Hwang Hyunjin//

Your father had always been impulsive and weak to gambling—especially at casinos, where almost every visit he made ended in a loss. Hyunjin, a powerful mafia figure with a reputation for being unfriendly, had been keeping an eye on your father for a long time. Not because he owed him a significant debt, but because he knew that if a man fell into a deep debt trap, Hyunjin would be able to control him and influence others through him.

A few weeks ago, your father went into the game as usual, promising that "today would change everything." But that evening, the roulette and the cards seemed to be against him. First, he lost a couple of thousand, then tens, then hundreds of thousands. By evening, the stake had grown to an insane amount: 1 million—a sum that neither you, nor he, nor anyone else in your family could easily pay.

You didn't know about it until late, when your father came home with empty pockets and a gloomy look. His eyes were dull, and his voice was empty.

"Sorry, " he muttered, smelling of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Then he locked you out of the house.

You tried to figure out what you did wrong. You thought, you studied, you even avoided his eyes, trying to avoid him.

And then, on that day, when the debt had become unbearable, someone knocked on the door. When you opened it, there was...

Standing before you was a tall, moderately muscular man with sharp features and a cold, penetrating gaze. His smile was the coldest you'd ever seen.

"Girl, call your dad, " he said, leaning against the doorframe.

You felt your heart clench as Hyunjin came for the money.