161. Game Changer

'I brought this upon myself.' Mora thought in melancholia. Everything had changed in a split of a second, as if her life had amounted some sort of satire. It was even more confusing that she wasn't getting any help from her father unlike before. Her succumbing to unstable heat cycles would have been the opportune time to summon his most experienced lawyers to figure a way out to save her. She was a loose end to him just as he was to her.

Why then did he remain quiet?

Initially, she was to be transported from one medical facility to another seeming that the circumstances surrounding her unstable heat abnormality was becoming chaotic to those around her. Additionally, she was treated as some sort of plague, her acting unconvincing. There were lesser and lesser people to manipulate to do her bidding.

"You've started spiraling again, huh? Everyone is afraid of you." One of the nurses would repeat the same words whenever he'd come to tend to her. "They should have added a note to your detainment that you came with extra baggage."

She hated those words for she knew the truth behind them that she couldn't deny, not to mention, this same nurse told all her other patients whom she shared the same room with the exact same words... But Mora wanted to be recognized. She wanted to stand out...

She was no commoner... She believed herself so.

She had a strong conviction to prove her father wrong that she never was a weakling despite her unexpected predicament. If she were to get everyone's attention, she'd bring discord and confusion, thereby allowing her to selectively choose her allies and enemies. It was the only way she'd have created an opportunity to manipulate someone, or create a team she trusted to reach out to her father and his lawyers to find out when they were planning to release her from her anguish. Soon enough all attention befell her as more and more funds were spent to accommodate her heavy dependency on heat suppressants.

...But this wasn't how she'd hoped things would turn out. Everything was a huge mess. Nothing went according to plan and her thirst for blood had been starved it drove her insane. It made her impatient that often times, shed grit her teeth and bite her nails out of anxiety, which would fuel her heat until she'd gotten relief rom a suppressant.

That had become her daily torturous cycle, living as an unsightly defect.

Moreover, her heat cycles were not only painful and severe but to yearn for the man responsible for her situation made her nauseous. She couldn't tell whether it were love or an illusion for felt like she were trapped, yearning for her attacker and whenever she'd think of him as the man who'd forcefully taken her imprint away, she'd remember the sight of Mijin, her look of satisfaction as if she'd finally gotten even.

'Perhaps this was why her father protected his lover and hid him for years. However, he was his moral compass... Then why is my case different? Should I be relieved?'

It was soon concluded that to be rather expensive keeping Mora locked up since scent inhibitors and heat suppressants were quite expensive to purchase and outsource experienced persons to administer to willing inmates on a daily basis to cope with having Mora around and finally, her transfer was approved unanimously.

"No body wants you here. You shall be taken to a more befitting facility to handle your condition while still under detainment." The robotic nurse had said.

That had been the plan, yet here she was, sitting beside her poor excuse of a lawyer in an untraceable vehicle after he'd executed his plans to free her.

"I put myself into good use as your one and only marker." He'd had tried to justify his incautious actions and instead of feeling relieved, she worried that this careless act of his was to further complicate her ongoing cases.

Despite all evidences fledged against her, she'd plaintively denied everything with the plan to throw all the blame to her father seeming that he was the one who trained her to cope with her peculiar hobbies. She knew if she were to proceed in that direction, she might receive a lighter sentencing.

That ideology was no more with the current turn of events.

Her fears were further cemented when her presumed lawyer informed her of her father's limited chances of winning his cases. Having been discovered a psychopath, she too might have to undergo a mandatory psychiatric evaluation. This had put Mora in a state of deep thinking while she pondered on her next move. 'Still, why is father so quiet? Isn't it time he threw in his many minions my way? The longer he waits, the harder it becomes...!'

A sudden warmth on her body startled her, the sight of her marker's hand intertwined to hers. She wanted to pull away but the assurance she felt just from his touch was overwhelming, prompting her heart to race. It surprised her for she felt comfortable.

She hated it.

There was nothing comforting about anything! Still, she wanted to hold onto that feeling for it reminded her of Yeon. It felt familiar and that had been the only bond she felt she desperately needed. She understood that bond perfectly for Yeon was her savior, her redemptor, the one to fix her glitch, her unstable bloodthirst yet this man of a marker made her somewhat feel a fraction of it. 'Was this what it meant to offer imprint to another? Then he must know all there is to know about me! Why is he still beside me? I'm not in love with him... I'm incapable of it...!

I'm I?'

"You shouldn't frown like that. I will never abandon you..."

"Do you realize what you've done to me?"

"Be patient my dear. Soon enough, I'll be able to complete your marking. Last time, we were interrupted but not today. We just need to make one stop then be on our way."

"Take me back. I need medical attention and I hate it when I go into heat."

"Endure it a little longer. My inside sources informed me your heat suppressants are on another level, enough to keep you sane for a two hours so that should be enough time."

"You disobeyed and joined my enemy. I hope you're ready to pay a hefty price for it."

"I liked you Mora...for a very long time...for years yet you never took me seriously. I even accepted you as you are..."

"You understood well the need to not mix up business with pleasure. You job was to defend and protect me."

"I guess I became more courageous the longer you kept me parking that even after your father threatened me, the bolder I grew."

Looking ahead to the men sitted in front, one being the driver and the other a bodyguard, he added. "I let you use me to execute your plans. Both you and your father. I broke every oath I took to please you. I gave my life, my heart...my soul to your vision until it became mine too. I wanted you to notice me...

When your father discovered I knew more than I shouldn't, he discarded me to you completely. Perhaps he gave up on both of us. He knew you were a failed project and myself a liability. With your interesting hobbies and recurring mistakes, there was no way you were going to be the heir despite being the only legitimate one. Your brother had won the war before it even begun."

"Hajin is broken..."

"No he isn't. Your father would never let him go. I'm sure you've been informed of his life sentence, standing as at 110years for the moment. His hidden assets are under Hajin's name. None of those properties can be claimed to have been acquired through bloodshed. They have been his assets even before he was betrothed to your mother..."

"No!" Mora pulled her hand free from the lawyer's grip. "He disowned father!"

"By law he has a right to pass them to whomever he wises since he had them before the two of you came to being. All the documentations are clean! His trust fund..."

"It belonged to me! I have custody over my bother...! I was father's favorite!"

"Not anymore. Your father knew what he was doing when he kicked me out of his team of lawyers to focus on you. He may have wanted to give everything to Hajin, if not most of it but all assets acquired after his first crimes which were made public have been confiscated to the state, his accounts frozen but you and I both know that power is not always money. Power is just that."

"Enough. I need to think..." Mora said, nibbling at her fingers.

"We don't have that time. I'll execute everything and have us protected..."

"You planned my escape and ruined everything! I can't be enemies with the law and you know that! You've made me a fugitive by going rogue!"

"The supplier who delivered suppressants and heat inhibitors to the detention facility where you were being held was someone your father has been affiliated with therefore..."

"You're the ones who played with the market price?"

"Yes but your father was uninvolved. He seems to be keeping his distance. Anyway, it was only a matter of days that they'd find it expensively burdensome keeping you in there and eliminate the problem by getting rid of you."

Mora suddenly smiled then nodded. "You really are as rotten as it gets."

"I learned everything from your father."

"Even so, I'm still against my escape. I could have received a lighter sentencing. Surely you must know they are looking for me now. I'm a walking target...a liability to your ridiculous plan! Surely you must have a good reason for resorting to such extremes and do not belittle me by insisting it has something to do with your ridiculous feelings."

Changing the subject, the lawyer said. "They got a hold of your mother. She testified against your father and against you too..."

"What? Where...?"

"She is not in the country. She delivered her statement through video call in an unnamed location."

"She abandoned me?"

"You are all on your own at this point but not to worry. You have me at your disporsal."

Mora spaced out for a brief moment as her sank in. Everything was falling apart. She'd been left to fend for herself.

She felt lonely and alone that it made her skin burn, her insides boil. 'Is this my retribution? Is this how it's supposed to feel? When did things begin falling apart? just wanted to understand life...attachment...relationships...intimacy...connection... I wanted purpose!'

"I'm also not blind to the fact that you feel little affection after imprinting on me but if I were to gift you what you want the most, do I still get to stay by your side?"

"What are you blabbering about?"

"Your moral compass, he was engraved in all your thoughts... You desire him do you not?"

"What?" Mora seemed shocked by the revelation.

"He is going to come with us. We are on our way to get him before we finally disappear from this town and acquire new identities."

Mora panicked. "What have you done to Yeon?"

"Don't worry, I told them not to hurt him and besides, I have no intention of attracting more attention than necessary. Consider this payback. The day of your marking, if your friend had remained silent, you and I wouldn't be in this reality."

"If he spills even a drop of blood, I swear to you, I will have your head..."

The man chuckled. "I'm well aware of how much you cherish him. No harm shall befall him in any way. I informed my men to let him know who he shall be meeting."

"He has an alluring scent and won't come willingly."

"We took scent inhibitors as precaution."

"Then why is it that I can smell him?"

"What?" The man seemed shocked as he searched outside for any movement in the dark. "Stop the car. Something is not right." He instructed the bodyguard to go and find out what was happening outside and after waiting for a few minutes, he never reported back.

"What are you doing?" Mora shouted when her lawyer took out a gun hidden under his armrest.

"I have to protect you." The man whispered.

"Don't be stupid. Look ahead. You can barely perceive any scent! You'll get us all caught!" Just then, Mora began coughing then covered her nose. "No... It can't be..."

"What is it?"

Grabbing onto her marker's hand, Mora warned him not to open the door under any circumstances. "I know that threatening scent. I've felt it every time I visited Mijin."

"She is here?"

"No..." Se panted. "...but her mother is..."

Suddenly, the sound of repetitive gunshots were heard, their driver responding almost immediately, driving off at full speed.

"That scent..." Mora grabbed onto her chest. "I cant take it...!"

"Why are you like this?"

"Make it...stop..."

"What do you want me to do?" The man panicked at the sight of Mora gasping for air. She looked like she was going into heat yet at the same time appeared to be experiencing an excruciating amount of pain. It was only when she let out a loud scream that he reflexively bit into her neck repetitively to calm her but it had been futile.

"Get us out of here!" The man roared and glanced back. They were being followed.

"Turn yourself in. There is no escaping this..." Mora whispered, almost out of breath. "You were foolish...to think you can get away...taking Yeon..."

"Dont say another word... We'll get out of this..."

"No we won't..." Mora whispered and smiled when the man groaned, his body stiffening all of a sudden.

Pulling away, he appeared to be in agony, his face twisted. He was about to say something but chocked on his own blood and began coughing endlessly, spitting blood on Mora's face who simply began laughing.

"What have you done!" The driver shouted, his eyes on the review mirror. He couldn't comprehend on what to focus on anymore, the police chasing them, their escape, or the woman that was laughing behind him, who was slowly lifting a gun to his head.

"Fuck..."

Those were his last words before the car skidded off the road, crashing into the dead night.

It surprised Mora that she could still breath and as she opened her eyes, she immediately comprehended the situation. The sight of blood splattered everywhere drove her wild that she began laughing hysterically.

'This is what I've been missing... Just a little bit of chaos to calm my nerves...'

"All units follow my coordinates. We found her."

"Roger."

"We need a second ambulance. Three casualties."

"Standby."