Chapter 232: Wherever You Are... I’ll Find You...

Chapter 232

Far far away from the States, on the other side of the world, was a magnificent building that looked like it must have cost a fortune to get.

The atmosphere inside was elegant in a particular sort of way that did not look too overly extravagant. In fact in there the warm golden lights hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room, while several paintings depicting ancient landscapes decorated the walls.

At the very center of the room sat a man who looked like he was quietly enjoying his meal.

He looked to be in his late thirties to early forties, with neatly combed black hair, thin-framed glasses resting comfortably on the bridge of his nose, and an unusually refined appearance. His clothes were relatively simple but were actually a matter of fact, very expensive, consisting of a dark suit worn beneath a long black coat.

At first glance, he gave off the impression of a scholar or perhaps a university professor who had spent most of his life surrounded by books. You know? Someone very smart because there was something calm and intellectual about him.

But... beneath all that scholarly air was something much darker and twisted.

It was difficult to explain exactly what it was, but anyone who spent enough time around him would probably feel an inexplicable chill crawling down their spine.

The man calmly picked up his chopsticks and continued eating as though nothing in the world could possibly disturb his meal.

Now moving to the person who was sitting directly opposite him was a nervous-looking middle-aged man wearing an expensive suit.

The man was an assemblyman, a politician with enough influence to move money and favors around the country, yet he looked noticeably uncomfortable in the presence of the person sitting across from him.

He lifted his glass of wine and forced a smile.

"Old friend, are you really certain this job will go smoothly?"

The scholarly man intentionally didn’t answer immediately. All he did was to simply continue chewing his food before swallowing calmly.

The assemblyman shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"The person you need to kill isn’t exactly defenseless either," he continued. "He has a very powerful bodyguard protecting them, and if the rumors I’ve heard about him are true, then that makes things bad."

The man finally raised his gaze. Even then, his expression still remained completely relaxed as if he didn’t take the matter too seriously.

"Rest assured, Assembly man Choi. The job will be completed. Heukryeon has never failed to complete a mission assigned to us. You should relax for once and enjoy the food. It’s actually quite delicious if I must say so myself."

The assemblyman stared at him for several seconds before letting out a heavy sigh.

"You really don’t understand it, do you old friend? The man you’re dealing with is a very slippery weasel." The assemblyman lowered his voice. "He has a very powerful subordinate who has been rumored to have killed more than five thousand people in a single night. Do you understand what that means?"

The scholarly man calmly picked up another piece of food.

"That sounds like quite the number.... But inevitably it’s nothing to be too worried about. It just means the man is most likely an Ascendant level Awakened. That’s all."

The assemblyman stared at him helplessly. Before he could answer, the restaurant doors suddenly opened, and a drop dead gorgeous mixed race woman walked inside.

She had long gorgeous hair and striking light-blue eyes that seemed unusually cold despite her attractive appearance. A small red star-shaped tattoo sat prominently against one side of her cheek, giving her otherwise beautiful face an intimidating edge.

She was also wearing a dark assassin outfit with the Heukryeon symbol at the back. In her right hand was a large burlap sack that carried the heavy stench of fresh blood.

Assemblyman Choi stopped mid speech as the beautiful woman silently approached them. In a few strides the woman eventually reached their table and stopped beside it.

Without saying anything, she dropped the burlap sack onto the floor. Assemblyman Choi stared at it nervously and couldn’t help asking.

"What is that?"

But the woman didn’t answer. Instead, she just reached down and pulled the opening wider, causing two human heads to roll partially out of the sack.

The assemblyman’s eyes widened, and for a good couple of seconds, he couldn’t speak. Then his entire body seemed to finally relax as he let out a small sigh of satisfaction.

"Oh..."

Relief immediately replaced the fear that had been written across his face. He leaned back in his chair and broke into a wide smile.

"Old friend, I should never have even thought about doubting you."

The scholarly man calmly wiped his mouth with a white napkin.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about."

The assemblyman laughed nervously.

"Yes, yes. I understand now."

He stood from his chair and straightened his expensive suit and said in a grateful voice.

"Don’t worry, Lee Joon Woo. Aside from the money I sent earlier, I’ll personally give you a gift. I’m sure you’ll like it."

The man’s expression didn’t change.

"That won’t be necessary."

"Nonsense." The assemblyman waved his hand dismissively. "You’ve done me a great favor. Consider it a token of appreciation."

He glanced once more at the two heads inside the sack before looking toward the beautiful woman.

"She’s quite frightening."

The woman simply stared at him without responding. Assemblyman Choi gave an awkward laugh before turning toward the exit.

"I’ll leave the rest to you."

The door eventually closed behind him, and only then did the scholarly man finally place his chopsticks down and look toward the woman.

"As always, you did a very good job, Annie."

Annie nodded respectfully and said.

"You flatter me, Third Leader. I only did my job."

Lee Joon Woo leaned back slightly in his chair, and moved his gaze back toward the burlap sack.

"I hope you were able to eliminate both targets without attracting unnecessary attention this time?"

"Yes."

"Good." Lee Joon Woo nodded.

Annie remained silent for a moment before asking, "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"No. You are actually free to leave."

Annie nodded.

"Understood."

She picked up the burlap sack and turned around. It didn’t take long for her footsteps to gradually fade into the distance as the door closed behind her, leaving Lee Joon Woo all alone.

For quite a while he didn’t move. Then he slowly reached toward the side of the table and picked up a framed photo.

The image showed an extremely beautiful woman with amber eyes that looked cold and indifferent, and long dark hair that cascaded down like a waterfall of black. The woman in the photo possessed a kind of beauty that almost seemed out of the world. And as it turns out, that woman was Nyx.

Lee Joon Woo stared fixedly at the photo for several minutes without blinking. Soon something dark, twisted and possessive slowly appeared within his eyes.

It wasn’t something as simple as attraction. Quite far from it because there was obsession buried underneath it. A kind of possessive fascination that had grown quietly over time, from the very first day he had ever laid eyes on her.

He ran his thumb across the edge of the photograph before letting out a soft sigh.

"Where are you going to be mine?"

His voice was barely above a whisper. Then his gaze shifted toward the empty corner of the room.

"Come out."

The shadows seemed to move, and a figure dressed entirely in black slowly emerged from the darkness.

The man wore a mask that concealed most of his face, and his presence was so faint that an ordinary person would have struggled to notice him even if he had been standing nearby the entire time.

Lee Joon Woo didn’t bother looking directly at him.

"Any new information?"

The man lowered his head and replied.

"Unfortunately, no."

Lee Joon Woo’s fingers lightly tapped against the photograph.

"Nothing?"

"Sorry sir but we still haven’t been able to find out where she’s hiding."

The room became silent. The shadowy man continued speaking carefully.

"It’s almost as though she disappeared into thin air. We’ve searched through every lead we could find, but there is no reliable information regarding her current location."

Lee Joon Woo remained quiet. It was only after several seconds had passed did he finally nod.

"I see. You may leave."

"Yes, Third Leader."

The man stepped backward and steadily left the room as if he were a ghost. Lee Joon Woo lowered his eyes toward the photograph once again.

A cold and eerie smile slowly appeared across his handsome face.

"Where could that little birdie have disappeared to?" He leaned back in his chair.

"Wherever you are, Nyx..."

His fingers tightened slightly around the photograph.

"I’ll find you eventually."

*******

Meanwhile, much farther away, another figure had already returned to the place she currently called home.

Annie pushed open the door to her private quarters and walked inside. The room was considerably more luxurious and comfortable than one might expect for someone associated with Heukryeon.

She casually closed the door behind herself.

Only after that did she finally allow herself to finally relax. Annie walked toward the couch and dropped herself onto it.

Her body easily sank into the soft cushions as she let out a loud satisfied breath of relief.

"But boy did that bastard really know how to kick." She grumbled while rubbing her arm where the impact had landed earlier.

The pain wasn’t particularly serious for someone like her, but it was irritating enough to remind her that the mission could have gone sideways if she hadn’t thought fast and struck first

She leaned her head against the back of the couch, and let her gaze wander around the room.Eventually, her eyes landed on a green vase sitting on a small table several feet away.

It was nothing special, just an ordinary decorative vase she had bought last year on a whim.

Yet right now, the green color immediately reminded her of a certain someone’s eyes.

Those enchanting deep forest-green eyes that belonged to a certain annoying man...