Death's Embrace, Love's Aftermath

crucial one. With no bodies to bury and no belongings left of her parents, she

and other ceremonial supplies. In reality, she was moving through the city's underbelly, a ghost from a fallen dynasty. She was looking for her father's handwritten will, a document he h

e. In reality, she was secretly meeting with her father's former associates, men an

d on the fifth day sh

she reached the center of the main courtyard, the silence was broken. Suddenly, the surroundin

d a small, wry smile. "Is the Detective planning to turn me into a be

d grabbed her chin, his fingers digging into her skin. "You've been playing so many tricks th

sper. "How dare you play tricks unde

company collapsed three years ago. I knew the Detective would be suspicious, so I hastily made a symbolic memorial for them. The effigies and p

sing her throat, and closed he

erything he had done to her? But what good would regret

mouth where his grip bruised her. The moment she closed her eyes, he saw a flash of astonishing, pure

of corporate rivals and traitors on the battlefield of the business world

bit out, his eyes bloodshot, unable to hide

came forward. One of the

s voice echoing in the courtyard

stone. One of the guards grabbed her hair,

s, Detective?" she asked, her

aniel said, his voice cold. "A hidden army. I

down, crossing his legs, making himself the judge a

with a sickening crack. The force was cruel, brutal. Another lash followed, an

ly bent forward in the cold wind. This was a military discipline whip, as thick as a man'

nger. She fell to the ground, a choked gasp escaping her

enched, his knuckles turning white. "Still stubborn?"

t Spring's hope, her own sliver of a chance for justice-it would al

f her uniform fluttered in pieces in the wind, revealing the raw fles

blow of agony. Olivia collapsed to the ground again, gasping for air lik

d. "Detective," he said, his voice hesitant. "Even for trained milita

e suit. He walked over to where she lay and harshly s

and menacing. He leaned down, his face close to hers. "Olivia R

nd raspy. "Now that you're working for such a CEO," s

Olivia, who had endured the whip without

?" he snarled, grinding his