Swapped by fate

Chapter 14

Jeongin's Pov

I tapped away at my phone, carefully crafting the message to Mr. Kato. I’d been given the green light to go ahead, and now it was time to push the final part of this plan into motion. The message was simple and direct, no need for theatrics or excess.

“We have your daughter. If you want her back, meet us at Hyunjin’s mansion. Come alone.”

The irony wasn’t lost on me—Nami wasn’t Kato’s daughter, but as little as Mr. Kato knew about his own flesh and blood, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. From what I gathered, his “relationship” with Lara Kato was nothing more than distant and transactional. He wouldn’t question our claim, especially given the way he kept his business separate from his personal life.

I sent the message, a small smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. Mr. Kato was too proud to question it. He would come running, and when he did, he’d find himself in the middle of our game. The trap was set. Now, all we had to do was wait.

---

It didn’t take long for him to respond. A single text popped up on my screen: “On my way.”

That was it—short, curt, and full of the confidence of a man who thought he held all the cards. What he didn’t know was that we had him cornered, and he was walking right into our hands.

I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms out as I glanced around the dimly lit room. We were ready for him. The guys had set everything in place, and Hyunjin had made sure there were no loose ends. As long as everything went according to plan, we’d have Mr. Kato exactly where we wanted him.

Still, something nagged at the back of my mind. For a man as calculating and ruthless as Kato, would he really come alone? It didn’t sit right with me. He’d been in the game too long to make a mistake that big. But then again, greed and desperation could make people do stupid things.

---

Two hours later, the mansion was quiet, too quiet. Felix had made sure Nami was secured in her room, though from what I’d heard, she wasn’t giving them much trouble. I was still uneasy about the whole situation—keeping her here when she wasn’t even the real target. She’d been dragged into this mess, and for what?

My phone buzzed again. Another message from Mr. Kato.

“Arriving in 5.”

I stood up, nerves buzzing through me as I headed to the front of the mansion. I wanted to make sure everything was in place before Kato arrived. I found Hyunjin already standing there, his face as unreadable as ever, arms crossed, waiting. He had that cold, calculated look he always wore when he was about to close a deal. No one could rattle Hyunjin, and it gave me a strange sense of calm to see him so composed.

“He’s almost here,” I told him, watching his expression for any sign of nerves.

Hyunjin just nodded, his eyes flicking toward the gate. “Good. We need to handle this quickly.”

When Mr. Kato arrived, the scene was tense. His face was a mask of anger and determination as he stormed into the mansion, flanked by his men. The large doors to the mansion’s grand hall swung open, and Kato’s presence was immediately commanding. His eyes scanned the room with a fierce intensity.

“Where is she?” Kato demanded, his voice echoing through the hall.

I pointed toward the room where Nami was being held, my heart racing. “In there.”

Kato strode forward with purpose, his men following closely behind. As he entered the room and saw Nami, his expression shifted from anger to confusion. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Nami. It was clear he was searching for any sign that she might be his daughter.

But as Kato’s eyes met Nami’s, a look of realization washed over him. His face contorted into a mixture of disbelief and fury.

“This isn’t my daughter!” he roared, his voice reverberating off the walls. “You tricked me!”

The situation escalated in an instant. Kato’s hand shot to his side, drawing a sleek, deadly handgun. His gaze was locked onto Nami, and his intentions were chillingly clear.
The chaos in the room was deafening. Gunfire rang out with an unrelenting fury, bullets ripping through walls and sending splinters of wood and glass flying. I crouched behind cover, my heart pounding as I tried to make sense of the scene unfolding before me. It was a full-scale firefight, and every corner of the room was a potential death trap.

I could barely keep track of who was shooting at whom. Hyunjin's team was engaged in a brutal exchange with Kato's men, the air thick with smoke and the acrid stench of gunpowder. The intensity of the battle was overwhelming, and every second felt like a lifetime.

Amid the madness, I saw one of Kato's men break through the line of fire. His eyes were set with grim determination as he made a beeline for Nami. She was still tied up, looking terrified as the man approached her with a sinister glint in his eye. He held his gun with a deadly purpose, and I could see where this was going.

The room fell into stunned silence as the man pressed the barrel of his gun against Nami's throat. Her eyes widened with fear, and she began to tremble. The entire fight ceased abruptly as everyone's attention snapped to the standoff.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Hyunjin roared, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. His eyes were locked onto Nami, filled with a fierce mix of anger and desperation.

The man holding the gun sneered, his finger twitching on the trigger. "She's not going anywhere. She's our leverage."

"You're dead if you so much as pull that trigger," Hyunjin said, his voice low but deadly serious. His hand moved to his own weapon with practiced ease.

With a swift and precise movement, Hyunjin fired. His shot was true, and the man holding the gun crumpled to the floor, his weapon falling from his hand.

The room erupted into chaos once more as Kato's eyes locked onto Hyunjin. His face twisted into a snarl of fury. He raised his own gun, aiming straight at Hyunjin.

Hyunjin didn't hesitate. His shots were quick and lethal, each bullet finding its mark with unerring accuracy. Kato's eyes widened in shock as he took the first hit, his body staggering back. He barely had time to react before Hyunjin's next shots struck him down, his gun slipping from his grasp as he fell to the ground, lifeless.

The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of what had just happened. Hyunjin stood over Kato's body, his breathing ragged, his face a mix of exhaustion and grim satisfaction. The room was a wreck, littered with broken glass, fallen bodies, and scattered debris.

Nami was huddled in a corner, her face streaked with tears and her body shaking from the adrenaline. Hyunjin made his way over to her, his expression softening as he saw her distress. He extended a hand, his touch gentle despite the tension still crackling in the air.

"It's over, Nami," Hyunjin said softly, though his voice was strained. "You're safe now."

Nami looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and lingering fear. Her hands were still bound, and she was trembling, but the sight of Hyunjin's face offered a small measure of comfort.

Hyunjin glanced around at the wreckage, his face reflecting the exhaustion and strain of the confrontation. "Get this mess cleaned up," he barked to his team, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "And make sure everyone's accounted for."

As his team began to secure the area and tend to the wounded, the immediate danger had been averted. The focus now shifted to dealing with the fallout and ensuring Nami and the rest of the team were safe.

I watched as Hyunjin moved to Nami's side, his face a mix of relief and lingering concern. He had managed to protect her and eliminate the immediate threats, but the room's devastation was a harsh reminder of the violence they had just endured.

As Hyunjin helped Nami, his eyes were locked onto her, the intensity of the earlier conflict still evident. The battle had been fierce, but the focus was now on recovering from the violence and ensuring that everyone was safe.

This chapter is little cringe😬but whatever...