Mrs & Mrs. Park

2. The sneaky one

The grand ballroom of the Conrad Hotel was a stunning sight, filled with elegantly dressed guests and lavish decorations. The event was a high-profile charity gala, attracting the crème de la crème of Seoul society. Jisoo and Chaeyoung arrived separately, each with their own agenda.

Jisoo, wearing a sleek black gown that accentuated her figure, scanned the room with practiced ease. Her target for the evening was a corrupt businessman known for his illicit dealings. Under the guise of a photographer for the event, Jisoo moved through the crowd, her eyes constantly on the lookout.

Chaeyoung, in a striking red dress, arrived with Jennie, her partner. Their target was the same businessman. Chaeyoung’s mission was clear: eliminate him quietly and efficiently. As she mingled with the guests, her eyes discreetly followed the target’s movements.

The two women were unaware of each other’s presence as they navigated the gala, their paths almost crossing multiple times.

Jisoo spotted her target at the bar, chatting with a group of investors. She subtly moved closer, readying a small, concealed syringe filled with a potent toxin. Just as she was about to make her move, she saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye.

Chaeyoung had approached the target from the other side, seamlessly blending into the group. With a charming smile, she engaged the businessman in conversation, her hand slipping into her clutch to retrieve a similar syringe. In a swift, practiced motion, she injected the toxin into the man’s arm as she laughed at a joke he told, making it look like a friendly pat.

The target barely reacted, his face suddenly turning pale. He excused himself and staggered towards the restroom. Jisoo, watching from a distance, felt a wave of frustration and confusion. Who else was targeting her mark?

As the businessman collapsed in a secluded hallway, Chaeyoung quickly slipped away, her mission accomplished. She made her way towards the entrance, where she planned to regroup with Jennie and leave unnoticed.

Jisoo, determined to uncover who else was involved, followed the businessman’s path and found him lifeless. She checked his pulse and confirmed he was dead, the telltale signs of toxin evident. She looked around, trying to spot the other assassin.

"Motherfucker." Jisoo groans.

"What happened?" Lisa asked from the ear piece Jisoo wore.

"Somebody killed him already."

"Oh shit."

"We'll talk later, okay?"

"Good luck!"

Making her way back to the main hall, Jisoo headed towards the entrance. Just as she reached the doors, she saw Chaeyoung, looking slightly breathless but composed.

"Hey, there you are!" Chaeyoung called out, a bright smile on her face. "I’ve been looking for you."

Jisoo forced a smile, masking her suspicions. "There you are! I got caught up with some photo requests."

They embraced, each woman pretending to be relieved to have found the other. As they left the gala, hand in hand, their minds raced with questions. Jisoo wondered who else was operating in her territory, while Chaeyoung considered if her mission had gone unnoticed.

In the car, Chaeyoung glanced at Jisoo, her expression curious. "How was the event for you? Get any good shots?"

Jisoo nodded, her thoughts elsewhere. "Yeah, a few. You know how these things are."

Chaeyoung smiled, squeezing her wife’s hand. "I’m just glad we got to spend the evening together, even if it was mostly apart."

Jisoo nodded, her mind already plotting how to uncover the mystery assassin. "Me too, Chae. Me too."

As they drove home, the unspoken tension between them lingered. Both women knew that their lives were about to become even more complicated, and neither had any idea just how close the danger truly was.

The drive home was quiet, each woman lost in her thoughts. As they pulled into the driveway, Jisoo turned off the engine and looked over at Chaeyoung, who was already staring out the window, lost in her own world.

"You okay?" Jisoo asked, her voice gentle but probing.

Chaeyoung snapped out of her reverie and smiled. "Yeah, just thinking about work."

Jisoo nodded, her mind whirling with questions she couldn’t ask. They exited the car and walked into their home, the familiar surroundings a stark contrast to the chaos and danger they both secretly navigated.

As they prepared for bed, Jisoo couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Her target had been killed, and she needed to know who was responsible. But how could she investigate without raising suspicion?

"Chu, I’m going to take a quick shower," Jisoo said, trying to buy herself some time to think.

"Sure, take your time," Chaeyoung replied, already changing into her pajamas.

In the shower, Jisoo let the water cascade over her, the warm spray helping to clear her mind. She needed a plan, a way to uncover who had taken out her target without revealing her own hand. Maybe Lisa would have some information.

Meanwhile, Chaeyoung was grappling with her own suspicions. She hadn’t expected to see Jisoo at the gala, and it had thrown her off balance. Could Jisoo be involved in something similar? The thought made her heart race. She needed to talk to Jennie, to figure out if there was more to this than she realized.

Later, as they lay in bed, the silence between them felt heavy. Chaeyoung turned to Jisoo, forcing a smile. "You know, tonight was kind of fun, in a way. We should do these charity events more often."

Jisoo chuckled, though her mind was still elsewhere. "Yeah, maybe we should."

They fell asleep, each woman lying beside the other, both of them keeping their secrets close.

---

The next morning, Jisoo and Chaeyoung resumed their routine, their unspoken tension masked by the familiarity of their daily rituals. After breakfast, Jisoo headed out, ostensibly for a photo shoot, but her real destination was a meeting with Lisa.

Chaeyoung, too, had plans beyond her supposed legal work. She needed to debrief Jennie and find out if there had been any complications with their mission.

Jisoo met Lisa at their usual café. The atmosphere was casual, but the conversation was anything but.

"Something’s off," Jisoo said, sipping her coffee. "The target at the gala was taken out before I could get to him."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Any idea who did it?"

"None," Jisoo replied. "But I need to find out. It felt...too coincidental."

Lisa nodded. "We’ll dig around. See if there’s any chatter about another assassin in town."

Meanwhile, Chaeyoung met Jennie in a discreet office downtown. Jennie was already reviewing the mission reports when Chaeyoung arrived.

"Any problems last night?" Jennie asked, looking up.

Chaeyoung shook her head. "No, but I saw Jisoo at the gala. She was there for a supposed photo shoot, but it didn’t feel right."

Jennie frowned. "You think she’s onto something?"

"Possibly," Chaeyoung said. "We need to be careful. I doubt she'll involve herself in something like this."

As the day wore on, both women continued their respective investigations. Jisoo combed through her network, looking for any signs of another operative. Chaeyoung did the same, her inquiries discreet but thorough.

That evening, they returned home, each carrying the weight of their secrets. They went through the motions of dinner, conversation, and bedtime, but the unspoken tension between them was palpable.

In the dead of night, Jisoo lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Chaeyoung was hiding something. Beside her, Chaeyoung was equally restless, wondering if Jisoo knew more than she let on.

Their worlds were colliding, and it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light.