It was your 20th birthday, and you were celebrating with friends and family. Five hundred people, to be exact. You weren’t just an ordinary girl. Your great-grandfather was the founder of Swarovski, the famous jewelry brand, and your family still carried on the legacy.

Your family had thrown you a massive party, but the only person you were waiting for was your best friend, Bang Chan. He still hadn’t shown up, and he hadn’t responded to any of your messages. A tight knot of worry had settled in your chest.

Around midnight, you heard screaming. A gunshot.

You ran toward the sound, heart pounding, but before you reached the scene, everything went black.

When you woke up, you were sitting in the passenger seat of a moving car. The engine hummed beneath you. Your head throbbed. You slowly turned toward the driver—and your breath caught in your throat.

“Chan…?” you winced, rubbing your head “What’s happening?”

He didn’t look at you, his eyes fixed on the road. His jaw was tight

“I didn’t have a choice,” he said quietly “I had to get you out of there. They found you.”

Your heart skipped. “They…?” you whispered “Who- who are you talking about, Chan?”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel.

“The Black Mafia!” The words came out sharp, bitter “They finally figured out who matters most to me. Who my weakness is.”

Silence fell heavy in the car.

“They were going to kill you,” he continued, voice breaking for just a second “I couldn’t let that happen. I won’t. I’m taking you somewhere they’ll never think to look. Somewhere safe.”

The car accelerated, the city lights blurring past the windows.