✓ TOO REAL TO DENY | SUNGHOON

56 - Payback

Y/N'S POV

The underground event is unlike anything I've ever seen. The very air is thick with tension, a tangible thing that constricts my lungs with each shallow breath. I follow after Seoyoung as she leads me through the crowd with practiced ease. Unlike me, who feels like a fish out of water in this sea of sharks, she glides through the crowd, exchanging bored smiles and coy glances. Her designer dress clings to her curves and the men around us can't help but turn their heads, their gazes lingering a moment too long. I feel their eyes on me as well, sizing me up, trying to decipher if I'm prey or a player in this high-stakes game.

"Stay close," She whispers, glancing at me over her shoulder. "You don't want to end up in the wrong conversation." Her voice holds a hint of amusement, a cruel edge that sends shivers down my spine. I nod and pretend I'm nothing but the girl she decided to bring as her arm candy, a pretty face, and a silent observer. But I'm scheming, my mind racing with a plan as audacious as it is dangerous.

We stop in front of a group of men gathered around a plush red velvet table and she ushers me to sit beside one of them, his face obscured by a thick cloud of cigar smoke. A gold pinky ring gleams under the harsh spotlights, the only clue to his identity in this den of anonymity.

"Gentlemen," She purrs, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness, "allow me to introduce Y/N. A newcomer to the city, eager to learn the ropes." So this is what she's been up to. Seoyoung's using me as bait, dangling me in front of these wolves to see if I'll snag a bigger fish. I've suggested I come with her, but she's using it so well to her advantage. 

The men around the table grunt their acknowledgments, their eyes flickering between me and Seoyoung. I offer a polite smile, hoping to appear unfazed by the scrutiny. My fingers tighten around the small clutch bag I brought, the one containing a knife I could easily use if things go south and a pen recorder that hat might prove even more valuable. My heart hammers a frantic rhythm against my ribs, a stark contrast to the smooth jazz that dances through the smoke-filled air. 

The man beside me, shrouded in a haze of cigar smoke, reaches out a hand adorned with the gold pinky ring. Before he gets to touch me, I politely sidestep his hand, offering a thin smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes. The man's hand hovers in the air for a beat too long, his surprise evident in the way his eyebrows shoot up. "Well, well," His voice is gravelly, worn from years of barking orders and indulging in bad habits. "Seems the newcomer has a mind of her own."

Seoyoung, beside me, stiffens. Her perfectly painted smile falters for a fleeting moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. Clearly, my little act of defiance hadn't gone unnoticed. 

"One shouldn't underestimate a quick study," My words trail off as I meet the man's gaze, a gaze as sharp and cold as a shard of ice. 

I'm about to retort when someone places a hand against my shoulder, making me freeze. "Excuse me, but I'd like to take this beautiful lady for a tour. Come on, Y/N." When I glance over my shoulder, it's the same man from earlier, urging me to stand up and go with him. And I do, excusing myself as I smile at Seoyoung and follow after him. He might have been a threat, but right now, he's my only escape from this unsettling conversation. 

"Thank you," I murmur, accepting his outstretched hand and letting him lead me away. When we stop in a quieter corner of the place, away from the watchful eyes and prying ears, I finally get a good look at my savior. 

"What do you owe me for that little interruption?" He asks with a playful wink and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes at him. After all, he's the reason I'm not stuck with Mr. Goldtooth. "You know, in this world, nothing is for free."

"What do you want?" I finish his sentence, a hint of defiance lacing my voice. Despite his playful demeanor, his words hold a veiled threat, reminding me of the precarious situation I'm in.

"I figured I forgot to introduce myself," He shrugs, his smile widening. "I'm Minho, from Choi Corporation. What do I need? What can you offer someone like me? Money? I have a shit ton of it. Power? As tempting as it is, I don't think you have the kind of influence I'm looking for. Information, maybe? Though something tells me you wouldn't be here if you weren't already running a little dry on that front." Minho raises an eyebrow, his amusement laced with a hint of genuine curiosity.

My breath hitches at his speculations and I look away, fighting my grip on my dress. "I don't see what you're trying to imply. I'm simply here to observe and learn."  I reply carefully, choosing my words with caution. Minho's gaze is piercing, his eyes seeming to see straight through me.

"Observing and learning," He echoes, a smirk playing on his lips. "Interesting choice of words. But we both know there's more to it than that. Aren't you Park Sunghoon's woman?" 

"How do you know that?" I blurt out, surprise flickering across my face. My heart hammers in my chest, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. I watch as he takes out a cigarette and lights it, shaking his head in disbelief. Sunghoon is a well-known man in the business world, but my connection to him should be a closely guarded secret. The fact that Minho knows about it sends a chill down my spine, raising questions about how much he truly knows and what his intentions are.

"How do you know that?" He smirks, taking a long drag from his cigarette as the smoke curls around his face like a question mark. "Didn't you lose your memories?" My jaw clenches. How does this man know about something so personal? "Don't worry, little firefly, I'm not the enemy. We're on the same side."

"What are you talking about?" Fury and confusion war within me. Minho's words send a shiver down my spine, his cryptic insinuations only serving to deepen the mystery surrounding him. On the same side? Which side? And why is he, a man I've only come to meet tonight at an event I wasn't even going to attend, suddenly claiming to be an ally?

"Let's just say I have my sources, and those sources have made it abundantly clear that you and I have a common interest," His response doesn't help clarify anything. If anything, it only muddies the waters further. My grip tightens on the clutch bag, the soft leather digging into my palms. All my carefully constructed plans have been thrown into disarray by this enigmatic stranger. Trusting him feels like a gamble, a leap of faith into a world of secrets and shadows. "You haven't lost your memories, have you? You know for a fact your friend over there was the one who almost killed you and her father is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, manipulating everything to his advantage. Isn't revenge a tempting proposition?" He finishes, his voice dripping with a seductive darkness that both chills and excites me.

"And what makes you think I want revenge?" 

Minho takes a long drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing ominously in the smoke-filled air. "Because you wouldn't be here otherwise, sweetheart. Let's face it, this isn't exactly a social gathering for lost puppies. So, tell me. Are you down for a little payback?"

I stand there, looking right into his eyes as a smirk slowly spreads across my face. "Payback is for amateurs. I want destruction. Absolute, glorious destruction." 

He studies me, the amusement in his eyes replaced by something akin to respect. "Now that's a language I understand. Destruction," Minho rasps, the word thick with smoke and something darker, "leaves little room for error."