Chapter 2 Episode 2
The rain had not subsided. Water poured over the asphalt, reflecting the dim glow of the streetlights. Emeli’s body fell to her knees in the middle of a puddle, her breath ragged, her hair clinging to her face, and both her hands trembling uncontrollably.
The sound of the gunshot still rang in her ears.
“Who are you, huh?” one of the men stepped back half a step, his eyes scanning the darkness in front of them.
Footsteps were heard. A tall man appeared, wearing a neat black suit that did not look disturbed at all by the stormy night. His hair was perfectly combed, his face firm with a sharp jawline. His eyes were cold. Extremely cold, as if he had no emotions.
Who else could it be but Alexa Ken.
A man whose name was known throughout the country. A business ruler. The number one richest. And the most feared.
He stopped a few steps away from them, the gun still raised in his hand.
His gaze fell on the five men—and with just one look, the air turned tense.
“How dare you…” his voice was low, yet pressing.
He stepped one step closer. “…touch my woman.”
DEG!
The five men looked at each other.
“Your woman?” one of them sneered, trying to look brave even though his voice began to waver. “Hey, who are you really?”
Ken did not answer. His eyes only narrowed slightly.
And—
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three consecutive gunshots echoed. The bullets struck the asphalt right in front of their feet.
“AAARGH!”
One of the men jumped back, almost falling.
On the other side, Emeli immediately covered both her ears in panic. Her body curled up, her knees pulled close to her chest.
“Don’t… don’t…!” her voice trembled. Her heart pounded chaotically.
Her hands shook violently, her fingers clutching her own hair as if trying to block out the sound of the gunshots that kept echoing in her head. Rain mixed with tears, soaking her cheeks without her realizing it.
Every sound… every bang… made her body flinch. She did not dare to lift her head.
She was truly terrified.
Meanwhile—
“Bastard!” one of the men tried to stand, pointing at Ken. “This woman is mine now! Her father owes me a huge debt!”
Ken turned his head slowly. His gaze… grew darker.
“Yours?” he repeated softly.
His tone was not loud. Nor was it angry. But that was exactly what made it more dangerous.
“Yes!” the man insisted, even though sweat began to drip down his temple. “We have rights over her! Her father’s debt is enough to be exchanged with his daughter’s body. Haha!”
Ken fell silent for a moment. Then he gave a faint smile. A smile that was not warm at all.
“In that case…” he said quietly.
He raised his gun slightly. “…I will send you all to hell right now!”
Deg!
None of them moved. The tension peaked. At that moment, the car door opened.
Juna stepped out quickly, his face serious.
“You really have no sense,” he said sharply. “How dare you offend my master.”
One of the men snorted. “Your master? Hah! Who is he? The president?” he mocked. “Haha, there’s no way a woman like her belongs to an influential man!”
Some of them joined in laughing, though it sounded forced.
Juna looked at them coldly.
“You really don’t know… who you are dealing with.”
“Enough, stop acting!” one of the men cut him off. “We’re not afraid—”
“Aren’t you afraid of him?” Juna smirked.
“He is Alexa Ken.”
The name fell like a bomb.
Instantly, their faces changed. They turned pale. Their eyes widened.
“W-what?” one of them stammered.
“Yes, my master is Alexa Ken…” Juna repeated softly, “You must have heard his name, right?”
The atmosphere fell completely silent, only the sound of rain remained.
Then—
SLAP!
One of the men suddenly slapped his own face and dropped to his knees.
“Forgive us, Sir! We didn’t know!”
The others quickly followed.
“Sir, we were wrong!”
“Forgive us, we didn’t know this woman belongs to you!”
“We won’t disturb her again!”
“That debt… consider it paid! We won’t collect it anymore!”
They bowed deeply, their bodies trembling.
Ken looked at them without expression. There was no mercy on his face.
His face grew even colder.
“Leave,” he said briefly.
They did not need to be told twice.
“Thank you, Sir! Thank you!”
Within seconds, the five men disappeared, running away in the rain like frightened rats.
The atmosphere returned to silence again. Only the sound of rain remained… and Emeli’s still-chaotic breathing.
Ken lowered his gun slowly. Without saying anything, he turned around.
His steps were calm, as if everything that had just happened was trivial. He walked toward the car.
“Sir, shall we—”
Before Juna could finish his sentence—someone grabbed the end of Ken’s suit.
Ken stopped. He turned his head slowly.
The woman stood there, her body trembling violently. Her face was pale, her lips shaking, and her eyes still held traces of fear.
The rain continued to soak her already cold body.
“Thank you… Sir…” her voice was soft, almost gone.
Her hand was still holding the end of Ken’s suit, as if it was the only thing keeping her from completely collapsing.
Ken stared at her, continuing to look at her without blinking.
His gaze slowly moved down—to the hair sticking to her cheek, to her neck exposed by her wet clothes, to her body trembling from the cold. Ken even swallowed.
There was something stirring inside him. Something that rarely appeared. Ken slightly raised his eyebrow.
“Only thank you?” he asked flatly.
Emeli fell silent. She swallowed, then slowly lifted her face, looking at the man in front of her. The man who had just saved her.
But also a man far more terrifying than the five men earlier.
Yet somehow… he also felt like the only safe place right now.
“Then…” her voice was faint.
Her eyes met Ken’s. “…what should I do?”
