Shields of Fire

chapter 8

The next morning dawned with a renewed sense of purpose, but also an underlying tension that electrified the air. Jennie stood in her office, overlooking the city skyline, her reflection blending into the glass as the first rays of sunlight painted the horizon. The revelation that Seo Minho was involved had shifted the stakes. This was no longer just a personal vendetta or an idle threat. This was a full-scale power play, and Jennie had no intention of letting anyone take what she had fought so hard to build.

Behind her, the door creaked open, and Jennie didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Lisa had a presence that couldn’t be ignored, even when she tried to keep it subtle.

“Up early, huh?” Lisa said, her tone unusually calm.

Jennie gave a slight nod but didn’t turn away from the window. “There’s no time to waste.”

Lisa walked over to stand beside her, leaning against the window. “You’ve been quiet since last night.”

Jennie finally looked at her, a flicker of something softer in her gaze before it hardened again. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About?”

“How to protect what’s mine,” Jennie replied, her voice steely. “If Minho wants to take me down, I’ll need to be ten steps ahead of him.”

Lisa studied Jennie’s profile, noticing the slight tension in her jaw, the way her hands rested on the glass as if she was physically holding herself back from taking action. Jennie was always like this—calculating, cautious, a constant strategist. But there was something different now. This threat had cracked open something deeper, something personal.

“Chaeyoung and I have been working on a plan,” Lisa said, breaking the silence. “We’ve got a few leads on Minho’s operations—some weak points we can hit. We also contacted some trusted security firms. But I wanted to run it by you first.”

Jennie turned to face Lisa fully, her expression unreadable. “You’re taking the lead on this?”

Lisa grinned, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes this time. “We’re a team, remember? You don’t have to do this alone.”

Jennie hesitated for a moment before nodding. “What’s the plan?”

Lalisa’s grin widened as she pulled a small tablet from her jacket pocket and handed it to Jennie. “Take a look. We’ve mapped out Minho’s most recent business dealings, his network of associates, and the weak spots in his supply chain. If we hit him where it hurts—his finances, his connections—we can make it too risky for him to keep targeting you.”

Jennie scanned the tablet, her eyes narrowing as she read through the information. It was detailed, meticulous, just as she would have expected from Lisa and Chaeyoung. “This is good,” she said, impressed despite herself. “How soon can we move on this?”

“Today, if you want,”  Lisa replied, leaning back against the window. “We’ve already set up surveillance on Minho’s operations. Chaeyoung’s been handling the logistics, making sure we don’t tip him off.”

Jennie set the tablet down on her desk, her mind already running through the steps they would need to take. “We’ll need to be careful. Minho’s not someone to underestimate. He’ll retaliate if he senses we’re onto him.”

Lalisa’s expression darkened. “We’ll be ready for that.”

Just as Jennie was about to respond, the door to her office opened, and Jisoo stepped inside, followed by Chaeyoung. Jisoo, always graceful even in moments of crisis, carried a quiet strength in her presence. Chaeyoung, on the other hand, was all business—focused, alert, and already scanning the room for any signs of trouble.

“I heard you’re planning to go after Minho,” Jisoo said, her voice soft but firm.

Jennie glanced at her sister, her expression softening for a brief moment. “It’s the only way to stop him before he does any more damage.”

Jisoo crossed the room to stand beside Jennie, her brow furrowed with concern. “Just be careful, Jennie. Minho isn’t like the other enemies you’ve dealt with. He’s ruthless, and he won’t hesitate to hurt the people around you if it means getting to you.”

“I know,” Jennie said quietly. “But I don’t have a choice.”

Chaeyoung, who had been listening silently, stepped forward. “I’ve arranged for additional security at your home and the office. Minho has people watching, but so do we.”

Jennie nodded, her mind racing with a thousand different plans and contingencies. “Good. The less room for error, the better.”

Lisa, sensing the heaviness in the room, clapped her hands together. “Alright, enough gloom and doom. Let’s focus on hitting this guy where it hurts.”

The shift in Lalisa’s tone eased some of the tension, and even Jisoo couldn’t help but smile slightly. Chaeyoung, though still focused, gave Lisa a small, appreciative nod. There was a reason they worked so well together— Lisa could always bring light into even the darkest situations.

As the day unfolded, Jennie immersed herself in the plans laid out by lisa and Chaeyoung. The team had already pinpointed several key points in Minho’s operations where they could make strategic strikes—undermining his financial backing, disrupting his supply chains, and exposing some of his more unsavory dealings. Every step was carefully mapped out, leaving as little room for retaliation as possible.

By evening, the wheels were already in motion. Chaeyoung had set up a secure line of communication with their contacts on the ground, while lisa ensured that every detail was accounted for. Jennie, despite her natural instinct to control everything, found herself leaning on her team more than she ever had before. It wasn’t easy, but she knew it was necessary.

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That night, after hours of planning, Jennie sat alone in her penthouse, staring out at the glittering city below. She had won so many battles in this very space, making decisions that had propelled her company to the top. But this battle was different. This wasn’t just about her business anymore—it was about survival. And for the first time in a long time, Jennie felt vulnerable.

The soft sound of footsteps broke the silence, and Jennie turned to see Lalisa standing at the entrance to the room. Her usual playful grin was gone, replaced by a quiet, steady presence.

“You alright?” Lalisa asked, her voice gentle.

Jennie looked away, her eyes flickering over the city lights again. “I will be.”

Lalisa stepped closer, standing beside Jennie as they both gazed out into the night. “We’re going to get through this,” she said softly. “You don’t have to carry it all by yourself.”

Jennie didn’t respond right away, but the weight of Lalisa’s words hung in the air between them. There was something comforting in knowing that someone was watching her back, even when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

After a long moment, Jennie finally spoke, her voice quieter than usual. “I’ve always handled things on my own. It’s... hard to let people in.”

lisa nodded, understanding flashing in her eyes. “I get that. But you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

Jennie glanced at her, and for the first time, she allowed herself to let the smallest crack appear in her walls. “Thank you.”

Lisa smiled softly, the warmth returning to her eyes. “Anytime, Boss Lady.”

As the night deepened, Jennie realized something she hadn’t expected—maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to face this storm by herself. And with  Lisa, Chaeyoung, and Jisoo by her side, perhaps she could find a way not just to survive, but to win.

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