Alina sat in the car, still unable to fathom the events of the last 24 hours.
Her mind buzzed with disbelief as she tried to make sense of the bizarre turn her life had taken.
First, her fiancé realized he loved someone else, leading to the abrupt cancellation of her wedding. And now, her supposed healing trip to Korea had culminated in her getting kidnapped midway because she helped a guy complete a song's lyrics. The absurdity of it all left her feeling like the universe had conspired against her.
"Umm, are you fine? Do you need something to eat or drink?" Carson's voice broke through her thoughts, his tone laced with embarrassment.
Ignoring him momentarily, Alina her disbelief still evident in her expression turned to Lucy, who sat in the passenger seat next to Carson.
"Did you guys really not know that it was the lyrics of a Korean song?" she asked incredulously. "And he," she gestured towards Carson with a pointed look, "is Korean! How did he not realize it?"
Carson bristled at the accusation, his pride wounded. "What do you mean, Alina? How was I supposed to know they were lyrics of some Korean song? And those sentences weren't even in Korean!" he protested, his tone defensive.
Lucy intervened, attempting to diffuse the tension with a diplomatic explanation. "We really had no idea before this. We've received many clues from the Guider, and it took quite some time for us to decrypt her words," she explained, coming to Carson's defense.
Alina's eyes widened in mock astonishment, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Oh, so you mean to tell me that Mr. Korean here couldn't decipher his own language?" she teased, unable to resist poking fun at Carson's expense.
Carson shot her a reproachful glare, his irritation evident. "You're the abnormal one here! Why would you even know the English translations of Korean songs? And why on earth would you remember them?" he retorted, his tone laced with disbelief.
Alina shrugged nonchalantly, feigning innocence. "Hey, I'm just a cultured individual with an appreciation for global music," she quipped, flashing Carson a mischievous grin. "And I have a knack for remembering random trivia. It's a gift, really."
Alina's explanation hung in the air, momentarily silencing Carson and Lucy. Carson scratched his head, a perplexed expression crossing his face as he tried to process Alina's unexpected revelation.
Feeling the weight of their incredulous stares, Alina's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she blurted out defensively, "Stop it, okay? I'm a K-pop fan, and sometimes I just want to know what those lyrics mean. That's why I searched them up!" She turned away, gazing out the window to avoid their gaze, muttering under her breath, "It's not my fault I have a photographic memory."
Carson and Lucy exchanged bemused glances, struggling to contain their amusement at Alina's candid admission. Carson couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected revelation. "Well, well, well, who would've thought our little Alina had a secret obsession with K-pop?" he teased, a playful twinkle in his eye.
Lucy joined in, unable to resist poking fun at Alina's expense. "Looks like we've uncovered a hidden talent," she remarked with a teasing grin. "Next thing you know, you'll be auditioning for a K-pop group!"
Alina rolled her eyes, a hint of embarrassment lingering in her expression. "Oh, please, spare me the humiliation."
As the car continued its journey, Alina's mind raced with questions. She glanced out the window, watching the scenery pass by in a blur.
"So, where are we headed?" Alina finally broke the silence, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Carson glanced at Lucy, who nodded in response before turning his attention back to Alina. "We're taking you to a safe location where we can discuss the details of the task we need your help with," he explained.
Alina raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "And what exactly is this task?" she asked, unable to suppress her eagerness.
I still cannot understand what kind of task is it that you need my amazing lyrics completion skills," Alina wondered aloud, her voice tinged with a mixture of confusion and intrigue. She couldn't shake off the feeling of bewilderment at the fact that her ability to complete song lyrics had somehow become integral to their mission.
As she glanced between Lucy and Carson, Alina couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity about the mysterious figure behind the cryptic clues. Who was this enigmatic guider, and what was their connection to the task at hand?
Carson hesitated for a moment before responding, "It's... complicated."
Alina's mind swirled with questions and uncertainty. She understood that some things were better left unsaid, so she remained silent, though her curiosity nagged at her.
Turning to Lucy with a meek voice, she ventured, "Could I have my cellphone? I want it to contact my family."
Lucy chuckled at Alina's request, her amusement evident in her expression. With a nod, she pointed towards the boot of the car, where Alina's belongings were neatly stowed.
Alina's face lit up with gratitude as she turned around to find all her luggage and bags in the boot. "OMG, thank you. I totally forgot about my luggage," she exclaimed happily, relieved to have her belongings back.
But her curiosity persisted, and she couldn't resist asking, "Hey, are you guys not afraid that I would tell my family you kidnapped me?"
She couldn't shake the feeling of incredulity at the fact that they had returned her phone and seemingly allowed her to contact her family without any qualms.
There was a moment of silence as Lucy and Carson exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions unreadable. Alina watched them intently, waiting for their response with bated breath
Lucy's response was laced with confidence. "Darling, you're too smart to do that! And we do have our methods to stop you in case you do something stupid. Look at that," she said, gesturing vaguely to convey their preparedness.
Carson chimed in, adding further clarity to the situation. "Our hackers have already checked everything about you. So we're not afraid you would do that."
As Alina absorbed their words, a wry smile tugged at her lips. She couldn't help but marvel at the intricate web of secrecy that surrounded her family.
Due to their immense wealth, her parents and the Lang family had gone to great lengths to conceal their daughters from the public eye. Both Melissa and Alina's backgrounds were shrouded in mystery, with a carefully crafted facade provided in case any adversaries attempted to uncover their true identities.
Alina's thoughts drifted to the mysterious hacker, a childhood friend of her father and Shane, who had expertly hidden their backgrounds from prying eyes. She knew that unless he allowed it, no one would be able to uncover their true identities.
But she kept this knowledge to herself, knowing that revealing it could jeopardize their carefully guarded secret.
As she contemplated the situation, a sense of excitement bubbled within her. Despite the uncertainty and danger, she couldn't deny the thrill of being involved in something so mysterious.