Y/N's POV
Irene and I exited the car as we arrived at the boutique in which was going to be a shop for Chanel and Prada, from the front window I see Ms. Kim talking to one of our interior designers, nodding and clarifying the structure, Seulgi followed closely behind us as we enter the building.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Kim." I bow at her as she regards our presence. "Good morning secretary Hwang, Ms. Bae." Her gaze shifted to Seulgi. "Good morning to you as well."
Seulgi gives her a kind smile, "Hello, Ms. Kim." She then hands out a document from her case. "Here's the property's signature proving our participation for the joint building." Ms. Kim gladly accepts it with a smile, I then take out a signing pen from my pocket and give it to her.
"Thank you." She then signs the contract. After she signs it I hand it out to Seulgi, Irene looks around the area, she hummed. "This is very promising, shall we take a look upstairs?"
"Yes, we can Ms. Bae," The interior designer agrees. "This way please." Irene takes my hand and intertwine our fingers, a blush spread across my features as I hear a giggle from Seulgi and a cough from Ms. Kim.
"Come on, let's go." Irene urged with a grin while I stare at her with warmth spreading over me. Our heels clack against the expensive marble floor, once we reach the second floor, the area's walls were only windows.
Irene grins in satisfaction as I marvel at the design, "This is beautiful." I gasped. Seulgi chuckled and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, "You humans have a way for architecture."
"Humans?" Ms. Kim repeats with a raised brow, Irene's eyes subtly widened as Seulgi laughs it off. "Just kidding, but it's really nice though."
"Thank you," The interior designer bowed. "We're glad that you all like it."
The designer excused herself to go downstairs as I wander around the open space. "The view is wonderful here."
"It is," Ms. Kim agrees. "How about you Irene, did you like it?"
She only grins in reply, but I've figured that Ms. Kim already knows the answer. And smiles in delight, "Well then ladies, I'll leave for you all to explore the interior, enjoy the rest of the tour." Ms. Kim's footsteps recede from us leaving three of us alone.
"I can't believe that our collaboration is a success." I sighed. "I wasn't expecting this."
Irene turns to me with a shocked expression, "Were you expecting failure?" I laugh and shake my head sideways. "For the past few years Ms. Kim's collaboration were always a success," I paused. "But this.....this is bigger than the rest."
The duchess only laughs as she wraps her arms around me, my head rests against her chest, "Thank you for allowing us to work with you." Irene whispers, I return her embrace.
"It should be me that must be thanking you for your influence amongst the masses." I countered, her embrace only tightens she gently sways us. "So about our wedding." She trails off.
I remove my head from her chest, "And what about it?" She pouts. "We should discuss this sooner or later, plus, we can't just wait until your parents ask us when the wedding is."
I sigh, "Yeah, the sooner we work on it, the better." I move away from her warmth and walk around the area, thinking on our plans. Irene's footsteps followed mine, "Don't worry vixen," She takes my hand and kisses the back of my hand.
"I'll handle it," She locks her eyes with mine. "You have me."
My eyes soften, but something keeps lingering in my mind. "Why are you so adamant about marrying me?"
"Why didn't you just act like the part and cancel it off?" Irene takes my hand and held it close to her cheek. Her eyes swim with a soft glow. "Because I want you to be with my side."
I tilted my head in confusion, "I'm just an offering Irene, I am just another soul under your disposal." She shakes her head. "No, you're not just a soul under my disposal."
This only confuses my further, "What does that entail?" She steps closer, the light of the sun emphasizing the color of her eyes, they're like melted chocolate. She inhaled sharply.
"You're my vessel," She exhaled. "And it ties us both here on earth and on the underworld."
"I'm-what?" I ask with an incredulous voice. "Ties us both?"
"Vixen," She tucks the strand of my hair. "I- uhm......I don't know how to say this but." She leans her body even closer to me. "You're my-"
My phone rang, Irene and immediately close her mouth and look at the device with frustration. I give her an apologetic smile and take the call, not before kissing Irene's cheek. She only sighs and nods in understanding.
"Hello?" I take the call. "Who's in the line?"
"Secretary Hwang." Ms. Kim's voice resonated from the other line. "Keep the line, I need to discuss some things with you."
"Of course Ms. Kim." I give Irene a raised brow as she lets me talk to my boss.
"Now, come downstairs, we have a minor hiccup." She states. I signaled Irene who's hands are behind her back that I'll go down to help my boss.
"You want my help?" She whispered.
"No need," I smile, "It's just probably something about the documents." I countered. She grins and whispers. "Good luck!"
"Ms. Hwang?" She clicked her tongue. "Are you still there?"
"Yes!" I answered and rush to the stairs. "Coming."
Once I reach the ground floor, the area is eerily quite. The room that was once bustling with people, is now deserted. "Ms. Kim!" I call out, ignoring the uncomfortable twinge in my stomach.
"Ms. Kim!" I call again. "Here in the conference room!" She answers.
Huh, weird...
"Alright, I'm coming." The deafening silence made me alert on anything that's unusual, which is what is happening right now. I enter the room and my jaw fell on the floor, the same stranger who asked for the mart was in the room, holding what seems to be Ms. Kim's phone.
He grinned, "Finally." His voice matches the tone of my boss, my body froze, and my voice was stuck on my throat, unable to speak as he places the phone down. My eyes hurriedly look around the room, finding Ms. Kim who sat on the couch unconscious.
My legs move on their own as I rush to her side. "What-what did you do to my boss!" I ask with a shaky voice, he chuckled and placed the phone down on the glass table. "Just wanted to borrow her voice, plus you'll be fulfilling a great role."
What?
"What the hell are you talking about?" I say through gritted teeth while checking her pulse. She's still alive, I try to take my phone but some unknown force threw it away, it crashed somewhere behind him.
"Now I wouldn't do that if I were you." He clicked his tongue, and sat down on one of the couches.
C'mon Y/N, think! We can't scream, not when he just magically threw my phone, imagine what would happen to my vocal chords when I scream. I think he would rip it off my throat. I glowered at him and he only chuckles.
"Such a dark gaze for someone who looks decent." He comments, I scoffed. "What do you want?"
"I just need your cooperation, little girl." He closes his eyes. "No harm would come to you."
Would? Harm?
"What are you?" I ask, trying to gather my bearings and not moving away from my boss who's still unconscious. He scoffs, "An angel."
"I don't remember angels luring humans with a false tone of someone who's close to them." I barked he didn't say anything though.
"Do you know the boy who works at the mart?" He asks, I furrowed my brows. A boy who works at the food mart? Hyunjin?
"Hyunjin?" I widened my eyes, "He's just a young boy, he didn't do anything!" He scoffs. "You humans are dull."
"Now that's just rude." I countered. He smirked. "It's the truth."
Ok, is this asshole really an angel? Because he acts far from one.
"I didn't know that angels were jerks." I remarked, somewhat half brave and stupid for saying that, he only narrowed his eyes. Oh shit.
He stands up, his footsteps light and fast. "You better watch what you say to me, human." He says through gritted teeth. "You all belong underneath us celestial beings."
"Oh?" I challenge as I raise a brow. "An angel with a superiority complex."
"Shut your damn mouth!" He shouts. I only scoffed again, "You know that some people could hear you, right?"
He inhales sharply and poised a confident smile. "Oh, I got that covered." He then grab me by the collar. "The demon's print smells strong in you," he growls. "I wonder who imprinted such a lowly little bastard."
Bastard....I hate the word, my stomach boiled in wrath as I slap his face, a sharp sting seep into my hand when my palm made contact with his cheek.
"Such a condescending asshole for someone who's unremarkable." My tone drip with toxicity, too wrapped up in my anger to realize what I've done. He clicked his tongue and swung his arm on my shoulder, my breath knocked out of my lungs when my back collided with the wall.
I groan in pain as I try to get up, but another blow was targeted on my ribs. I yowl in pain, feeling one of my ribs poked my lungs. I didn't have to look at him to know that he's seething with anger, his actions were already obvious.
He grabs me by the hair and kneels until his eyes made contact with mine. "I know I said that no harm would come to you, but it seems like there's a change of plans." He scowled yet smiled menacingly at my state.
"I was hoping that this would be easy," His hand applied pressure on my rib, I yelped in pain, feeling a pressure on my rib. "But your anger got the best of you."
"Another flaw of a human," He whispers. "You're all driven by emotions, pitiful really, because it'll all be in vain." He grins, "Like what you did just now. And look where it got you."
Well at least he deserved that slap. "You're no angel." I manage to spew out he only ruffles my hair. "And so I've been told."
Well, he admits it.
"Many angels disagree with my tactics," He scoffs, "They're all complacent for peace."
I try to calm my breathing, and slightly winced in pain when my lungs contracted, "Shit." I cursed.
He chuckles, "I believe that I've been dragging our talk for a while." He jams something on my neck, and everything distorts. "Time to go."
Then darkness clouded my consciousness.
________________________
Irene's POV
I paced around the room, whatever they're talking about, they sure are taking their time. Seulgi walks next to me with a conflicted expression. "Have you seen Jennie?" She asks.
"Her and Y/N are discussing as we speak." I answer with a smile. Seulgi only shakes her head, "Let's get drinks yeah? I feel dehydrated and all hot." Seulgi grins, I only chuckle and follow her downstairs.
We reach the bottom floor, and an eerie silence welcomed us, I stiffened when I noticed that no one was here, "How odd." Seulgi remarks as she steps in front of me. "The room was busy with people earlier."
A terrible wave of emotions flood me as one thing only came into my mind. Y/N.
"Seulgi." My voice rung with urgency as she immediately knows my tone. We scurry off to different rooms, trying to find Y/N. "Shit." I say with desperation.
"She isn't here!" Seulgi's tone drip in fear. "She isn't in the bathroom too." I respond. "I'll call her."
"Yeah good idea." I punch the digits, my hands trembling as I await her reply. I hear a ringtone resonate around one specific room. The room that we haven't checked yet.
Seulgi and I shared a look, and walk towards it. I prepared myself for what's to come, I kicked the door open, and my phone fell from my hands when my eyes see an unconscious Jennie yet Y/N isn't around.
My heart clenched as I approach the ringing phone.
Seulgi run towards Jennie, checking her pulse. "She's still ok."
I take Y/N's phone with a cracked screen. "There's definitely a struggle here."
"Who. Did. This." I growl, my voice laced with venom, Seulgi looked out the window as I try to calm my breathing to think clearly.
"Summon the others." I commanded, my voice not sounding surprisingly cold and distorted.
"This is no work of a robber," My body felt Like burning. "This is a work of an angel."