Chapter 20: Blood in the Water
1. The Cost of Survival
Jinwoo leaned against the cold brick wall of an abandoned warehouse.
His breath was ragged, his body aching from the wounds of the battle.
Kang Seok groaned beside him, clutching his bleeding side.
"We barely made it out," Seok muttered.
Jinwoo exhaled slowly.
"We weren't supposed to."
Seok's gaze sharpened.
"You mean—Hye-jin?"
Jinwoo didn't respond.
His fingers traced the shallow graze on his cheek—where her bullet had nearly hit him.
He could still see her face.
Cold.
Unreadable.
But she hadn't killed him.
No.
She had saved him.
But why?
And what game was she playing?
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2. The Queen's Gambit
Hye-jin stood before Tae-sung in his penthouse, her expression calm.
"You let him live."
His voice was quiet.
Deadly.
Hye-jin didn't flinch.
"I didn't miss. The sniper did."
Tae-sung studied her.
A slow smirk curled on his lips.
"You're lying."
Silence.
Then—
A low chuckle.
Tae-sung stepped closer, his fingers tilting her chin up.
"You still love him, don't you?"
Hye-jin's expression didn't waver.
"I don't love anyone."
Tae-sung's grip tightened.
For a moment, she thought he might kill her.
Then—he let go, laughing.
"Good."
He turned away.
"Because love makes people weak."
Hye-jin remained still.
Her heart pounding.
She wasn't weak.
But she was playing a very dangerous game.
One where both Jinwoo and Tae-sung were her enemies.
And yet—
She didn't know which one would destroy her first.
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3. The Next Move
Jinwoo patched up Kang Seok's wound in the dimly lit room.
The Wolves were shaken.
The battle at Incheon Port had nearly wiped them out.
They needed to rebuild.
To strike back.
But before that—
They needed information.
Jinwoo's mind raced.
Tae-sung had underestimated him before.
Now, he wouldn't.
Which meant—
Jinwoo needed to do the unexpected.
"We need to hit him where it hurts," he muttered.
Seok exhaled sharply.
"His money?"
Jinwoo shook his head.
"No."
His eyes darkened.
"His trust."
---
4. The Seeds of Betrayal
Tae-sung's empire wasn't built on money or violence.
It was built on loyalty.
On men who feared him enough to never question him.
But fear had one weakness—
Doubt.
And Jinwoo was about to plant it.
His target?
Tae-sung's second-in-command.
Kim Do-yun.
A man who was loyal—but not unbreakable.
And Jinwoo knew his weakness.
His family.
---
5. The Ticking Clock
Jinwoo moved fast.
Within hours, Do-yun's wife and child were under his protection.
Not hostages.
Not yet.
Just… insurance.
A message was sent.
A choice was given.
And now—the clock was ticking.
Would Do-yun betray Tae-sung?
Or would he die for him?
Jinwoo didn't care either way.
Because no matter the choice—
Tae-sung would bleed.
---
6. The Gathering Storm
Tae-sung's rage was unmatched.
The moment he received the news—everything shattered.
One of his strongest men had hesitated.
For the first time, his empire had cracks.
And cracks?
They spread.
Tae-sung turned to Hye-jin, his jaw clenched.
"Find Jinwoo."
Hye-jin's heart pounded.
And when you do?" she asked.
Tae-sung's eyes burned with fury.
"End him."
Hye-jin nodded.
But deep inside—
She knew.
This war?
It was far from over.
And no matter who won—
She would be the one left standing.
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End of Chapter 20