Chapter 31 – The War for Power

The city never slept, and neither did its hunters.

Joon stood at the heart of his empire, a towering figure above the chaos. His enemies were moving faster now, striking in ways that couldn't be traced back to them. Corporate wars. Lawsuits. Smear campaigns. The Hidden Council had thrown their weight behind destroying him.

But Joon didn't build an empire by playing fair.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "It's time," he said.

Across the city, Soo-ah, Hyun-soo, and the rest of his inner circle received the signal. The counterattack had begun.

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At dawn, a major news outlet broke a scandal. A leaked report exposed fraudulent dealings within the Hidden Council's network. Board members scrambled. Stocks plummeted.

Joon smirked. Strike one.

By afternoon, another bombshell dropped. A lawsuit filed against Joon had been overturned—evidence proving it was a setup had surfaced mysteriously.

Strike two.

By nightfall, the Hidden Council was reeling. Their carefully crafted attacks had backfired. Joon had turned their weapons against them.

Strike three.

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But there was one variable Joon hadn't fully controlled—Eun-jin, the journalist who knew his past.

A mysterious tip had led her straight to a hidden chapter in Joon's history. A truth buried so deep that even he had almost forgotten it.

She stood outside his headquarters, waiting. When Joon finally stepped out, their eyes met.

"Joon," she whispered. "I know what you did."

He didn't flinch. "And yet, you're still standing here."

She took a deep breath. "I'm giving you one chance. Tell your own story… before I do."

Silence. Then, Joon did something no one expected.

He smiled.

Because the real war was just beginning.

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