In Love With A Criminal (Markhyuck)

Chapter 31

Same night at Johnny's mansion.

They even hosted an afterparty during the dinner, though there were less than 10 people in the same room.

It was fun.

Mark was having a talk with Jaehyun near the fireplace, just below the portrait of his parents.

The photo that was found on Principal Lee's office remained close with Jaehyun and the siblings – not even Yuta is aware of it.

Winter stood next to him with a drink on her hand, she offered him, but he politely declined.

"So..." He clears his throat, glancing to her. "What do you think the claim they had on your parents?"

Winter gave him a tight smile; she then loosened it and chuckled.

"They're not my parents, Donghyuck."

"What?" He almost choked himself.

"They're not Andy's too. The three of us are not related by blood..."

Now that she mentioned it, Donghyuck realized how Mark keeps saying 'my parents' instead of 'our parents'

"I was taken, I mean adopted by Johnny when I was young."

She took a deep breath, almost trembling beneath her smile.

"Did he really take you guys in when you were little and trained you guys to become a what... a killer for his revenge? Winter, he'd groomed each and every one of you guys."

Winter sneered another laugh, Donghyuck was utterly confused about it, she pulls the tanned to the nearby sofa and sat next to each other.

She fixes her dress before continuing, smoothing down the silk of its material.

"This may sound crazy, and Johnny is not a good person but he's not so bad after all. He saved me, Donghyuck. He saved all of us..."

"I was brought to a brothel when I was just 7. Imagined being that small and ended up in a filthy place. My mother took me there so she could make a profit out of me. So many predators ready to catch on their prey. It disgusts me, up until now. Then Johnny came, it wasn't for pleasure, but he was undercover. I saw him strangled few men and shot some too and he was about to flee, he saw me. So helpless with my torn shirt and my tainted face. I was holding on to my favorite teddy bear."

Winter cupped her own cheeks, but her hand was slightly shaky.

She then plays with her bracelet, curving a soft smile on her face. Donghyuck hold her hand, asking her it's okay to stop but she insists to tell the whole story.

"He walks straight at me, asking me what's my name and I told him 'My name is Minjeong.' He pats on my back, noticing how I was on the urge of crying. He said that I was pure white as a snow and as much cold as the winter days. I was bright, innocent but I was bruised and dead inside."

"Winter, I'm so sorry... I didn't know." Donghyuck guilt came rushing in.

Just a few minutes ago, he'd practically insult the person who gave her another life.

"That's okay, I mean he saved me from that hellish place, and he even burnt the entire building down with my birth mother inside. He said she doesn't deserve to become one because no mother should neglect their child that way."

Winter suppressed another smile; she was holding so much inside that she decided to change into a whole new persona.

Mark stole few glances from time to time, Donghyuck beams back a smile and saw Andy attempt to arm wrestle his brother.