Chapter Eight

After days that blurred together in a haze of unease, Hye-Jin could no longer ignore the weight pressing on her. Everywhere she went, she felt the invisible pull of watchful eyes following her every move.

The nights were even worse — a figure always seemed to lurk just beyond her window, barely there yet undeniably present. Her restless mind demanded action.

Hye-Jin finally decided to take control. So she sent a curt message to Ji-Soo and Gyeong-Ja: "We need to meet. Tonight. Noodle shop on 5th Street. Don't be late."

By 5 p.m., they had all gathered in the dimly lit noodle shop, the clatter of chopsticks and hushed murmurs forming a backdrop to their urgent conversation. Ji-Soo arrived with her usual poise, her sharp, dirty yellow eyes gleaming with suspicion and resolve. Gyeong-Ja, still visibly shaken from her discoveries, sat close to Hye-Jin, her gaze darting anxiously around the room.

»What's the plan?« Gyeong-Ja asked, her voice low but edged with desperation.

Hye-Jin leaned forward, her icy-blue eyes locking with Ji-Soo's. »We piece this together — everything Sung Jin-Hun and Kwon Corporations are planning. Every move they've made, every connection they've forged. If they see me as leverage, I'll show them what a mistake that is.«

All the while, Jae-Jung observed from his usual vantage point in the shadows outside. He had followed Ji-Soo here, his mind swirling with anger and impatience. She had answers — answers he was determined to uncover. Ji-Soo's web of secrets and schemes had pulled Hye-Jin into danger, and he would make sure she told him everything.

As the hours slipped by, the group's conversation grew more intense. Ji-Soo laid out fragments of information, but Hye-Jin remained cautious, her distrust of Ji-Soo keeping her from divulging too much. Gyeong-Ja, however, contributed as much as she could, her loyalty to Hye-Jin unshakable.

The meeting ended with no clear settlement, just more threads to untangle. They parted ways, the weight of uncertainty still looming. Hye-Jin needed space to think, to breathe.

She chose a quieter path home, a winding route along the slopes where the city lights flickered faintly in the distance. Her thoughts raced as she walked, the cool evening air offering a fleeting sense of clarity.

The calm was deceptive, though — Hye-Jin's senses were sharp, her instincts ever alert.

Jae-Jung watched from the shadows, his amber eyes locked on Hye-Jin as she walked along the quiet slope. The faint glow of the city lights framed her silhouette, her every step purposeful yet tinged with an unease he could sense even from a distance.

He had followed her, as he always did, his instincts refusing to let her out of his sight. She didn't know he was there, but that didn't matter. He was always there.

Then he saw him — Kim Joon-Ho.

The man emerged from the darkness like a predator, his movements sharp and deliberate as he closed the distance between himself and Hye-Jin.

Jae-Jung's fists clenched at his sides, his body tensing as he watched the scene unfold.

He could feel the rage radiating off Joon-Ho, the dangerous intent in every step he took.

That's when she heard it — the faint crunch of gravel behind her. She stopped, her heart pounding as she turned slowly.

Hye-Jin turned, her icy-blue eyes narrowing as she faced Joon-Ho.

Kim Joon-Ho stood a few meters away, his face twisted with rage. His sudden presence shattered the calm, the tension between them crackling like a live wire.

Jae-Jung could see the shift in her posture, the way her body braced for what was coming. She was strong, but Joon-Ho was bigger, angrier, and reckless in a way that made him dangerous.

"You think you've won?" he snarled, stepping closer. "You're nothing but a tool, Cho Hye-Jin. And tools… can be discarded. They will be discarded sooner- or later. But in your case," Hye-Jin's grip tightened around her bag, her mind racing for options, while he crept closer, »I'd rather it be sooner. Even if I have to see to it myself.«

Fear gnawed at her resolve, but determination fought back, steel-like in its insistence to push forward despite the mounting danger.

The empty path left her vulnerable, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

Kim Joon-Ho lunged at her, and the night exploded into chaos.

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Joon-Ho lunged, and Jae-Jung's breath caught.

Hye-Jin sidestepped, her movements quick and calculated, but Joon-Ho was relentless.

The struggle was brutal, chaotic. She refused to let him close, but Joon-Ho overcame the distance she so desperately tried to keep.

The moment he caught her, pulling her arm roughly, her bag slid off her shoulder and hit the ground, the contents spilling all over the pavement. Joon-Ho pushed her, and Hye-Jin fell to the ground, her knees busting open due to the force. 

But there was no time to catch her breath. Instead, Hye-Jin's hand darted for the pepper spray, not even at an arm's length away, but Joon-Ho knocked it away with a vicious swipe just moments before Hye-Jin could grab it.

Jae-Jung's nails dug into his palms as he watched her fight, her sheer will to survive shining through every desperate move she made.

The moment Joon-Ho grabbed Hye-Jin by her hair and started dragging her over the ground towards the slope. The second Hye-Jin's strength faltered for just a moment- that was all Jae-Jung needed.

He stepped out of the shadows, his presence a sudden force that shattered the tension in the air.

»Hands off of her,« Jae-Jung growled, his voice low and dangerous. His amber eyes burned with a feral intensity as he closed the distance between himself and Joon-Ho. The man turned, startled, but Jae-Jung didn't give him time to react. He lunged, his body colliding with Joon-Ho's in a blur of motion, his hand letting go of Hye-Jin's hair.

The two men grappled, their struggle violent and unrestrained. Jae-Jung's focus was singular — kill Joon-Ho and protect Hye-Jin at all costs.

The slope beneath them gave way as their fight carried them closer to the edge. Gravel crumbled underfoot, and before either of them could regain their footing, they tumbled down the slope in a chaotic blur of limbs and dust.

Jae-Jung's world spun as they fell, but his grip on Joon-Ho never wavered.

He didn't care about the pain, the bruises, or the cuts.

All that mattered was that Hye-Jin was safe and Joon-Ho dead before they reached the end of the slope.