𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮

28. Kim Jongin

The air heavy with tension as Kim Jongin's brow furrows in frustration. Sung-ho, one of his trusted man, stands before him, his head bowed slightly, unable to meet Jongin's piercing gaze.

Jongin hisses through clenched teeth "Nothing? You're telling me you found absolutely nothing?"

Sung-ho nervously shifting his weight "I searched everywhere, Jongin-ssi. Every informant, every contact. But ACE Headquarters-it's... like it doesn't exist. Not a soul knows where it is. Even our best men have hit dead ends."

Jongin clenches his fists, an icy rage simmering beneath his calm exterior "Damn that Jungkook." A bitter laugh escapes his lips. "It's no wonder he's the mafia king. He thinks he's untouchable, doesn't he?"

Sung-ho nodding slowly "Yes, sir. Jeon has made sure ACE is impenetrable. Not everyone has access... only a few, and even they're sworn to silence."

Jongin: eyes narrowing as he remembers his brother's words "That arrogant little brat. He wouldn't have gotten far if not for his family's legacy." He smirks, but the bitterness is unmistakable. "He thinks he can outsmart me. But I'll find it. I'll bring him and ACE down, no matter the cost."

As Jongin paces, his mind drifts back to his own family history. His thoughts settle on his brother, Kim Daehyung, the man who once led ACE alongside Jungkook's father, Jinwoo. Together, they'd built ACE from the ground up-a fortress, an empire-and their alliance was the foundation. The bond between Daehyung and Jinwoo was unbreakable, a friendship forged in loyalty and strength.

But to Jongin, ACE represented something else. To him, it was the ultimate symbol of power, the one thing he could never truly possess. No matter how much he schemed or plotted, Daehyung and Jinwoo's alliance had always overshadowed him. A hint of jealousy flashes in his eyes as he recalls how they'd ignored his ambitions.

******************

Jongin is younger brother, visiting Daehyung and his wife, Soohee, at the Kim mansion. Daehyung and Soohee greet him warmly, as always, unaware of the bitterness boiling within him.

Daehyung smiling warmly as he claps a hand on Jongin's shoulder "Jongin-ah! Look at you. It's been too long, little brother. Come, sit with us. Soohee has prepared a feast, just the way you like it."

Soohee ushering him to the table with a gentle smile "Jongin, you're family. You know you're always welcome here." She hands him a dish with care, as if he were her own younger brother.

Jongin accepts the food, offering them both a forced smile. But inside, he seethes. He sees Daehyung's loving family, his warm home, and the empire he leads so confidently, and every time he visits, his envy grows sharper.

Back in the present, Jongin's expression twists, anger clouding his face.

Jongin to himself, voice a low, venomous whisper "Family... that's all they ever talked about. A family that never needed me, not really. To them, I was nothing more than Daehyung's little brother, a convenient guest when they wanted to flaunt their 'love' and generosity."

He remembers the last time he saw Daehyung and Soohee alive, how they welcomed him into their home with open arms, oblivious to the hatred in his heart. They had believed him to be harmless, blind to the resentment he masked behind his polite facade. But his ambition, his greed, had long since eclipsed any love he once had for them.

Jongin thinking back to his brother's words, a bitter smile forming "All that kindness and loyalty they showed me, and yet... they never saw it coming, did they? That I'd be the one to end their precious family." He chuckles coldly. "And now... now I'll finish what I started. ACE will be mine."