Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 62

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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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62.
Hee-ju’s mind was a wreck. The pleasure she’d experienced for the first time in her life had melted her brain to mush.
Yet she reached out slowly, pulling Liam’s neck close.
‘He’s trying to brush it off casually, but for me…….’
Before his words could finish, Hee-ju pressed her forehead against Liam’s shoulder. She longed for him to cool the heat, or else burn her to ash without a trace.
Her entire body tingled. She couldn’t say where. Sometimes it felt like the edges of her skin, sometimes like her heart, and sometimes like somewhere far more intimate.
Hee-ju shifted her legs slowly, wedging her thigh between his, trembling as she moved her hips.
‘Ah.’
Liam exhaled a breath that was neither quite sigh nor laugh. He couldn’t resist the faint pressure of her arms around him and slowly lowered his head.
Then he kissed her lightly at the edge of her chin.
In the same instant, Liam moved with sudden intensity. Hee-ju’s eyes widened as she gripped his shoulders.
‘Wait……!’
‘Why? Isn’t this what you wanted?’
Liam bit the nape of her neck. A predator cutting off its prey’s breath.
‘Ah!’
A cry escaped between her teeth. But the pain was drowned in ecstasy.
“…….”
The vivid memory that surfaced without filter made Hee-ju’s face flush crimson. Her body twisted of its own accord.
She pulled her knees up. The sheet clung to her bare skin. That raw sensation made even her earlobes burn. A soft moan escaped her lips.
“You’re not cold, are you? Where are you going? Come here.”
Strong arms drew her back.
“!”
His firm chest pressed against her back. Liam rested his lips on top of her head.
Hee-ju closed her eyes. Thump-thump, thump-thump. She heard his heartbeat, slower than her own.
No—she didn’t hear it with her ears. She felt it through her skin. Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Sleep crept in again at the steady rhythm. She stirred and turned to face him, resting her cheek against his chest.
Liam’s soft laugh was barely a murmur. Hee-ju reached up and pressed her hand to his shoulder, her fingers meeting rough fabric.
A bandage. A wound earned protecting her.
Hee-ju traced the bandage with her fingertips and whispered.
“When this is all over…….”
Her voice, half-drowsy, was slower than usual. But Liam brushed her earlobe gently and waited patiently for her to continue.
“Let’s spend Christmas together…….”
“Yes.”
Her sentence wasn’t finished, but Liam nodded eagerly—as if afraid she might take back the words she’d spoken.
“Let’s do that.”
Liam pulled her closer and kissed her forehead once more.
Though the Cabin wasn’t theirs, and the bed—unused for so long—carried the smell of dust, everything felt perfect.
Just as sleep was pulling him under again, Liam’s muscles went rigid.
“…….”
Hee-ju couldn’t miss it. Her eyes opened, drowsiness swept clean from her gaze.
Liam, listening intently in silence, finally rose. He pulled on his pants from the floor and tossed her clothes onto the bed.
“Get dressed. Quickly.”
“What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, Liam left the Bedroom. Hee-ju threw on her clothes haphazardly and hurried to the living room, grabbing her Laptop.
Liam warned, “Don’t stand near the windows.” Startled, Hee-ju’s attention snapped back to her Laptop.
While she gathered her Bag, Liam went into the Bedroom and came back out. A pistol was in his hand.
“Where was the gun?”
“People like this usually stash a pistol or two in the closet.”
Hee-ju shoved the USB Drive into her pocket. Liam eased back the curtain. Now the sound of a car’s engine was clear to her ears as well.
“CIA? Or the Russian Mafia?”
“It’s an SUV, so CIA. They don’t have a creative bone in their bodies.”
“Do you think they know we’re here?”
“Maybe not. Either way, it’s unlikely they took a wrong turn.”
He murmured quietly and moved forward.
“Let’s head to the Kitchen. I noticed a back door yesterday. We need to get out of here before they arrive.”
In the Kitchen, Liam crouched low and peered out the window.
“Damn.”
A shadow approached from the rear. Hee-ju ducked behind the island counter and held her breath.
Liam whispered quickly and quietly.
“They’ve probably found our SUV by now.”
Four gunshots rang out at once. Liam whispered flatly, “They’ve shot out the tires.”
Hee-ju peered anxiously toward the door.
“They know we’re here now. Wouldn’t it be better to hide?”
“We’ll be found soon anyway. If that’s the case, dealing with one is more efficient than two. Hide there, and the moment I tell you to run, you bolt straight for the forest.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll follow right after you, but even if I can’t catch up, you keep running.”
“But…….”
Hee-ju started to speak, then nodded instead. She’d realized he could move far more freely without her.
“I understand. Don’t worry about me.”
“If we get separated, we’ll meet at the Restaurant at Park Entrance.”
“The place where we had breakfast yesterday?”
Liam nodded.
“Keep heading west. There’s a Campground not far from there. Ask anyone you see for help.”
Liam approached her and kissed her forehead.
Hee-ju’s heart suddenly sank. It felt like a goodbye.
“Did you grab the USB Drive?”
Hee-ju pulled the USB Drive from her pocket and handed it to him.
“You keep it, Liam. It’ll be safer with you than me.”
Liam folded her fingers one by one into a fist.
“No. You keep it. It’s your life line. In a critical situation, just hand it over to them. Then they won’t touch you.”
With that, Liam turned away. In that moment, Hee-ju grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around.
“What…….”
As Liam was asking, Hee-ju pulled him into a fierce embrace.
“Please be careful.”
Liam smiled softly and kissed her ear once more.
Meanwhile, a shadow crept toward the back door. Liam released Hee-ju and moved swiftly toward it.
The shadow pulled at the back door handle. Click, click. When it wouldn’t open, the man stepped back and shouted.
“CIA! Don’t move and get down on the ground!”
Bang! The man kicked the wooden door open with his boot. It splintered and swung wide.
Liam stayed hidden behind the door, holding his breath.
“Don’t move!”
Anthony, who’d been aiming forward, swung his gun to the right. It was the movement of a body trained for years.
But Liam knew too that Anthony would check the door first. It was the Search Manual Protocol.
Exploiting that weakness, Liam burst outside instantly. He seized Anthony’s wrist and drove his elbow toward his temple.
Anthony twisted to avoid the strike and lost his balance. Both men tumbled to the ground in a tangle.
“Goddamn!”
Crack. Anthony squeezed the trigger. At the same moment, Liam knocked his arm upward.
The bullet lodged in the Kitchen ceiling. Dust scattered down.
“Run!”
Liam shouted. Hee-ju bolted like a sprinter hearing the starting gun, dodging the two men grappling on the floor and dashing outside.
She glanced back. Liam was straddling Anthony’s chest, swinging his fists down.
Hee-ju turned her face forward again. She ran until her breath caught in her throat, thrashing through the birch forest in a blur.
Which way was west?
Her sense of direction had blurred. But she couldn’t stop. Liam had told her to keep running.
“Ha, ha.”
Her heart felt ready to burst. Her legs trembled and her throat burned from tension.
Then, behind her, she heard the crunch of fallen leaves. The footsteps drew closer.
Was it Liam?
Hee-ju slowed for just a moment, turning slowly around.
“Found you!”
A man appeared between the birches—his entire body covered in dark tattoos. He grinned wickedly at the sight of her.
“!”
More leaves crunched. From the left—no, from the right. Hee-ju’s face went pale as she whipped her gaze between them.
Men appeared from both sides. Russian Mafia, without question.
Three figures closed in, tightening the noose around Hee-ju. She backed away slowly, her face drained of color.
Then, the next instant, she turned and began to run.
“Get her!”
The men’s voices seized at her heels. Hee-ju tore through the birch forest, running blindly forward.
***
“Anthony!”
Hunter burst through the Front Entrance and headed straight for the Kitchen. Liam was behind Anthony, strangling him by the throat.
Anthony’s face had flushed crimson. He thrashed against Liam’s grip, but it didn’t budge.

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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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