Carmina ran, refusing to even glance back. She dashed into the hotel, her footsteps thundering across the entire lobby. In one second, she vanished from sight; if someone had been watching her, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with her speed. Hidden in the shadow of ornate pillars, she was making a difficult decision: risk the longer back corridors or the shortest, more dangerous route in this situation? Opting for the third-she bolted through the garden, with a plan to break into her own suite in a way neither Dae nor the hotel staff would notice.
Without sparing a moment, she dashed into the garden at the rear of the resort. She climbed onto a small wall, from which she carefully leaped onto the terrace of the already closed restaurant. However, the worst was yet to come. Between her terrace and the one she was currently on, there was nothing but a narrow gap - a treacherous path, she knew that. If someone noticed her while she was hanging on the wall, it would be over.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into? Craving adrenaline, Carmina, huh? Well, now you've got it, your fucking adrenaline," she muttered to herself, barely managing to overcome each obstacle. Hanging on like Mufasa on the cliff, she cautiously passed the dangerous gap, trying not to make a sound, avoiding drawing attention. With the last of her strength, she climbed over the railing of her own terrace. Collapsing onto the floor from the inner edge, she cursed under her breath.
With no time to waste, she burst through the partially open door and reached for the safe. It was happening-the very thing she had hoped to avoid. But she had to be ready. It could be her only chance.
With precise movements, Carmina slid the bullet magazine into the gun. The metallic clicks echoed with a faint rattle as the components shifted into place.
***
When she reached the door of Dae's suite, she clung to the wall, fighting to hold back her tears. She couldn't even steady her breath anymore. She had no idea how to explain the absence of the drinks she had promised or the scraped skin on her hands. Every nerve in her body was screaming to flee, but she couldn't just leave him here. Summoning every ounce of courage, she slipped inside the suite.
"What happened?!" Dae was next to her in an instant. She looked like a mess. Tired, pale, scratched, with tousled hair. Definitely didn't resemble the princess he had left outside the hotel entrance.
"Nothing. Just a little dizzy, that's all," she lied, her lips trembling as she forced a smile.
"Dizzy? Did you have a drink without me?"
His joke didn't land with her at all. And when he hugged her, she only prayed that his hands wouldn't rest on the weapon she had attached to her hips. "Oh, yeah, our drinks. They, uh, they didn't have what I wanted," she blurted out. Her phone vibrated suddenly.
"Leave all your things, the agency will take care of it. I'm outside the hotel, waiting in the car. Jake"
"Redemption," she whispered in relief, setting the emergency plan in her mind.
"Well, actually, I..." She chuckled bitterly. The lie she was about to say stung only half as much because everything she felt was true. "I just can't accept the fact that we'll have to part ways tomorrow. These last few days have brought us so close together that I just... I don't want to go to sleep tonight, Dae. I want to stay awake until morning, be with you."
Dae was taken aback. Carmina had never been so open, and this sudden outpouring of emotions seemed a bit suspicious. But her eyes were full of tears, and she was clearly shaken, so maybe she was really struggling with tomorrow's departure.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. Let's stay up all night. We can talk, watch movies, whatever you want," he said softly.
"I didn't plan on staying here. I know this is sudden, but I have a surprise for you. Do you trust me?"
"What surprise?"
"Do you trust me, Dae?"
Daehyun tried to decipher her, but his attempts were for nothing. "Of course, I trust you."
"Then leave everything, take my hand, and come with me."
He followed her like a sailor drawn to a siren, the same one he had described to her just a few hours ago on the trail. For her, he would willingly become ensnared. And if these few sleepless hours could turn her tears into laughter, he was prepared to do anything.
***
As Carmina appeared near the car, hand in hand with Dae, Jake's jaw practically hit the ground. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the scene in front of him.
"What the fuck is happening here?" Jake's voice was hushed, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger.
Carmina grinned, trying to play off the situation. "Surprise! We're pulling an all-nighter. Nothing to worry about."
Jake gasped in disbelief. "What the fuck, O'Mara? Late-night adventure? You know you're in da..." but she shot him a glare, silencing him mid-sentence. "I'm here to take you to safety," he whispered urgently as Dae's attention shifted to the black car.
"I know. I couldn't leave him. It's my fault. Please, Jake. Play along. I beg you, do not mess it up now."
His gaze followed her as she ushered Daehyun into the car. "I never imagined I'd end up chauffeuring lovebirds around all night for some insane rendezvous. Like I don't have other responsibilities," he muttered loudly as he settled behind the wheel.
Dae looked at Jake, then back at Carmina, confused. "Is he your driver?"
She chuckled. "He's got quite the temperament, doesn't he?"
"Yeah."
"He's a man of many talents," she whispered as Jake slammed on the gas with the tires screeching. They shot forward at full speed.
The car raced along the winding coastal roads. Everything seemed so different at night, peaceful and beautiful. And although Carmina was terribly tired, and staring out the window only added to her weariness, she had to pretend in front of Dae until the very end. Nestled in his arms, she wondered what the future would look like. How to reconcile her messed-up life with his, which wasn't necessarily better but maybe safer? How to maintain a relationship across two different continents, with just a handful of information about each other and a baggage of secrets? She wondered how much she would be able to tell him, how much she would have to sacrifice, and whether it would all be worth it.
And then she looked at him. His eyes were fixed only on her. He wasn't interested in the illuminated coastline, the road along the turbulent sea, or this whole suspicious outing. He only looked at her, enjoying the moment, he was happy just with her being so close.
Yeah, it was definitely worth it.
"Jake, forgive me for butting in, but aren't you driving a bit too fast?"
"Why? Are you scared? You don't seem like it."
Dae laughed. "Nah, I'm not scared. But you're going to attract the attention of the police."
Jake smirked. "Diplomatic numbers, buddy. They can't fucking touch me."
Carmina coughed, caught off guard by his slip of information. "Jake, please, focus on the road. I don't want us to get pulled over by the cops before our flight."
She glanced at Dae, hoping he hadn't caught it. But he seemed disinterested in the situation, or he was just very good at hiding it. God - she thought - just a few more hours. I'll land, deal with those motherfuckers, and spill everything to him.
If only they shared these fleeting thoughts, he would know everything about her. He probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep knowing what lurks in the shadows. But he didn't know, and simply drifted off, lulled by the rhythmic motion of the car.
Carmina's tears finally flowed freely. She knew that when he'll wake up it will be time to say their goodbyes, but she couldn't bear to disrupt his peaceful sleep.
***
They stood in the dimly lit parking lot. None of them have thought it would be that difficult. Carmina and Dae exchanged hesitant glances. The time to part ways came definitively too fast.
"I guess this is it," she started, but as soon as she said it aloud, she laughed nervously. "Oh my god, no, sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just... I just don't know what to say, to be honest. And I really don't want to say goodbye." She was nervous, and he just hugged her tight.
"Yeah... I know. I really know, Carmina. I feel so empty," he murmured into her hair, inhaling her scent like he wanted to remember it as long as possible. "Maybe we'll meet at the airport. Didn't we have flights at a similar time?"
"Yes, we actually have..." she started with hope, but Jake interrupted immediately.
"No, you won't. Our flight is 6 hours delayed. So, say your goodbyes now."
"Ouch. You're so gentle, Jake," Carmina hissed, feeling like something started shrinking in her chest. She was hoping for that one small last-minute event, even if just for a last kiss, last hug, last 'I love you' before they flew into two entirely different worlds. Who knows when they'd both feel free enough to arrange a meeting.
"Take care of yourself, my little fox."
Don't cry, Carmina. Don't you dare to cry.
A single tear escaped her anyway.
He cleaned it with his thumb.
"You too," she uttered, choking back the rest of her tears.
They reluctantly pulled away from each other. Their hands lingered for a moment before finally letting go. With one last glance, Daehyun disappeared in his car, leaving her feeling empty and awkwardly broken.
"Don't comment, Jake," she warned her colleague when he opened his mouth.
"Didn't mean to make fun of you, Carmina. Our lives suck. I feel you."
***
"I wish I had another ten more minutes."
"How could you become so attached to someone in such a short time?" Jake finally relaxed, after they had to delay the private jet for safety reasons, specifically due to compromised departure times.
"I don't know," Carmina admitted shamelessly. "I've never been a fan of such adventures." Her gaze lingered on the disappearing Italian coast. The plane ascended higher and higher, and she missed the place more and more.
"Do you think, you know, in our case" he stopped for a moment "...should we even get attached to anyone?"
"You talk as if you've never had anyone."
"I haven't succeeded with anyone." He corrected her.
"Let me guess, you were afraid to get attached, and in the end, you got kicked in the ass?"
Jake laughed bitterly. "I have to surprise you, O'Mara. Quite the opposite. I got attached, fell in love, trusted, and told her who I am."
"And that's why she dumped you?" Carmina was truly surprised.
"Let me tell you the truth that awaits you. Nobody wants to take risks. Nobody wants to die, not even for love."
Once again, that familiar burning as tears welled up in her eyes. But Carmina swallowed them down. "Nobody wants to spend their whole life alone, either. I don't want to. Because I've been alone my entire life. And maybe I'm weak, but what we're doing, how we're putting ourselves out there, don't we deserve to at least come back to someone waiting at home?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered. Jake fell silent. Carmina didn't want to burden him with her sorrow, but she felt somehow broken inside. Eventually, he tossed chocolates her way.
"You know, O'Mara? I hope it works out for you. I hope this guy straight from the magazine cover is the one. That when you tell him everything, he'll just shrug and say, 'Fine, whatever. I don't care.' I'm not afraid to die for you. I could do it right here, right now."
"I never know if you're joking with me or being serious. I think that's what frustrates me the most about you."
Jake laughed. "I'm serious. If what you feel is that strong, then I hope he doesn't fuck it up for you."
"Thanks, I guess?" she mustered a smile.
"Is he really that good in bed, though?" Jake teased, pressing further. She threw a chocolate at him, and his face just lit up. He even had dimples in his cheeks. She had never noticed that before. He was actually quite a charming brunette. Was she beginning to look at him finally as a human being? She quickly shook off those terrifying thoughts.
"Where do you come up with such dumb questions, you asshole?"
"Two weeks. For fuck's sake, Carmina. That's the only way you two could... you know, really get to know each other deeper - you get it, right? On a deeper level."
"You don't know shit."
His laughter lingered in her ears for a long time.
Twelve hours of flight. She closed her eyes. Time to sleep, to make up for the sleepless night and escape, even for a moment, from the longing that was beginning to consume her.
But as soon as she quieted down, memories started flooding back. Like a movie, images of their shared walks, dozens of unhealthy desserts, stolen kisses, and passionate nights they shared flashed in her memory. She remembered the scent of the white rose he gave her and the gleam of the rings they put on each other's fingers. She remembered the sparkle in his eyes and the feeling when he held her. As if she were his entire world. She remembered the first "I love you" she felt filling her with warmth. And when he said he would catch that cherry blossom petal just to be with her for the rest of his life.
Someone like Dae was willing to die for love. Jake was wrong. She knew that Daehyun was this chance life offers only once. She opened her eyes wide. She truly, madly, unconditionally loved him. She had made her decision. She will tell him everything.
***
The plane touched down, like a bird returning to its nest. Carmina stepped off the jet with a smile illuminating the entire airport. Her heart was as light as a feather; she just wanted to hear Daehyun's comforting voice again.
She went through the terminal with small, cute jumps, like a Disney princess, though instead of colourful birds swirling around her, there were bustling travellers. But she didn't care, she was cocooned in her own bubble of happiness, dragging her bag behind her.
The air was full of the scent of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the baked sweets. Carmina paused for a moment, taking it all in. "Dae will love New York," she whispered to herself, her heart skipping at the mere thought of being again with him.
She took the phone out of her pocket and she was scrolling through the contacts with trembling fingers until she found 'Husband Dae.' A smile crept on her lips as she remembered the moment when they saved their numbers that way. Dae said it's 'a symbol of their commitment to each other'.
One beep, two beeps.
Suddenly, the phone slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the polished tiles of the airport, its screen shattering into pieces.
"Daehyun," she whispered his name like a prayer. The world spun around her, voices fading into the distance as darkness consumed her. Carmina fell lifeless, a bullet piercing her head.
Crimson covered his name on the screen.