On The Road
The water had already gone cold.
Yeijin sat in the massive, clawfoot bathtub, knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the steam, curling through the dimly lit space like a ghost of something softer, something safer.
But there was no safety here.
The bathroom was luxurious—marble floors, gold fixtures, the kind of extravagance that felt suffocating rather than indulgent. It was meant to be beautiful, but to Yeijin, it was just another kind of prison. She had been here for days.
Trapped in a space that was too big and yet too small all at once. A space where time blurred, where her own reflection in the mirror had started to feel like a stranger.
But tonight—tonight felt different. Because tonight, no one was watching. Yeijin lifted her head slightly, her gaze flickering toward the window.
It was open.
Just enough for a breeze to slip through, sending a small ripple across the surface of the water. Her heart pounded. The security was always tight. Always.
A shadow at the door. A glance through the camera in the corner of her room. The subtle but undeniable presence of a guard standing just outside.
But now? Nothing.
Yeijin exhaled, slow and quiet, barely daring to move. She wasn't stupid.
She knew she was being watched. Knew Kang Minjae didn't leave anything to chance. Knew that even in the places where she felt alone, she wasn't.
And yet— She stood.
The water slid off her skin in slow rivulets as she reached for the silk robe resting on the edge of the counter. It was soft, smooth beneath her fingertips, but the warmth of it did nothing to stop the chill in her spine.
She stepped out carefully, the marble cool against her bare feet.
She listened.
Silence.
Not even the usual hum of movement beyond the door. Yeijin swallowed. She had thought about it before.
Escaping.
She had traced over every possible route in her mind, tested the windows, measured the distance, tried to understand the patterns of the men that kept her here.
And she had learned one thing.
It was impossible.
There was always someone.
Always.
But tonight, for the first time since she had been taken, she saw an opportunity. A foolish one. A reckless one. But it was there.
Her breath hitched as she stepped closer to the window, standing on her toes to get a better look. The night stretched endlessly below. Dark. Empty.
The estate was massive, perched high above the city, designed for power, for intimidation. From here, she could see the vast gardens, the winding driveway, the sleek black cars parked at a distance. But no one was here. No shadow lurking at the edges. No figure waiting in the dark. Her fingers tightened against the marble ledge.
Could she do it?
No.
She shouldn't.
It was too high. The pipes weren't sturdy enough. She wasn't strong enough.
And yet— She pressed her lips together.
What was the worst that could happen?
If she was caught, she would be dragged back. Back to the room. Back to the waiting. Back to the suffocating silence.
But if she wasn't?
If she made it—
Her stomach twisted.
The thought was dangerous. Hope was dangerous. She exhaled, bracing herself against the counter, forcing her hands to steady. She had to decide. Now. Because opportunities like this didn't come twice.
She reached forward—gripping the window ledge with both hands, testing her weight against it. If she climbed just right—if she reached for the pipe just past the ledge—she could at least get a foothold.
The water was still dripping from her hair as she moved. Quick. Silent.
She grabbed the first clothes within reach—a white cashmere sweater, soft and oversized, falling just below her hips, and a pair of camel-colored trousers, perfectly tailored, perfectly expensive. The fabric clung to her still-damp skin, but she barely noticed.
Shoes. She had no shoes. No time.
Her bare feet padded against the marble floor as she turned back toward the window, fingers trembling as she reached for the latch. Slowly. Carefully. No sound.
She pushed it open, the cold night air slipping through, kissing her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. She swallowed. Looked down. It was high.
Too high.
The ground was a distant, merciless thing, waiting below in the darkness. But there was a way. The pipes. Narrow, but sturdy enough.
If she could just lower herself—just enough to reach the first ledge—then maybe, just maybe—
A sharp knock at the door.
Her breath caught.
"Miss Han?"
The voice was deep, firm. A guard.
Yeijin's pulse pounded.
She turned sharply, her gaze flickering between the door and the open window, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
Shit.
"Miss Han?" The knock came again, more insistent this time. "Everything alright?"
She inhaled sharply, forcing the tremor from her voice.
"I—I'm bathing!" Silence.
Her fingers tightened against the window frame. Then— "Understood, miss. Just checking in." She exhaled shakily, squeezing her eyes shut. That had been too close.
She turned back to the window. The void stretched below. No more time. No more hesitation.
She swung one leg over the ledge, gripping the frame tightly, her breath coming in uneven, panicked exhales. Cold air hit her bare skin, the wind sharp against the damp strands of her hair.
She could do this.
She had to do this.
Her fingers curled around the drainpipe, testing its weight, its resistance. It groaned slightly but held.
One chance. One move.
She inhaled.
Then— She let go.
Yeijin barely had time to register the fall before she crashed into something unforgiving.
The impact knocked the breath from her lungs. Sharp branches scraped against her skin, the jagged edges of leaves clawing at her arms, her ankles, her exposed feet. A dull, stinging pain shot up her side as she landed awkwardly, her body twisting in an attempt to break the fall.
For a moment, all she could do was lie there.
Her heartbeat was a violent thing, hammering against her ribs, each frantic beat reminding her that she was still alive.
Alive.
She gasped, inhaling deep, lungs desperate to fill with something other than fear.
The scent of damp earth and pine filled her nose. The cold air curled against her flushed cheeks. The night wrapped around her like an unfamiliar embrace. Yeijin blinked, her vision swimming as she forced herself upright.
Her limbs ached, her knees stung where they had scraped against the rough ground, and her right wrist throbbed from how she had landed.
But it didn't matter. Because she was out. She was out.
A choked sound caught in her throat—something between a laugh and a sob. For the first time in days, she wasn't staring at the same four walls. She wasn't suffocating in that gilded cage, wasn't drowning in the heavy weight of him. The sky stretched above her, vast and endless, stars scattered across the inky black like whispers of freedom. Fresh air filled her lungs, crisp and real. She pressed a hand to her mouth, biting down on the sharp relief threatening to spill out.
No. Not yet.
She didn't have time to celebrate. Not when she was still too close. Yeijin's gaze darted around, panic creeping back in. She had made noise when she fell.
Too much noise.
Twigs cracked beneath her weight. Leaves rustled against her trembling hands. The sound had echoed through the silent estate, cutting through the heavy stillness like a blade. She tensed, bracing for the inevitable.
For the footsteps. For the shouting. For the guards to storm out and drag her back inside.
But, nothing.
The world remained still. No alarms. No voices. No pounding footsteps.
Strange.
Yeijin swallowed hard, wiping her scraped palms against her trousers. There was no time to question it. She needed to move.
She forced herself to stand, ignoring the sharp protest of her body. Her feet ached from the impact, from the cold bite of the earth beneath them, but she barely registered the pain.
Escape.
She had made it this far, but she wasn't safe yet. She couldn't go through the main gate. That would be insane. The entrance was guarded at all hours—heavily monitored, fortified, impossible to slip through unnoticed.
So where?
Yeijin turned on her heel, eyes scanning the landscape, desperately searching for another way out.
There had to be something!
A delivery entrance. A side gate. A maintenance path—anything. She took a shaky breath, grounding herself.
Think. Think.
She had seen the estate from the inside. Had glimpsed the way the security moved, the layout of the grounds. There was another way. There had to be.
Her pulse pounded against her throat as she stepped cautiously through the shadows, careful to stay low, careful not to disturb anything that might betray her presence.
Her mind raced.
She had no plan.
No idea where to go once she was out.
No phone. No money. No shoes. But none of that mattered.Not now. All that mattered was getting away before it was too late.
Yeijin flattened herself against the cold earth, barely daring to breathe.
The voices were close. Too close.
She pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, willing herself to disappear into the shadows.
The men spoke in low tones, their footsteps steady, methodical. They weren't in a hurry. They weren't searching. They were just making their rounds. They don't know.
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing her pulse to slow.
Stay still. Stay quiet.
She focused on their conversation—not the words, but the rhythm of it, the pattern.
Footsteps.— Pause.— Footsteps. —Laughter.—Footsteps.
A lighter flicking open. A quiet curse when the wind snuffed out the flame.
They weren't looking for her.
Not yet.
Good.
She waited, muscles coiled, until the voices grew distant, until the sound of boots crunching against gravel faded into the night.
Only then did she move.
Slowly. Carefully.
Her palms met the damp ground as she shifted onto all fours, crawling forward like a ghost, barely stirring the leaves beneath her.
She kept low, her breath coming in shallow bursts as she moved further from the estate, further from him.
The further she got, the lighter she felt.
It was a dangerous kind of lightness.
Not relief. Not yet.
Something else. Something like—
Hope.
Hope was a strange thing. She hadn't felt it in days. It was almost unrecognizable, clawing its way up her ribs, tangling with the fear in her chest.
She could do this. She had to. Then—she saw it.
A gate.
Small. Almost hidden in the darkness, tucked away between the tall stone walls.
An exit.
Yeijin's breath hitched. This was it. If she could just climb over— A sharp exhale left her lips, something like a choked laugh. The sound of disbelief. Of desperation.
She had been so close to drowning.
Now she could taste the air.
She pressed her palms against the cold metal, testing its strength. It wasn't as tall as the estate walls. Not impossible. Not like the rest.
She could climb it.
Adrenaline thrummed through her veins, tightening in her chest, buzzing in her fingertips.
This feeling— It wasn't like before.
Not like the raw terror she had felt when they took her. Not like the horror of watching her world collapse, of realizing she would never see her old life again.
No.
This was different.
This was power.
Twisted, fragile, fleeting—but real.
She almost felt invincible, and yet, she was shaking.
She could feel the bruises forming where she had landed, feel the ache in her limbs, the sting in her scraped hands.
She was exhausted.
But she wasn't weak.
Not now.
Not when freedom was within reach!
Yeijin exhaled sharply, gripping the bars, steeling herself. One chance. She had one chance.
And she wasn't going to waste it.
INSIDE THE ESTATE
"Miss Han. I'm coming in, dressed or not."
Silence.
The guard waited a beat longer, fingers tightening around the doorknob.
Nothing.
Not a sound. Not even the faint splash of water she usually made when moving in the tub.
A sharp exhale left his lips. 'Don't tell me she fell asleep in the damn water.'
He knocked again, firmer this time.
"Miss Han?"
Still nothing.
Something twisted in his gut. Unease. A creeping sense of wrong.
He didn't hesitate.
The door swung open.
And his stomach dropped.
The bathroom was empty.
The tub was still full, steam curling into the air. The window—wide open.
Fuck.
His blood ran cold.
For half a second, he froze—stunned, brain stalling, unable to comprehend how the fuck this had happened.
And then—
The alarm ripped through the quiet.
Loud. Piercing. A shrill, wailing scream that shattered the stillness of the night.
"PRISONER IS LOOSE!"
"HAN YEIJIN HAS ESCAPED!"
"FIND HER! NOW!"
A flurry of movement erupted in the estate. Boots thundered against the floors, voices overlapping in a frantic mess of orders, curses, and demands. Guns cocked. Radios buzzed. Security swarmed like an angry nest of hornets.
Someone was already on the cameras.
"How the fuck did this happen?!"
"She's not in the compound! I repeat, she's NOT in the compound!"
"Where the fuck were the patrols?!"
A beat of silence.
Then— a hesitant voice over the radio.
"Uh— on a break?"
There was a pause.
Deadpan silence.
"…You motherfucking useless pieces of—"
The string of curses that followed was enough to make even the most hardened men wince.
But it didn't matter.
The damage was done.
She was gone.
MEANWHILE
Yeijin ran.
Barefoot. Breathless. A sob lodged in her throat.
The cold pavement bit into her feet, the night air slicing against her skin like a blade.
But she didn't stop.
Couldn't stop.
Her lungs burned, her muscles screamed, but she ignored it—pushing, pushing, pushing.
Because she made it!
She was out.
The world outside the estate stretched before her, endless and dark, a road cutting through nothing but trees and shadows.
No headlights. No people. No civilization.
Just open space.
It didn't matter. She would run until her legs gave out. Until she collapsed. Until there was nothing left.
She choked on a sharp inhale, her throat raw.
She had been waiting for this moment.
Dreaming about it.
And now—
Run, Yeijin.
Run.
The ground blurred beneath her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, a frantic, uneven rhythm.
She didn't know where she was going.
Didn't care.
As long as it was far.
As long as it was away from him.
BACK AT THE ESTATE
"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?"
The head of security was losing his shit.
Men scattered in every direction, flashlights cutting through the darkness, boots stomping through the grass as they searched every inch of the perimeter.
"Nothing on the east side!"
"Check the forest!"
"She couldn't have gotten far—"
"THE CAMERAS, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! WHERE IS SHE?!"
Another beat of silence.
Then— "She— she dropped outside the west wall! We see movement—she's headed down the road!"
A pause.
"HOW FAR?!"
"Five—no, six minutes ahead!"
The head of security clenched his teeth, fingers twitching toward his gun.
If they didn't catch her before she hit a populated area—
"Fuck."
"Get the fucking cars."
The orders snapped like a whip.
Engines roared to life, headlights flaring against the dark.
Tires screeched against the pavement as black SUVs tore out of the estate, kicking up dust.
The hunt had begun.
ON THE ROAD
Yeijin heard them before she saw them.
The distant growl of engines.
No!
Her body moved on instinct. She swerved sharply, veering off the road, throwing herself into the treeline.
Her knees buckled.
A sharp cry tore from her lips as she crashed into the dirt, rocks scraping against her skin.
She didn't stop.
She scrambled to her feet, panic clawing up her throat as she tore through the trees, branches slashing at her arms.
The headlights cut through the road behind her, sweeping across the landscape like searching eyes.
She didn't look back.
She couldn't!
Please.
Please, just a little further.
The wind howled through the trees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The world blurred—her vision swimming, her body running on nothing but terror and willpower. She pushed forward.
Blind.
Desperate.
And completely unaware that she was running straight into the lion's den.