Lian opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. For a moment, he thought he might be dreaming and started to drift back into sleep when a sharp unease crept in. He sat up slowly, his hand throbbing from the IV tube connected to it.
A nurse, adjusting the line beside him, looked up as he watched her in confusion. "How do you feel?" she softly asked. Lian’s voice rasped with confusion, "Why am I here?" His mind was still foggy, but flashes of memory started piecing together. The club. No, the car with Celine. Then… the ambush. He glanced around, his pulse quickening. Where was she? "Your friend brought you in after you passed out from gas poisoning," the nurse explained. "You’re lucky it wasn’t worse." He gave her a strange gaze. Friend? Who? Lian’s thoughts scrambled. He remembered fainting, but everything after that was a blur. Was Celine okay? Before he could ask more, a woman approached the bed, clearly not a doctor. She had an edge to her look—short honey-colored hair, jeans, a T-shirt—and without a word, flashed an ID badge at him. "Lian Carter? I’m Detective Rochelle" Lian instantly connected the dots. This had to be about what happened that night. He needed answers too, so he didn’t object. "I’ve got a few questions for you," Rochelle said, "Celine Drayton. She’s missing." The words hit Lian like a punch. Missing? His mind whirred. Did they never find her? Was she taken? "What... what do you mean missing?" Lian stammered. His heart pounded in his chest, disorienting him further. He hadn’t even fully processed waking up in a hospital, and now this. "Tell me everything you remember about that night. From the moment you left the club." Her questions pierced his skull, worsening his headache. He recalled Celine’s habit of disappearing and turning up days later like it was nothing. But this was different. He was there. He saw it all. Lian struggled to pull the pieces together but relayed everything he could remember. "So… you didn’t see any faces?" Rochelle pressed, not missing a beat. "No..." Lian’s voice wavered. But then, something flashed in his memory—a figure, someone who helped him before he blacked out. Was he even helping him? "There was a woman. Green hair. I’m sure of it." Rochelle’s lips curled into a smile, but her eyes stayed cold. She snapped her notebook shut. "Green hair, huh? That’s useful." She slipped him a card. "Call me if anything else comes back. And rest. You need it." Before Lian could even blink, she was gone. And not long after, another figure stepped in. A guy, about his age, with round glasses and a buzz cut, strolled in like he owned the place. He grinned. "Well, well, well. Look who’s awake! Trying to off yourself now? You remember me, right?" "Rogan…" Lian muttered, still trying to make sense of things. "Celine’s missing." Rogan snickered, stepping closer. He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Word on the street is her old man’s been getting threats. Serious stuff." Lian’s blood ran cold. "Threats? What do they want? And how do you know about this?" Rogan gave a sly shrug. "Man, have you forgotten? My dad and sis are in the biz. I hear things. But as for what they want? No clue. Yet." He flashed a playful wink. "I’ll dig into it." "Wait, did you bring me to the hospital?" Lian asked, still piecing together the missing parts. Rogan blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Me? Nah, man. I was at the café, grinding with my team. No way I was leaving mid-match." Lian frowned. If Rogan didn’t bring him here, then who did? The green-haired woman? Who was she? Rogan, ever casual, flopped into the chair beside him. "Look, man. I know you’re worried, but don’t stress too hard. The cops’ll handle it." Lian’s temper flared at that. He glared at Rogan. "I want her found, okay? Whether I liked her or not… she wasn’t a bad person." Rogan raised a brow, an amused smirk creeping onto his face. "Ohh… so now you’re realizing you care? After she’s gone? Smooth, Lian. Real smooth."
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BAD HEROINES 5. Escaped Death
The vast field was packed with more than twenty motorbikes lined up in perfect rows, their engines purring in anticipation. Lian stood among the crowd, blending in yet separate. The thrill of the race had always been his escape from the chaos of life. After everything that had happened, this was the only place he could think of to distract himself. These street races were always illegal, which made the nightfall the perfect time to gather. Lian had been a regular for years, always borrowing a bike from his friend Rogan. As one of the best racers, his reputation preceded him, and while most of the others had partners clinging to them, Lian always preferred to ride solo. The solitude helped him focus. Besides, Celine’s brother had originally brought him into the gang because of his skills with bikes. As he checked the bike’s gears, a soft yet confident voice caught him off guard. "Mind if I ride with you?" He turned, ready to brush her off like he did with most girls who tried t
BAD HEROINES 6. Just In Time
He was walking down a dimlight alley as he made his way towards his apartment. Most nights, he had taken this same route, hopping to catch a glimpe of a mysterious woman he had dropped off here. Thoughts of the mysterious woman he had encountered before lingered in his mind. But for two days, she had not shown up. That should have brought relief but only served to deepen his unease. The card she had given him, just a hotel address, was a distant memory now and wondered if she toyed with him. As he turned a corner, a powerful hand shot out of the shadows, grabbing his collar and throwing him violently to the ground. He tried to make sense of what happened, and he blinked up at the figure looming over him. His forehead wrinkled as his eyes focused on the heavyset man, a menacing beast tattoo marking his bald head like a brand. Recognition hit Lian's eyes. "Jake." He cursed his luck under his breath."Why is it so hard to leave the past behind?" He groaned, pushing himself up. The
BAD HEROINES 7. She Was Dangerous
The rider, clad in a sleek black jumpsuit and reflective helmet, moved with the assured grace of someone who knew she was in control. Even without seeing her face, Lian could sense it—it was a woman. One look at the customized bike and the way she dressed, he had a good guess who it might be. He smiled faintly, though wariness lingered behind his eyes. The woman reached out, handing him a spare helmet without a word. A flicker of recognition sparked within him, and without hesitation, he grabbed it, slipping it on before hopping behind her. She revved the engine, and the bike shot forward, leaving Jake and his men scrambling to their car, cursing as they tried in vain to catch up. Within seconds, the city blurred around them as she wove through traffic effortlessly, the wind whipping past them. By the time they reached the outskirts, Jake and his crew were nothing more than a memory. The bike skidded to a stop outside a quiet restaurant, and Lian dismounted, still reeling from
BAD HEROINES 8. She Won't Hide
She moved cautiously down the narrow corridor, her footsteps nearly silent under the dim, flickering lights. She passed door after door, the numbers blurring until she reached the one she sought—304. Sliding the key card before entering. The door closed behind her with a quiet click, sealing her in the stillness of the room. The moment she pocketed the card, her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced down at the screen. An unknown number. Without a second thought, she tossed the phone onto the table, hoping to ignore whatever it was. Ever since she survived the poison, she had lived on the edge, wary of every step she took. The how and why of it gnawed at her constantly. She hadn't found the culprit, didn't know how they slipped the poison into her life, or what twisted motive lay behind the attack. But then the phone buzzed again. This time, a message. 'You won’t hide forever, Lin Lijun. They will know about you' Lijun’s heart stuttered. Her fingers tightened around the phone
BAD HEROINES 9. The Betrayer
Her eyes fluttered briefly before snapping open, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She scanned the unfamiliar room, her gaze locking onto the IV tube attached to her hand. She was in a hospital gown. The last thing she remembered was being in that hotel room—a trap, she realized now, expertly set. Her brow furrowed. Whoever was behind it hadn’t wanted to kill her right away. They wanted her alive for something worse. But who was it? The thought gnawed at her, an uneasy feeling tightening in her chest. She wasn’t afraid of him but the uncertainty unsettled her. She had to leave. Now. She tried to move but a sharp pain shot through her stomach, forcing a grimace. Pulling the gown aside, she saw the bandage. Of course, she thought. But if she fell into that man’s hands, this wound would be the least of her concerns. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself out of bed. She pulled the IV as she sat up, blood dripping to the floor. She ignored it, staggering toward the window, one hand
BAD HEROINES 10. Scared Of Her
The next day, the nurse came in to check on Lijun. After checking on her, she nodded to herself and stepped out. As she closed the door behind her, she stopped, startled by the sight of a girl standing there, staring blankly at the door. The girl looked young, maybe sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a school uniform, with short bobbed hair and blunt bangs. There was something unnerving about her—an unsettling stillness that made the nurse unease. If Lijun had seemed strange, this girl felt like something entirely different. “How is she?” the girl asked, her voice flat, devoid of any warmth. The nurse hesitated, unsure how much she should say, but the girl turned her head slightly, her eyes cutting into her. “She’s my sister.” “Oh—uh, yes, you can see her,” the nurse stammered. “She’s doing well.” Without another word, the girl turned toward the door and opened it, stepping inside without even a glance back at the nurse. The girl, Evelyn Lin, stood just inside the room, her pale
BAD HEROINES 11. Notorious Criminal
Rogan dragged Lian to the doctor for a checkup. It wasn’t unusual—Rogan constantly worried about Lian’s Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP) condition and took it upon himself to force him into these appointments. Lian would have refused, but today he had something else on his mind, something he needed Rogan’s help with. He needed to find the envelope he’d left in the car the night of the ambush, and more importantly, he needed information on Riley. There was something off about her, and it gnawed at him. After the appointment, Rogan dragged him to an internet café, completely ignoring Lian’s reluctance. "Why don’t you just play at home?" Lian asked, genuinely puzzled. Rogan’s family was loaded, and he had the best gaming setup imaginable, yet he still preferred these dingy, crowded cafés. Rogan scoffed, his face scrunched in disbelief. "You kiddin’ me? My mom’s a freakin’ control freak, man. She gives me, like, one hour—one hour! What can I do with that?" They settled into thei
BAD HEROINES 12. The Monster
When the world was a swirling mess of questions and surprises, Rochelle was jogging on a treadmill, her gaze fixed on the same viral video playing over and over. Each time it replayed, her smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with a hint of madness. Her body, sculpted and gleaming with sweat, finally came to a halt as she stopped the machine and burst out laughing. The room echoed with her laughter—empty except for herself. Lucky, too, or else anyone watching might think she was insane. Which, in a way, she was. "Oh, what a way to start the day!" she giggled, wiping away tears of laughter. With a sharp snap of her fingers, she grinned. “Now, where should I start? No, no—I'm dying to see her face.” Humming with excitement, Rochelle bolted for the shower. The music blared loud enough to rattle the walls, and her voice, off-key but confident, filled the bathroom as she sang at the top of her lungs. Her mood had shifted so drastically, anyone would have thought she’d won the lottery. Mo