𝕯 𝖊 𝖘 𝖕 𝖊 𝖗 𝖆 𝖉 𝖔 // vincenzo cassano //

I. thirteen

Her fingers petted the vulnerable place under his chin and the calico cat only purred louder. Leaning back on the couch, she used her free hand to grab the TV remote by the computer.

Decided that he had enough, Panfilo stood on his legs and stretched himself on her lap before leaping off and leaving without notice.

Eunbyul watched him disappear into the hallway that led to the bedrooms and patted the bit of cat hair off her sleepwear shorts.

Her eyes set back to the ongoing morning news on her TV screen.

"Around 3:30 AM, there was an incident, believed to be a gas explosion, at a villa in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. Employees of Babel Pharmaceuticals' Drug Development Division were at the villa for a company getaway and were caught in the explosion, which took the lives of the 14 researchers. The fire authority confirmed 12 researchers were dead at the scene. And 2 survivors' entire bodies were burned and were transported to a hospital, but they died during treatment. The explosion caused partial collapse of the villa. The cause of the blast is currently under investigation, however, officials believe it might have been intentional."

"What?" Eunbyul stood up and came closer to the screen. A picture of Researcher Minchul's employee ID displayed for all the nation to see.

"As of this morning," the news reporter continued in a voiceover, "the police's primary suspect is 42-year-old Yu Minchul, a former employed researcher for the same Babel Pharmaceutical's Drug Development Division..."

Her hands reached and grabbed at either sides of her hair, a low curse exhaled from her chest at the shock, "Shit-- fucking shit--"

She didn't have time to think, only react, as she ran for a quick change of clothes from her closet and snatched the keys on her writing desk. A slow churning fear set her nerves aflame but she forced herself to ignore it, and instead set off to try and figure out what the hell was going on.

· • -- ٠ ✤ ٠ -- • ·

What little was left of Chairman Jang's villa was enclosed with crime scene tape, police cars, news media reporters, and officials in their black and white business suits.

Eunbyul walked past all the men in her way, shoving off their attempts to pry her from the scene and ignoring their angry shouts thrown at her face.

Part of her refused to believe this was real. That the lies she had helped create had most possibly led to this. To the end of fourteen innocent lives-- no, fifteen-- because Yu Minchul was not capable of this.

The other part of her knew it. Babel's chairman was vicious just as much as he was desperate. He was covering up loose ends and making sure to get his message across.

Betray me, and you too, will end up in flames. She understood him, now. Loud and clear.

Eunbyul stood on the long stretch of driveway and realized the terrible lengths of his greed. And the impossible smile on her face at the sight of all the death and destruction he so obviously prided himself in, was but to try and keep her rage at bay.

She had to remind herself of the big picture. Of all the zeroes to follow that nine in her bank account, for a nice beach house on a private island in the middle of nowhere. To finally be free of everything and with her son back again in her arms. Nothing else mattered but this. Nothing.

That druglord wannabe of Babel Group and his idiot minions at Wusang were nothing. This petty attempt to instill fear was really nothing. And yet...

She shook her head and laughed, feeling herself going crazy by the mess she let herself get dragged into.