The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) by Con Template Read Free Book Online Page A

regarded her silently. She tried to scrutinize his poignant eyes for some emotion with the question she posed. It didn’t take her long to deduce that the question may have been unexpected on her part, but it was quite possible that it was a question Tae Hyun may have already asked himself.  
    His gaze on her remained. H e parted his lips. “Would you regret becoming a God, Yoori?” 
    She paused. "A God?"
    When Yoori found herself unable to answer, Tae Hyun went on. “I can’t begin to tell you how amazing it felt that first day when I walked into the Serpents estate and everyone in that room got down on one knee and kneeled before me. I also can’t tell you how wonderful it felt when I walked into an arena that housed the entire Underworld and everyone bowed their heads down in respect – and fear – of my presence. I am everything that people want to be—” 
    “— better than human,” Yoori finished for him. 
    Tae Hyun nodded. “There’s no point in regretting things that have already happened, things that are beyond your control. I became a crime lord under unusual circumstances but continued to be a crime lord to quench my thirst for the ultimate power and for my own survival.”  
    “Survival?”  
    “That’s the curse of being a gang leader. You can have as much power as God but you are  never truly God. Regret isn’t a luxury that I’m given. The moment I regret anything is the moment I make myself vulnerable to death. People in the Underworld are quick to revere you and they are just as quick to kill you. Regret doesn’t transcend in this world but power does. That’s the number one rule, Choi Yoori—you can’t regret anything. The moment you do, you might as well kill yourself because someone else will be on your tail and ready to do it for you.” 
    Yoori nodded, her mind venturing onto something else. “You know, you paused when I asked you if you regretted being the King of Serpents.” 
    “Yeah?”  
    “But you didn’t look surprised when I asked. The reaction in your eyes was something of  familiarity with the question.” She smiled weakly, noting the cautious intrigue in his eyes. “This might not be the case for you, but sometimes, when you ask yourself if you regret something enough, even if you say you don’t, sometimes that could be your own subconscious way of telling yourself that you do.” She gazed into his eyes. “Do you ask yourself that question enough?” 
    Tae Hyun immediately shook his head at her question— too immediate for Yoori who felt that she must’ve hit a nerve within him when she stated that observation. Determined not to allow a tense air to fall upon them, she smiled and nodded, accepting his wordless reply as her answer. She didn’t want to push it. He was beginning to open up and she didn't want to scare him away. 
    Tae Hyun, relieved that she didn’t venture further into that topic, turned his head forward, closed his eyes and lounged under the cascades of light that fell upon him. A breath later, he opened his eyes and turned to Yoori again. Curiosity reveled in his gaze. It was his turn to ask the questions.  
    “What were you planning on doing with your life before I busted in and stole you from your world?”  
    Yoori smiled.  Normally, she’d avoid going into the deep and personal stuff with Tae Hyun because they’d always danced around those types of things, both holding up a wall and only allowing the other in when the trust was built high enough. Much to Yoori’s obliviousness, she had already started to take her wall down for Tae Hyun—and him for her. It was a natural progression in their relationship that occurred so subtly that they didn’t even notice it was happening. 
    Because of the serenity they found themselves in (or the fact that Tae Hyun opened up a bit more to her first), Yoori found herself at ease. For the first time, she actually wanted to let him in—but only  slightly .
    “When I was living