Suddenly the car made a sharp turn, the two wounded kidnappers fell backward. One of them had a serious arm injury and lost the grip on his gun. It fell by his side.
The police sirens gradually became louder. The other kidnapper also fell to the side from the force of the turn and landed against the car seat. Although he had yet to process what had occurred fully, he rapidly brought his gun back up and pressed it against Park Jimin's head. His expression was fierce as he cursed: "Fuck, this car sure is something! If you wish to keep your life, shake that police car off right now! Otherwise, this old man will kill you immediately!"
Seeing the other gun on the ground, Roseanne's hands slowly moved against the car seat. She removed her heels and ignored the warning glance Park Jimin sent her. She abruptly moved up toward the kidnapper who was armed, slamming one heel against his shoulder and another against his face.
Park Jimin's gaze turned cold. Just as the other kidnapper was about to move against Roseanne, Park Jimin made another sharp turn and sent him falling back. Roseanne's eyes were sharp as she made to pick up the gun, but the moment she raised her head, the kidnapper she injured earlier had already pressed the barrel of his gun against her scalp.
The ice-cold metal was pressing against her, digging into her scalp harshly. He narrowed his eyes at Park Jimin, who was on the driver's seat. "Don't move! If you dare move, I'll kill her immediately! Move into the main road! Stop wasting time in this line!"
Roseanne's arms were restrained by the kidnapper, and a gun was pressed against her head.
This type of remodeled gun would not lose in strength when compared to the long guns they encountered in Cambodia. In fact, it was even faster. With a gentle movement of his finger, a bloody hole would immediately appear on her head.
Before she could gain a firm grip around the gun, it was taken away by the other kidnapper. At the same time, the man restraining her slammed his gun handle against her neck, causing sharp pain. In an instant, she fell backward onto the passenger's seat.
As Park Jimin's cold, unfathomable gaze shifted toward them through the rearview mirror, the kidnappers kept their guns pressed against Roseanne. They found that directing the gun against the woman was much more effective. At the very least, the car was really accelerating.
Before Roseanne could struggle, the gun handle came smashing down against the back of her neck once more. The pain caused a wave of nausea and dizziness to wash over her. She pressed against the backseat painfully with both her arms locked around her. She barely managed to turn her head back but was seized by the kidnapper as they ordered Park Jimin to head toward the main road.
Ever since Roseanne was pressed onto the backseat, Park Jimin's gaze had been ice-cold. He did not speak, nor did he make any sharper turns, in case they moved against her in a fit of anger. In their unarmed state, they were completely helpless. At this moment, anyone facing the barrel of the gun was akin to the meat served up on a chopping board.
The man expressionlessly accelerated, forcing a greater distance between them and the police cars.
Roseanne was pressed down with a heavy grip, and the other kidnapper was stepping on her back harshly. Both her hands were locked behind her as she laid there breathing with some difficulty. However, her gaze kept moving toward Park Jimin's composed back view as he drove.
With three years of separation, she found that this man's composure was just as unnatural as before. In fact, it had grown to become even more astonishing.
The kidnapper could hear sirens surrounding them, and in a fit and anger and impatience, he kicked harshly against Roseanne's back twice. Roseanne felt as though her chest had experienced two earthshaking blows. The taste of blood was filling her mouth, but she endured the pain and did not make any noise. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that the man's fingers around the steering wheel were pale.
One edge of her lips abruptly lifted. She released a soft, hoarse chuckle.
After all of her happiness had been smashed so cruelly, could this hint of heartache and tenderness still mean anything to her?
She admitted that she had charged up earlier because she did not want him to die. In this situation, it was truly difficult to keep her own life. Roseanne understood that if she hadn't been on this vehicle, it would have been much easier for Park Jimin to escape. Yet, she was in this car. She was his burden. And so, she had carried the determination to face death as she moved. No matter how things were right now, for the sake of the Park Jimin who had once protected her in every way, for that Jimin who had once embraced her to protect her against bullets, she would always do so without looking back.
Three years ago, Park Jimin was not the only person who had died. She had also died.
All a person had was a lifetime. Besides, she had even managed to gain one more than everyone else. If she wanted to die, she would die. If she wanted to live, she would live. What was the point in silently enduring even in her last moments?
Yet, to protect her, this man had shed his defenses again.
As Park Jimin drove, he silently glanced through the rearview mirror. The woman's hair was messy, and her complexion was pale. As she was pressed against the backseat, she turned her head back, and because of the harsh force, her face was almost deformed. However, her lips were curled in a smile. Through the rearview mirror, she was smiling at him. It appeared as though tears were welling up in her eyes.
Their eyes met through the rearview mirror. Roseanne was smiling at him. A tear fell from the corner of her eyes, but her smile remained unchanged.
Park Jimin watched her, his gaze darkening.
At this moment, one of the kidnappers noticed that they were exchanging gazes and assumed that they were silently planning something. He immediately smashed the gun handle harshly against Roseanne's scalp, and as she released a muffled groan from the pain, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and delivered a harsh slap against her face. He cursed, "Turn your head over!"
Roseanne's head was forced in the other direction, and her body was almost contorted from the pressure. She gritted her teeth in pain as her body trembled.
Park Jimin saw that faint traces of blood gradually flowing from Roseanne's scalp toward the back of her neck, staining her clothes. His gaze immediately turned colder as he accelerated the car to a hundred eighty kilometers per hour. He directed the car toward Seoul's desolate coastal area at a frightening speed.
The kidnapper had just been injured by Roseanne, and half his face was covered in blood. He saw the way the woman kept twisting her body to resist and immediately gave a bloody grin. "Little chick, he isn't a chauffeur at all. You are a couple, aren't you?"
Her head was pressed to face against the car seats. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, speaking hoarsely: "No!"
"Still so stubborn? For the sake of saving this fucking man earlier, you were even willing to throw your own life away. It was clear that you were trying to take us down with you. But with those thin elbows and knees of yours, even without a gun, this old man can press you down!" As he spoke, he grabbed a fistful of her hair once more. Looking at Roseanne's half swollen face, he dragged the gun barrel slowly across her cheek. His expression and gaze were frightening as he spoke: "You say, when I fire, should I first pierce through your brain? Or should I directly fire against this smooth, tender skin of yours? If I fire once on each side of your cheek, leaving a bloody hole on both sides, I'm sure it'll look amazing, won't it?"
The vague scent of blood was filling the car. It wasn't clear if it was the kidnappers' blood or Roseanne's.
Roseanne closed her eyes, speaking calmly while restraining her emotions: "Aren't we driving to bring the both of you to escape? The car has been accelerating the whole time. Why are you in such a rush to kill me? If you really kill me, I'm afraid both of you won't be able to keep your life today either."
The kidnapper burst into laughter. He tightened his grip around her hair, forcing her to lift her head. "Baby, your hot temper doesn't match up to your alluring body at all. If you begged for forgiveness, perhaps we could have taken your soft skin and tender flesh into account and ended everything quickly. We could have finished it with a single bullet, and you wouldn't even feel any pain before seeing the grim reaper. Unfortunately, that temper of yours really makes this old man want to bully you even more!"
As he spoke, he intentionally caressed her hair and moved downward. When he came into contact with Roseanne's back, he narrowed his eyes and brought the gun barrel down to press against her chest. He drew circles against her waist and chest and felt her body trembling. He chuckled to say: "If we weren't in a rush to escape, this old man would definitely press you down in this car for a good discipline..."
The meaning of his words was clear.
At this moment, Park Jimin spoke up coldly while accelerating the car, "If you wish to escape with your lives, don't touch her."
The kidnapper chuckled while pressing Roseanne down firmly. He shifted the gun back to her temple, and unhurriedly pressed his feet onto her back. He smiled and whistled, turning back to look at Park Jimin. "Sure. If you keep the car speed above two hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, I won't touch her. If you go any slower than that, I'll tear her clothes apart and give her good kissing. After that, even if you dare to take us down with you, this old man would have died under a beautiful flower. Even if I died, it would be a pleasant death!"
With his words, the car continued accelerating.
The man driving was unusually composed.
But their lives were in his hands. They had already exchanged threats; they had guns, while he had the car. They could kill them, and he could bring them to escape.