Trust and Betrayal

Seo-yeon left her meeting with Hyun-soo, she was excited but at the same time quite cautious too. Joon-woo and Hyun-soo were pro-players and she had to beat them; both of them required extra efforts to overpower. 

The next morning, Seo-yeon decided to go to her family's company. Her father had planned for her to be the leader one day and she lacked adequate knowledge about the operations of the business. Entering the building she just nodded confidently toward familiar faces while she was thinking about her further work. 

Before entering the elevator, she gathered herself and took a deep breath for a start. After door opened, her father's secretary, Ji-soo, greeted her warmly.

"Good morning, Miss Seo-yeon. Your father wants to see you".

"You are welcome, Ji-soo". Seo-yeon simply thanked her and went to her father's room. She knocked and entered when she heard his voice.

"Seo-yeon," Seo Jin-woo greeted. "I'm glad you're here".

"Of course, Father. I prepared the list of upcoming projects and alliances".

Seo Jin-woo nodded. "You see that, that is what we have to discuss And your role in it will be key". 

Seo-yeon listened to her father describing the projects. The discussed topics included approach, possible collaborators, and threats. Seo-yeon was thrilled and ideas swarmed her head. 

Her father got up and being very serious said, "One more thing. Some things about Hyun-soo and the Joon-woo I have heard so better be on the lookout for those two".

"Okay Father, I got your point I will make sure that we lead".

Later, Seo-yeon called her team for a meeting. They toiled long into drawing the strategies and fine-tuning them. The improvement helped Seo-yeon feel satisfied. 

Joon-woo texted her just as she was walking out of the office.

"Can we meet? There is important matter to discuss". 

She was rather stunned at that moment, for her heart felt like it was tripping over its own beat. And agreed to meet at a very nearby café. When she arrived, Joon-woo was already there, sitting at a table for two which was tucked in the corner of the room. 

"Seo-yeon," he greeted. "Thank you for coming".

"What is it, Joon-woo? What is so important?" 

Joon-woo leaned in, serious. "I have a feeling Hyun-soo is up to something. We must be ready. " 

"What move will he be making next?" Seo-yeon asked herself, thoroughly choked with thoughts. 

"Not yet, but I'm working on it. We need to solidify from our side."

Seo-yeon studied him. "Then why are you telling me this, Joon-woo?" "What do you have to gain?" 

"Because I think together we can accomplish a lot, Seo-yeon. But for that, we must be able to trust each other".

Seo-yeon did not dispute with him and leaned back in her chair as she discussed the matter with him. Trust was something that was considered a luxury – yet she had no choice but to play the game.

"Fine, Joon-woo You and I will cooperate. But I'm warning you, I will keep an eye on you". 

Joon-woo smiled. "This is not astonishing to me; I wouldn't anticipate any less". 

The next several days were quite busy with different meetings and further negotiations. Seo-yeon and Joon-woo went through a lot, but their teamwork seemed to be getting better. It was like watching the characters move in Shanghai with all the steps mapped and very cautious. 

One evening, Seo-yeon received the invitation to go to a charity gala where Hyun-soo would act as a host. She understood that it was an opportunity to get into the feeds and collect information. It was a formal event, she dressed up in a beautiful gown. 

As she entered the grand ballroom, she looked around and saw Hyun-soo together with another guest inside the grand ballroom. He finally saw her and walked towards her with a smile that could light up a bulb. 

"Seo-yeon," he greeted, kissing her hand. "I'm glad you could make it".

"Thank you for the invitation, Hyun-soo, It is such an event". 

Hyun-soo took her to another section that was a little less crowded. "I wanted to speak to you, Joon-woo is dangerous, Please be careful". 

Seo-yeon raised an eyebrow. "And why should I trust you Hyun-soo? What are you trying to gain from this?" 

"Because I know just how bad Joon-woo can be. We can safeguard one another from Joon-woo's tricks". 

Seo-yeon weighed her options. She need to carefully but thought that she could beat one with the other as well. "I accept what you have said, Hyun-soo But I want more than that. " 

"Take your time. Just make sure, you know, trust is precious". 

The following day Seo-yeon and Joon-woo decided on their further course of action regarding what happened the previous night. They planned for hours into the night. Seo-yeon felt the glaze reaching for a well-calculated high-stakes gambler although she understood the risks she would have to take. 

Joon-woo looked rather stern. '"Seo-yeon remembers, trust is the most important thing in life. Betrayal can come from anyone".

Seo-yeon nodded. "I understand, Joon-Woo, I will definitely not be dropping my defenses". 

After Seo-yeon steps outside of his office, she feels that she is between the two strongmen who have different motives. But she was not going to be a player in this game on their terms.