The taste of iron filled Seo Jin's mouth.
It was not just a metallic taste but the warm flavor of blood.
His own blood.
"Sign it, you ungrateful little bastard!"
A polished leather shoe slammed straight into Seo Jin's rib, forcing a gasp of air from his lungs. He curled into a ball on the cold floor, protecting his head with his arms.
The impact sent a jolt of pain rushing down his spine. But he didn't cry. Instead, he bit his lip to muffle the tears.
He could not give them the satisfaction they wanted.
"He is about to faint, Dad," his cousin said with a sneer.
"Your mother is dying upstairs," his uncle roared with anger. He waved the property transfer documents in the air. "Sign this and maybe… maybe I will pay for the coffin and burial ceremony."
Seo Jin tasted copper. Blood dripped from his split lip onto the rug he lay on. He had no strength left in him to fight back. He hadn't even eaten for two days because these vultures had locked him in a basement.
Burial?
They were talking like she was already dead.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Get away from him."
It was his mother. She looked frail and skinny, her hospital gown hanging loosely on her frame, but her eyes were burning with pain, anger, and desperation.
She wasn't looking at her brother as she clutched an old flip phone to her chest, her knuckles white.
"It's done," she whispered into the phone before snapping it shut. "He's coming out now."
"Han Mi." The uncle turned. "Who did you call?"
"Get back to your room!" He was about to hit Seo Jin again, swinging his heavy cane.
Seo Jin's eyes had already caught his mom's frail figure.
"Mom, no!" Seo Jin screamed.
But she was faster. She threw herself over Seo Jin's broken body.
CRACK.
The cane struck her shoulder with a sharp sound. She collapsed on top of him, suppressing a cry of pain.
"Mom!"
"Listen to me," she hissed into his ear, her voice trembling but fierce.
She grabbed his collar, forcing him to look at her. "Run. Now. The back servant's exit. There is a black car waiting. The license plate ends in 88."
"What… who?" Seo Jin asked, confused.
"Go!" She shoved him away with surprising strength. "They are your father's people. They will take you away from this hell. Go, Seo Jin. Don't look back."
The uncle was preparing for another hit. Seo Jin looked at his mom's tear-filled face one last time, gritted his teeth, and scrambled backward. He grabbed a heavy vase from the table and smashed it on his uncle's knees.
"ARGH!"
While the relatives panicked, Seo Jin sprinted. Adrenaline helped him ignore the pain in his ribs. He burst through the kitchen, passing the servant door and into the pouring rain.
The storm was heavy.
There, idling in the dark corner behind the estate, was a black sedan. Immediately, Seo Jin caught the number at the back. Without thinking twice, he rushed there, pulled the door open, and dove inside.
He gasped, collapsing into the leather seat.
The driver did not appear shocked. He was an elderly man with a scar running through his jaw, wearing a suit. He just glanced at Seo Jin through the mirror with a nod.
Before Seo Jin could think twice, the driver stomped on the gas. The car surged forward, pinning Seo Jin to the seat.
"Wait!" Seo Jin said.
"What?" the driver asked, not making any effort to stop.
"What about my mother? She's still inside! We have to go back!"
He hit a button, and the locks clicked shut with a heavy thud.
"We cannot go back, young master," the driver said.
"Let me out!" Seo Jin slammed his fist against the window. "They're going to kill her!"
"If you go out, you both die," the driver shouted, meeting Seo Jin in the eyes. "She bought us time, and the Chairman only requested that I save you."
"The Chairman?" Seo Jin froze. "Who is the Chairman? Who are you people?"
"Your grandpa," the driver said, taking a turn onto the main road.
"We're almost to the bridge," the driver said into his earpiece.
BOOM.
A blinding light filled the rear window. Nothing apart from the light could be seen.
The light kept coming closer until they could see it was an SUV, black with no plate number. It slammed straight into their bumper before they had the chance to change lanes or do anything.
"Shit!" the driver cursed, spinning the wheel. "They found us! Get down!"
"Is that my uncle's people?" Seo Jin shouted in fright.
"No." The driver pulled a heavy handgun from his holster. "That's the Madam's hit squad. They're here to make sure you never reach the Chairman."
Gunshots erupted.
Everywhere.
The rear window shattered, showering Seo Jin and the driver with glass.
The driver fired back through the window while steering.
But they were outnumbered. Two more SUVs boxed them in. One of them clipped the sedan's front tire.
The car spun.
Seo Jin's surroundings spun as the car slammed into a concrete barrier, flipping them over.
**
Seo Jin woke to the smell of gasoline.
He was upside down. He coughed, and blood splattered everywhere.
"Hey…" he rasped. "Mister… wake up…"
The driver was slumped over the wheel. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle.
Dead.
Seo Jin's vision blurred with tears and panic. He had to get out. The car was about to explode because of the leaking gasoline.
He fumbled with the buckle, falling onto the shattered glass with a thud.
As he crawled toward the broken window, his hand brushed against something cold.
The driver's gun. It had slid across the roof.
"Take it," a voice whispered. He was alone.
It could be his protective weapon.
Seo Jin grabbed the heavy weapon. He didn't know how to use it, but he gripped it like a lifeline.
He dragged his injured leg through the mud, crawling away from the wreck.