Aware that my vicious frown did nothing but amuse him, I let it sit on my face just for the sake of it.

After Min Daeshim left me in the office, not even five minutes of contemplative loneliness passed for someone else to walk in. The man that I now had learned to coin as the cartel leader's right hand walked in, a smug smirk on his face, as he made way for Hyun Kangjǒn himself and two of his tallest, bulkiest body guards.

I stepped backwards, my eyes never leaving the group of four that made themselves comfortable in the room. Kangjǒn took his sweet time to analyze me from head to toe, as he walked to the desk and then sat himself behind it. I did the same, taking in every movement of his. His neat, expensive suit did nothing to better his whole aura - his bloodshot eyes that screamed murderer and his scowling face that saw one too many tortured souls begging him for their lives.

"Sagong!" He hissed, causing him to march my way and grab me by the wrist. He pulled me aggressively, pushing the guest's chair out of the way and planting me in front of his boss.

So much for chivalry.

"Are you all making fun of my face?" Kangjǒn deadpanned, looking at his men in the most disappointed way I'd ever seen. If the situation wasn't what it was, I'd laugh. He looked like a frustrated mother let down by her own children. "All of this damned ruckus because of a... little girl?"

There, that's where you came in just a bit ago. A frown made its way across my face, which just made him snicker.

Little girl MY .

"If I may, Sir, she's quite the trouble." Sagong said, suddenly becoming soft as a lamb. "They managed to-"

"It was a rhetorical question, Sagong. I know the level of incompetence of my employees, and I'm not quite surprised you'd be ed over by a bunch of kids."

I decided it wasn't a good time to laugh, so I swallowed it.

"Listen here girl, I'm not fond of being challenged and being merciful isn't something I'm famous for." He declared, in a threatening tone. "I hoped you to have been dealt with from the start, but apparently you are "quite the trouble" and things escalated further than they should have."

He stood, stepping aside and pouring himself a whiskey.

"It was a simple matter to get over with but seems like you kids enjoy playing games and unfortunately I'm indeed surrounded by complete idiots."

He eyed his men in such a way I swore to have felt them cringe behind me.

"And since it seems to me that you are degrees over these morons here when it comes to intelligence, I have an offer for you."

He sipped his whiskey so slowly it gave me anxiety fits.

"Do you like games, Yuna?"

Is that a rhetorical question too?

And it was.

"How about you make up for your insolence and compensate me for all the piece of work you've been this past month? You do a simple job for me and in return, I won't cold blood murder your boyfriend down there."

I swallowed dry. So that's how it's gonna be.

"What about Hoseok?" I felt a tad bit proud that I managed to keep my voice from failing.

"Ah, right, the other one. The cop's son. Jung, isn't it? Well I can add him up to the deal, he doesn't mean . If you do as I say, they may live. I'm not typically the kind of person to mind too much when it comes to things that can be solved with a simple gunshot but what can I say? I haven't had much fun lately."

May live wasn't exactly an assurance, nor did it do to calm my stress levels down, but it if was the best I could have for now I'd buy into it just for the sake of stalling.

I was aware of how little of a chance there was for either of the three to come out of this in one piece, but I'd do everything in my power to avoid it. I couldn't let Hoseok down. I couldn't let Suga down.

Even if it costs my own life along the way.

"What is this job?"

"To go straight to the point, there's someone who thinks they're smarter than the Kangjǒn Cartel and decided to go on defy me. Kill some of my men on duty. Sell on my spots. Competition I'm not interested in having. Not that I'd care of low life thugs selling meth here and there, but they stepped too high on the ladder when they killed my nephew."

Lord, I'm royally ed...

"They clearly don't know whose cartel they're playing with." He explained, gently shaking the ic