± He rarely saw broken cloudy grey eyes.