The air outside the safe house was thick with tension.
Minji's fingers twitched near the gun holstered at her waist as Lee Hyun, the Council's top assassin, took a slow step forward. His dark eyes glowed with amusement, as if he already knew how this would end.
"This doesn't have to be messy," he said, his voice calm. "You run, I chase. You fight, I kill you. Either way, this ends tonight."
Minji exhaled sharply. Not if I have anything to say about it.
Kade, standing beside her, tightened his grip on his pistol. "We're outnumbered."
Minji smirked. "That's never stopped us before."
Lee Hyun chuckled. "Good. I like a challenge."
Then—he moved.
Faster than a shadow.
Minji barely had time to react before he was on her. A blade flashed. She twisted away just in time, the knife slicing through the air inches from her throat.
She fired. Bang!
Lee Hyun dodged, the bullet grazing his arm. He didn't even flinch.
Kade aimed for his head—but Lee Hyun was faster.
With a single swift motion, he kicked Kade's gun aside and sent him crashing against a wall.
Minji's heart pounded. This guy is on another level.
And then—more footsteps.
From the darkness, Council enforcers emerged, guns raised.
Minji gritted her teeth. We need to get out of here. Now.
But escape wasn't looking like an option.
Inside the Council's headquarters, Seojin's fingers flew over the keyboard.
She had already breached the system. Now, she just had to erase Minji.
Surveillance logs. Operative orders. Target lists.
She bypassed security firewalls, deleting Minji's name, files, location history.
If she did this right, Minji would cease to exist in the Council's database.
Seojin's breath was steady as she reached the final step—
And then the screen glitched.
A red warning flashed.
Unauthorized activity detected.
Seojin's stomach dropped.
The system was locking her out.
Someone was watching.
Shit.
Her hands moved quickly, trying to cover her tracks, trying to erase her digital fingerprints before—
A voice rang through the speakers.
Calm. Controlled.
Her father's voice.
"You've been busy, Seojin."
Seojin's heart pounded. No. No, no, no.
She tried to shut down the terminal, but it was too late.
The screen flickered—and a live feed appeared.
Her father sat in his office, watching her with a knowing smile.
"You really thought I wouldn't notice?" he mused.
Seojin's hands clenched into fists.
He knew.
He knew everything.
Her father leaned back in his chair. "You were never loyal to us. Were you?"
Seojin forced her expression into calm indifference. "I did what I had to do."
Her father chuckled, shaking his head. "And yet, you failed."
The air in the room suddenly felt heavy.
Seojin inhaled slowly. Stay calm. Stay in control.
She met his gaze. "What happens now?"
Her father exhaled, as if disappointed. "That depends on you."
Then—his voice darkened.
"You can't save them, Seojin."
Her stomach twisted.
She knew what that meant.
The Council wasn't just hunting Minji anymore.
Now, they were coming for her, too.
Back at the safe house, Minji barely dodged another strike from Lee Hyun.
Her breath was ragged, her arms aching. She couldn't keep this up forever.
Kade staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his temple. "We need a way out."
Minji's grip tightened around her gun. "No kidding."
Then—her phone buzzed.
A message from Seojin.
One word.
"Run."
Minji's blood ran cold.
Not just a warning.
A final warning.
Something had gone wrong.
And now, Minji knew—Seojin's cover was blown.
End of Chapter 88