Jisoo's smile was slow, deliberate—like she knew she had just won something. Haneul wasn't sure what unsettled him more: the fact that she had anticipated his presence or the fact that he had actually lowered his gun for the first time in his career.
She leaned against the bar cart, her fingers tracing the rim of her whiskey glass. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Haneul didn't reply. His instincts screamed at him—this isn't right. Every contract followed a pattern. He arrived. The target never saw him coming. The job was done. Clean. Simple. Absolute.
But tonight, nothing was simple.
The air between them was thick, charged with something unspoken. He should have ended this the moment he stepped inside. Instead, he found himself caught in a strange pull, drawn toward the woman who should have been dead by now.
"You still haven't answered my question," he said, his voice low. "Who warned you?"
Jisoo exhaled, her amusement flickering into something more serious. "You think you're the only one with eyes in the dark, Haneul?"
He stiffened at the way she said his name—casual, like they were old acquaintances.
"I knew someone was coming for me," she continued. "I just didn't know it would be you."
He took a step closer, watching her carefully. "You're not some helpless heiress, are you?"
Jisoo chuckled. "Is that what they told you?" She shook her head, setting her glass down. "My father built an empire, but he also built enemies. You don't survive in a world like his without learning how to play the game."
Haneul processed her words. The Min Group was one of the most powerful corporations in South Korea, but power came with a price. Corporate wars in Seoul were just as ruthless as battles fought in the underworld.
Still, something didn't add up.
"If you knew an assassin was coming, why didn't you leave?" he asked.
Jisoo tilted her head, her dark eyes gleaming. "And miss the chance to meet the infamous Jung Haneul?"
A muscle in his jaw twitched. She was toying with him, playing a game he wasn't sure he wanted to be part of. And yet, something about her—her composure, her fearlessness—made it impossible to look away.
Before he could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. Haneul's senses sharpened immediately.
Jisoo noticed it too. Her playful expression vanished, replaced by something sharper. "Friends of yours?"
Haneul frowned. No one was supposed to know he was here.
And then the gunfire started.
Glass shattered as bullets ripped through the suite's windows, sending shards flying through the air. Jisoo ducked, her hands covering her head as the gunfire grew louder.
Haneul reacted instantly. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her down just as another bullet slammed into the bar cart, sending whiskey and glass splashing onto the floor.
"Stay low," he ordered.
Jisoo barely had time to respond before the door to the suite burst open. Three men in tactical gear stormed in, rifles raised.
Haneul moved on instinct. He reached for his pistol, rolling behind the overturned couch for cover. The first shot was his, clean and precise, hitting the nearest attacker square in the chest. The man collapsed with a grunt.
The remaining two returned fire, forcing Haneul to duck.
Jisoo, still crouched beside him, grabbed a fallen bottle of whiskey and flung it toward one of the men. It crashed against his face, shattering on impact and giving Haneul just enough time to fire another shot.
Two down.
The third hesitated, realizing too late that he was outmatched. Haneul didn't give him time to react—one swift move and the last gunman dropped.
Silence.
The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air, mixing with the sharp scent of spilled liquor. Haneul stood slowly, his eyes scanning the wreckage. The suite was ruined—bullet holes in the walls, furniture overturned, glass covering the floor.
Jisoo exhaled, pushing her hair back from her face. "That was subtle."
Haneul ignored her, stepping over the bodies. He knelt beside one of the fallen attackers and checked the insignia on his gear. A red symbol—three curved lines forming a circle.
His stomach tightened. Ghost Wolves.
One of the most dangerous mercenary groups in Asia. They didn't take simple hit jobs—they were hired for full-scale eliminations.
Which meant…
Jisoo wasn't just a target. She was a liability to someone powerful.
She was watching him carefully now. "You recognize them."
Haneul stood, his gun still in his grip. "Who wants you dead, Jisoo?"
For the first time that night, she hesitated. A flicker of something in her eyes—something close to fear.
And just like that, he knew.
She wasn't just some heiress playing a dangerous game. She had secrets—secrets worth killing for.
"Tell me," he demanded.
Jisoo's lips parted, but before she could speak, her phone buzzed on the counter.
She glanced at it, then at him.
Haneul moved first, grabbing the device before she could. He flipped it over.
A single message flashed across the screen:
"He can't save you."
A chill ran down his spine.
Whoever was after Min Jisoo wasn't going to stop.
And whether he liked it or not, Jung Haneul had just been dragged into a war he hadn't signed up for.