Seojin sat in the back of the van, staring at the hard drive in her hands. The weight of her father's deal pressed heavily on her chest.
"When the Council falls… you disappear."
The words played over and over in her mind.
Kade sat across from her, arms crossed. "Do you believe him?"
Seojin exhaled slowly. "No."
Minji scoffed from the driver's seat. "Then why the hell did you agree to his deal?"
Seojin met her gaze in the rearview mirror. "Because we need him."
Minji didn't look convinced. "And when he betrays us?"
Seojin's fingers tightened around the hard drive. "Then I'll kill him myself."
The silence in the van was thick.
Kade finally spoke. "So what's the plan?"
Seojin inhaled deeply before answering. "We use my father to gain access to the Council's central servers. If we can upload this data directly into their network, it won't just expose them—it'll erase their control protocols completely."
Minji's eyebrows lifted. "You mean… shut down the entire mass compliance program?"
Seojin nodded. "Exactly. No more experiments. No more mind control. We destroy everything."
Kade tapped his fingers against his knee. "And you think your father is just going to let us walk in and do that?"
Seojin's voice was cold. "No. That's why we go in with a backup plan."
Minji smirked. "I like the way you think."
But in the back of her mind, Seojin knew—this was a trap.
Her father wasn't a man who let others win.
And the moment they walked into his world, the real game would begin.
The next night, Seojin and her team arrived at the agreed-upon location—a private estate on the outskirts of Seoul.
The place screamed power. High walls, armed guards, security cameras at every corner.
Seojin took a steadying breath as she stepped out of the van. Kade and Minji flanked her, their hands resting near their weapons.
"This feels wrong," Minji muttered.
Seojin didn't disagree.
A man in a black suit approached them. "Ms. Seojin, your father is waiting."
Without a word, they followed.
Inside, the estate was just as she remembered from her childhood—luxurious, cold, suffocating.
Her father sat in the grand lounge, a glass of wine in hand. "You're late."
Seojin stopped a few feet away. "Let's get this over with."
Her father chuckled. "Always so impatient." He gestured to the table beside him. "Everything is ready. You'll have direct access to the Council's servers from here. Once the upload begins, there's no turning back."
Seojin studied his face, searching for the lie.
Because she knew it was there.
And then—
The doors behind them slammed shut.
Minji spun around, gun drawn. "What the hell?"
Armed Phoenix operatives filled the room, surrounding them instantly.
Seojin's father sighed, swirling his wine. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"
Seojin's pulse pounded. Trap.
She slowly turned back to face him. "So this was your plan all along?"
He set his glass down and stood. "No, my dear. My plan was to give you a chance. A chance to join me. A chance to understand."
Her heart clenched. "You never intended to help us."
Her father smiled. "Of course not. But I had to see if you were smart enough to see it coming."
Kade's voice was calm but sharp. "You should've killed us the moment we walked in."
Her father's eyes flickered to Kade. "I considered it. But where's the fun in that?"
Minji growled, raising her gun. "I'll show you fun."
Before she could fire, a gunshot rang out.
Minji gasped.
She staggered back, blood blooming on her side.
"MINJI!" Seojin shouted, catching her before she fell.
Her father sighed. "That was a warning shot. Next time, it won't be."
Seojin's hands trembled as she pressed against Minji's wound. She was alive, but bleeding fast.
Seojin's rage burned hotter than ever before.
She looked up at her father, her vision dark with fury. "You're a monster."
Her father tilted his head. "No. I'm a realist."
The Phoenix operatives stepped closer, their weapons aimed.
Seojin's heart pounded. This was it.
She had walked into the lion's den—
And now, there was no way out.
End of Chapter 77