Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 90

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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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90.
In the end, she had lost. She’d fallen in love with the man she used to curse for being unlucky.
Hee-ju’s fingers traced gently over the bandages wound around his shoulders and ribs.
He hadn’t hesitated for a single moment before throwing himself in front of the bullets, protecting her without a scratch. How could she not love someone like that?
Hee-ju pressed her lips to his shoulder—a signal that unleashed him. Liam came down on her like a storm.
She clung to his neck to keep from being swept away by the force of it, yet still her body trembled beneath him.
“You’re ruthlessly greedy.”
Liam’s lips brushed against her ear, his voice low and rough. The weight of it sent a tremor down her spine.
His eyes gleamed with unmistakable hunger.
“Burn for me even more fiercely than you do now.”
……
“Desire me even more desperately than you do now.”
Hee-ju stared up at him, dazed. More than this?
She had chosen one person’s happiness over the lives of countless others. How could she possibly grow more greedy than that?
“Then I’ll kneel and kiss your feet in blind obedience.”
There was something appealing about that—receiving the loyalty of a madman. She knew exactly how absolute that devotion would be.
“My queen.”
But thought dissolved. Her whole body burned as if set aflame. Waves of unfamiliar pleasure crashed over her.
Reason scattered like ash, leaving only raw instinct. She heard the wet sounds of their joining and pulled him closer, harder.
Liam growled like a wounded beast. He’d finally realized the truth—she was his.
Why? What had captured her heart?
Perhaps it was the wounds he’d taken protecting her. She hated being indebted to anyone.
Or perhaps she pitied him as a Spare. She couldn’t turn away from people in pain.
Whatever the reason.
……
He had her.
“Liam!”
Hee-ju cried out sharply, gripping his hand. Slowly, deliberately, he interlaced their fingers.
‘Don’t offer your hand if you have no intention of letting someone in. Once you’ve been grasped, you might not be able to pull away.’
He had no intention of letting go. Not now, not ever—even if she asked.
***
The temperature was low, but the lack of wind made it bearable. The sky hung heavy, threatening rain at any moment.
Hee-ju quickened her pace, then glanced sideways. Liam noticed the direction of her gaze. “What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
She kept her eyes on the ground as they walked. Suddenly, the reality of it struck her—she was walking through these familiar streets with Liam.
That single fact transformed the mundane landscape into something foreign.
Perhaps that’s how her life would be from now on. The ordinary comfort of her routine, rendered strange by one person.
Hee-ju abruptly stopped in front of a shop window and peered inside.
Beyond the glass, Liam’s reflection appeared as he paused and turned to look at her. Passersby glanced at him with obvious interest.
She understood. A man towering over six feet tall, with a flawless face and a muscular frame—even she might have been captivated if she’d seen him on the street.
Liam slipped his hand into his pocket and leaned over her shoulder to peer at the display.
“Do you want it?”
“Want wh—oh.”
Hee-ju’s gaze finally focused on what lay inside, and her expression faltered. It was a luxury boutique.
A minimalist bag gleamed beneath track lighting, displaying an elegant silhouette. There was no price tag, but she didn’t particularly need one.
Liam walked toward the door with casual indifference.
“I’ll buy you one. Do you like that one?”
“No—I mean, this isn’t some casual street purchase.”
Hee-ju grabbed his arm. Liam looked at her with mild surprise.
“Then why were you looking at it?”
“I wasn’t.”
Hee-ju shook her head firmly. But Liam didn’t relent. His gaze swept from her face to the bag and back again.
Hee-ju took his hand and pulled him forward. He let himself be led with the air of someone surrendering to the inevitable.
“Unlike someone who wears a two-hundred-million-won wristwatch, I don’t have the nerve to carry a bag that costs that much.”
“Then why were you looking at it?”
“I thought someone was following us. I was just checking.”
“Ah.”
Liam nodded at this.
“It’s not just a feeling. They’ve been tailing us since we left the hotel.”
“The CIA?”
“Hunter and Anthony.”
“Since when are you on first-name basis with them?”
“A few days ago. They’re not bad people—just stupid.”
Liam laughed lightly, his tone warm and familiar, as if speaking fondly of friends.
Hee-ju, shaking her head, pressed on.
“How much longer will they follow us?”
“Who knows? Until they get the answer they’re looking for? Stupid people are persistent, you know.”
It was harsh language for someone he’d called a friend.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Liam asked as if ready to shrug off his jacket the moment she said yes.
Hee-ju shook her head and squeezed his hand tighter. Liam tucked their joined hands into his pocket, like any ordinary couple.
With each breath, white mist drifted from her lips. Her earlobes tingled with cold, her nose tips bright red. Yet she felt no desire to turn back.
They had no particular destination. She simply wanted to walk these streets with Liam, to savor a moment of ordinary peace.
But as long as she held the USB, there was no shaking the CIA. Hee-ju lost herself in thought and changed direction toward Han River Park.
Liam, following her without knowing where they were headed, seemed to remember something and spoke up.
“You quit your job?”
“Once I realized Manager Han was using me—even if that wasn’t his intent—I couldn’t keep going back. I couldn’t smile and face him anymore.”
“What will you do now?”
“I’ll figure it out gradually.”
“Want to go to England with me?”
Liam asked in a casual tone, as if suggesting they grab coffee.
Hee-ju’s eyes narrowed as she studied him, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“If I go, can I come back?”
“Haha. You caught me.”
Liam laughed without a hint of disappointment. Hee-ju tapped his shoulder lightly with her head.
“Let me think about it. We have time.”
We have time. Liam savored those words and nodded.
“All right. Let’s do that.”
The two of them had already entered Han River Park. A few people were still enjoying picnics despite the season.
So young. So young.
Hee-ju drifted slowly toward the sound of the water. Beside her walked Liam; behind them, the CIA trailed along.
The river flowed serenely, indifferent to the complexities of the world. Hee-ju stopped and gazed into the distance.
The cool winter sunlight shattered across the surface of the water. It was time—finally time—to bring this to an end.
Hee-ju turned and called out to Hunter and Anthony.
“Stop skulking behind us. If you have something to say, come forward and say it.”
Hunter and Anthony exchanged a glance, then moved closer.
They’d never expected Hee-ju and Liam to be unaware of their presence. They’d simply needed a quiet moment to observe.
Hee-ju reached into her pocket and withdrew the USB.
“Is this what you want?”
Anthony’s demeanor shifted sharply. Liam’s muscles tensed in response.
Hunter’s calm voice cut through the tension.
“If you hand that over to us, we’ll see that you’re compensated fairly, Hee-ju.”
He extended his hand with confidence, as if simply reclaiming what was rightfully his.
Hee-ju smoothly raised her arm, evading his grasp.
Hunter closed his hand on empty air, his expression betraying no disappointment. He’d never expected this to be easy.
If it were, they wouldn’t have come all this way.
Hee-ju spoke with measured calm.
“Fair compensation. How much are you willing to pay?”
Anthony’s brow furrowed. He kept his eyes fixed on the USB in her hand, ready to snatch it at any moment. And Liam never took his eyes off Anthony.
Within that taut web of tension, Hunter pressed his case.
“Name your price. We’ll consult with our superiors and give you an answer.”
“Benjamin Clofe offered his barony, his lands, and one of his businesses. Are you prepared to match or exceed that?”
……We’ll consider it.”
Hunter, who’d been thinking in terms of a mere million dollars, forced a composed expression. Anthony made no effort to hide his displeasure.
“That’s American property to begin with. Without the technology Alan Smith developed at the Pentagon, how could you have created it?”
“I’m sure you could have. He’s been called a genius for a reason.”
Hunter tapped Anthony’s back as a subtle warning not to provoke her further. Anthony reluctantly fell silent.

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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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