Unnamed

A few days later, Carrie shuffled down the stairs in her pajamas, her hair looking like she had spent the night wrestling a raccoon—and lost. She dragged her feet toward the kitchen, her half-lidded eyes barely open.

Jae-Wook stood by the coffee dispenser, casually sipping his drink, while Leo and Ava were tucked into their usual couple routine at the kitchen counter, whispering and giggling.

"Morning," Carrie mumbled, voice hoarse from sleep.

Jae-Wook raised an eyebrow, amused. "You're up," he noted, stretching a steaming cup of coffee toward her.

She took it without hesitation, cradling it in both hands. "Thanks, I really needed this." She took a careful sip, letting the warmth seep into her bones.

Leo smirked over the rim of his mug. "You two are unusually close these days. What did we miss?"

Jae-Wook tapped his chin thoughtfully, then clicked his tongue. "Hmm. I guess she's beginning to grow on me."

A sudden blush crept up Carrie's face before she quickly buried it behind her coffee cup.

Before she could change the subject, Ava suddenly gasped and grabbed her arm. "Oh my God! Guess what today is!"

"Hey! Hey! Easy!" Carrie yelped, nearly spilling her coffee as she tried to pry Ava off.

Leo's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! How could we forget? You can't seriously be this dull on your own day." He nudged her arm.

Carrie sighed, setting the coffee down. "I've always celebrated my birthday. This time, I think I'll just sleep it off."

"Sleep it off?!" Leo and Ava said in unison, both looking appalled.

"Exactly! It's different this time—we're all together now!" Ava clutched Carrie's arm dramatically.

"Perfect," Carrie countered. "I have to work, anyway."

Jae-Wook leaned against the counter, unimpressed. "We don't actually have to work today."

Carrie shot him a glare. Traitor.

Ava, ever the planner, gasped with excitement. "Then it's settled! First, we'll hit the beach, then ice skating, and then karaoke! It's going to be amazing!"

Carrie stared at her like she'd grown two heads. "What are you trying to do? Kill us? Who goes to the beach in winter?" She rolled her eyes.

Leo snapped his fingers. "Let's have a Jacuzzi party instead."

Carrie nearly choked on her coffee. "What? No way. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Jae-Wook smirked. "Don't worry—I'll cover the bill."

"It's not about the bill! It's just—"

"Come on, Carrie," Ava whined, clinging to her. "We all need this. I've been working my ass off for too long. This is your day. Let's make it count!"

Carrie exhaled, already knowing she was outnumbered. Her gaze flickered between their expectant faces. Ava's puppy-dog eyes. Leo's mischievous grin. Jae-Wook's smug confidence.

She groaned, rubbing her temples. "Fine. But on one condition"

"What's that?" Ava and Leo blurted out in unison, eyes widening with curiosity.

"No Jacuzzi party." Carrie's tone was final, her arms crossing as she shot them both a disapproving look. "I personally despise the idea, and no one is taking the day off. We meet after work."

Leo frowned. "Wait, that's two conditions."

"We're in the most crucial aspect of our mission, We can't afford to lag behind, not even for a day." Carrie's voice was unwavering, her gaze cutting through any potential arguments.

Ava groaned dramatically, slumping against the counter. "Fine. But it would've been fun, you know. Just picture it—a nice, warm soak, stress melting away…" She sighed wistfully, throwing in an exaggerated pout. "But I guess it's your day, so your call."

Carrie scoffed, unimpressed. "Not falling for that. No Jacuzzi, and we're all going to work. Birthdays are better celebrated in the evening anyway."

"Fine, fine," Leo muttered, exchanging a knowing glance with Ava.

From the other side of the room, Jae-Wook set down his mug with a soft clink. "If we're heading to the office, we better start getting ready."

Carrie's face lit up with approval. "Exactly!" With a satisfied nod, she turned on her heel and strolled out of the kitchen.

Ava watched her go, then exhaled sharply. "She's ridiculously stubborn."

"And we better move fast," Leo added, stretching. "Or Mrs. Park will have our heads on display."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ava groaned, dragging herself toward the hallway. "Fine, let's get this over with."

With that, they reluctantly began preparing for the workday ahead—though Ava and Leo exchanged one last glance, silently plotting a way to sneak some fun into Carrie's birthday, whether she liked it or not.

---

LATER AT MAPLESEOUL

Ms. Kim's sharp gaze flickered over the thick sheet of paper Jae-wook shoved toward her. Her lips curled, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"What's this?" she asked, though she already knew.

"A resignation letter," Jae-wook said coldly, his voice a blade honed to precision. "Sign it, or I'll fire you myself."

Despite his threat, his gaze refused to meet hers.

Ms. Kim exhaled a slow chuckle, folding her arms. "Are you insane? You're suddenly demanding I resign?"

Jae-wook's fingers dug into the document, his knuckles paling. "You leave me no choice. What the hell were you thinking, going after Na-eun?"

Her smirk widened. "You think firing me will stop me?" She leaned in, her tone dripping with confidence. "Jae-wook, I'm on a mission. And it's going to take a lot more than a dismissal to break me."

His jaw tensed. "What if she finds out you had something to do with the attack?"

Ms. Kim let out a low, dark laugh. She stepped forward, closing the space between them. "What do you take me for? Some fragile damsel?" Her fingers brushed the edge of the paper before shoving it back toward him, the touch lingering just long enough to make him flinch. "If you really want me gone, kill me." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Otherwise, stay out of my way."

With that, she turned on her heel, walking away with the confidence of someone who had already won.

Jae-wook stood frozen, her words lingering like a ghost in the room. His pulse pounded, frustration knotting in his chest.

He turned to Carrie, his dark eyes burning with barely restrained fury. "Don't just stand there. Say something."

Carrie leaned lazily against the desk, unimpressed. "What do you want me to say? Ms. Kim's a stubborn witch. She won't listen. Just let her burn herself out."

Jae-wook dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "This is so damn messed up."

MEANWHILE....

The low hum of machinery pulsed through the sleek, dimly lit office. Monitors bathed the desks in an eerie blue glow, scrolling endless lines of data and security feeds.

Ava barely noticed Leo's presence until a steaming cup of coffee appeared beside her.

"You've been at this for hours," Leo said, leaning against the desk, arms crossed. "Take a break before you fry your brain."

Ava's fingers didn't stop flying over the keyboard. "Can't. If I don't crack this encryption, we're dead in the water."

Leo sighed, rubbing his temples. "And what exactly are we decrypting? You still haven't told me why Jae-wook suddenly needs this data."

Ava hesitated. Her fingers hovered mid-keystroke.

"It's… sensitive information."

Leo scoffed. "No kidding. You're hacking a classified database in broad daylight. That screams 'sensitive.'"

She shot him a look but said nothing.

The screen flickered. A red alert flashed across the monitor.

Ava's heart slammed against her ribs. "Shit."

Leo straightened instantly. "What?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper, sharp with tension. "Someone else is in the system."

Leo swore under his breath, his body going rigid. He leaned in, eyes locked on the cascading lines of code. "Can you trace them?"

Ava's fingers moved faster, but whoever they were—whoever had slipped into their system—was good. Too good.

Then, the screen glitched.

A message appeared in blood-red text, stark against the dark screen:

"You're already too late."

Ava's stomach twisted.

Leo exhaled, a slow, measured breath. "Tell me that's not as bad as it looks."

Ava's pulse pounded in her ears. "Leo… I think we just got played."

His eyes darkened. "Are you sure Na-eun doesn't know about us? What if she's been stringing us along this whole time?"

Ava's gaze flickered over the screen, her mind racing. "I doubt she knows anything. But we're not the only ones after her."Leo tensed. "What does that mean? Are we safe?"

Ava's lips pressed into a thin line. She met his gaze, her voice as sharp as the keystrokes beneath her fingertips.

"It means we're either ahead of the game… or already dead."