CHAPTER 23

BOO KI'S POV:

Lorenzo's loud snores from the bed are not helping my nerves any. I drugged him again so that I don't have to sleep with him but eventually he will get suspicious. I browse through his phone and see his messages to the same number. From the content of the messages, I highly suspect it is Angiolo. I email Lorenzo's contacts to Mo Nae and erase the history on the phone before placing it back on the nightstand beside the bed.

I want to leave but I can't. Lorenzo's bodyguards are right outside and if I do anything my cover will be blown. I hate the waiting, the not knowing. I hate the fact the Woo Bin was so close to me and I had to walk away with another man. I keep reminding myself why I'm doing this and try to harden my heart. I'm doing all of this for him. I'm doing this for Saia and Ji-Yong. I'm doing this because I don't want to be a prisoner anymore. I will die on my own terms and I will go out swinging with my last breath.

Hearing my phone beep, I reach for it hoping for any kind of news.

"He's safe for now." Ji-Yong text me and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." I text back.

Aunt Mo Nae will not be happy once she finds out what I've done. But no matter how much I harden myself for this, I can't forget that I am still human. I cling to that in desperation even now. I love Woo Bin so much. I won't let him die. She may not understand it but I refuse to give myself completely over to that darkness again. It's our humanity that separates us from the rest of the Maeng family. It is what we are fighting for. If I give in then I am no different from them. My point would be invalid.

Aunt Mo Nae is colder and harder than Ji-Yong and I though. As my father's sister, she has been through more than we have. I don't expect her to completely understand why I protect Woo Bin and the others. She spent most of her life as an assassin. She's struggled hard to adjust to the real world. There is still so much she doesn't understand. She was adamant that we not get Woo Bin and Ji-Hoo involved with our plans.

I just hope that Mo Nae doesn't hurt them…

(^_^)

SAIA'S POV:

Ji-Hoo follows close behind me as we enter our hideout. It has everything we need so we only have to leave when absolutely necessary. I've decided to take him straight to Mo Nae because I honestly don't know what else to do with him. My heart is conflicted at the moment and after all the conditioning I've been through, I feel confused. Part of me wants to grab on to him and never let him go, but the other part knows that I can't do that now. Not yet.

I lead him into the living area to offer him a seat when I hear Mo Nae's heeled boots coming towards us. I stiffen and wait for her as Ji-Hoo's eyes bore into my back.

"What is he doing here?" Mo Nae coldly asks. The temperature in the room must have dropped 10 degrees because a shiver runs down my spine. Mo Nae looks like a cold ice Queen as she looks imperiously down her nose at him. Her long black hair is in a tight bun at the base of her neck and she is clad in her usual tight black pants and tank top. Her whole aura screams danger and authority. She's always been this way. I'm used to it. But to an outsider, she is very intimidating.

"Mo Nae-shi." I bow my head in respect. "He and Woo Bin were being followed at the club. We had to do something."

"That decision wasn't yours to make. You were not given permission to bring him here either." She says. Ji-Hoo remains quiet behind me but I can feel his anger starting to build.

"Boo Ki made the call. Ji-Yong and I followed her orders. It was too great a risk to let them be caught or for them to catch us." I reply.

"Foolish child!" Mo Nae hisses. "What are we to do with him now? I cannot allow him to leave. Do you understand that?"

I simply bow my head. I don't know what to say. I knew it would be like this.

"What exactly is going on?" Ji-Hoo finally asks as he watches both of us carefully. The door bangs open and we turn to see Ji-Yong & Woo Bin come in. Mo Nae's eyes narrow and she glares at Ji-Yong.

"I had no choice. We were told to keep them safe. There was nowhere else to take him." Ji calmly says.

"…Saia?" Woo Bin looks at me in surprise but the blank look on my face keeps him from saying anything else.

"Sai, go check the perimeter. Ji, check the cameras for anything unusual. I want to be sure that you weren't followed and I wish to speak with these gentlemen myself." Mo Nae says. Ji and I know better than to argue so we simply bow to her and walk away.

"Boo Ki made a rash decision. I know you both care about these guys but they are not why we are here. Getting them more involved is a problem."

"I know." I say quietly as we go our separate ways.

Once I reach the top floor of the building, I use the scope on my sniper rifle to check the area for anything suspicious. It's strange but I've always been comfortable with guns. I never thought I would ever have to use them against people though. I will if it comes to that. I've already made that choice but I respect the weapons I use and know how to handle them properly. I just want this to end with no one I love getting hurt.

Finished with the perimeter check, I make my way back to the main room where Mo Nae, Ji-Hoo and Woo Bin are talking. Ji-Hoo looks up and watches me approach but I keep my gaze focused on Mo Nae. I cannot let my emotions get a hold of me right now.

"Sai. Until our mission here is complete, they are not allowed to leave this building. Understood?" Mo Nae stands up and her piercing gaze bores into mine. "Show Ji-Hoo to a room. I need to speak to Woo Bin in private."

"Yes, Mo Nae-shi." I bow my head respectfully and turn towards Ji-Hoo. "Please come with me."

As I lead Ji-Hoo down the hall, I feel how close he stays beside me. The questions in his eyes do not go unnoticed but I have to wait until we are alone. I open the door to a spare room and try to get my thoughts together. Once inside, I keep my back to him as my emotions rush to the surface all at once.

"Saia…" his soft voice is full of longing as it reaches my ears. Turning towards him, I finally look into his eyes. I want to run to him and never let go. But I owe him answers for disappearing like I did. I just don't really know what to say. "I love you, Ji-Hoo and I'm pregnant with our baby but I ran off on a suicide mission to protect you." …Yeah. I'm sure that would go over really well.

"…Whatever happened…whatever reason you have for being here…I trust you. You don't have to explain but…I just wish you had let me know you were okay." Ji-Hoo says and reaches up to caress my face. Sliding my arms around his waist, I bury my face in his chest and hug him tightly. His arms wrap around me and he sighs in contentment against my ear. How can he be so understanding? I am so fortunate to have this man in my life and to have him as the father of our child.

"Ji-Hoo?"

"Hmmm?"

"…We are going to have a baby."

He stills in my arms and I hesitantly look up. His eyes are huge as they stare down at me. I can't tell what he's thinking. He seems dazed. My heart sinks as worry starts to take over me. What if he isn't ready for children? What if he doesn't want any kids? We never talked about it but after watching him with my brother and sister I know he will be a great father. I know it is bad timing to have a child right now but it's ours and it's precious to me already.

"Ji-Hoo-" Without warning his lips crash against mine and his tongue invades my mouth, cutting me off. I kiss him back eagerly as he pulls me tighter against him. I've missed him so much. He finally pulls away so that we can breathe and his eyes shine down at me with a radiant smile.

"I love you so much. This is one of the best days of my life." He slowly sinks to his knees in front of me to place a soft kiss on my belly and I have to blink back my tears of joy.

"I love you too." I tell him as he nuzzles my stomach. There are still so many things to talk about but not right now. This is a special moment just for us and I want to cherish it.

(^_^)

SEOK-HWAN'S POV:

I've never been so disgusted or ashamed of one of my offspring more than I am at this very moment. I watch my son in disgust as he stares back at me in defiance. I raised him to be a cold, calculating assassin. I raised him to be my successor. Yet he betrayed me. He betrayed my family and the order of our clan. I am ashamed that the same blood flows through out veins.

He's lucky that I've kept him alive this long. His feet and hands are bound as he kneels on the floor before me. He's been beaten badly by me and the other elders but he still hasn't said anything. He will die by my hand once I have answers. I want to know why and how the person I trusted the most in this whole world turned against me.

Seung Joon's eyes glower up at me, full of fire and hate. I have never seen this side of him before. I am looking at a complete stranger. This is not the son I raised. The humiliation of his deception has brought doubt upon my leadership and it angers me. I am one of the most lethal and ruthless leaders in the history of our clan. No one has ever dared to question my authority and yet my very own son has kept my daughter, granddaughter and his illegitimate son hidden from me all these years.

"Did you honestly think you could keep Boo Ki from me? Did you really think I wouldn't find out the truth? She is one of us. She is my granddaughter and future leader of our clan. You had no right to keep her from me." I dictated.

"She's MY daughter. I don't want this life for her. She wasn't meant to be an assassin!" He snarls.

"She is the most skilled assassin we have ever had and you believe this life isn't a part of her? She is a Maeng! It is in her blood! She has betrayed my trust and because you are the one that helped her, she will be severely punished."

"She doesn't know! She has no idea that I've helped her!" Seung Joon snarl's.

"Don't worry. I won't kill her. Once she begs me for forgiveness, she will be put through extensive conditioning to restore her to the person that she truly is. And then she will take her place as my successor." I calmly state as I remove the steel rod from the fire. It glows red from the heat and my son stares at it blankly. He knows what's next and at least he has the balls to show no fear.

Swinging the rod, I bring it harshly down across his back. He flinches but makes no sound as the burn immediately rises across his skin. Blow after blow his skin singes and the smell of burnt flesh fills the room but he keeps silent. When one rod cools, I grab another that is hot from the fire. Yet he makes no sound as I deal blow after blow across his torso and back.

"You have betrayed me, disrespected me, brought dishonor to my name, and taken my heir away from me. I know my daughter is involved. I know you helped her escape too. Tell me where they are and I will spare Mo Nae's life."

"Go to hell." He says through gritted teeth. "She would rather die than live as your brainwashed slave and I won't let my daughter live that way either."

"Yet your eldest son, for all his failings, chooses to follow me. You don't care about him or the disgrace you have brought upon him and your wife? That whore that you took as your mistress, warped your mind. I should have killed her and that bastard she gave birth to."

"Ji-Yong is innocent. He should never have been dragged into this fucked up world." He pants. The pain is affecting him. The burnt flesh on his back and chest hangs away from his body in ropes as blood drips from his wounds onto the floor. It's a beautiful sight. Blood has always fascinated me.

"Then you should of thought about that before fucking that bitch." I growl and swing the pipe towards his face.

A/N: I apologize for the long wait. Half of this chapter has been written for some time but I just haven't been able to get it where I want it till now. This story will be over soon but I have a question for my readers. I have an unpublished Epilogue of Saia and Ji-Hoo that is 5 years after this story. I would like to know if anyone would be interested in reading it.

Anyways, thanks to my readers for your patience. I'll start on the next chapter immediately. Hopefully it won't take so long this time. Love ya! 3