Exactly an hour after they left the Emres Tower, they pulled up under the Sterling Hotel, and Mikael grabbed Min-Jin's hand and dragged her inside.
"Master, the target has been secured. She's in the room 1407."
A man in the black suit informed him, and then they rushed up to the room that was on the 14th floor.
There were three more men in black suits in the aisle, the door was unlocked, and inside two female guards stood by the side of the bed as a doctor administered an injection to the girl who was out cold.
Seeing her haggard appearance, tear stains, and how her clothes were ripped in some places, the tears that Min-Jin had been holding back, leaked out of her eyes.
Mikael glanced at the beautiful girl on the bed, and for some reason, his heart felt suffocated.
He left Min-Jin with the guards inside the room and then walked out.
"What happened?" He asked the man who was following him.
"According to our investigation, Miss Alison was invited to a dinner by her colleagues. She works as an intern at the Lockman Agency. For some reason, she stayed back with a girl and the Manager of the company after the rest of the colleagues left. The Manager left their box, and a minute later, Miss Alison rushed out, climbed up several floors and locked herself in the toilet on the Fifth Floor. She was drugged, and soon a search for her started. We were stopped by the guards of Master Sterling and a fight broke out until they received a command and stepped aside. A man led us to the room, and Miss Sterling was on the bed... burning up due to the effects of the drug. The girls held her down until the doctor arrived."
"Where's Ryan?"
"He's in his penthouse and is waiting for you."
Mikael nodded to his guard and then took the lift to the penthouse.
As soon as he arrived in the lobby, the dozens of guards there looked at him.
They respectfully greeted him and then opened the door, letting him inside.
In the lounge, several former friends of his and acquaintances were sitting, and there was a middle-aged man, who was prostrating in his direction, his body shivering uncontrollably.
"Mikael!" The Young man, who had a long stubble beard on his face, brightly called out his name and stood up, carrying a glass of wine.
Everyone else stood up as well, but none of them dared to say anything.
"Relax, Brother. If we knew that she belonged to you, we would have never disrespected her." Ryan walked over and wrapped his arms around his shoulder. "You know I am telling you the truth. We really did not know she belonged to you. But then again, it's this man's fault. He told me that there was a beautiful intern who was willing to sell herself for a permanent job at the company. You can't blame me, mate." He grinned and Mikael walked forward, stopping in front of the manager who was prostrating to him.
"Get up."
The greasy man stood up on his trembling legs, and his fat face was swollen with clear marks of slaps imprinted on it.
"Believe me, Master Zarayne... she never told me she was your person... I..."
Whatever he wanted to say, never came out of his mouth after Mikael leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
Everyone in the lounge frowned as they watched the man drop to his knees and then faint.
"As majestic as ever, Mikael. Your aura even surpasses that of your father. Damn it! You never fail to send shivers up my spine." Ryan laughed and then invited him to sit and have a drink.
Mikael did not refuse even though he disliked everyone present in the lounge.
The fact was that he owed Ryan one now, so he had to show his old friend some face in front of his guests.
"Out of curiosity, Brother, why is she working at the Lockman Agency? You could have given her a job in any of your family companies." The young man doubtfully asked when he saw his old friend sit and pour himself some wine.
"She does not know my true identity."
"Oh... oh!" Ryan's eyes brightened and then he laughed heartily. "You always have some new tricks up your sleeves. You charmed that poor girl by pretending to be someone ordinary. I salute you! And needless to say, your taste in women is top-notch."
Seeing the coldness that suddenly flashed in his eyes, the man laughed some more.
"Relax. I am just teasing you." He said and then looked at everyone in the room. "Aren't you going to greet Master Zarayne?"
As soon as his words fell, the young men greeted Mikael, and he nodded their way and even toasted a glass to them, which livened up the atmosphere in the room.
He stayed with them for half an hour, cordially chatted with them, and then excused himself away.
As soon as he left, Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"Thankfully, he did not pursue the matter and understood the situation." One of his lackeys sighed in relief, and the Sterling contemptuously looked his way.
"He is Mikael Zarayne, you fool. Did you fall for his act just now? You make me laugh!" He scorned them. "His hands are stained in blood, and most are of those who had tried to express their thoughts to the girls he had marked as his."
They all suddenly felt cold when they recalled the rumours surrounding Mikael.
Everyone in their circle was scared to even approach Anaiah Zarayne, and Raeya and Klara Albonn because they were considered Mikael's inverse scales.
If this girl was even half as important as his cousin or those twins in his heart...
Suddenly, a young man's face paled and the wine glass in his hand fell.
He was the one who had led the guards inside the toilet to drag Alison out. He had even called her bitch and slapped her in the face. Now that he remembered, she was on a call with someone at that time.
"Master Ryan, save me... please..." He immediately dropped on his keeps and begged the bearded young man, who turned his eyes away in disgust.
"Shut up." He warned and then took a deep breath. "Leave the country tonight. Don't return for a couple of years."
"Yes, yes... I will leave tonight. I promise..."
On the other side, Mikael entered 1407 again, and he found Alison in Min-Jin's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
On the bed, a shopping bag was placed, and he knew that one of the female guards had arranged new clothes for the girl.
The girl, who eerily reminded him of his beloved Anaiah, looked at him in fear, but after Min-Jin whispered something in her ear, she calmed down.
"Change your clothes. We need to leave this place before the police come here." Seeing that both the girls were confused, he sighed. "Do you want to spend hours at the station as they interrogate you?"
After his words, Min-Jin pulled her friend up and took her to the bathroom.
Mikael left the room, and a few minutes later, when the girls came out, he led them downstairs.
"Master..."
"Keep an eye on all of them, but there is no need to take any action right now. I will let you know when the right time comes."
"Yes." The man in black saluted to him.
"Good job, Archer." He said and patted his guard's shoulder.
"Thank you, Master."
Inside the car, Min-Jin was busy consoling her friend in the backseat, and he silently drove out of the Hotel and headed to the Emres.
"Do you need to go back home?" He looked at Alison in the rearview mirror and noticed how her face paled at his question.
"Ally... did your aunt beat you again?" Min-Jin frowned and asked.
She had noticed the bruises on the girl's body when she helped her change.
At first, she thought that they were a result of what happened at the hotel, but after seeing Alison's reaction, she had a very bad feeling.
"Ally, tell me what happened." She shook her friend and seriously said.
"He... Uncle brought his friends over last night. They were looking at me unkindly, and I was scared... then aunt and uncle beat me because I did not serve the guests and left a bad impression on them."
"You! Why did you not come to my house?!"
"Aunty told me to never come there again..." She started sobbing and Min-Jin could not control the string of curses that escaped her mouth. She hated her stepmother to the core of her being.
Mikael, having known all sorts of people, could tell at a glance that Alison was not lying or putting on an act. Her eyes reflected all the trauma that she suffered. And since Min-Jin seemed to be aware of the treatment that her friend received at home, there was no reason to doubt the girl.
How was she supposed to be a Villainess? He questioned and stopped thinking when terrible thoughts crossed his mind.
"If she is scared to go back home, you can keep her at your new place. The apartment is too big for one person, so having someone living with you would be good." He said, and his new lover gratefully smiled at him.
"Thank you, Mikael."
"It's okay." He smiled and gently told her, which warmed her heart.
Alison was a little confused after listening to what they said.
"You have a new place?" She asked to be sure, and Min-Jin happily nodded her head. "You will live with me from now on. I will not take a no for an answer."
"How..." She wanted to ask her friend how she got a house, but then glanced at Mikael and turned quiet.
She thought the place belonged to him, and then she wondered why her dear friend had never told her about him.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered the outrageous dreams of her friend, and could not help but give her a worried look.
"Min-Jin... you."
The hazel-eyed girl blushed as she knew that her friend had guessed the truth, and so she just nodded her head and stayed quiet.
Thankfully, Alison did not ask her any questions in front of Mikael.