Seojin's fingers hovered over the keyboard, her mind racing. Her father knew.
Her cover was blown.
The Council's surveillance system had caught her in the act, and now she was sitting in a room, watching her father's face on the screen, knowing that he held all the power.
Her father sighed, tilting his head. "You've always been reckless, Seojin."
She forced her voice to remain calm. "If you're going to kill me, just get it over with."
He chuckled. "Kill you? No. That would be a waste."
A pause.
Then, he leaned forward, his expression unreadable.
"You have two choices," he said smoothly. "You stay and truly become part of the Council—or you die trying to fight us."
Seojin clenched her fists. He's giving me an ultimatum.
"Do you really think I'll turn into one of your puppets?" she shot back.
Her father exhaled. "No. But I had to offer."
The screen flickered, and suddenly, the feed changed.
Seojin's blood ran cold.
The screen now showed Minji and Kade—still at the ruined safe house, breathing hard, surrounded by bodies.
But they weren't alone.
Lee Hyun was standing over them, his blade dripping with blood.
Her father's voice was calm. "You may not care about your own life, but what about theirs?"
Seojin's stomach twisted. Damn it.
Her father smiled slightly. "I'll give you one last chance, Seojin."
The screen zoomed in on Minji, who was clutching her gun despite the deep gash on her arm.
"Turn yourself in," her father continued, "and they walk free."
The implication was clear.
If she didn't surrender, Minji and Kade wouldn't make it out alive.
Seojin's heart pounded.
This was a trap.
But it was also a choice.
Her life—or theirs.
Minji wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes locked onto Lee Hyun.
The assassin was too calm. He wasn't even trying to finish them off.
Which meant—he was waiting.
For orders.
Minji's fingers curled around her gun. Seojin warned us. That means something went wrong.
Kade's breathing was heavy beside her. "We can't stay here."
Minji gritted her teeth. "We have two choices."
"Run?" Kade guessed.
Minji shook her head. "No. We go after Seojin."
Kade hesitated. "You think she'd want that?"
Minji exhaled. "She told me to run. But if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't leave me behind."
Kade let out a tired chuckle. "You're insane."
Minji smirked. "Yeah, well, so is she."
They both turned at the same time, guns aimed at Lee Hyun.
"Let's make this quick," Minji muttered.
Lee Hyun smiled. "Good choice."
And then—the fight began.
Seojin's hands trembled, but she kept her voice steady. "If I turn myself in, how do I know you'll keep your word?"
Her father smirked. "You don't."
Seojin clenched her jaw.
This was the endgame.
If she surrendered, she'd be trapped in the Council's grasp forever.
If she ran, Minji and Kade would pay the price.
Unless…
Her mind raced. She had one advantage left.
Her father didn't know about her emergency backup plan.
She took a slow breath. If I play this right, I can still win.
She looked into the screen, directly at her father.
And then—she made her choice.
"I'll come in," she said.
Her father's expression was unreadable. "Good girl."
But deep down, Seojin knew—
This wasn't surrender.
This was the beginning of the end.
For him.
For the Council.
For everything.
End of Chapter 89