The moment the timer neared its final seconds, a deafening explosion erupted in the basement of the Ber-Air Hotel. The forty-story massive building trembled violently. Within milliseconds, the abandoned basement was reduced to rubble. Since it was a small explosive charge, the damage remained mostly confined to the blast center, leaving the surrounding areas relatively unharmed. Before the fire could spread, water began pouring from the automated fire-safety sprinkler system. Gradually, the situation came under control. The hotel staff immediately rushed to manage the crisis, while announcements echoed throughout the hotel, urging everyone not to panic.
At the moment of the explosion, Takbir instinctively lost all sense of reason and pulled Elizabeth tightly against him, pressing her against a nearby tree trunk. Elizabeth had also clutched the front of his shirt. For a brief moment, both believed this might be the final day of their lives.
When they realized the situation had stabilized and neither of them was injured, they slowly came back to their senses. Takbir loosened his grip, and Elizabeth quickly stepped away from his chest. Embarrassed, she lowered herself to the floor and released the breath she had been holding, panting heavily.
Takbir glanced around, searching for something. Following the ticking sound, he stepped outside and discovered a small device placed near the door. That was where the ticking had been coming from all this time.
The gentle smile on his face gradually transformed into anger. He crushed the device beneath his foot. Yet the moment he stepped back inside and saw Elizabeth's delicate face—soft and soothing like the flow of a waterfall—his fury dissolved into calmness.
Her presence felt like cool water flowing over the rough shores of a stormy sea. Like the first gentle rays of the morning sun, her enchanting face brought a sense of hope and comfort to Takbir's once-dry heart. That warm smile returned to his lips.
"What was that?" Elizabeth asked.
"A bomb blast."
The fear that had just subsided instantly returned to Elizabeth's face.
"W-Where?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Takbir remained calm and serious.
"It was a small bomb. They call it a micro-charge. These devices are designed to affect a specific target while causing minimal damage to the surroundings. Don't worry—we're safe."
Elizabeth still seemed trapped in shock. Her mind had yet to recover from the explosion. As Takbir began walking toward their room, she suddenly called out:
"Are we still alive?"
Takbir stopped. A laugh nearly escaped him, but he held it back, realizing she was still terrified.
As he continued walking, he replied politely,
"Neither Heaven nor Hell has a Ber-Air Hotel, Aloakeshi. Wake up from your daze."
To make sure she was truly awake, Elizabeth pinched herself. Wincing in pain, she hurried toward the room, only to find Takbir packing their belongings.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Takbir didn't stop packing.
"We're leaving this hotel right now. Go freshen up while I finish packing. This place isn't safe for us anymore. Go. Fast."
Elizabeth didn't argue and headed to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, a thoughtful crease appeared on Takbir's forehead.
Across from Ber-Air Hotel, a destructive man stood before a glass window on the top floor of another building, overlooking the city.
People rushed through the busy streets below while luxury cars sped through clouds of dust. Yet the man's cold gaze remained fixed on a single Rolls-Royce that had just exited the hotel grounds.
The moment the car disappeared beyond the hotel's boundaries, he burst into loud laughter.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, scattering golden rays throughout the room. Those rays struck Richard's body from behind, making him appear almost like a sun god bathed in light.
Behind him stood Nyaso, Lucas, and Aladdin, all looking exhausted and sleep-deprived. Like Richard, they had been awake all night.
Dressed in a black jacket and pants, Richard appeared as mysterious and intimidating as ever. From behind, he could easily be mistaken for the CEO of a major corporation worrying about a business project. But that couldn't have been further from the truth.
The smile on his lips was weaving schemes.
With his eyes closed and a wide grin stretching across his face, Richard looked like a man savoring a secret victory.
Muttering under his breath, he said,
"You have to regret your decision."
Richard turned around.
Seeing this, Aladdin rushed forward.
"Boss, are you going to sleep? If you want, I'll book a room here."
Richard continued walking with long strides.
"We're going underground. Let's see what new merchandise has arrived."
Aladdin practically had to run to keep up.
"Do we have to go now? I mean... you haven't slept since yesterday. You've traveled a long way too."
Richard stopped.
The sharp look in his eyes instantly drained the color from Aladdin's face.
Leaning down slightly, Richard spoke in a cold voice:
"If you want to stay in my line of work, forget what rest is. Abandon happiness and sadness. Turn yourself into stone so nothing can hurt you. Work so hard that mental exhaustion disappears. Work until you can no longer feel tired. Become emotionless. Convert the human body into a machine. Got it?"
Aladdin swallowed hard three times.
"Y-Yes, boss."
Richard walked away.
Aladdin released a long sigh.
Looking at Nyaso and Lucas, he noticed neither of them seemed affected by Richard's words. It was as though they had already become machines themselves.
"Hey, Potato."
Aladdin's face immediately darkened with annoyance. Still, he didn't show it openly. Looking blankly at Lucas, he replied,
"Please stop calling me that."
"I'm definitely calling you Potato. Whatever happens, happens. Your name is great, Potato."
"What do you mean?"
"Because potatoes are royal vegetables. They never abandon us in winter, summer, or monsoon."
Aladdin clenched his jaw.
"Just like a man in love sees America in Gulshan, you seem to be seeing a potato in Aladdin."
"The hell? Did you just insult me?"
Aladdin bit his tongue.
"No, no. I wouldn't dare."
Lucas glanced sideways at Nyaso. Nyaso was watching them with an irritated expression. He was an incredibly patient person who preferred to observe everything calmly.
Lucas looked back at Aladdin. Ever since the first day, the short-statured Aladdin had reminded him of a cartoon character. His appearance and build only reinforced that impression.
Might as well get some entertainment out of the situation.
"Potato."
"Yeah?"
Lucas bit his lip to suppress a laugh.
"Bad mood?"
"I'm extremely sleepy."
Lucas pretended to yawn.
"Me too."
Then, in an unexpectedly deep voice, he joked,
"I am depressed.
You are depressed.
Let's get undressed."
The room seemed to explode into silence.
Nyaso's jaw dropped.
Aladdin finally lost his patience.
He glared at Lucas before calmly replying,
"You really think I'd leave all the beautiful fair-skinned women in America and go to a black gem like you? Sorry, bro. I'm not interested in black."
Lucas's eyes widened.
Mocking his skin color was one thing he couldn't tolerate.
He stormed toward Aladdin and lifted the four-and-a-half-foot man into the air with one monstrous hand gripping his collar.
Aladdin's body dangled helplessly.
Lucas growled,
"You calling me black, you bastard? Do you know this color is historical in Tamil Nadu? Generations have carried this color proudly!"
Aladdin looked moments away from passing out.
Seeing things getting out of control, Nyaso stepped in and forced Lucas to release him.
Aladdin fell to the floor coughing violently.
Still, Lucas wasn't done.
"Do you know how many girls have proposed to me despite my skin color?"
"That was after you won a national award, Lucas."
Lucas froze.
Then slowly turned toward Nyaso.
"Nyaso... even you?"
Nyaso bit his lip to hide a smile.
But his serious expression quickly returned.
"There is no point fighting among ourselves. Do the job the boss gave us if you don't want to die."
With that, he walked away.
Lucas let out a heated breath.
After taking a few steps, he turned back toward the exhausted Aladdin.
Without another word, he lifted the smaller man onto his shoulder and continued walking.
Emerging from a narrow alleyway in Los Angeles, Richard and the others stepped onto the main road.
Their vehicle had been left outside because the alley was too narrow for cars.
As always, Richard wore a perfectly tailored black suit. Even the collar was black, blending sharply with the black shirt underneath.
The contrast somehow made him appear even more mysterious.
The black shirt, black belt, and black trousers completed the look of a refined yet dangerous villain.
His cold, deep eyes hinted at hidden power.
The tattoo beneath his ear was clearly visible today because his hair had fallen messily to either side of his forehead.
Suddenly, Richard felt something.
His sixth sense was warning him.
His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
Then an intoxicated half-dressed woman stumbled into him.
Instantly, violence flashed across Richard's face.
He shoved her away.
Pulling a gun from inside his coat, he aimed directly at her.
As his finger tightened around the trigger, he muttered,
"You bloody bitch."
The woman's boyfriend immediately came running from behind. He was drunk as well, though far more in control of himself.
Spreading both hands in front of Richard's gun, he pleaded,
"Hey, man! Hey! Drop the gun. She's my girlfriend. Sorry, bro."
Everything had happened so quickly that Lucas and Nyaso were left stunned. Aladdin looked utterly terrified. Murdering someone in such a crowded place would instantly become headline news. And if word somehow reached Mafia leader Alex in Las Vegas that Richard had arrived in America, a third world war wouldn't be far away.
The bodyguards exchanged anxious glances.
Then, for some reason, Richard lowered the gun.
Using the barrel to gesture, he signaled the young man to leave.
The man wasted no time. He picked up his drunken girlfriend and disappeared immediately.
Aladdin finally released a breath of relief.
Richard's jaw continued to twitch with rage.
Under the scorching sky, the scar running across his cheek seemed to glow alongside the sunlight itself.
Without a word, he removed his coat and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
Nyaso moved to the driver's seat.
Lucas opened the car door for Richard.
Just as Richard was about to enter, he stopped.
His sixth sense was warning him again.
Something wasn't right.
He exchanged a look with Lucas, silently conveying a message.
Lucas responded only with a blink.
Then, unexpectedly, he climbed into Richard's seat instead.
Nyaso frowned when he noticed it.
But Richard gave him the same silent signal.
Understanding immediately, Nyaso remained quiet.
Taking advantage of the moment, Richard casually stepped away from the vehicle.
Aladdin stood nearby, completely confused.
He couldn't understand what was happening.
The moment Richard moved away, Nyaso and Lucas suddenly jumped out from opposite sides of the vehicle.
A split second later—
BOOM!
The busy street shook violently.
The car exploded.
Metal fragments were hurled into the air.
Flames erupted from the wreckage as thick black smoke climbed toward the sky.
The terrifying blast sent nearby civilians into panic.
Vehicles screeched away from the area.
Within moments, the peaceful surroundings transformed into a battlefield.
Richard's eyes narrowed.
His deep ocean-blue gaze burned with fury.
Then he spotted something.
A motorcycle parked nearby.
The rider instantly stuffed a small remote control into his jacket and started the bike.
Because Lucas was dressed in black, the man had mistaken him for Richard.
When Lucas entered the vehicle, a passing truck had blocked the rider's view, preventing him from seeing Richard step away.
Believing his target was inside, he had pressed the detonator.
But he never realized Nyaso and Lucas had already left the vehicle.
Nor had he realized Richard had seen through the entire plan.
And worst of all—
He never expected Richard's hawk-like eyes to find him.
Aladdin remained frozen in shock.
Before he could react, Richard had already seized a motorcycle parked near a café and sped after the fleeing rider.
By the time Nyaso and Lucas moved, Richard was already gone, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Aladdin swallowed hard and approached Nyaso.
"Boss can ride a bike like that too?"
Nyaso smirked.
Watching the fading trail of smoke, he replied proudly,
"He's an all-rounder."
Two motorcycles raced wildly across California's broad highways.
Both riders were incredibly skilled.
Every turn.
Every overtake.
Every maneuver.
Their expertise was obvious.
The roar of the engines echoed through the landscape.
Richard's speedometer had long crossed two hundred.
Like a starving predator, he hunted the bike ahead.
The rider glanced into his rearview mirror.
The moment he saw Richard closing in behind him, his heart nearly stopped.
He accelerated even more.
Again and again he checked the mirror.
He knew one mistake would be enough.
If Richard caught him—
He was dead.
So he continued increasing speed, weaving through traffic and desperately trying to stay ahead.
Richard wasn't the type to abandon prey.
His focus remained absolute.
His tattooed hands tightened around the handlebars.
The chase left the city behind and entered winding mountain roads.
Steep slopes.
Sharp bends.
Passing trucks.
Every obstacle made the pursuit more dangerous.
The biker ahead fought desperately for survival.
Richard pursued relentlessly.
Losing was not in his nature.
Even if his prey hid in the depths of hell itself—
Richard would find him.
And deliver a brutal death.
The chase continued along the winding mountain highway.
The modified motorcycle forced Richard to lean forward over the fuel tank as he rode. The powerful wind slammed directly against his chest.
Several buttons of his shirt were torn open by the force of the rushing air, while the collar flapped wildly against his broad chest.
Even in the middle of a deadly pursuit, the mafia boss looked dangerously charismatic.
The rider ahead kept glancing backward.
On such a hazardous mountain road, that proved to be a fatal mistake.
Suddenly, he lost control.
The motorcycle skidded violently and plunged over the edge of a cliff.
Richard slammed on the brakes near the cliff's edge.
Because of the extreme speed, the rear wheel lifted off the ground, but he skillfully regained control.
Removing his helmet, he ran a hand through his messy hair and stepped forward to look down.
The rider had not yet reached the bottom.
His body hung suspended on a rocky outcrop.
A sharp section of stone had pierced through his abdomen.
Blood poured from the wound.
Because he was still wearing a helmet, his identity remained hidden.
Richard stared at the motionless figure.
Then a faint smile spread across his lips.
Turning away, he put his helmet back on and restarted the bike.
He could have saved the man.
He could have forced him to reveal the mastermind behind the attack.
But Richard had already achieved what he wanted.
His purpose had been to break the hand that dared reach toward him.
To remind his enemies exactly who they had challenged.
Yet one thing remained unclear.
Why had Richard allowed the man such an easy death without uncovering the mastermind?
Could it be...
That Richard already knew who was behind everything?
Meanwhile, dawn slowly spread across the sky.
Golden sunlight touched the mountain peaks and reflected across the ocean, creating an almost heavenly atmosphere.
Soft shades of pink, orange, and blue painted the morning sky.
Although the air was cool, the gentle warmth of the rising sun brushed softly against Elizabeth's skin.
She was sleeping deeply.
After changing hotels the previous night, she had struggled to adjust to the unfamiliar place.
The golden rays slipped through gaps in the curtains and filled the room with light.
Slowly, Elizabeth opened her eyes.
Stretching lazily on the soft bed, she rolled over.
Suddenly, her hand touched something beside the pillow.
Curious, she picked it up.
It was a folded piece of paper.
Still half asleep, she unfolded it.
The moment she read the words, all traces of sleep vanished.
"You look even more beautiful when you're asleep, my f*cking Dark Red."
A terrified scream escaped her lips.
Hearing the scream, Takbir rushed in from the next room.
As soon as he reached the doorway, he froze.
Elizabeth was sitting on the floor.
Both hands covered her ears.
Her face was buried against her knees.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Takbir rushed to her side.
She couldn't speak.
She simply pointed forward with a shaking finger.
Takbir followed her gaze.
Instantly, his jaw tightened.
Written across the wall in blood were the words:
"Regret. Regret. Regret. Regret. Regret."