The room was a chaos of shouting and weapons drawn, but Seojin's world had narrowed to a single point: Kang. His betrayal hit her harder than any punch ever could, and yet she couldn't afford to dwell on it. The Phoenix's web of power had ensnared them completely, and if she didn't act fast, it would crush them.
"Stand down, Seojin," Kang said, his tone calm, almost condescending. "You're outnumbered and outmatched. You don't need to die for this."
"I'd rather die fighting than let you win," Seojin snapped, her hand inching toward the knife strapped to her thigh.
Kang chuckled, shaking his head. "Always so stubborn. That's why I admired you." His expression hardened. "But admiration doesn't win wars. Surrender now, and I'll make sure your team isn't harmed."
Seojin's jaw clenched as she glanced at her team. Jiwon and Kyungmin were being restrained by Kang's operatives, their defiance clear in their eyes. Dojin, on the other hand, had gone eerily still, his gaze locked on Kang.
"Don't do it, Seojin," Jiwon growled. "We can fight our way out of this."
Kang smirked. "Fight? Against this?" He gestured to the armed operatives surrounding them. "You'd be dead before you took a single step."
Seojin weighed her options. If they fought now, the odds of survival were slim. But if they surrendered, they'd be walking straight into the syndicate's clutches. She needed a third option—one Kang wouldn't see coming.
---
Without warning, Seojin moved. Her hand shot to her knife, and in one fluid motion, she hurled it at the nearest operative. The man crumpled, his weapon clattering to the ground.
"Now!" she shouted.
Jiwon and Kyungmin didn't need to be told twice. They sprang into action, overpowering the operatives holding them. Dojin dove for the fallen weapon, firing off a shot that forced the rest of the enemies to take cover.
Kang cursed, drawing his own gun. "Seojin, don't make this harder than it needs to be!"
But Seojin was already moving, using the chaos to her advantage. She vaulted over the table, grabbing another weapon from the ground. "Harder? You betrayed us, Kang. There's no coming back from that."
---
The safehouse erupted into a firefight. Bullets tore through the air as Seojin and her team fought their way toward the exit. Despite the odds, they moved with precision, years of training kicking in as they worked together to take down the operatives.
"Kang's making a run for it!" Kyungmin shouted, pointing toward the back door.
Seojin's eyes locked on Kang as he disappeared through the doorway. Fury burned in her chest, but she forced herself to focus. "Let him go. We need to get out of here first."
The team pushed forward, cutting down the remaining operatives until the path to the exit was clear. They burst out into the alleyway, the cool night air a stark contrast to the suffocating tension inside.
"This way," Seojin said, leading them toward the getaway vehicle they had parked nearby.
As they piled in, Dojin turned to her, his face pale. "What now? Kang knows everything. He'll go straight to the Phoenix."
Seojin gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white. "Let him. We're not done yet."
---
Back at their secondary hideout, the atmosphere was grim. Jiwon paced the room, his frustration evident. "We trusted him, Seojin. And he sold us out."
"I know," Seojin replied, her voice steady but strained. "And now we have to use that to our advantage."
Kyungmin frowned. "What do you mean?"
Seojin turned to face them, her expression hard. "Kang thinks he has the upper hand, but he doesn't know everything. We still have the files, and we still have the name. The Phoenix isn't untouchable."
Dojin spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. "And what about Kang? He knows our methods, our weaknesses. He'll use that against us."
"I'm counting on it," Seojin said, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "We're going to draw him out—him and the Phoenix."
Jiwon stopped pacing, his brow furrowed. "How?"
"We leak false intel," Seojin explained. "Make them think we're vulnerable. If we play it right, Kang will come to us, and when he does, we'll be ready."
---
**End of Chapter 18**