As we left the building, the clouds above began to part, revealing a sliver of moonlight that bathed the site in a pale, ghostly glow. The storm was coming, and I was ready for it.
Yura and I walked silently back to the car, the tension between us palpable. I could feel the shift in the atmosphere, a shared understanding that the night was far from over. The cold air bit at my skin, but the fire inside me burned too hot to notice. The truth was out—Min-seok had tried to sabotage my work, but the real battle was just beginning.
Yura drove us to the private meeting room she had arranged earlier, a small, nondescript space in an unremarkable building on the edge of the city. It was the perfect location for what we needed—a place where we could confront our enemy without any prying eyes or ears. As we pulled up to the building, I felt a grim sense of purpose settle over me. This was it. We were going to end this tonight.
The room was stark and functional, with just a table and a few chairs. The fluorescent lights cast a harsh, unforgiving glow over everything, making the space feel cold and clinical. It was fitting for the task at hand. Yura moved with her usual efficiency, setting up her laptop on the table, while I paced the length of the room, my thoughts racing.
I had never imagined I'd find myself in a situation like this—trapped in a web of deceit and betrayal, forced to confront those who had wronged me. But as I stood there, the anger and frustration that had been building inside me for weeks began to solidify into something else: resolve. I wasn't going to let Min-seok win. He had made a mistake coming after me, and now, he was going to pay.
The door creaked open, and the contractor—the saboteur—was led into the room by one of Yura's associates. His face was pale, his eyes wide with fear. He knew he was caught, and there was no way out. He stumbled into the chair opposite me, his hands trembling as he tried to meet my gaze. But he couldn't. He couldn't bear to look me in the eyes.
"Do you know why you're here?" Yura's voice was icy, each word a shard of ice aimed at the man before us.
The contractor swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "I... I didn't mean for it to go this far," he stammered, his voice shaky. "It was just supposed to be a few delays, nothing serious—"
"Nothing serious?" I interrupted, my voice sharp. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, threatening to spill over. "You call sabotaging my entire project nothing serious? Do you have any idea what you've done? The damage you've caused?"
"I—I didn't want to do it," he pleaded, his voice breaking. "Min-seok, he... he gave me no choice. He threatened me, said he'd ruin my business if I didn't help him. I didn't know what else to do!"
Yura leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "And so you chose to betray Jiyeon, to sabotage her work, just to save your own skin. Pathetic."
The contractor flinched at her words, his whole body trembling with fear. I could see the sweat beading on his forehead, the way his hands shook as he clutched the edge of the table. He was a man on the brink, and we were about to push him over the edge.
"Tell us everything," I demanded, my voice cold and hard. "Who else is involved? What did Min-seok plan? Don't leave anything out."
The contractor hesitated, his eyes darting between Yura and me. He was trapped, and he knew it. With a resigned sigh, he slumped in his chair, finally defeated.
"Min-seok has been planning this for months," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "He knew about your expansion plans, and he saw it as a threat to his own business. He thought if he could sabotage your new branch, he could force you to abandon the project, maybe even sell it off to him at a loss."
My blood boiled at his words. The audacity of Min-seok, to think he could strong-arm me into giving up everything I'd worked for, was infuriating. But I kept my anger in check, focusing on the information we were extracting.
"How did he get to you?" Yura asked, her tone as cold as ever.
The contractor hesitated, clearly ashamed. "He... approached me at a bar one night, said he had a business proposition. At first, it sounded like just another job—some extra work on the side. But then he started asking for favors, little things at first. Delays, ordering the wrong materials, making sure shipments got 'lost' in transit. I didn't realize how deep I was in until it was too late."
"And the others?" I pressed. "Who else is involved?"
He shook his head, looking even more defeated. "There's a few others—contractors, suppliers—people he's been paying off. But none of them know the full scope of what he's doing. They just think they're making a quick buck."
Yura's eyes narrowed as she processed his words. "So Min-seok has been using a network of people to sabotage us, all under the radar. Clever, but sloppy. He underestimated us."
I could see the gears turning in Yura's mind, already formulating a plan. She was a strategist at heart, always thinking several steps ahead, and I knew she was already considering how to turn this to our advantage.
"We have enough evidence to bury him," Yura said, her voice cold and calculating. "We could take this to the authorities, press charges. He'd lose everything—his business, his reputation. He'd be finished."
The contractor paled even further at the thought, his eyes wide with fear. "Please," he begged, his voice shaking. "I'll do anything. Just don't let him find out I told you. He'll come after me, my family—he won't stop."
I stared at the man before me, feeling a mix of emotions—anger, disgust, and, surprisingly, pity. He was a coward, yes, but he was also a pawn in a much larger game. Min-seok had manipulated him, used him to do his dirty work, and then discarded him when things got too hot. I wasn't about to let him off the hook, but I also wasn't going to let Min-seok walk away unscathed.
"Here's what's going to happen," I said, my voice firm. "You're going to give us everything—names, dates, documents—whatever you have that ties Min-seok to this sabotage. In return, we won't go to the authorities. But if you try to double-cross us, if you so much as think about warning Min-seok, I'll make sure he knows exactly who sold him out."
The contractor nodded frantically, his relief palpable. "I'll do it, I'll give you everything. Just please, don't let him come after me."
Yura's gaze hardened as she fixed him with a cold stare. "We'll be watching you. If you try anything, you won't just have Min-seok to worry about."
He swallowed hard, nodding again. "I understand."
Yura rose from her chair, signaling that the meeting was over. "You have 24 hours to get us what we need," she said, her voice brooking no argument. "After that, your fate is in our hands."
The contractor stumbled out of the room, his fear almost palpable as he hurried to comply. I watched him go, a sense of grim satisfaction settling over me. We had what we needed, and Min-seok's days of meddling in my affairs were numbered.
But as the door closed behind him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Min-seok was a powerful man, with resources and connections that ran deep. He wouldn't go down without a fight, and I knew that by going after him, we were making a powerful enemy.
Yura seemed to sense my thoughts, her expression softening slightly as she turned to me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, though my mind was still racing. "I'm fine. Just... thinking about what comes next."
Yura's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together. Min-seok may have power, but so do we. And we're smarter, more resourceful. We'll make sure he regrets ever crossing us."
I took a deep breath, letting her words steady me. She was right—we had come this far, and we weren't about to back down now. Min-seok had tried to destroy everything I'd worked for, but instead, he had only made me stronger, more determined.
"We'll make sure he never forgets who he's dealing with," I said, my voice firm with resolve.
Yura nodded, her gaze steady. "Good. Now, let's get to work."
As we left the building, the cold night air hit me like a slap, but it only sharpened my focus. The clouds had cleared, revealing a sky full of stars, twinkling like diamonds against the velvet blackness. It was a reminder that no matter how dark things seemed, there was always light to be found.
We had won this battle, but the war was far from over. Min-seok had made a powerful enemy in me, and I was more determined than ever
to see him brought down. With Yura by my side, I knew we could take on anything he threw at us.