Title: Shadows of Deception: A Tale of Love

Chapter 10 shadows and schemes

Saran paced the living room of her lavish estate, her frustration barely masked under her cool exterior. Dawn sat at the edge of the sofa, his fingers tapping on his phone as he composed messages to key board members.
"We need to act quickly," Saran said, her voice sharp. "If Warin recovers too soon, he'll block any move we make. The board needs to believe he's incapable of managing the company anymore."
Dawn nodded. "I've reached out to Chairman Yoon and the others. They're already questioning his ability to lead after the incident. But we'll need more than whispers."
Saran smirked and leaned closer. "That's why I arranged for a 'leak' about his declining health. The press will eat it up, and by the time we meet with the board, they'll be primed to accept your leadership."
"And Babe?" Dawn asked hesitantly.
Saran's smirk faltered for a moment before turning into a cold smile. "Leave him to me. His attachment to his father is his weakness. He'll be too distracted to notice us pulling the strings."
Meanwhile, across town, Babe returned to his condo, drained from the day's events at the hospital. The soft click of his door locking barely registered before Joon's voice startled him.
"Hey, Babe."
Babe froze, turning to see Joon lounging on his couch with a half-empty glass of whiskey in hand. His disheveled appearance betrayed how far he'd fallen.
"What are you doing here, Joon?" Babe asked, irritation lacing his voice.
Joon stood, wobbling slightly. "I needed to see you. To talk. To...fix things between us."
"Fix things?" Babe scoffed, crossing his arms. "Oh not again''
Joon's face twisted, a mix of anger and desperation. "I made mistakes, okay? But we were something, Babe. We were everything! And now you're with someone right? " who is it ?
Babe sighed. "Joon, you need to leave. Whatever we had is over. You need to move on."
Joon slammed his glass on the coffee table, the sound echoing through the room. "You think you're better than me now? You think your money and fame will protect you from everything? I'll destroy you, Babe. If I can't have you, no one will!"
The venom in his words shook Babe. "Get out," he said firmly, his voice trembling with suppressed anger.
Joon grabbed his coat and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Babe sank onto the couch, his hands trembling as he processed what had just happened.
Hours later, Joon found himself at a dimly lit bar, drowning his sorrows in another glass of whiskey. The familiar scent of expensive perfume caught his attention. He looked up to see Dawn, his poised figure leaning against the bar.
"Long time, no see," Dawn said, his lips curving into a sly smile.
Joon smirked bitterly. "Dawn. Fancy running into you here."
The two former lovers exchanged barbs and reminiscences until the conversation turned darker. "I saw Babe today," Joon muttered, his words slurred. "With Billy Mars. Can you believe it? That little—"
"Billy Mars?" Dawn interrupted, his interest piqued.
Joon nodded. "He's head over heels for Babe. Bought him some rare Cartier piece. The guy's practically begging to be used."
Dawn's mind raced as he took in the information. "You know," he said slowly, "Saran might find this very interesting. A connection to Mars could be the leverage we need to bring Babe down. And if Babe falls, Warin won't be far behind."
Joon frowned. "You're still scheming with her?"
Dawn shrugged. "A boyl's got to stay relevant."
The two clinked their glasses, their shared bitterness binding them in a moment of camaraderie.

The next morning, Dawn met with Saran at her estate, detailing everything she'd learned about Billy and his connection to Babe.
"So," Dawn concluded, "if we can link Babe to Mars and expose that relationship in the right way, the board will lose confidence in the Warin family. They'll see him as a liability."
Saran leaned back in her chair, her mind calculating every angle. "Let's dig deeper into Mars. Find out his weaknesses. If we can't bring down Babe directly, we'll use his golden boyfriend to do it."