Cinderella's Fate | 🤍 seongjoong 🤍

Chapter 50

Narrator's POV 

    San arrived at the quiet residence just as the sun began to rise. The streets were mostly empty, the city not yet awake. He knew this was the calm before the storm, so he mentally prepared for whatever Yunho was about to reveal to him.

    He knocked twice, sharp and quick. This matter was urgent, after all. Moments later, just a minute later, to be exact, the door opened.

    Yunho stood there, a soft smile on his face, still in a loose shirt and sweatpants. He seemed genuinely happy to see San, maybe even hopeful for some good news about the plan.

"Morning," he greeted, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "You're early," he added, as if he'd been expecting San to show up all along.

San didn't return the smile. 

"We've got a problem."

Yunho's expression dropped.

"Hongjoong's unconscious," San continued, stepping inside. "We still haven't located the person who got dragged out of the palace, and I just got word, a quick message on my burner phone, the king and queen know. So do the nobles, and soon, everyone will."

Yunho froze.

"That wasn't supposed to happen. That's not how the plan was meant to go."

    His face twisted in panic as he walked away from the now closed door, eyes darting to every wall like he was searching for answers. San was caught off guard, he'd never seen Yunho lose his composure like this.

San narrowed his eyes. If their calmest, most prepared ally was panicking, that didn't bode well.

"That's why I'm here," he said. "The Family's Book was left out. You know, the one called Fate, the one only you and the royal family are supposed to be able to see."

Yunho looked a little guilty, clearly remembering his promise to Seonghwa.

"Wait here," he said before disappearing into the bedrooms.

San stood in the living room in silence. He didn't let himself dwell on the what-ifs. He was here for answers, solid, direct ones.

A minute later, Yunho returned, dragging a sleepy Mingi behind him. The latter was still wrapped in a blanket, blinking sleepily.

"Why am I awake?" Mingi mumbled.

"Because everything's falling apart," Yunho replied.

    The two exchanged a glance, a silent conversation only they understood, before leading San back to the living room.

"I've got something to reveal," Yunho said finally. "It'll give you context to why I know Seonghwa, why I pushed Hongjoong toward him."

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    San stood still, the weight of what he had just learned to settle heavily in his chest. The truth they had kept, the secret Yunho and Mingi had protected for so long, now it all made sense.

     Why Yunho seemed to have lived longer than anyone else, why he always predicted things before they happened, and now, why this particular situation had caught him off guard. It wasn't part of his plan, maybe not even part of what fate had intended.

San understood now.

"You're... I guess I should have known," San murmured, his voice low.

Yunho gave him a tired but knowing look. "And that's why we have to keep it that way. You, of all people, understand what it means to hide who you really are."

San couldn't deny that, and he was surprised Yunho even knew.

Mingi nodded. 

"Jongho's going to need to know eventually, but right now, we need to focus on finding the culprit."

He turned to Yunho, suggesting they quickly consult the wand for the next steps.

But San interrupted with urgent news.

"We need to get back to the palace. The queen's making a public statement..."

This was going to complicate things.

    Yunho went to grab his wand, Mingi headed to ready the car, and San made his way to his motorcycle.

They didn't waste another second.

    The three of them moved fast as the city began to wake up, the breaking news already shocking people out of their morning routines.