1 Where should I start?

The sky was dark as if it were about to rain, but I ignored the cold wind blowing as if it was hugging my skin. I was just looking at my grandfather's grave and my hand was forming a fist. The rain started to fall slowly, but I didn't care. All I could think of was to avenge whoever had done it to my grandfather.

I went home soaking wet and drowned myself in the bathtub. The thought of avenging my grandfather ate my mind and the consciousness that I didn't realize I'd been there for about 15 minutes. I was forced to get up and get dressed when I heard a soft knock outside my door. I didn't open it and kept doing what I was doing until I heard a loud, intense knock afterward.

"You can destroy it in any way you can," I said in a cold voice.

The next knock on the door became louder and louder until it stopped for a moment and then the door opened. 

"Leave this house at once!" Amy, my stepmother exclaimed in anger.

I smirked as I heard that, so I calmly put the towel down, then sat on my bed, and looked at my maidservant trembling in fear. "You cannot scare me the way you scare my maidservants."

Amy frowned and was about to speak again when I cut her off.

"I was about to leave this house, but then I remembered, who gave you the right to kick me out of MY OWN HOUSE?" I said, emphasizing my last three words.

"And what do you think a 21-year-old Kaesu can do?"

"Don't play dumb, Amy. I know all about your plans to get rid of me and take everything that belongs to me." 

"NONSENSE!" Amy shouted and held her breath with her sharp eyes staring directly at me without even blinking. 

"Oh, I'm sure. Just like you had no intention of getting involved in my grandfather's death, right?"

Amy flashed a sarcastic uneasy smile and gritted her teeth as I tried to provoke her.

"Excuse me? How dare you accuse me of something so heinous!" Amy tried to hide the uneasiness on her face, but her eyes couldn't lie.

 "I'm just calling it like I see it, Amy. And I see you for what you are."

"Lock her in the basement!" Amy shouted in anger and left in an instant before she couldn't hold her anger. 

The maidservant looked at me with hesitation, and I understood her well. She'd been serving me for more than a decade, but she was only a maidservant, and even though she wanted to help me, she couldn't get fired, or she'd be jobless, so she had no choice but to follow the new lady into the house.

"Don't worry, I'll leave this house before midnight. Please do take care of Father, and report to me as soon as something is going on in this house. I'll keep in touch. Could you do that for me?" 

I sighed in relief and nodded. I flashed a quick sweet smile before I turned my back and fixed my things. 

I moved into a small apartment I bought myself with the savings that my grandpa secretly created in case of situations like this.

I sat at the desk, poring over documents and photos, looking so frustrated and lost. 

How am I supposed to find any answers? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I slump back in my chair, defeated. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. 

 Who could that be?

As I opened the door, a sweet smiling guy was standing in front of me with something in his hands.

"Welcome my new neighbor, how do you like your new place? Isn't it nice? Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it amazing? Would you let me in to put my welcome gift for you at your table?" 

Before I could answer, he nudged me and I dropped my jaw when he entered my house and went straight to my kitchen, putting in the food container he brought himself.

"This is trespassing!"

"Indeed, but we're friends now since I gave you some food you can enjoy, being friends with your neighbor is such a good thing in case you need some help, or you are in an emergency, I'd be one call away!" He said with his hands on his waist flashing a big smile. "And oh! I'm gay, so don't give me that look."

"What look?"

"That nonchalant look! I'm Alex..."

"I already have friends; I don't need more."

"You don't even look like you have one!"

I rolled my eyes and went back to my desk to get back to what I was doing earlier, since I didn't have the energy to deal with this random person inside my house. 

"And my friend is coming too-"

"What?" my head turned 60 degrees facing him in shock.

What a life.

"Did someone say housewarming?" 

I could not believe my eyes as I saw a girl entering my place giggling with beers in her hands and, just like Alex, she also had that broad smile on her lips as if there was not tomorrow.

I facepalmed as I realized what mess I was in.

"Should I call the police?"

"Come on girl, don't be such a killjoy, love your life!" She exclaimed, bumping me with her butt,"... By the way, I am Lara, nice meeting you Ms.?"

"See? You don't even know me, do you guys' love trespassing into other people's places and not minding your own business?"

Alex patted my shoulder and whispered in my ears, "Nope, but all the people living here are oldies, and we got excited the moment we heard the new person that will move here is a girl of the same age as ours."

I frowned as I saw the girl named Lara nodding her head like a kid agreeing with her elders.

I heaved a sigh and left them there and went outside for fresh air. As I went further, I felt like someone was watching, or more like following me. I searched around the area and saw no one suspicious, so I didn't go back to my place. Because I didn't know what they were up to. I could lead them somewhere I could trap them. And there are two innocent people there that I cannot possibly drag into this mess. When I saw a guy wearing a black hoodie running, I chased after him, but he was way faster than I was, and I lost track of him, so I stopped to catch my breath and look around for something or someone that might help me or be connected to that person.

Who could that be? What is he up to? What does he need from me? 

I turned around to go back to my place when... I step on a paper.