Chapter Text
The evening clouds had blocked the sun rays. The streets light had turned on. Shops of all different species food stood on either side of the street. Herds of people climbed on top of each other at the counter of each shop yelling widely like mindless monkeys brawling for a banana.
It was New Year's Eve. A perfect time and place to dance your fingers through this monkeys' pockets and gain extra bucks.
Or, at least, it would have been if Karina wasn't being actively hunted.
"Move, move, move!" she hissed, ducking under a hanging row of fake Gucci bags and narrowly avoiding a man flipping skewers on an open grill.
Behind her, footsteps followed. It wasn't hurried but it was there. Always there. Karina hated the feeling of being chased and even after everything, she had never grown used to it. Freaking terrifying. Or maybe it was because of the person that was chasing her. The only person that didn't fall for her charm nor her fake tears.
Cold-blooded. Karina sulked. But at least she was being pursued by a beautiful woman. Karina grinned. Karina didn't have to look back to know she was close.
Okay. Maybe, technically, she had dodged a few people. And possibly faked her own death once, or was it twice? Cheer up baby! But in her defense, this wasn't a normal debt.
This was a "faked my own kidnapping to escape an arranged marriage and now I accidentally owe money to a criminal debt collection agency" kind of debt.
Not her best decision. But far from her worst.
She zigzagged her run through the crowd, ignoring the curses of a guy whose bubble tea she nearly knocked over. Just a little more distance and she could-
A hand snatched the back of her hoodie.
Oh, shit.
"Nice try," a low voice said before Karina was yanked backward with zero mercy. She stumbled, arms flailing and managed to grab onto the nearest stall to balance herself. The stall was selling plastic anime figures.
The entire table collapsed.
Karina landed on her ass in a pile of cheaply made wide-eyed figurines. Heh? What was this anime called again? Green hair, malnourished guy with a sickle. Karina shoved it into her pocket then turned, her eyes met the woman now looming over her like an executioner.
The woman stood there in all black leather, cold gaze and the exact expression of someone who was five seconds away from committing a felony.
"Winter, babe," Karina started and tuned in her most charming smile. "Before you kill me, let's take a deep breath and-"
Winter crouched down, resting her elbow on her knee, "Pay up."
Karina gasped, "What, no foreplay?"
Winter's eye twitched.
Okay. Not the right joke.
Karina cleared her throat. "Look, it's not that I don't want to pay you back, it's just that I-"
"-am a liar," Winter finished for her.
"A very stunning liar," Karina corrected and smiled sheepishly. How could you not be affected under that intense gaze? Probably filled with murderous intent though.
Winter was used to Karina's antics and that expression she had now, Winter called that the 'sugar baby realising their sugar daddy actually expects the sugar part,' look.
"You faked your own kidnapping and somehow ended up owing us money." Winter said.
Karina mumbled to herself. "I still don't believe you won't fall for this," She lowered her chin, knitted her brows together, glanced up just slightly then lastly, jutted her bottom lip.
"Please~I'm just a helpless, weak woman,"
Winter stared at her blankly wearing the most "what the fuck" expression imaginable. She did not, in fact fall for whatever nonsense Karina was trying to pull. This one, Winter called it 'damsel in distress hoping the villain has a soft spot for cute girls," look. Winter despised cute girls. Wordlessly, she reached into her jacket.
Knife? Revolver? Karina flinched. "Whoa, whoa, let's not escalate things! I'm not ready!"
Winter ignored her and pulled out...a printed contract.
Karina blinked, "Did you seriously bring a legal document to a street chase?"
"You've been dodging me for two weeks," Winter said, deadpanned, "I came prepared."
"You scare me."
"Good. Now sign it."
Karina tilted her head, squinting at the paper. It was a very official, very detailed repayment contract. Which was boring. And a problem.
She needed a distraction.
Quick. Fast. Something wild.
Suddenly, an idea struck. Kdrama influence?
Karina fingers fiddled. Reckless but oh, she loved the idea. Was she really going to do this?
...Yes. Yes, she was.
With zero warning, she grabbed Winter's collar, tugged her down and kissed her lips.
Winter. Froze.
Karina could hear the red error message in her brain. The whole market around them kept moving but Winter had became completely still. Her grip on the contract loosened. Her pupils slightly dilated.
Holy shit, that actually worked.
Karina shoved Winter backward, scrambled to her feet and smoothly slipped a hand into her jacket pocket, then-
BOLTED.
"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, BABE!" she shouted over her shoulder, laughing as she vanished back into the chaos.
Only when she was out of reach did Karina flipped open the wallet she had swiped from Winter's jacket. Her eyes landed on the ID card inside.
"AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She threw her head back and laughed even louder.
Winter didn't move for a full minute.
She just stood there, scrubbing her lips with the back of her hand. Her face twisted in disgust like a slug had just landed on her mouth.
The old fortune teller nearby shuffled her tarot deck.
"Marriage," she said simply. "I see marriage in your future."
Winter's eye twitched again.
She whipped around, shoving the contract back into her jacket then looked at the fortune teller.
"How about death?"
"I see that too. Be careful,"
She nodded. But the warning wasn't meant for her. The one who should be careful was the runway heiress. Slowly, she cracked her neck.
"Don't worry, baby. I will always collect what's mine,"
-prologue-