The Villain's Sister - Chapter 11

Red Shadow still hadn’t regained consciousness.

Despite pouring medicine into him, the wound was so severe that his fever continued to rage.

Raphael brought in a doctor known in the underworld and showed him the wound.

“It’s poison.”

“Poison?”

“Looks like it was applied to the blade and penetrated the wound. It’s a nasty one, but fortunately, I have the antidote.”

“That’s a relief.”

“It’s thanks to the drugs that flooded the market after Lucky Ginger collapsed last year.”

The doctor advised changing the bandages frequently before leaving the house.

Seeing Red Shadow’s pale, blood-drained face left me with a strange feeling.

It felt surreal to know I was letting slip the last chance to kill this man.

Was this the right choice? Would I regret today’s decision someday?

“I’ll be gone for three days, but I’m worried about leaving you and that bastard alone. Still, I told Liam to check in often, so if anything happens, tell him.”

“Isn’t it time to stop nagging me like this?”

“I’ve got more to say, so listen up. I cuffed that half-dead bastard to the bed just in case. He won’t be able to leave, so if he needs the bathroom, open an unused can and give it to him.”

“Oh my god…”

Raphael showed me the key and tucked it into his pocket.

I said he got hurt saving me, but judging from how far he went, he clearly knew I was lying.

“We don’t even know his name, let alone his identity. What do you trust to let him walk around this house freely? I’ll unlock the cuffs when I return, so tell him to wait.”

The problem is, a guy like him won’t be stopped by handcuffs.

“Deva. Don’t let a handsome face fool you so easily. What matters is whether he’s someone you can control.”

Knowing Raphael’s worries didn’t mean much, I nodded roughly and saw him off as he left.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“You stay safe too.”

After watching Raphael’s car disappear, I scooped some soup and went to the guest room.

When I opened the door, I saw Red Shadow rattling his cuffs.

He had been unconscious all night. Talk about perfect timing.

“You’re awake?”

When I opened the curtains, sunlight streamed through the window and lit up Red Shadow’s face.

In many ways, he was the complete opposite of Tristan.

His slightly long bangs that fell softly over his forehead emphasized his sharp, sensitive features.

His sleek nose gave him a sophisticated air, and his tightly shut lips looked stubborn.

What stood out most were his eyes, full of cold light.

His slanted, foxlike eyes contrasted sharply with his drooping brows.

Though filled with sensitivity and gloom, his piercing eyes were nothing short of fierce.

Anyone normal would naturally feel uneasy around him.

“…I saved you from Red Shadow?”

That was clearly sarcasm. I sat down a little distance away from him.

“My brother could’ve killed you. I figured saying Red Shadow was sniffing around nearby would be a decent excuse.”

I’d used his name to cover for him, so maybe it seemed amusing to him.

Red Shadow glanced at the cuffs on his wrists and let out a hollow laugh.

The center of the cuffs was chained to the bed, so he couldn’t take even a single step out of the room.

“Sorry. My brother tends to be overprotective. If you search the storage room, there should be a bolt cutter. I’ll look for it later so we can cut the chain. But first, let’s eat. You need food before taking medicine.”

“I don’t understand why you’re going so far to help me. Do you know me?”

“How would I know you? Still, I couldn’t just ignore someone dying. What’s your name?”

He didn’t answer and instead focused on the soup I’d brought.

Judging by his face, I thought he might try to maintain table manners, but maybe he hated struggling with cuffed hands—he simply picked up the bowl and drank.

I quickly handed him the medicine he needed to take.

He examined the pill and swallowed it with water.

“If I asked how you got hurt, you wouldn’t tell me, would you?”

“You didn’t help me just to find that out.”

“Exactly. If the reason mattered, I’d have just reported you to the police.”

This area belonged to Death Adder.

No one with ties to the underworld comes without a story.

In the underground world, people don’t ask about the past.

For those who live in darkness, what matters is the pleasure that lights up the night—not the footprints left behind.

“I’m Deva.”

“I thought I heard your name was Giselle.”

“That’s the name Andrew—no, my father—gave me. It’s the one I use only in official documents. My real name is Deva. Everyone calls me that. What about you? What’s your name?”

Though I knew this man’s real name, I asked as if I didn’t.

Like someone from the underworld who doesn’t care about the past, it didn’t matter to me who he really was.

What mattered was how he introduced himself.

I would call him by the name he wanted to be called. If he said he was Harry, I’d call him Harry. If he said John, then John it would be.

Whether the false identity he’d taken on was a hitman or a debtor, I was ready to go along with it.

So be it friendship, pity—even if it was sympathy—I had to gain his mercy in some form.

‘As long as I can save Raphael, I’ll do anything.’

I could throw away my pride and even kneel.

Raphael killed Andrew because of me—what couldn’t I do?

A few days ago, Maria had asked if I wanted to be an actress, but the truth is, I already had a role.

My part was that of a liar.

A liar who deceives the whole world with cunning tricks so no one would realize I was lying.

I would approach naturally, without anyone seeing through my act, building debts and friendships to save Raphael’s and my life.

“My name is…”

My stage had to become a web that would entrap Black Pistols and Red Shadow.

It was a terrifying and vague task, but I knew.

The price of survival is always heavy and painful.

“Johan. It’s Johan.”

Could I survive on this web?

Was this man a fly sent to hunt the spider?

“Johan. It’s nice to meet you.”

I did my best to smile, swallowing my fear.

***

Tristan had hidden his motorcycle helmet and leather jacket before heading to the scene of Two Star’s hostage situation.

The fellow officers who had arrived first were clicking their tongues and managing the scene.

Two bodies were left at the site.

One with its head crushed, and the other with a bullet through the skull.

The former was Big Bear’s doing, the latter Red Shadow’s.

Tristan pointed discreetly at the man inspecting the bodies.

“Isn’t that guy a government wizard?”

“Black Pistols said there’s dark magic on the corpse. It’s some kind of puppet spell that manipulates a dead body, so don’t get too close—it’s dangerous.”

“Tch. That’s one filthy trick.”

Tristan had given the police a rough explanation of the situation himself, but now he just nodded as if he didn’t know.

“That blood on the floor—that’s Red Shadow’s, right? Any tips come in about his whereabouts?”

“Nothing. The blood test showed it was poison extracted from a viper. If he didn’t get treated properly, he’ll be found dead in an alley in a few days.”

Tristan’s face stiffened.

He didn’t like Red Shadow.

The guy was a lunatic who tried to eliminate any criminal he could get his hands on.

But that didn’t mean he wanted him to die miserably either.

‘We’ve known each other for a while now…’

Just an hour ago, he’d been about to kill Red Shadow, but that was something they’d been doing on and off for years.

When their goals aligned, they’d handled many incidents together.

“Looks like Big Bear’s real aim wasn’t a hostage terror event but taking out Black Pistols and Red Shadow. He’s been so on edge lately, I never know what he’s going to do—it’s terrifying. Don’t you think so, Tristan?”

Who would’ve thought the anonymous tip and evidence about the O’Connell gambling case had come from Raphael?

O’Connell, who had ties with them, was taken down, and then the organ trafficking ring managed by Red Shadow got blown up entirely—Big Bear had completely lost it.

So he staged a hostage crisis to lure and eliminate the two.

Red Shadow confronted Big Bear, and Black Pistols disabled the bombs.

After Big Bear escaped, Red Shadow and Black Pistols fought.

Red Shadow had killed a hostage.

Then, a corpse under dark magic rose like a zombie and stabbed Red Shadow with the knife Big Bear had left behind.

‘Hope that bastard’s okay.’

Even from a glance, it was clear the poison was spreading fast.

Just when Tristan was about to get him to a hospital, he vanished by magic.

Maybe they had a plan, or maybe not—but it left Tristan worried.

“Sigh.”

Instead of chasing criminals today, he figured he’d track down Red Shadow’s trail.