Tangeled in shadows | Min Yoongi

Chapter 1: The Ice King of Seoul

The dimly lit room was thick with tension, the scent of cigar smoke hanging heavy in the air. The sound of leather chairs shifting as men waited in anticipation filled the silence. At the head of the long mahogany table sat the most powerful man in Seoul, his fingers steepled together as he surveyed the room. His eyes, dark and calculating, missed nothing.

He had built his empire on blood and ruthlessness, and those who sat at the table with him knew better than to cross him. Yoongi wasn’t just the heir to the Min family’s syndicate — he was its heart, its brain, and its lifeblood. In the years since he’d taken over, he had expanded their reach, cutting down rivals and absorbing their businesses with cold efficiency.

Now, there was just one thorn in his side.

The Kim family.

Yoongi’s jaw tightened as his mind flicked to the one family who had been a constant nuisance. The Kims had once been powerful, controlling a substantial portion of Seoul’s underground trade. But when Yoongi rose to power, they had crumbled, their influence shrinking to a mere shadow of what it once was. Except for one—Kim Yoona.

“She’s been quiet lately,” Namjoon, Yoongi’s right-hand man, commented, breaking the silence. He was tall, imposing, and loyal to a fault.

Yoongi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Too quiet. She’s planning something.”

Kim Yoona. The name alone sent a jolt of something unfamiliar through Yoongi. He wasn’t sure if it was annoyance, respect, or something more dangerous. Ever since her father had fallen from grace, Yoona had been relentless in her pursuit of revenge. But despite her attempts to undermine him, Yoongi had never given her the satisfaction of acknowledging her as a true threat.

Until now.

“She’s reckless,” Seokjin, another member of his inner circle, said with a smirk. “If she tries anything, it’ll be the last mistake she makes.”

Yoongi didn’t respond immediately. His mind was already spinning with possibilities, calculating every move she could make. Yoona had always been more than just her father’s daughter. She was sharp, resourceful, and entirely unpredictable—a dangerous combination. She’d already managed to slip through his fingers once, and Yoongi didn’t intend to let that happen again.

“We’ll be ready,” Yoongi finally said, his voice low and even. “No matter what she tries.”

As the meeting adjourned, Yoongi remained seated, his mind still turning over the possibilities. Kim Yoona might have been the daughter of a fallen man, but she was no ordinary rival. She was a storm on the horizon, and Yoongi would need to be prepared for whatever she brought his way.

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Yoona’s hand tightened around the hilt of the knife as she watched the convoy of black cars pull up to the warehouse. The night air was cool against her skin, but adrenaline burned hot in her veins. This was it. The moment she had been waiting for.

She crouched lower on the rooftop, hidden by shadows. Below her, Yoongi’s men began unloading crates from the cars. Weapons, no doubt. Yoona had been tracking his syndicate’s movements for weeks, waiting for an opening.

Tonight, she would strike.

Her father had always told her that vengeance was a dish best served cold.