Choi San, a revered and feared mafia boss, reigns over Seoul's underworld with an iron fist, his influence extending seamlessly across both legal and illegal domains. But his empire is shaken to its core when his beloved daughter, Eun-ji, is kidnapp...
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The last two days had been a whirlwind of thoughts, feelings, and unanswered questions. My sister's return had complicated everything. I trusted San—his words carried weight when he told me he didn't want her, that their past was exactly that, in the past. But despite that, I couldn't shake the uncertainty. I didn't know her anymore, didn't know how she would react to the fact that San and I had something real. Her presence was a looming shadow over whatever future I hoped to build with him.
Viper and Blaze were gone, their men scattered, but the chaos in my head hadn't quieted. As I sat by the large table, listening to Seongjun go over plans and updates, my thoughts drifted to San. He had gone back to his mansion, to little Eun-ji and, inevitably, my sister. That didn't worry me as much as it should have—San being around his daughter felt right. It was my sister being there, hovering in the background, that twisted something uneasy in my gut. She was my family, but so was Eun-ji now, and San... San was mine.
I had felt his love, his soft side hidden beneath the powerful persona he wore as a mafia boss. I'd seen the way he cared, the way he let down his guard with me. And I would protect that. I'd make sure that no matter what happened, San would always know he was mine. Even if the road ahead wasn't straight-forward, I was ready for whatever came. I was ready to fight for us.
Just as I started to drift further into my thoughts, the buzz of my phone pulled me back into the present. I glanced down, expecting an update from one of our teams, but instead, a message from her flashed on the screen:
"We have to meet, now!"
I stared at the screen, the weight of those words settling over me like a heavy blanket. My sister, demanding a meeting out of nowhere. My heart raced, a mix of confusion and frustration flaring up inside me. What could she possibly want now? After all this time, after everything that had happened, why reach out like this?
I looked up briefly, realizing Seongjun was still talking, unaware of the internal storm brewing inside me. I sighed quietly, my fingers hovering over the screen as I contemplated what to do. Part of me wanted to ignore her, let her wait, make her understand that she didn't hold the same power over me that she used to. But another part of me knew this conversation needed to happen.
For better or worse, she was my sister, and whatever she had to say could change everything.
I stood up abruptly, catching Seongjun's attention. He paused mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow at me. "Something wrong, Wooyoung?"
"I need to step out for a bit," I muttered, stuffing my phone in my pocket. "It's personal."
He studied me for a moment before nodding. "Take your time. We'll handle things here."
Without another word, I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the door, the weight of my sister's message pulling me forward into the unknown.
My steps quickened as I navigated the corridors, my mind racing with thoughts of my sister. Despite the years and the distance between us, certain memories remained vivid—like her competitive streak, how she could turn from sweet and caring to fiercely possessive in a heartbeat. She had never liked it when I had something she couldn't, and though San was far from being a prize to be won, I knew her message carried an undertone of that old rivalry.
