Present day
Her hands were cuffed behind her as she sat on the chair. Everyone seemed furious. The investigating officer had thrown his laptop on the table and played the video of the murder on repeat since she was brought in. She had sat there exercising her right to remain silent with an incomprehensible expression.

The officers in the observation room were on the verge of a blowing up. An officer was dead and what was thought to be a gang war apparently was a cold blooded murder. She was right in front of their eyes and they still had to sit and wait around. She looked at her reflection in the one-way mirror; she could feel their glares fixed on her. She realized she had ignored the interrogation officer sitting right in front of her all this while. His actions definitely spoke louder than his words; he slammed his hands on the table for every two words he spoke. She looked at his name tag. Daniel. *Daniel. D-A-N-I-E...* she spelled in her mind as she looked at his face that was raging red.

The man who just entered and whispered something into the officer's ears distracted her attention. She looked at the interrogating officer whose face suddenly lit up.

"You hear that?" he was excited.
"No I obviously didn't, dude literally whispered", she answered.
"Your arrest hasn't been registered. Whatever happens until we register your arrest is no one's responsibility", he declared before grabbing her elbow and leading her out.

*Of course. Akin probably arranged my welcome here. Moreover, losing an officer is somewhat personal for the force. This wasn't going to end well*

As they entered the corridor outside the room, officers from the other room had stepped out.
She stretched her shoulders that were now hurting from the hand being cuffed behind. Daniel pushed her into a cell with the cuffs still on her hand.

She stood still for a second while Daniel closed the door and said something threatening. She didn't bother to listen close, rather observed the bunch of people who were in the cell with her. She sighed. Her chances of getting out as smoothly as she got in was remote. *There's definitely going to be a few broken bones* she thought as she sat down beside the door, her back to another cell separated by metal bars with just as many men as this.

She didn't remember when she had fallen asleep. Her arms were almost numb from keeping the painful position for too long but she sprang up as she felt the clutch of hands on her wrists. She looked back to find two men behind her in the other cell; one grabbing her hands, while before she could pull away, the other locked her neck. Her feet were free and as much as she tried to move away, they tightened their grip. She looked out of the cell where the guard was supposed to be at; he was nowhere and the clock above his desk showed 0300 in the morning. She relaxed her muscles realizing it would be better to take a few punches than to be choked unconscious.

"This one, Akin has sent personally", the huge and well built guy who looked like he came straight out of a protein shake commercial spoke before clenching his fist and launching it at her face. She prepared for it, loosening her jaws and stalling her breath. Her head hit the iron bar of the cell at the impact. She took a minute to collect herself, blinking rapidly. She sighed as the guy moved back leaving way for a leaner guy with baseball bat looking arms came forward with an annual calendar that he placed it close to her abdomen.

"You gotta be kidding me", she uttered as the muscle guy took an iron rod and moved forward. This was an Akin favorite move; also a very ancient one. When people in power were held to be coerced, bruises couldn't be left on the body. As long as she had worked for Akin, she and the men had used ledgers to reduce the visible impact on the outside; old school? yes; still effective? still yes.

She tightened her stomach and clenched her teeth as he threw the rod aimed for her, the strength of it visible from the gritted teeth and his expression. A gasp escaped her after a minute. It continued until he threw the rod aside. She hung her head as the man locking her neck, let go. The cuffs were undone; at which point she wasn't even surprised they had the key all along. The huge guy walked towards her. *what is it this time* Before she could finish thinking, her neck was in his grasp again. She brought her hands up to her neck, in efforts of freeing herself. She watched as the guy's punch came flying at her. After a blackout that lasted two minutes before he broke one of her fingers like a twig, all she remembered was hitting her face on the floor. She grunted as the guy stretched out her hand, the baseball arm guy held the rod high up in air. *Ah this must be my broken bone moment* she thought and closed her eyes shut but everyone stopped as the guard ran in and yelled something, she didn't have the determination to listen to. They let go of her arms and neck, and retreated as she fell on the floor.

*pains like a bitch* she cried in her mind while spitting out the blood. The guard ran back to his desk when three people in suits walked in with bags in their hands. Daniel and other officers followed them.

"Is this what you meant by treating her good? You know that if this is exposed you could lose your job right?" The first man asked looking at Samairah as Daniel unlocked the door. The three walked in looking at the woman sitting cross legged on the floor.

"I am Junho Kim, legal head of Noah Group", he said offering her a hand.
"They submitted proof that the video was fabricated. You may go", Daniel spoke, his doubts masked with guilt and disappointment.

*Akin was an asshole but an undetermined asshole. If he threatened me with death, he would let go of me with a broken arm. But if the Chairman was to get his hands on me, I wouldn't make it out alive a second time*

She grabbed his wrist, he flinched downward as she pulled his arm to stand up. Although her legs worked fine, her core had given up. She struggled to stand straight. The three lawyers walked out which was her cue to follow. Wearily first, she started walking as the officers at the station watched pitifully. As they stepped out she saw the three cars lined outside with a driver and a guard in it, nothing in this scenario looked like she had just been saved. She looked in the way of the gate wondering if she would make it if she ran. *probably not*

"The Chairman is very eager to see you after so long. Don't cause a scene and get in like a good dog", Junho whispered in her ears as she stood looking at the gate in front of the car's open door.

She laughed as she heard it. Junho put his hands above her head pushing her head down into the car. She obliged not having an escape.