UNDERWORLD QUEENS TWO(2)

Chap 54

Seoul — 9:00 AM
The Estate, South Wing Driveway

The morning air was sharp with spring cold. A light mist curled along the path as two sleek black SUVs pulled out of the private estate gates. Inside, Jisoo and Chaeyoung sat in silence, each lost in her own thoughts as the city slowly unfolded before them.

Neither wore makeup. Both had traded heels and silk robes for simple coats and tinted glasses—comfortable, casual, unassuming. It wasn't a mission. Not technically. Just a quiet visit to a construction site they'd been developing for months—a hidden project, one only their inner circle knew about.

Jisoo glanced at Chaeyoung as their car turned onto the expressway. "You sure we should go today? I mean, with the Prague op this close..."

Chaeyoung smiled faintly. "They'll be fine. You saw how airtight that plan is. Besides..." She placed a protective hand over her bump. "Better now than when I can't move as easily."

Behind them, a blacked-out vehicle tailed their car—one of their best private security teams. Silent. Armed. Loyal.

An Hour Later — Outskirts of Seoul
Private Hillside Zone, Under Development

The site was remote. Quiet. Still fenced off from public view, high in the hills where the skyline felt like a postcard.

Jisoo stepped out first, her boots crunching over the gravel. "Hard to imagine this place filled with kids' laughter someday," she murmured.

Chaeyoung chuckled. "Let's get it built first."

They moved slowly through the open steel framework of what would one day become home—a sanctuary for the future. Jisoo paused to glance over the edge of the hill, eyes sweeping the road below.

And froze.

"Chae."

Chaeyoung turned. "What is it?"

Jisoo's eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening. "That car. Third one down the slope. Stop. Zoom."

Chaeyoung pulled out her phone, adjusted the camera. A long-limbed man had just stepped out of the vehicle. Casual, head tilted slightly. He adjusted his coat, turned to talk to someone on the passenger side—

"Is that...?" Chaeyoung's voice dropped.

It was Alex.

But that couldn't be right.

Because Alex was still locked in the underground facility, three floors beneath the base—under 24/7 biometric surveillance. They made sure of that.

And yet... there he was. Standing in front of them. In Seoul.

Alive. Free.

Jisoo turned to one of the guards behind them. "Get me confirmation on Alex's location. Facial scan. Voice check. All of it. Now."

The man nodded and moved, fingers flying over his secure tablet. A long silence followed.

Then:

"He's still in custody," the guard confirmed. "Facial match confirmed thirty seconds ago. He hasn't moved from the cell."

They stared at the image on the tablet. Alex—same face, same features—pacing his cell beneath their base.

But outside... another version of him had just entered a nondescript service van and disappeared into the woods.

Jisoo's heart dropped. "That's not him. That's a fake. A damn good one."

Chaeyoung's hands trembled as she locked eyes with her.