Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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12.
“…….”
No. The man wasn’t staff. His unkempt hair and the neat hotel uniform clashed as badly as cake and lemonade.
In that moment, the man’s lips moved.
It was barely audible.
His low voice came out garbled. At the same time, another man appeared from beyond the peephole.
Liam pulled his mouth to one side. A trick so transparent even a child wouldn’t fall for it—no sincerity whatsoever.
The man, finished with his consultation, gripped the door handle. He was planning to force his way in.
Liam’s muscles went taut. He tucked himself behind the door and waited for the men who would soon enter.
But then.
Ding.
The elevator chimed its arrival. The corridor erupted into noise.
A boy of about six darted past the man, while a woman who appeared to be his mother shrieked and chased after him.
The husband, his face worn with exhaustion, dragged a suitcase past the man and offered a light smile when their eyes met.
The sound came from the adjacent room, close enough to hear. The man laughed awkwardly and glanced to the side.
But soon the husband passed the man again, heading back toward the elevator as his wife poured out complaints at his back. They appeared to be Arabic.
The boy kept running up and down the corridor, and the woman shouted intermittently from in front of the door. The situation made it clear—the husband had forgotten his card key.
“…….”
The man, who’d been exchanging glances with his associate, turned to the woman and shrugged. Then, leaving behind the greeting “Have a good day,” he disappeared, pushing the cart.
Even after hearing the elevator move, Liam didn’t let his guard down.
The elevator arrived again, and the husband walked back, waving his card key.
Only then did Liam turn toward the bed and speak quickly, in a low voice.
“Pack your things.”
It was terse, but Hee-joo, quick on the uptake, began gathering their belongings. She must have realized too that it wasn’t a staff member who’d rung the bell.
Hee-joo hastily shoved the scattered items into the suitcase, then threw on her coat. Liam cautiously opened the door and scanned the corridor.
He nodded at Hee-joo. She moved forward, and Liam smoothly grabbed the suitcase.
Hee-joo looked down the empty corridor and whispered softly.
“Those men? The ones we ran into at Father’s house?”
“Not them.”
Well, of course not. One was dead, and one was unconscious.
Hee-joo pressed the elevator button and asked.
“You think they’re their associates?”
Liam stopped abruptly and looked at her. His gaze was as cold as a serpent’s, raising the hair on the back of her neck.
Liam nodded, his expression unreadable.
“I trust my instincts.”
“…….”
“If I didn’t, I’d already be in the afterlife.”
Hee-joo grasped the meaning belatedly. How many deaths must the one called the Grim Reaper have witnessed?
The difference between a field position and an office position. Now it truly sank into her bones.
Ding. The elevator arrived. As Hee-joo stepped forward, Liam seized her wrist and pulled her toward the service elevator at the end of the corridor.
The service elevator doors bore a large warning: “Authorized Personnel Only.”
“Is this instinct too?”
Liam let out a soft laugh, pressed the button, then turned back to her. He tapped his temple slowly with his long index finger.
“Field operative’s instinct.”
The maids’ service elevator arrived with a dull sound.
As the doors opened, Liam ushered Hee-joo inside first, then glanced down the corridor one last time before stepping into the cabin.
He pressed the button for Basement One. Hee-joo stared at the dimly lit button and frowned.
Basement One was the Parking Lot. They had no car. Which meant…….
“You think they’re waiting in the Lobby? How many of them?”
“I’m not sure, but I get the sense they’re operating in an organized fashion.”
“Why?”
“The men we barely encountered at your father’s house found out what hotel room you’re staying in? And this fast?”
Liam was right. Her father didn’t even know she was at this hotel.
But how did they find out? Or rather…….
“Who are they, exactly?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Whether you want to or not.”
“Why are they pursuing me so relentlessly?”
“You’ll learn that too.”
Liam replied with a note of significance and checked the floor indicator. The service elevator moved with tedious slowness.
Clunk. The elevator came to a complete halt with another jarring sound.
The doors opened very slowly. Liam, about to step out, froze.
Standing before the service elevator was a man holding a cart. An Indian man, by his appearance, widened his eyes in surprise.
Liam’s gaze dropped. He saw clean laundry in the cart—neatly folded sheets.
His eyes shifted past the man. On a running van behind him, the words “White Cleaning” were painted on the side.
The slender man blinked rapidly at Liam. Hee-joo, standing behind, stepped forward with a bright smile.
“I’m so sorry. We’re in a rush for our flight, and the elevator seemed broken, so we couldn’t get up.”
The man, whether he understood or not, grinned widely and stepped aside. Hee-joo took Liam’s arm and stepped out of the elevator.
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
The man, unfamiliar with English, simply kept smiling.
Whatever country he was from seemed to have its own saying: you can’t spit in a smiling face.
The man pushed his cart into the elevator, and the doors slowly closed.
“Whew.”
Only then did the smile fade from Hee-joo’s face. The running van sputtered to life, and a headlight flickered in the distance before fading away.
The reality of it still hadn’t set in. That they were in America. That they were being hunted by unknown assailants.
Liam turned to look at her. He noticed the grip of her hand on his arm had tightened.
Hee-joo’s face, staring into empty space, had gone rigid. She seemed to be standing beneath a wave of emotion he couldn’t begin to fathom.
“…….”
Liam couldn’t tear his eyes from her face. In the dim light, deep shadows cast her features in fragile relief.
The moment he let go, she would plummet into a bottomless chasm—or drift alone on a boundless sea.
No. It was a desert. The face of a pilgrim walking endlessly across sand without end.
Liam remained motionless. The grip of her hand was too desperate, too vital. He couldn’t afford to move carelessly.
A car tore across the epoxy-coated parking lot with a screech. The sound jarred her awake, and Hee-joo loosened her hold.
Liam watched her hand slip away slowly.
“Liam?”
After taking a few steps, Hee-joo looked back at him, still standing in place.
Liam nodded and took a step forward.
“Let’s go.”
The two ran toward the Parking Lot exit, following the dim light. Liam, carrying the suitcase in one hand, emerged first.
Hee-joo pushed herself to keep up. Her breath came in short gasps, but she made no sound. This was her fault—she couldn’t afford to be a burden.
But then Liam suddenly stopped. Hee-joo slowed instinctively, her expression confused.
“What’s…….”
She turned her head thoughtlessly, then stopped mid-sentence. A stranger caught sight of them and shouted, “There!”
A bearded man glared and rushed at Hee-joo. A uniformed man and a brown-haired man pursued behind him. Three in total.
Liam seized Hee-joo’s wrist.
“Run!”
He pulled back into the Parking Lot. Hee-joo sprinted after him with all her might. Her breath came in gasps as she fought to keep pace with his long strides.
She glanced back. The men’s faces were close enough to see clearly.
“Stop right there!”
“Liam!”
Hee-joo called his name, her voice tight with anxiety. There was no way to shake them easily. And in the open Parking Lot, there was nowhere to hide.
She glanced back again. Three men. Did they have any chance?
If Liam were alone, he could probably lose them without effort. The thought made Hee-joo grit her teeth.
She might not be able to help him, but at least she didn’t want to be a dead weight. At least she didn’t want to hear, “This is why office staff can’t—.”
Instead of gasping for air, Hee-joo clenched her teeth and ran harder.
Liam weaved between the parked cars, suitcase in one hand and Hee-joo’s wrist in the other.
“Crouch.”
At his command, Hee-joo dropped low. The men scattered in three directions, searching for the two who’d vanished.
“Here!”
“I’ve got them!”
The men tightened their net. Hee-joo, breathing hard, raised her head and her expression turned desperate.
Dead end. The service elevator they’d just come down in. She checked the floor indicator—it showed the 13th floor.
The tediously slow service elevator wouldn’t reach them before the men caught them from behind.
What now?
As Hee-joo’s eyes darted frantically across their surroundings,
“Get in!”
Liam yanked open the door of a nearby parked car and shoved Hee-joo inside. Bang—the door slammed shut.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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