Asmodeus was in bed with Mistress Bella, the lower half of their bodies covered in sheets. It wasn't even evening, yet they had spent hours wearing each other out. And from the way Asmodeus stared at Bella's flogged skin, it was far from over.
She was at least ten years older than him, but that meant nothing to him.
At that moment, Asmodeus's mobile phone rang.
He stared at the caller's name. It was one of his subordinates.
Without much thought, he picked up the call. "Speak."
A husky voice came from the other side. "We have found someone."
Asmodeus glanced at Mistress Bella, who was licking sweat off his exposed torso.
"You found the girl?" he asked, meeting Bella's dangerously lecherous gaze.
"Not the prostitute, sir," the subordinate answered. "She is nowhere to be found. It's best to assume the worst. She—"
"Who did you find, then?" he interjected.
Bella's tongue was traveling lower and lower. It had already reached his naval.
Although Asmodeus did not mind listening to a longer report, he preferred to enjoy Bella's sensuous tongue without a man constantly whispering in his ear.
"Sarah Raguel," his subordinate whispered. "She is the wife of Tobias."
"I know who she is."
"She was making a scene in the street, looking for Tobias. She has already been to the police. Our friend on the inside entertained her for a while; did a pseudo-search; and sent her back. Looks like she is completely broken now. She is making calls and asking for help from strangers.
"She is inviting attention…" Asmodeus muttered.
He looked out the window. It was raining heavily.
"Yes, sir. Should I—would you like us to take care of it before she creates a bigger issue?"
"No," Asmodeus answered, squeezing Bella's shoulder. "The Altobelli matter is still fresh. Don't draw any more attention."
He glanced at Bella who had nearly reached his crotch.
"Keep following her. I will be there soon."
He cut the call and pushed Bella's head even lower.
She smiled at him lustfully.
And as she opened her mouth wide, the scene changed.
It was raining.
On the cold stone streets, only one pedestrian traveled. It was Sarah, drenched in rain. Clinging to her figure was the soaked sundress she wore the last time she met Asmodeus. But now it looked faded, devoid of life—just like its owner.
Tear stains had marked her cheeks, but in the rain, no one cared to notice. She was cold, distressed, and lost. A torrent of emotions was assaulting her, and no amount of crying brought her solace.
Unsteadily, she walked past the prying eyes. Shedding tears, she made her way towards the policeman looking out the glass door of the police station.
As she tried to plead for help, a black sedan pulled up beside her. The tinted window of the backseat rolled down to reveal an enrapturing Asmodeus staring at her.
In the middle of a brewing storm, despite the assault of rain, the two shared a quiet moment.
Asmodeus climbed out of the car and held the door open for her.
"Get in."
Sarah looked at him.
Even though she was on the verge of falling apart, he looked put together as always. His hand on her back felt burning hot, and his gaze was just as ardent. Even in her moment of weakness, he remained faithful to his desires—to his sin.
Sarah wanted that unchanging touch. She wanted to believe that everything was alright, that it was as it had always been.
Instinctively, she climbed into the backseat of the car.
Asmodeus glanced at the policeman, who stared back before giving a nod in acknowledgment.
"He hasn't come back home in days," Sarah muttered hectically on the drive back to Asmodeus's mansion. "He has left me; I know he has."
The camera closed up on Asmodeus's amber eyes as Sinner—his theme—slowly crept in.
Meanwhile, an old detective called out to the policeman staring out the glass door.
"Is something there, Mr Butler?" he asked.
"No, Detective Roy," the policeman replied, getting back to his desk. "Just endless rain."
Detective Roy coughed. "Does it rain a lot in this part of the country?"
"It wasn't like this." The policeman shook his head. "The weather has been unpredictable in recent months."
"Just my luck, huh?" The old detective scoffed. "I leave the sunny southern beaches to come here, and the rain wouldn't stop."
He looked at the papers spread out in front of him. They contained information on the seven brothers of the Binsfeld family.
The detective picked up the picture of Lucifer Binsfeld. "The sooner we solve this, the sooner I get to leave."
"Of course, sir," Butler replied.
He was spying on his superior.
Abruptly, the scene changed as Sinner picked up.
Clutching Sarah's head, Asmodeus had her pinned against the wall of his bedroom.
Her tears hadn't stopped, but it only served to arouse Asmodeus, who looked at her with uncontrolled lust in his eyes. This wasn't the most romantic of scenes, but his touch made Sarah feel that she was needed.
Inaudible over the diabolical theme song, she groaned and moaned as Asmodeus mercilessly thrust his hips from behind her.
It was an extensively graphic scene, unlike Asmodeus's usual sex scenes. There was no sound, no voice—only the loud theme song played.
Hot tears flowed down Sarah's cold cheeks as lightning flashed outside.
It turned Asmodeus more excited. He licked her cheek. It tasted salty from all the crying.
She stared at him, seeking some semblance of assurance.
Asmodeus stared back. Her expressive, tormented eyes held pain that he could never understand.
He could throw her out now, and it would break her entire world. Just the thought made him quiver with sadistic excitement.
He wanted to do so many things to her. And in that regard, she was perfect. She had nowhere to go, no one to love and be loved by. She was like a dog without an owner.
The chilling choir intensified as Asmodeus indulged further in his debauchery. And from the hill behind the mansion, Leviathan watched, his face twisted with envy.
The shrieks of "sinner" echoed.
The screen turned black, and the credits rolled.
For a long minute, there was silence in NeRen's living room.
"Mother—"
Ha-Yun quickly held Sunny's mouth, but even she wanted to curse.
"Are they allowed to show a scene like that on TV?" Lenny asked, flabbergasted.
"Barely, I'm sure," Su-Bin muttered.
"Internet is going to be in a frenzy…"
***
Meanwhile, in a room in one of the finest hotels in Tokyo, Hyerin was frowning intensely.
"What's the matter?" Averie asked, peeking out of the cocoon he had made out of sheets.
Hyerin looked up from her phone. "I was contacted by your largest fan club's president. Who are they, anyway? They didn't even tell me their name."
"And?"
"They warned us about securely landing when we return." Hyerin nervously played with her earring. "The ending of the third episode has the internet on fire."
Averie laughed. "Some people must really hate Asmodeus for that."
"Yeah." Hyerin looked a little sad. "Most of the audience appreciate your acting a lot, but some seem to have misunderstood the last scene."
"But there are also fanatics, aren't there?"
"The popularity of the show is only rising. As Asmodeus is a major character, there could be anti-fans lurking at the airport."
Hyerin stole a quick glance at her friend.
"Are you fine?" she asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"The last scene of the third episode showed a lot of movement and skin. You aren't uncomfortable with it?"
She was the one who looked uncomfortable while saying that.
It made Averie laugh.
"I was half-naked, you know that." He crawled out of his cocoon. "Why should I be uncomfortable? Ellie should be the uncomfortable one. It's not like my di—"
"Okay, alright! I understand, so stop!" yelled a flustered Hyerin.
She quickly ran out of the room, leaving an amused Averie behind.