The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

41: Rest of Us

Jihoon drove back to the Midnight mansion, his mind spinning with everything Soonyoung had told him at the bridge. The night air felt thick with tension, the weight of his decision pressing heavily on his chest. As much as he wanted to keep Soonyoung safe, Jihoon knew he couldn't ignore what he had learned. The CBI was closing in, and if he didn't act fast, the entire Midnight gang could be wiped out.

Pulling up to the mansion, Jihoon parked the car and sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His heart pounded in his chest as he thought about Soonyoung, about the mess they were in, and how this mission could destroy everything.

With a heavy sigh, he stepped out of the car and made his way inside. The mansion was quiet—too quiet. Most of the gang members had turned in for the night, leaving the place shrouded in an eerie calm.

Jihoon found Seungcheol in his office, seated behind his large desk with a glass of whiskey in hand. He was going over some documents, his expression serious but calm as usual. When Jihoon entered, Seungcheol glanced up, immediately sensing the urgency in Jihoon's demeanor.

"Jihoon?" Seungcheol's voice was low, a mixture of curiosity and concern. "What's going on?"

Jihoon shut the door behind him and walked over to the desk. His hands were shaking slightly, and for the first time in a long while, Seungcheol saw real fear in Jihoon's eyes. That alone was enough to make Seungcheol put down his glass and sit up straighter.

"It's Soonyoung," Jihoon began, his voice strained. "He told me... about the CBI's mission. They're coming for us, Seungcheol. They've got evidence, real evidence this time."

Seungcheol's face hardened. "What?"

Jihoon nodded, his throat dry. "Soonyoung and Taeyong have been working on this for months. They're planning to take us down, all of us. Soonyoung said they have everything they need to arrest the entire gang."

Seungcheol leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he absorbed the information. His jaw tightened, and his gaze turned cold, the weight of the situation settling in.

"They're coming after me," he muttered, more to himself than to Jihoon.

"They're coming after all of us," Jihoon said, his voice laced with urgency. "You, me, everyone in the gang. If we don't act fast, it's over."

Seungcheol was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he calculated the next steps. "How do you know Soonyoung's telling the truth? He's a cop, Jihoon. He could be trying to set you up."

Jihoon shook his head. "No, I know him. He wouldn't do that. He... he's stuck in a bad situation with Yuta. He wouldn't come after us like this unless he had no choice."

Seungcheol's eyes darkened at the mention of Yuta. "That bastard."

Jihoon swallowed hard. "I don't think Soonyoung even wants to do this, but he's in too deep. He's not going to back down. And if they've already got enough evidence, we don't have much time."

Seungcheol stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "We're not going down without a fight. I'm not letting the CBI take us out."

"What are you going to do?" Jihoon asked, his voice wavering.

Seungcheol didn't answer immediately, pacing around the room as he thought it through. The tension in the air was palpable, the weight of their reality crashing down like a tidal wave.

"We need to move," Seungcheol finally said, his tone sharp. "Get rid of anything that could incriminate us. Clean out the mansion, burn any documents we don't need. If they come here, they won't find a damn thing."