Prologue
At the end of an alley where the moonlight faintly shone—
“I finally caught you.”
Adan took off his investigator’s hat and ran his hand through his sweat-dampened hair. His black hair blended into the dark night sky, falling across his pale face.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.”
Even as he caught his breath from the chase, his sharp gaze stayed fixed on Everett.
When she pulled back her robe, her pale face appeared, and Adan’s smile deepened. He reached into his pocket. A clear clink echoed—the sound of handcuffs.
It was the sound he always made when chasing her.
Confidently, he pulled the metal cuffs out.
“No matter who you are, you can’t escape this time.”
At the end of a long chase, Adan’s heart beat wildly.
“Do you have nothing to say?”
Trying to hold down his excitement, he asked her how she felt. Everett finally opened her lips, which had been tightly shut.
“How about, instead of catching me… you have me?”
Her sudden words made her short, red hair sway. She was a woman with blood-red hair and golden eyes like jewels.
A woman who always acted as if she had no emotions—now, she was tempting him. With just one simple sentence.
“Are you struggling not to get caught?”
“Does it look like I’m struggling?”
“Then how should I take this?”
“As a chance—for you, who’s going to lose me again.”
“What?”
Adan froze.
All he had to do was catch her. She stood there, calm and composed as always.
“You won’t be able to catch me.”
Even if he reached for her, she would slip away like sand.
“So, I’ll give you a chance. Your first and last chance to have me.”
Her tone sounded as if she were being generous. That’s when Adan finally realized something was wrong.
“No way…”
“What will you do?”
“…I’ve been played by you again.”
The chase, the dead-end alley—everything was part of Everett’s plan.
He realized she had been ready to escape from the start. Grinding his teeth, he said,
“What if I don’t want to have you?”
“Then you’ll never catch me.”
It didn’t just mean he’d fail to arrest her—it meant he’d have to watch her crimes unfold, powerless to stop her.
“So, decide. Will you have me, or spend your life chasing my shadow?”
She spoke as if she knew exactly what he felt—as if to say, if you take me now, you can do whatever you want later.
“We don’t have much time.”
Voices from the pursuing team echoed from nearby—the people who had followed Adan while he chased her.
Was that part of her plan too? Everett left him no time to question or think.
Her voice and eyes were steady, even as she urged him to decide.
‘Is this even something to think about?’
It shouldn’t have been hard to answer, but he hesitated.
And her next words completely broke his composure.
“If you refuse me, I’ll have to go to someone else.”
Someone else?
He’d have to let her go—to another man?
When he didn’t answer, she nodded calmly.
“Hah.”
A short laugh slipped through his lips.
Everett.
Everett Pelham.
You’re still toying with me.
But even knowing he was being played, he couldn’t say no. That was his answer already.
“I guess this is what I’ve been chasing you for all along.”
Adan let out a weak laugh and dropped the handcuffs.
“This time, I’ll do as you say.”
Then his eyes flashed as he stepped closer and took her wrist. Her sleeve slipped down, revealing pale skin marked with faint scars.
He frowned slightly, then pressed his lips to her wrist—like he wanted to satisfy the desire to finally claim her.
Pulling her closer, he whispered against her lips,
“Next time, things won’t go according to your plan.”
Everett blinked once—then their heated lips crashed together.
The instant their skin touched, a fierce passion burst between them. Her trembling shoulders pressed against his chest as his grip tightened.
The faint scent of his cigar brushed her senses, making her lift her head sharply. Their eyes met in the dark.
This wasn’t the gaze of a man who had been chasing her to arrest her.
Now, anyone could see—he was a man desperate to devour her whole.
“You…”
Surprised by the change in him, Everett called his name, but the sound of footsteps drew closer.
With a hint of regret, Adan pulled her to his side, holding her tight so she couldn’t slip away.
He rubbed the frown lines from between his brows—the ones he always had when looking at her.
“Now, smile, Everett. You and I are partners in crime from this moment on.”
By then, the regret in his expression was gone, replaced by a mischievous smile.
