Jasmine's sudden resolve to rush down the stairs was instantly shattered. Falcon and two other guards almost forcibly ushered her into the helicopter. The intense whirring of the blades and the engine's roar drowned out all conversation.
Inside the rapidly ascending helicopter, Jasmine burrowed herself into a seat. The night outside was bone-chillingly cold. She was wearing only a thin jacket over her nightdress, which was wholly inadequate for the severe temperature. Falcon swiftly tossed a warm black fur coat to her. Though she put it on, the cold, combined with her internal fear and panic, wouldn't dissipate.
She looked out the glass window of the helicopter. The vast city below glittered like millions of diamonds, a dazzling spectacle. But the view brought Jasmine no peace. In that light, she saw only danger and the shadow of the mafia. She also saw searchlights still sweeping around her apartment building in the distance, and below, Ji-han's car convoy speeding away.
The soft black fur coat provided warmth from behind, but a chilling current flowed within her. The man's last words echoed in her ears—'Not the time, Maya. Your Ji-han is busy.'
Is Ji-han alone now? Will he truly be in danger? Jasmine clutched the coat tightly with both hands. She felt anger—at her own helplessness, at being safe in this helicopter. She wanted to be by Ji-han's side.
Feeling the warmth of her hand on the cold glass, Jasmine closed her eyes. She knew she was completely under Ji-han's protection now, but her heart remained below, at the center of the action. After about ten minutes of fast flight, the helicopter slowly began to descend over a quiet, secure dockyard on the edge of the city. The place was Ji-han's private logistics hub, where strict security was always maintained. As the sound of the blades diminished, an extreme silence descended.
Jasmine's inner turmoil peaked. She couldn't wait another second. Before the chopper fully settled, she pushed the door open and leapt down onto the tarmac.
The open expanse of the dockyard was covered in dim light. Several armored cars and stern-faced security guards were deployed there. Jasmine paid no heed to them. Her eyes were searching for only one specific point.
And she saw him.
Ji-han.
He had just stepped out of his bulletproof car. He was wearing the same Italian suit, but his face was hard as steel, his eyes clouded with thought. He still held the satellite phone, presumably giving instructions.
The moment Ji-han saw Jasmine descend from the helicopter like that, the harsh expression on his face instantly softened. He realized how terrified Jasmine was.
Without a word, without hesitation, Jasmine rushed toward him with fierce speed.
Ji-han put his phone in his pocket and opened his arms. Jasmine crashed into his chest like a storm. Ji-han's warmth, his familiar scent—all of it gave Jasmine instant peace.
She clung to Ji-han tightly, as if letting go for a moment would mean losing him to the darkness again. Her tear barrier broke.
Tears... yes, an intense stream of tears.
"Ji-han... Ji-han..." Jasmine could only whisper his name. All her fear, humiliation, and the pressure of her panic—everything poured out as tears.
Ji-han held her fast. His hand gently wrapped around her back over the black fur coat. He knew no words were needed at this moment. His silent presence was Jasmine's greatest refuge.
A few moments later, when the intensity of her crying subsided, Ji-han kissed her forehead. His voice was soft, but held the solidity of a mountain within it.
"I'm here, Jasmine. Everything is alright. You are safe."
But Jasmine was still sobbing. "They... they knew... they were watching me. I was dying of fear, Ji-han! You..."
Ji-han gently moved her slightly away from him, but his hands remained on her shoulders. He looked into Jasmine's wet eyes.
"Don't be afraid anymore. They didn't touch you. And the man who came," Ji-han clenched his jaw. "He didn't get far. He is now in our hands. And you know... I will make him talk."
There was no comfort in Ji-han's eyes now, but a chilling vow of extreme vengeance. Jasmine understood that the game was truly on now.
The Ice-Cold Gaze of Vengeance
Across the city, atop a hill shrouded in a thick layer of fog, stood Dmitri's luxurious villa. The winter silence reigned outside, but the atmosphere inside was tense and choked with rage.
Dmitri stood alone in the vast, high-ceilinged study room. The walls around him were clad in rare wood and Russian artwork. In the center of the room, a glass table held a crystal glass filled with expensive vodka. This opulent setting strangely matched Dmitri's cold personality.
He was infuriated, yet his expression was stone-hard. Dmitri, whose golden, long hair flowed to his shoulders, and whose eyes were icy blue—was merely the reflection of power and coldness. His body was well-built, and he wore an Italian cloth coat.
Dmitri slowly reached for his waist. His jaw was clenched with silent fury. He grabbed his leather belt and tightened it with a slight sound. It was as if by tightening the belt, he was trying to bring all his internal failure and rage under control.
He took his phone and began pacing the floor. Despite the soft Persian carpet beneath his feet, his every step was heavy and determined.
"Zanova," Dmitri finally spoke in a cold voice in Russian. There was no loudness in his tone, but every word was bulletproof. "Give me a report on whether my man has been caught. If he has been caught... Ji-han will make him talk. And I know how effective Ji-han's methods are."
Then he smiled faintly. That smile was deadly. He knew his man had successfully struck at Jasmine from the rooftop. Ji-han had been distracted, and his weakness had been clearly pointed out.
Dmitri picked up the glass of vodka. "Let the toy stay with him for now, Zanova. But this time, the hunt will begin from a different direction. We will snatch the dearest thing from Ji-han, so that he begs on his knees."
He slowly looked at his own reflection in his blue eyes. "I will not just hurt him, Ji-han. I will destroy him."
The Nuclear Bomb on His Lap
Jasmine, who had just been consoled by Ji-han, in Dmitri's luxurious villa's study room? This scene was unexpected, almost impossible. But Jasmine had made her decision—to protect Ji-han, she had to go to the center of the game.
Location: Dmitri's Villa, Study Room.
Dmitri was still looking at the glass table in front of him, holding the vodka glass. His eyes were blazing with the intoxication of revenge. Just then, the heavy door of the room opened silently.
Dmitri's security guards usually do not enter without permission. So, he initially frowned.
But the sight of the person he saw made his cold blue eyes tremble for a moment.
Jasmine stood in the interplay of light and shadow. She was still wearing the jacket and the nightdress underneath—over which was Ji-han's black fur coat. Her wet eyes were now fixed with hard resolve.
Dmitri said nothing. A viciously curious smile appeared on his face—as if his prey had walked into the cage itself.
Jasmine stepped into the room. Each of her steps was measured, as if she were walking on ice. She walked straight toward Dmitri.
Upon reaching where Dmitri was seated, Jasmine made an ultimate, self-destructive decision. She went straight up to Dmitri's massive body and sat down on his lap. All the warmth of her body seemed to merge with Dmitri's coldness.
There was no astonishment in Dmitri's eyes now, but the joy of supreme authority. He gently pressed on Jasmine's waist with his hand, as if confirming—she had indeed been captured.
Jasmine was in an strange silence. It was as if she had buried all her fear beneath the fur coat. With trembling hands, she took out a cigarette case from her bag, one she kept for Ji-han.
She pulled out a cigarette and held it up to Dmitri's lips.
Dmitri, looking at Jasmine's determined face with his blue eyes, slightly tilted his head and took the cigarette. Then, Jasmine reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold lighter.
A faint sound of the flint grinding. Tick!
The flame ignited. In that light, Jasmine's tired, frightened face briefly lit up. She slowly lit the cigarette for Dmitri.
Dmitri took a deep inhale. The cigarette smoke exited his mouth and slowly dissolved into the room's light. Behind this smoke, he saw Jasmine—Ji-han's most valuable possession sitting on his lap.
"Well," Dmitri's gruff voice. He said in pure Russian accent, "A grand welcome. You know... what price you will have to pay for coming here?"
Jasmine did not answer. She merely lifted her eyes and stared steadily at Dmitri. Her silence seemed to herald something even more terrifying.
Dmitri took another drag from his cigarette. A plume of smoke curled up, penetrating the calm air of the room. Jasmine remained still on his lap, her coat's fur spread over Dmitri's expensive trousers. Even as their body heat mixed, the surrounding atmosphere was as cold as ice.
"Did Ji-han send you?" Dmitri asked. There was clear disbelief in his voice. "I didn't know he would give up so quickly. Are you his ransom?"
Jasmine shook her head. Her hair lightly brushed the collar of Dmitri's jacket.
"I am not Ji-han's weakness," Jasmine said. Her eyes now glowed. "I am his greatest strength. What you are looking for—that 'asset'—I have it."
Dmitri's blue eyes sharpened. The cigarette ash fell to the floor.
"What are you saying?"
"I saw the message your man gave me. You wanted to kidnap me to scare Ji-han. But I didn't come here to be a cheap toy in your hands. I came to make a deal directly with you."
Dmitri almost scoffed, laughing. "A deal? Sitting on my lap, holding a lighter, you think of making a deal with me? Do you think this bravery of yours can save Ji-han?"
Jasmine leaned close to Dmitri's ear. Her whisper was so soft that only Dmitri was meant to hear it.
"I know the core foundation of your business. And if the data file Ji-han has on you were to be made public, your empire would crumble in an instant." Jasmine took a deep breath. "I have a backup copy of that file. One that even Ji-han doesn't know about."
The smile was now completely wiped off Dmitri's face. His jaw tightened. The woman he saw as Ji-han's weakness had now turned into a nuclear bomb.
Jasmine did not pull out a pistol from her coat, but gently touched her golden lighter to Dmitri's cheek.
"My deal is very simple. Let me go. Let my people leave safely. And you will get that file... In exchange, you will leave Ji-han alone. Otherwise, you won't just die by Ji-han's hand, your empire will be destroyed before that."
Dmitri dropped the cigarette. His eyes were now frantic with rage, but his brain was working fast. Jasmine was terrifying. She was not just Ji-han's weakness—she was Ji-han's last resort.
Dmitri's eyes were burning with anger, but his professional sense instantly calmed him. He knew showing rage now would be useless. Jasmine wasn't making an empty threat. If a man like Ji-han kept a file, it was not impossible for there to be a backup.
He slowly moved her coat away from her head, and gently pushed the gold lighter away from his face. His cold hand lightly touched her back over the coat. There was no affection in this touch, only supreme authority.
"Ji-han's weakness, and Ji-han's bomb," Dmitri whispered. His voice was now deep, filled with savagery. "A brilliant move, my dear. Ji-han doesn't know you would take such a risk to come to me. If he comes here now, you will be the first one to take a bullet."
Jasmine remained calm even after hearing Dmitri's words. "He won't come. I lied to him. Now, about the deal. Are you ready?"
Dmitri smiled. This time, the smile was cruel.
"I am ready. But you are forgetting—you are now on my lap. Whether your file is with Ji-han or not, until I have proof, you are not moving an inch from here. And your so-called 'safe people' who dropped you off here, do they know where you are going?"
Jasmine lowered her eyes. She had come alone. "They will listen to me. If you agree, I can give them instructions right now."
"No, you can't," Dmitri said calmly. His fingers gently twined in Jasmine's hair. "The rules of the game are in my hands now. I will agree on one condition: you leave Ji-han, and I will too. But first, I will see that file. Right now."
Dmitri pulled out a small satellite tab from his waist. He held it up in front of Jasmine and said, "Show the proof. Upload it right in front of me. And if this is an empty file... then you will beg Ji-han for forgiveness with your life."
Jasmine knew this was a death trap. If she revealed the file now, Dmitri could kill her but he wouldn't be able to destroy the file. But if the file was a lie, her life was over.
Jasmine took a deep breath. All her courage, all her strength, now rested on this deal. She slowly reached out her hand and took the tab.