Chapter 30 – Shadows and Crowns

Joon leaned back in his leather chair, watching the city breathe beneath him. The hostile takeover had sent shockwaves through every corner of power. But this was just the beginning.

Across the city, his name was spoken in hushed whispers. Some called him a visionary, others a tyrant. But Joon knew the truth—he was neither. He was simply a man who refused to be controlled.

Tonight, another battle would begin.

---

Deep inside an underground vault, the Hidden Council—a group of untouchable elites who controlled the flow of wealth and power—sat in silence.

Hana, their unofficial leader, sipped her wine before speaking.

"Joon is no longer just a threat," she said. "He's a force."

Byung-ho, the kingmaker, leaned forward. "So what's the play?"

Hana's lips curled into a smile.

"We don't fight him in the streets. We fight him in the boardrooms, the courts, the very foundation of his empire."

Kyung-tae, the activist, clenched his fists. "And if that fails?"

Hana's voice was cold.

"Then we bury him."

---

Meanwhile, Joon's intelligence network picked up whispers—a name from his past had resurfaced.

Min-soo, his old mentor, stepped into the room, placing a file on the table.

"You're not going to like this," he warned.

Joon opened it. His expression darkened.

"Eun-jin."

A journalist. A ghost from his past. The one person who knew too much.

And she had just gone public.

---

Joon stepped onto the balcony of his skyscraper. The city below was divided—half in awe, half in fear.

But Joon wasn't afraid.

He had built this empire with his own hands. And he wasn't about to let anyone take it from him.

Tomorrow, he would strike back.

And when he did, the world would remember his name.

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