The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) (3 page)

“Oh how considerate of you, my dear crime lord boss,” Yoori voiced sweetly, placing a dramatic hand over her heart. She laughed again before taking another survey o
f the scenery. “Honestly though, it’s beautiful here. We should have more company retreats like this.” 

Tae Hyun laughed. The tentative look in his eyes gave the impression that he wanted to see how this trial basis with Yoori went before promising to come again. “Let’s see how this one goes before we get ahead of ourselves.”
 

They soon found themselves driving down a windy path that eventually led them into the depths of a secluded lake house community. All the lake house properties were laid far enough away from each other to give the owners a sense of privacy.
 

As countless glimpses of magnificent looking lake houses greeted her, Yoori couldn’t help but widen her eyes and stare in absolute awe when they finally reached their destination—Tae Hyun’s lake house.
 

It was hidden in the furthest end of the street. The tall trees that lingered around it not only complimented the wooden structure of the house, but also shrouded the house from immediate view. Golden autumn leaves layered its roof and covered its gargantuan lawn. Even the attached glass lamps that hung from
the various corners of its exterior made the house appear more whimsical. In this moment, Tae Hyun’s two-story lake house couldn’t have appeared more picturesque for Yoori. She loved how it just stood out in the presence of the setting sun. 

“This. Is. Gorgeous,” Yoori emphasized, limping through the dark brown oak doors that led into the spacious lake house. Her body was still sore from her initiation but the pain was tolerable, most likely due to the fact that she was distracted with the exquisiteness of the lake house.
 

Unlike the modern affluence that Tae Hyun’s apartment contained, the interior decoration within the lake house was simple yet beautiful. It had a large living room and kitchen that were both lined with various black furniture and appliances. There was a section of the house that had glass windows for walls. A flight of glass stairs was present in the furthest right hand corner of the house, leading up
to the second floor. 

No longer able to hold her excitement in, Yoori gasped
and threw her black suitcase to the floor. She rushed over to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that displayed the view of the gorgeous lake. Outside the window stood a wooden, half moon balcony that had circular lanterns hanging from the wooden railing as decorations. 

She smiled absently at the flocks of ducks and geese gliding across the lake. The lake’s glistening surface now twinkled with dashes of pink, orange, and gold from the setting sun.
 The whole atmosphere made her feel like she was luxuriating in the splendor of a picturesque dream. 

“How could you ever leave this place?” Yoori asked when Tae Hyun stood beside her.

He was also enjoying the beauty of the tranquil world before him. 

“I ask myself that every time I come out here,” he replied quietly, returning his gaze to her.  “Anyway, let’s go get some food.” He casually intertwined his fingers with hers, promptly pulling her with him. “There’s a park nearby. If we’re lucky, we might actually have some fun there.”
 

Yoori nodded, allowing herself to get swept away by Tae Hyun.
 

The peaceful world around them was probably what set them both at ease, but at that moment, Yoori knew she was going to have an unforgettable weekend with Tae Hyun.

“Are you willing to disappear?”

02:
To Find Paris

“So what made you bring me here?” Yoori asked while they walked side by side.

The peaceful night’s sky hung above them, displaying a view of the moon and the twinkling stars. An assortment of statues, water fountains, and rose gardens occupied the park, giving entertainment to Yoori’s eyes. She happily feasted on her second corndog and explored the area with Tae Hyun.

The park was livelier than Yoori had anticipated. It was late at night but there were still people roaming about. Though it was mainly filled with couples walking hand in hand, it was still relatively lively. There was a certain air of peace that came with the companionable silence. All the couples were lost in their own little worlds and Tae Hyun and Yoori were no exception. 

“I told you,” he said softly. “I figured you could use a break from Seoul.” He took one final bite of his corndog and shrugged. “And I guess I figured
 I could use a break from Seoul too.”

Though his voice was casual, Yoori deduced that there was more to his answer – a more
specific reason as to why he brought her here. She knew what it was; she’d be a fool if she couldn’t figure it out by now. 

“You knew I cried last night, huh?” Her voice was low with shame. She was upset with herself for being unable to do a better job of hiding her weakness. Yoori rarely cried. To date, she only remembered crying twice in her life after her amnesia. Once
 after her family’s death and once after she accepted the possibility that she was An Soo Jin, an infamous Underworld crime lord who died 3 years prior, the exact same time Yoori woke up with amnesia. She always had reservations about crying in front of people, and would only ever allow herself to do it when she was sure no one else was around her. She was fairly certain that she forced herself to stop crying when she fell asleep. She must’ve continued to involuntarily cry in her sleep. The thought of Tae Hyun walking in and seeing the tears flow down her cheeks made her cringe. She truly hated it when people saw her cry.

Though Tae Hyun didn’t verbally answer her question, Yoori intuitively knew that she was right. Th
e way his eyes became gentler when he gazed at hers more than gave away the truth. 

“I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that,” he finally uttered, his eyes staring at the endless brick pathway ahead. His voice was no longer nonchalant. It
teemed with guilt and regret. 

“You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” She peered up at his profile. “What happened wasn’t your fault. I didn’t cry because of the violence from the initiation. I was just…” She paused to find the right words. “I was just going through some internal struggles.”
 

Again, he didn’t say anything. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.
 

After a minute or two
, as a gust of wind drifted past them, he finally turned to her and proudly said, “I yelled at them for you.”

His voice was optimistic. It was clear he hoped that hearing this would make her feel better. He didn’t seem to believe that she would cry about anything else
other than the violence from the initiation. 

Yoori laughed wryly. She didn’t feel compelled to keep convincing him that her tears were due to her own issues (like the fact that there was a big possibility she was a monster she didn’t want to become). However, she had to admit that she did feel
 better when a mental image of Tae Hyun screaming at the three Advisors popped into her head. She didn’t doubt that he did it. Tae Hyun’s temper always had a way of getting the better of him, even under unfavorable circumstances. 

“I’m sure you did. What was their reaction?”
 

“Same political suck up shit,” he answered
after a sigh. “They congratulated me for picking such a strong and beautiful girlfriend.” 

Yoori nodded.
 Of course the Advisors were quick to suck up to Tae Hyun after the initiation. 

“They also said that I should watch out for you.”

Tires screeched in Yoori’s mind. 

“Excuse me?” she sputtered, even though she had already heard him clearly.
 

“They said that I shouldn’t trust you,” he repeated. His eyes were unreadable
when they gazed at her. “They emphasized that if I did, it would be the biggest mistake of my life.” 

“What?” she practically shouted. Bewilderment blared within her. “Why the hell would they say that?” Soon after she asked, she knew it had everything to do with An Soo Jin. The audacity of them infuriated her. How dare they say such things?
The nerve of those old bastards.

“Because they’re the Advisors,” he voiced
jadedly.  He wasn’t the least bit surprised with how the Advisors operated. “It is in their nature to give advice, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.” He smirked. “It is also in Ju Won’s nature to pit people against each other. Rival crime lords, siblings, fathers and sons—even boyfriends and girlfriends.” 

“He
does
like to do that, doesn’t he?” Yoori asked resentfully. She recalled the “pearl of wisdom” he gave her about Tae Hyun and Lee Ji Hoon, the reigning King of Skulls, An Soo Jin’s boyfriend and Yoori’s current suitor. Ju Won shared how ruthless they were and that they would do anything to obtain the Underworld throne. He essentially told her that she shouldn’t be afraid of being as ruthless as they were when it came to getting what she wanted. She also recalled the way he always set Tae Hyun and Ji Hoon against each other. Ju Won was truly a master manipulator.

“He enjoys being entertained,” Tae Hyun provided, casually grabbing Yoori’s hand.
 He led her off the brick pathway and onto a grassy area.

As the gentle wind rustled the leaves around them, Yoori replayed the events of the prior night in her mind. She wrinkled her brows when she was reminded of something significant

“So what did you and Ji Hoon do during my initiation?” Yoori inquired. She was curious as to what could’ve taken place on the other side of the door while she was getting her ass whooped in the meeting room. 

She heedlessly jumped onto the dock. As they strolled down the wooden structure, the lake around them reflected the moon and the radiant stars.

“Talked about someone whose name rhymes with ‘Oogly,’” Tae Hyun answered with a smile. 

Yoori stopped in her tracks and glared at Tae Hyun. She was not amused with the unexpected teasing.
 

Tae Hyun laughed heartily and wrapped his hand around her waist. He easily pulled her along with him when they neared the end of the dock.
 

“I told him that you’re my girlfriend,” he shared, his expression smug. “That no matter what he says, what he does, and what he schemes, you’ll
 always be my girlfriend and I’ll always have your heart.” 

Yoori gaped at him owl-eyed. “Why would you say that?” she exclaimed incredulously, “None of that is true!”
 

“I like to say what’s on my mind,” Tae Hyun replied, sounding
unapologetic. He was distracted after they reached the end of the dock. 

He bent his knees and
situated himself on the wooden foundation with his legs crossed. He placed his corndog stick beside him. Once he was settled, he gazed expectantly at Yoori. His brown eyes somehow appeared more captivating under the stars. 

Following his lead, she took her oversized white purse off her shoulder and bent her knees to sit beside him. Her jeans and the hem of her white faux fur jacket made contact with the wooden structure. She placed her corndog stick down and laid her purse on the floor. Seconds later, she proudly pulled out the lavender blanket Tae Hyun gave her.
 

“Plus, how do you know it’s not true?” Tae Hyun continued to counteract. As he said this, he flicked a small pile of pebbles away from her jeans and into the lake. The pebbles made a soft splash in the water, its ripples causing the reflection of the moon to flicker for a couple of seconds. “I was the one that said it. Not you.”

“Because I
 know you were only saying it to piss Ji Hoon off,” Yoori replied swiftly, unfolding the blanket. “You can be deviously competitive like that.”

“
You’d be surprised
,” Tae Hyun muttered under his breath. He clapped his hands together to shake the loose dirt off, essentially clouding the vocalization of his answer. 

“What was that?” Yoori asked distractedly, not catching the last comment as she offered Tae Hyun half of the blanket.
 

“I said the moon is huge tonight,” Tae Hyun said quickly, drawing his eyes down to meet Yoori’s gaze.
 He then paused and gaped defiantly at the blanket she was offering him. He shook his head, gawking at Yoori’s lavender blanket like it was a fabric contaminated with the plague. “No way would I be caught dead covering that over me.”

Yoori grimaced at his childish antics. “Stop being so stubborn. I know you’re cold. I know I am.” Yes, even under the warm confines of her faux fur jacket, Yoori was still shivering.

Tae Hyun snorted, recalling all the times he had to keep her warm. “Nothing new there.” 

Yoori scowled, her eyes growing wide with the fires of hell inside it. She had lost her patience with him. “Hey! You better take half of it! Who do you think will have to slave around and take care of you if you get sick?”
 

Tae Hyun continued to shake his head, his eyes set on the quiet lake beneath them. He wasn’t listening. “Just keep yourself warm.”