It's been exactly one year since I published the first chapter of Trashes of the Counts' Families. I'm glad how far it's come, and I can't truly believe I've written so many chapters. So I wanted to give a little gift as a thank you for reading: a little one-shot of Adara and Cale— and the rest of tcf— in a modern AU. Please enjoy!

—

Adara sat in the casino, the dim lights and the chatter giving it a pleasant atmosphere. Her table had less of that pleasant atmosphere. Her opponents were all nervous and shaking, glancing at her repeatedly and mumbling their bets. She was in the final round of a poker game, holding a pair of aces in her hand.

She had already put all her chips to the centre of the table, goading her opponents to do the same. They had all been nervous and uncertain when she did that.

She couldn't believe they were so nervous; whenever she offered to play with someone, they always had the chance to refuse. After all, it was her and Cale's casino; it could be intimidating to play against the co-owner.

Though sometimes it did go in her favour, as now they were all so nervous and anxious, waiting for her cards to be revealed.

She felt her lips curl into that familiar smile. She revealed her cards, a pair of aces, onto the table; the cards seemed to gleam in the warm light of the casino. It was higher than another player, one with a pair of kings and higher than the rest of the table.

Adara raked in her winnings as her opponents groaned and exclaimed over their defeat. They should have known better than to play against me, she thought, still smiling. The House always wins, and the House belongs to me.

She stood up, a slight nagging in her shoulder. Someone was staring at her, and they weren't very nice. "Well," she said, sending a motion to Choi Han that she wanted to leave before she looked back at her defeated opponents, "I need to smoke. So I'll see you later."

They didn't bother to respond as she was already leaving.

Choi Han met up with her as she made her way to the back door. She leaned into him. "Something's wrong," she whispered in a low tone. "Wait here; see if anybody follows."

Choi Han gave a curt nod. They went through this enough times that he knew not to argue about waiting.

Adara took her cigarette box out of her chest pocket as she opened the door. She trusted Choi Han to guard the door. She and Cale found Choi Han one day, sitting on the side of their apartment. They offered to feed him, and he's become a close friend since. He didn't look like he aged very fast since he still looked like the 17-year-old they knew 2 years ago.

To pay for the meal they gave him, he wanted to become their bodyguard, accompanying them whenever they asked for it. Cale found it too overbearing, one of the reasons he barely asked Choi Han to go anywhere. But Adara found it perfect. There were too many people wanting to make her head shorter anyway.

Standing near the door, she leaned on the building. She took out her gold lighter; it was a gift from Alberu. She waited, lighting her first cigarette. She drew in a slow breath, letting the familiar burn of tobacco go down her throat. She waited as she felt the calm wash over her like the waves on a sunny day. She waited as the wave retreated back into the sea.

She waited, the smoke coming from her lips wrapping around her, hiding her in its deathly veil. She waited and waited, watching the smoke dance with her thoughts. And she waited for a bit longer. Someone would come, and she was waiting for it.

And someone did come; she heard the back door open, and she felt a gun pressed against her chin.

She breathed out the smoke into the person's face.

When the smoke cleared, she saw who it was. One of the members of that terrorist organisation she and Cale kept clashing with. Redika was his name. He was tall and lanky, his messy ash-blonde hair sloppily tied in segments. His one red eye dug into her.

Choi Han had fought this man before; he got rid of his arm and eye. And now he was planning on killing Adara.

"Oh," she said, seemingly disappointed. "You."

Redika laughed like a screeching banshee. "You recognise me?!" he asked. "Do you really?!"

Adara raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I do." She looked down the barrel of the gun, where it was pointed at her chin and meant to kill her. "Didn't you guys want me to join? What happened to that?"

"After your guard dog rid me of an arm, I haven't been as useful to the organisation as they would like," Redika sneered. Adara lit another cigarette, making sure to avoid touching the gun. "They keep me far away from any important missions, but once I kill you, they will have to see my worth!"

Adara inhaled a breath out of her cigarette. "Isn't that a bit counterproductive?" she asked, smoke flowing out of her mouth. "I mean, if they want me to join and you kill me, would they get more upset at you? Like what happened to Darius, they will probably kill you."

Redika narrowed his eye. "Darius was an idiot. They wouldn't dare kill me!"

Adara blinked at him before she took another drag of her cigarette. "If you're so sure, then go ahead. Though, I do have a quick question. You're obsessed with the colour red, aren't you?" She watched his eyes light up. "None of my features are red; isn't that very sad for you?"

Redika barely managed the smile from crossing his entire face. "Ah, Adara, you don't understand. You will look so pretty in your own blood."

Adara puffed another cloud of smoke into his face, unimpressed. "Thanks."

He dug the gun harder into her chin. "Don't mock me! I am going to kill you." He narrowed his one good eye. "Do you have any last words?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know, the classic— Choi Han!"

Before she realised it, Choi Han had body-slammed Redika to the floor. After a brief struggle, Adara watched with a few puffs of her cigarette as Choi Han stood up, a gun pointed at a knocked-out Redika on the floor. He looked at Adara.

She nodded, puffing out another huff of smoke.

The gun already had a silencer, so nobody noticed when it went off. Almost automatically, Choi Han was stuffing the body into one of the trash containers. Adara sighed as she stomped on the cigarette.

She patted Choi Han on the back. "Let's get you cleaned up; Alberu will take care of the rest."

Together, they went to the staff's gender-neutral bathroom, and Adara helped him get rid of any of the noticeable blood. Choi Han always wore black, mainly for this reason. "Adara-nim?" Choi Han asked.

"Hmm?"

"I think we should ask Archie to accompany you and Cale as well," Choi Han said, making eye contact with Adara through the mirror. "It would be saf—."

She raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. "Why? You're enough."

Choi Han disagreed. "He had his gun right near your face! If I didn't knock him down on time, then he would have shot you. And if I just killed him the first time I saw him, then—."

She interrupted him again. "No more. I already told you that you shouldn't blame yourself for that. And his gun probably had high-calibre bullets because of how big the chamber was, so with one hand and horrible stance— plus his not-so-fun trigger control— he probably would have missed my brain."

"And gotten you in your eye instead," Choi Han argued.

Adara felt a smile come to her lips. "We would have been matching, then."

Choi Han did not find her joke funny.

Adara stood up, already walking out. Choi Han followed her without a word. They ended up at her and Cale's office. Adara walked in, but she called Choi Han in when he wanted to stand guard in front of her door.

He followed her inside with a confused expression on his face. His position was outside her door, not inside. How could he protect her from intruders if he didn't spot them before they had a chance to shoot at her?

Choi Han expected her to sit down in the lush seat she usually sat in, but she instead walked to her library, pulling out a book. Choi Han knew she liked to read; it was his gift for her birthday, but what caught him off guard was when the bookcase opened up like a door, revealing a spiral staircase.

She didn't give him any time to ask, before she was already telling him the plan. "The story is that I went out for a smoke, saw a madman screaming, then went back inside— before the murder. Then, I went to my office and stayed there for the rest of the day until the night shift. I need to get to Alberu; I think he would prefer if I told him about the recent trouble in person so he doesn't eat— chew me out over the phone."

Choi Han took a moment to process her quick speaking. "So I will guard the door and pretend you're still inside?"

Adara nodded, snapping with her fingers. "You got it."

Choi Han nodded. "So, I should return by the start of the night shift?"

Adara waved him off. "Wait a while before you return; it doesn't have to be until the night shift. But do try to be inconspicuous while leaving; you do have a dead man's blood on you." With that goodbye, she disappeared into the bookcase, leaving the door shut behind her.

Adara sent Alberu a text as she lit another cigarette. Behind the casino was a street that wasn't used very often; she was hidden partly in the shadows of the building. Waiting for the limousine that would arrive.

Usually, the limo arrived just as she finished a cigarette. But this time, it arrived while she was still smoking half of it. She frowned. Did Alberu already hear of the new trouble she caused him? Why the rush?

She might not be able to avoid that earful.

She stomped on the cigarette, getting into the limo without a second thought. She didn't like smoking in closed places, so smoking in the car was a no-go. But Alberu always made sure to send her the limos with the mini-bars. She knew Alberu sent her the limos with the mini-bars because he knew she liked wines the best and thought she wouldn't drink anything else if the mini-bar didn't have any wine.

He was wrong.

She looked through the mini-bar, waiting for a drink or a brand to catch her eye. And one did; it was a Japanese whiskey. She rummaged for a shot glass, finally finding one and setting it on the table.

She poured a shot for herself, the smell of honeyed malt and oak wafting through the air, the liquid such a rich amber hue that it reminded her of the mahogany of Alberu's desk back at the company. But she had no time to appreciate it as she threw it back in one swift motion.

She felt the warmth spreading through her body, her body relaxing. She didn't often have anything other than the wine produced by Cale's family, but she might need to make a friend who produces Japanese whiskey to get a few discounts. The flavours that were on her tongue for a second before she swallowed were delicate and complex, with multiple flavours that blended. What she remembered the most was the flavour of caramel and vanilla, maybe some oak.

It calmed her for a moment, her eyes closed. But just as fast as the cigarettes washed away from her, so did the calming effect of the whiskey. She grumbled, opening her eyes to pour herself a couple more shots when she looked outside.

She paused.

Outside, she caught a glimpse of one of Mogoru Inc.'s smaller headquarters. That was on the other side of the city, far away from the Roan Co.'s headquarters— where she was supposed to be— meeting up with Alberu and Cale.

A ding from her phone caught her attention. It was Alberu.

Golden ATM

Where are you? The limo just arrived, and the driver tells me you're not there.

Troublesome Dongsaeng

oh

shit

Fuck Redika and my plan to be less noticeable. I just got kidnapped, she thought, bitterness in her thoughts. Their plans to make her join were more far-fetched each time.

She threw her phone to the side, ignoring the torrent of dings. She stood by the window, watching the shops pass. She knew this street. She didn't know it very well; it typically wasn't a good idea for her to be seen near Mogoru Inc.'s headquarters. But she did visit the street a couple of times, back when the relations between Roan Co. and Mogoru Inc. were better.

She watched the street, knowing she was getting further and further from the Roan Co. Headquarters. She had the realisation thst the Secret Organisation didn't kidnap her. If they did, they wouldn't be so blatantly driving in a Mogoru street. So the probability wasn't very high on it being them. But who would drive shamelessly in a street owned by the Mogoru?

Someone from Mogoru Inc.

She didn't want to know why they wanted to kidnap her. If they just wanted to have a friendly conversation with her, wanted information, or wanted to kill her, it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting out right now.

If what she remembered was correct, then there would be a very big mall coming up ahead with a few storage rooms up above. She couldn't know if she was right unless she got out of the car.

She slid across the seats to where the driver sat. She knocked on the window separating them, with a smile. The driver looked at her from the rearview mirror and hesitantly lowered the glass.

She wasted no time. "Are you sure you're going to be able to park here? The street looks pretty packed."

The driver frowned. "Park here?"

Adara turned to him in surprise. "Yes? Did Alberu not tell you? I swear that man doesn't say anything important; he just blabs on and on about not using his money for alcohol and dr— oh, I can't say that." She looked at the mildly concerned driver. "To get to the point, I need to stop by that mall over there."She leaned inside the window to point to the mall that was slowly coming into view.

He frowned further. "What are you going to do in there?"

She looked at him quizzically. "Did Alberu not tell you anything? It's Cale's birthday soon, so I ordered a gift for him. But I need to pick it up myself; why else do you think I left the casino before the night shift?" —She always left before the night shift— "They're keeping the gift on the top floor, but I need to sign all of the papers so it will take a while. So go find a parking place before you need to turn back."

The driver did as she demanded, finding a temporary place to park the limo. She heard the doors click, letting her get out. Her last glance she saw of the driver before she headed inside the mall was of him calling someone.

She needed to hurry.

She was in a Mogoru street.

It wouldn't take long for them to arrive.

She rushed inside the mall, heading directly to the receptionist on the other side of the ground floor. When she reached her, she asked, "Is anyone on the top floor?"

The receptionist, a young-looking woman with short brown hair, looked at her mildly concerned. "Miss, I don't think I can tel—."

Adara interrupted her, noticing that her nametag said 'Bonnie'. "Bonnie, I know I haven't explained, but I haven't got much time. In a few minutes, a few people are going to come in here with badly concealed guns. They think I'm going to be on the top floor. Are there any customers on the top floor?"

Bonnie, shaken, shook her head. "No, it's only a storage room. But there are a few staff members—."

Adara interrupted her. "Can you call them away? If these people see them, they will probably shoot them and then me." She doubted she would die since the CEO of Mogoru Inc. liked to gloat very much, and he would never waste the opportunity to taunt her before he blew her brains out. But she couldn't say that to this woman. "Can you do that?"

Bonnie nodded, her head bobbing slightly. If only Anne were here, she thought, distressed, picking up the intercom. But she's at some café with some no-good. There, of course, was always the possibility that this strange woman was lying, but Bonnie would rather not take that risk.

The strange woman in question— Adara— looked around before running toward the back entrance. There was a small street behind the mall, one that still belonged to Mogoru's, but it was less suspicuous. She just needed to call Alberu so that he could actually pick her up.

As she ran, she heard a few voices, including Bonnie's nervous voice. She listened enough to hear Bonnie say 'a woman with a big scar on her face' went upstairs, and she was gone onto the street.

As she got out of the mall, trying to find a place to hide so that she could call Alberu— she had forgotten to answer any of his texts since she received them— she saw a simple black car with someone waving widely in the driver's seat.

She squinted. Was that person waving at her? Who was that person? Upon closer inspection, she realised she recognised her. It was Tasha, Alberu's aunt. She ran to the car, trying to avoid getting killed by other cars along the way. She swung the backdoor open and fell onto the seats.

She sighed, feeling the car start moving.

Her heart was still beating hard, though her breathing was regulated. She wanted to light a cigarette, but she didn't want to smoke up Tasha's car. Fuck me, she thought. I should have swiped that Japanese whiskey when I had the chance. "How did you find me?" Adara asked, sitting straight and leaning closer to Tasha.

Tasha looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "When you didn't answer any of his texts— which he was very worried and annoyed about," she added with a look at her, "he was chugging tea like you with alcohol."

Adara put a dramatic hand over her heart. "Ouch, you wound me so."

Tasha looked back at the road with a smile on her face. "Cale was also worrying, but he tried to reassure Alberu that you were still alive and just not answering your phone. Based on that assumption, Alberu checked your location and told me to tail you from a distance. He figured out your plan— or, at least, the important part of it— when you stopped in front of that mall," she made a motion towards the mall long gone behind that.

"And thank the gods for that," Adara joked. "I didn't want to spend a moment longer on a Mogoru street; the architecture is ugly."

Tasha chuckled. "I recommend relaxing; Alberu isn't exactly happy with the amount of paperwork you've now given him. He just might ask you to reimburse the tea he stress-drank."

Adara sighed. "Why does Alberu always drink such expensive teas? Just settle with a basic Black Tea." Adara sighed again when she remembered that she needed to tell Alberu that she killed Redika, and he would need to cover it up. That probably wouldn't improve his mood.

Soon enough, she arrived at the Roan Co. Headquarters. She waved to Tasha as she drove off to park the car. She would need to go inside now; she would need to face Alberu's wrath. A small chuckle was on her lips as she thought of the piles of work Alberu had to deal with because of her.

She wasn't a very quiet person; she had been; long ago, she had been a ghost in a house that would never belong to her, but now she was loud and rambunctious. She laughed and she grinned, she schemed and she taunted. Her family had cast her away because of her abrupt change; they no longer liked this boisterous child.

As if they liked me in the first place, Adara thought, bitterness seeping through her thoughts. She observed the building before her again. The Raon Co. Headquarters. Alberu was on the top floor, and Cale was probably with him.

Did Alberu like her?

Or did he deal with her because he needed to? Every vulgar joke she made, every time she teased him, every time he would call her a bastard, was she pushing him away with every glare of his?

Every time he had more work to do because of her, every time she laughed at him for it, did he hate her in those moments? Did he feel the seeds of hate that she set there? Did he feel them grow into thorny vines, clinging to his heart?

Would he decide one day that he no longer liked the annoying child in front of him?

Adara felt her hands tremble as she took out her lighter and a cigarette. Just one, she thought, almost pleadingly. I'll just have one before I go inside. She inhaled the smoke, too eager. She clung to the feeling of the calm wave washing over her; she hated herself when it retreated.

Her cigarette was burnt out before long, and she was tempted to take another one from her pocket, but she ignored the temptation. She walked inside the building, smiling at the blonde woman— Anne— at the reception desk who just returned from her break. She felt her hands twitch as she stood in the elevator, but she ignored that as well.

She reached the top floor, and settled herself on one of the chairs in front of the door. She told Alberu that his 'wait room' looked like a dentist's place, but he never listened. She looked up at the TV with some random channel on. She was surprised when she saw herself up on the screen.

She squinted. Oh god, they did me no justice with the lighting. She looked terrifying, shrouded in darkness but with her bright, grinning teeth on display.

"No," her TV self was saying. It was an interview from a couple of weeks ago; she can't remember what it was about. "I don't babysit them; they are my kids."

Adara remembered now what it was about. Some pictures had been taken of her following the lead of a silver-haired child, holding the hand of a red-haired child and holding on her hip a child with black hair. On had been showing her an ice cream place a friend showed her, Hong kept getting distracted and wandering off, and Raon had been a bit too tired to walk. The whole internet had exploded, most of them accusing her of 'infidelity' and being a whore.

The Interviewer smiled mischievously. A smile that Adara still hated. "And? Who's the father? Is it—."

Adara had interrupted the Interviewer then, before she could accuse her of sleeping with all her male friends. "They are adopted. And they don't have contact with their biological parents."

The Interviewer had smiled at her again. Adara hated the question she was going to ask after hearing this. She hated it in that moment, and she hated remembering now that the event had passed. "And what do your father and stepmother say—."

The door to Alberu's office opened, and he stood there in all his golden glory, blocking out the noise from the TV. His skin was a nice dark tan, his eyes a warm brown. His hair was dark with hints of gold. Some mistook them for siblings, though his skin was lighter, and she had a violent scar ravaging her pristine features.

He smiled at her, and her worries dissipated; even the sound of the Interviewer's annoying voice could no longer trouble her. "What are you doing out here? I told you you can always come in."

And she was back to her usual self. She smiled at him, as terrifying as she had been on the TV. "I just wanted to see myself on the big screen."

Alberu rolled his eyes, and she hesitated. But he was badly concealing a smile, and that calmed her. He opened the door, standing at the side, to welcome her in.

She stood up gracefully, smiling as she passed him. "My, my, what a gentleman."

Inside the room, with Cale in one of the chairs across from Alberu's and his messy desk, she sat in the one on his side. Cale looked at her. "Hurt?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Only my dignity. How could I ever let myself get kidnapped?"

Alberu was now seated on the chair across from them; the smile wiped from his face. "Yes," he said. "About that. Do you have any idea how much stress you've put me through?!" Alberu began his tirade. "First, I hear you're nowhere to be seen at the casino. I thought you were just wandering again, or maybe the driver was on the wrong street, but after I text you and the only response I get is, 'Oh, shit' followed by my texts not even being left on read and my calls not being answer—."

"—You called—?"

"—I was supposed to get to a meeting with an important investor, but when I checked your location, I saw you were heading towards the Mogoru Territory?!" Alberu continued. "Do you know how annoyed that investor was when I cancelled the meeting on such short notice?! I even had to send Tasha to follow you to ensure nothing would happen if your phone were taken from you! You better be glad I convinced you to get that location app, or else you would be face-to-face with the CEO of Mogoru Inc. instead of me!"

He was about to begin again when she interrupted. "But I did learn something."

Alberu raised an eyebrow, doubtful. "Not to enter cars with drivers you've never seen before?"

Now, Adara did not think that was her fault. Many chauffeurs worked for Roan Co.; was she expected to know every face? What if they got a new hire? "No," she said pensively. "I learned that I like Japanese Whiskey."

Alberu stared at her for a moment, not believing the words that came from her mouth. Cale chuckled from next to her, and Alberu smiled coldly at her. "Crazy bastard," he cursed, the smile disappearing. "And you too," he said with a pointed look at Cale. "You were of no help while I was stressing."

Cale smiled widely, a hand dramatically over his chest. "Oh, luminous CEO of the Roan Company, how you wound me so. You shine too brightly in this peasant's eyes; how can I do anything while being blinded by your radiating beauty?"

Alberu put his head in his hands, done with both of them.

Adara inspected her black-coloured nails; they were already beginning to chip. She had done it the past weekend; Hong also wanted his nails painted black to match hers. She would need to buy a better one and a better topcoat. She might do them red next time. "Alberu," she said, looking up at him. "I want some Japanese Whiskey."

Alberu looked at her, his face one of disbelief. "Then go buy some; I only have Henituse Wine here."

"Can you buy me some?" she asked, blinking innocently.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're stinking rich. You can buy some yourself."

She put a dramatic hand over her forehead. "My kidnapping experience was so traumatic and scarring that I just can't bring myself to swipe my card! You must really send for help! Or someone will need to pay for everything of mine!" She had been a theatre kid in high school, which is one of the reasons why she had such a good poker face.

Alberu sighed, a sigh so tired and annoyed she knew he was giving her permission. She grinned, standing up and leaning over the desk to kiss him on the cheek as she swiped his phone from under her. "Thank you," she said earnestly, noticing the slight tinge of red on the tip of his ears.

She sat back in her seat, unlocking his phone with ease. She scrolled through the searches that came up. She could not read Japanese, so she merely searched for the one she wanted by the shape of the bottle and the design on the label. 

"Alberu," she said, still searching for the right whiskey, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them. "I have bad news." His face darkened. "But it's good—," his face became suspicious, "—just not for you." His face darkened again.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding as done with her as he looked.

"Redika is dead," she reported. Cale looked up at her with interest.

"Who?" Alberu asked simply.

"Choi Han killed him after he put a gun to my face."

"Where?"

She looked up at him, not hesitating but trying to make him more tired. It seemed as if it was working since he looked like he was inwardly debating where Choi Han could have possibly killed the crazy man. "Near one of the back doors of the Casino."

He sighed again. He would need to clean that up. And deal with more paperwork. He went on another tirade, detailing how important it was to kill people in places where it couldn't be traced back to them, nor where it was hard to clean up. Then he started lamenting on how suspicious it would be to get rid of the body and how he needed to deal with that now.

Adara was not paying the most attention since she had to scroll for a while until she recognised it. She bought a couple of them, when a realisation came to her.

Alberu was still complaining about his piles of work when she carefully set his phone back in its place. "Alberu," she said carefully. He stopped his tirade, looking suspiciously at her.

"What?" he asked, preparing for the worst. Had she neglected to mention she had murdered the CEO of Mogoru Inc. while she was at it?

She was sure he wasn't going to be happy with this piece of information. She was very sure. "Alberu, I think I forgot my phone in the kidnapper's car."