Anya completed her manuscript then straightened up with a smile. Remembering the cup of coffee she had placed on the side table, she reached for it, knowing it would have gone cold, only to be surprised.

Sitting in the seating room with the windows facing the sea, she had been immersed in completing the last few paragraphs, completely forgetting about her beverage.

Anya looked at the page that she had taken out and then glanced at the other seven sheets that she had finished before remembering the coffee.

Oh well, my speed must have gotten really fast.

Pleased with that discovery, she carefully kept the pages away and then leisurely sat back, enjoying the aroma and taste of the hot cup of coffee. She enjoyed the alone time she got, with Mira and So Hyun going back to their house after summons from their Grandfather came suddenly, taking Soyeon along with them.

Anya took her own sweet time enjoying the slightly bitter drink, as she picked up the newspaper to browse through.

Majority of the news was dominated by only one topic, the people eating up every bit of information about it, even while protesting against its establishment.

"Hybrids. . ." Anya mused, still not accepting that a discovery such as this at such a large scale was possible, "Well, judging by the way there are too many deaths about, they still have a long way to go in terms of stabilizing it."

This was a project which was leaked by a scientist who wanted revenge for being discredited, that led to it spreading out to the world as wildfire. Obviously, making this knowledge public had harmed the development that still needed to be continued, bowing down by the public oppression and insurmountable greed of exploiting this new idea even while condemning it.

Anya browsed through the various titles, and got stuck on the one piece of article which kept catching her attention for days now.

A poisonous snake hybrid brutally killing any who came close to him.

He was killed in the end, only for the same pattern to repeat with almost all poisonous snake hybrids.

Anya's thumb, gently kept rubbing the edge of the newspaper, while her eyes could not move from the words "Snake Hybrid"

She went in a trance, oblivious to her surrounding, while that word seemed to evoke a deep, deep sense of remembrance.

Silver scale edged with black undulating on the skin, white eyes with scarlet vertical pupils fixed on her with a deadly rage dripping with utter sorrow.

"You love me to the point of your own destruction" he growled, "And I promise, to completely destroy you, Princess."

His fangs glinted in the night as he clutched her hand in his grip, his black nails digging deep, piercing her flesh, "I will find you. And I will ruin you. Until they no longer think of separating us."

With a gasp of pain, Anya stood up from where she had been sitting, immediately clutching her head that was wracked with extreme pain. She fell down as she lost her balance, blinking back the tears that gathered in her eyes, rapidly losing the memory she had just gained.

Just what the hell was going on???

The pain went as quickly as it came, taking with it those anguished words but the strangeness from the word of Snake Hybrid still remained.

She tried recollecting it again, only for whatever she thought she felt, fade away quicker.

Must have been some old childhood story of some monster that I imagined.

After all, she was a keen reader and an author. With her rich imagination, the natural conclusion was that maybe she had read about the description of such a monster and gave him the vivid details in her mind.

Or maybe, not having seen a snake hybrid, her imagination had shaped them in what she anticipated it to be.

Let it be, it wasn't as if she was interested in hybrids. Folding back the paper, Anya got up, still a little shaken at what she had felt, then decided to just go and take a bath.

Taking her time to relax and enjoy, she made the preparations and at last slid in the bathtub wanting a moment of stillness.

The warm water relaxed the sore muscles of her back, knotted from spending time sitting scrunched over the typewriter while the scented oil gave her a delightful indulgence.

So lost was she in her haze, that it took some time for her to notice the ringing of the telephone. Stopping the lazy splashes she was making in the tub, she strained her ears to listen to the sound.

Not finding any trace of ringing, she lounged back.

After half an hour, she finally came out, and got ready taking her own sweet time. when she had just finished combing her hair, the phone rang.

"Why did you not pick up the phone when I called you at least 6 times before??" her sister shouted right off the bat.

"Huh?"

"SIX TIMES!!!"

"I was bathing." Anya replied, but then again, the phone sound should have been easily heard from the bathroom, after all, it was located in her room, "Did u really call six times though?"

"ANYA!"

"Okay okay. Sorry for your fiancé." Anya knew this would be a headache of a phone call, but surprisingly, her sister calmed down and replied graciously, "I already had plans of breaking the engagement off, I was going to, when Min Hwang contacted me saying that I did not take the blame on my neck, that a circumstance was soon to arise which I can use. Although I am pretty sure he was not talking about this situation, but I was keen enough to look out. I am using this to break it off. No need to feel sorry for me. He really was a fiend far beyond what even I can tolerate for the money."

Not particularly surprised by her airhead sister's shamelessness or money hungry nature, one thing about what she said did catch her attention, "When did Min Hwang contact you?"

"Umm, well, I cant remember. Hehehehehe. You know how spotty my memories can get. Its not that important." Her sister's shrill fake laughter made her wince.

"Really? Then I'll try to guess." Anya acted along, "Might it be a day before the accident happened?"

"Whaaat? Come one, that would be so totally wrong! Hahahaha. You are so criminal minded."

"Hmmm."

"Anya!" delighted to be able to change the subject, her sister rapidly launched the reason of the call, "Jae Hoon was called by Jong Gi. I only know about this because it seemed they asked him or said something that made him lose his temper. He went out swearing that before going to the Kang's he is going to finish what Grandmother had interrupted, with you! Father and mother still don't know of the incident so I waited before calling you to avoid their presence but you failed to pick up the call! He might be close to you by now! So keep all your doors and windows closed! And call someone for help!"

Yet again, her sister managed to leave her speechless with her stupidity, "If you knew about this, instead of calling me repeatedly when I did not pick up, why did YOU not call So Hyun or Min Hwang????"

A beat of silence.

"Oh. Right. I did not think of that."

"UNBELIVEABLE!"

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KANG FAMILY MANSION :

Jong Gi and his father were having tea on their day off, both lost in their own thoughts, not bothering each other.

Jong Gi's aunt was supposed to be coming home from her place around evening, preparations were being made for her return.

While Jong Gi was sorting out the public break up Anya's sister had announced on the grounds of cheating, with evidence, Ryong was reading the best selling novel. By Anya.

The tranquil moment filled with hidden tensions was disturbed by a servant who came to them, then respectfully conveyed a message, "Mr Jae Hoon called to say that he is on his way here."

Jong Gi distractedly nodded at the piece of news, returning back to his work when both father and son noticed the servant still standing, fidgeting around.

"What else?" Ryong asked.

Bowing, the servant continued, "Ms. Anya called too."

Hearing her name, Ryong kept the book down, straightened up then asked with a pleased voice, "This may be the first time she is calling our house. What does she have to say?"

"Sir, Ms. Anya said that Jae Hoon has threatened to go to her house while leaving home with the intent of causing harm. If-" he gulped, closing his eyes and saying, "She said, if she was harmed because of him, Mr. Kim will personally destroy you all the very day he returns, which is, in 2 days."

"That little bitch! How dare she threaten-"

"Which one is true then?" Kang Ryong stopped his son from blowing his temper, "Why would Jae Hoon call to make sure we receive him when he has no intention of coming on time?"

Jong Gi snorted, "Must be his way of cheaply showing us, or flaring up. He knows we demanded 75% of his fortune in exchange of keeping all the evidences of his embezzlement from his own company and his involvement in the string of forgeries of classic pieces of paintings."

Kang Ryong sent his son an irritated look, "He knows I made it explicitly clear to stay away from Anya. He doesn't have the capability or audacity to offend me by going to her place and making us notice his tardiness. If anything, he would keep it a secret."

"Ummm, Sir." The servant interrupted, "It wasn't Mr. Jae Hoon who called. It was someone else on his behalf."

"Whatever. Prepare a car for me. I will not let that rotten piece of shit go anywhere near Anya again." Kang Ryong stood up and walked to the door. "And inform Ms. Anya that we will be taking care of that bastard."

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THE BEACH HOUSE :

Anya was impressed by the amount of power Namjoon's name had over the Kangs. Their response was pretty quick.

Humming a song, she went to the kitchen, checking the ingredients present with the dream of making a fluffy chocolate cake. Not worried about Jae Hoon, she busied herself with gathering the flour, bowl, butter and started making the batter.

When she poured melted chocolate in the batter to whip and mix it, the phone started ringing.

Annoyed at the interruption, Anya muttered with irritation, "This phone sure does ring a lot!" Huffing outwardly, she received the call.

"Anya?"

"Nopes. Its her clone speaking."

"Work on your sense of humour blueberry." So Hyun mocked.

"Its not supposed to be funny you uncomprehending idiot, its just your average snarky reply. Why'd your Grandfather call you guys?"

"Aww look at the fruit salad decoration missing us. . ."

"Aaaaaand I'm hanging up." Anya replied with a sing song tone.

"Grandad is out. We don't know about it yet. I was calling because I heard a few stupid things being passed about. Kang Ryong suspects Namjoon to have tampered with the car and bribed the officials on keeping it from the reports because Tae Sun is grabbing whoever he can and crazily going about telling them how the brakes were without any fuction and the steering wheel jammed."

Well. . . .

She needed to ask her sister more clearly about when she had gotten the helpful tip. Still,

"I don't believe it." Anya said bluntly, "Its too much of a high profile case for the officials to so openly report wrongly. Even if that is the case, it's a moronic theory. Tae Sun drove to my house in his car and it was perfectly fine.

His car was parked for the 20 minutes they visited right in front of my door with the gates locked. No thief could have come into my property to work on it without getting caught.

Even if it were that case, he had driven quite far away from this house and had an accident in a location which can be reached after 3 sets of traffic lights. His brakes and steering wheel worked fine till then."

"Ahhhh! Wow, seriously, authors are on a different level with the details. I never thought about that."

Yep. Hence your unofficial middle name being "Dumb Doberman"

"Is that all? I am making a cake."

"No, Seems that even though they discharged him to his house, he is refusing letting anyone treat him or change his bandage. Tae Sun is demanding that he wants to see you, has something to say. He will not let anyone enter his room if it isn't you."

"Aish, that prick! He thinks that he can make a commotion and I will dutifully go to him? what does he think I am? His pet??" Anya tsked.

"Ummmm. . . . ."

Brows pulling down into a frown, Anya snapped, "What? You want me to go? Why?"

"He knows how much you hate him, why would he make such a hopeless request? He seems desperate too. Nothing wrong with checking out what he wants."

Anya sighed deeply, "Why? Just why are you so into gossip? Do you think your own life is not happening enough?"

At that, unexpectedly, So Hyun replied seriously, "I talked to him for a while. He kept telling me its something related to Namjoon that you should know. Something about what happened that night, almost a year ago. The night he left. I have asked Joon countless times about it, but he always dodges the question."

Anya rolled back on the balls of her feet, biting the corner of her lips in contemplation, "So you want us to know at least one side of the story before Joon tells his side?"

"Yes. Its been a year of him avoiding it. I don't think its wrong to at least hear what the other involved party has to say. The Company is soaring with new horizons of achievements being unlocked showing no signs of the so-called betrayal. If the betrayal was not in business front, then which part of his life was touched? Why would he only talk to me and not you?"

Anya could hear the frustration he kept hidden in him. So Hyun and Namjoon were of the same age. They had attended the same school, the same college. Though he could not pry into his personal life, he was the only friend that Joon had.

So Hyun being who he was, was always protective of the friends he considered to be close. Anya knew he worried over Joon just as much as she had.

"Fine. I'll go visit him and then tell you what he wanted me to know."

"Thanks Blueberry." So Hyun smiled with relief and then hung up.

Placing the receiver back on its cradle, Anya wandered back in the kitchen, think of whether to leave now or later. She just did not want to encounter Jae Hoon on her way or in the Kang family house.

Glancing out of the window to see the slightly cloudy sky, she made a quick decision of going now. She did not want to be coming back in a cab after dark.

Dusting her hands off the flour, she grabbed the light wrap and put it on, walking towards the main door. Once she wore her shoes, she tugged at the handle of the door to open it. . . . . . to no avail.

Anya checked the locks and confirmed they were not engaged. Nothing was blocking the door. He held the handle with both her hands then pulled on it heavily.

The door. . . still did not open.

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A/N : If you are liking the story, please do vote and comment.