Episode 20 – Blood & Velvet
Fog clung to the city streets like secrets. Neon signs blinked tiredly over alleys littered with broken glass. Beneath it all, the beat of bass trembled underground — drawing the desperate, the dangerous, and those hunting them.
CHIPER gathered outside an old, hidden entrance — the rumored site of Seoul's most exclusive underground club, Crimson Room.
A place whispered about: drugs, blackmail, and sometimes… disappearance.
Kevin's gaze swept over his team. "Remember, we're ghosts tonight. Blend in. Find the broker who helped Ha-nee vanish — code name 'Orchid'."
Dohee pulled her black jacket tighter, glancing at Alex. His hair was slicked back, making him look older, colder.
Miran tugged at the hem of her dress, pulse racing. Next to her, Minjae rolled his shoulders, looking more amused than cautious. His voice brushed her ear, soft and sharp:
"Don't run, Miran. Places like this eat rabbits alive."
She flinched but nodded, fear tightening her chest.
---
Inside, the Crimson Room was alive.
Dark velvet draped the walls, candlelight catching in crystal glasses. On stage, a woman in silk sang about heartbreak; her voice wrapped around the bass like smoke.
Kevin and Guen moved as one through the crowded lounge. His hand rested lightly on her waist — part protective, part cover.
Guen whispered, "The broker?"
Kevin's eyes tracked a figure in the VIP section — a man with a white orchid pin on his lapel. "Found him. Wait for my signal."
Guen nodded, but her heart fluttered from Kevin's closeness, the heat of his palm through thin fabric.
---
Elsewhere, Dohee and Alex slipped through a back hallway.
They'd bribed a bouncer for access to the staff rooms, hoping to hack the club's CCTV server.
Alex set up his laptop in the shadows, breath quick from the rush. "Cover me?"
Dohee stood by the door, glancing back. "Always."
Minutes ticked by. The servers were heavily encrypted.
Frustration laced Alex's voice. "Almost… got it."
Dohee gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Breathe. You're not alone."
Their eyes met; for a heartbeat, the walls of bravado dropped.
Then Alex swallowed, refocused. "Got it. Feeding data to Kevin now."
---
At the bar, Miran tried to calm her racing heart.
She wasn't built for this darkness. The smell of sweat, liquor, and desperation clawed at her senses.
Minjae lounged next to her, glass of whiskey in hand. "Relax," he drawled. "You look like you're about to faint."
"I'm fine," she whispered, voice brittle.
He leaned in, his breath brushing her ear. "Liar."
His hand traced the rim of his glass, eyes cold. "Stay beside me. And remember, Miran — you see nothing. You hear nothing. Understand?"
She swallowed hard, nodding.
---
Kevin approached Orchid, drawing on the cold, ruthless charm that came so easily to him.
Orchid raised an eyebrow. "You're not on the list."
Kevin's smile was sharp. "Consider me… an interested buyer."
Before Orchid could reply, Guen appeared beside Kevin, eyes cool, posture confident. "We heard you help people disappear."
Orchid's gaze flicked over her, lingering. "Dangerous words, doctor."
Guen didn't flinch. "Not if you're the right man."
For a moment, tension snapped taut between them. Then Orchid smirked faintly. "Follow me."
They exchanged a look. Kevin's hand brushed hers, a silent promise of stay close.
---
In the shadows behind the staff area, Miran's night turned into nightmare.
Minjae had told her to wait while he "handled something."
Curious — and anxious — she followed, peering through a gap in the storage door.
She froze.
Minjae stood over a man — bruised, bound, terrified. The man stammered something Miran couldn't hear.
Minjae's face was unreadable as he pulled a knife from inside his jacket, blade catching the dim light.
Miran's breath caught in her throat. No…
She watched, paralyzed, as Minjae spoke — quietly, coldly — and then, without hesitation, slit the man's throat.
Blood sprayed, the man's gargled scream cut short. He crumpled.
Minjae wiped the blade on a handkerchief, unbothered.
Miran's legs went weak. She stumbled backward, knocking over a crate.
---
Minjae's gaze shot to the doorway.
He stepped forward, eyes meeting hers — dark, merciless.
"Watching me, doc?" His voice was low, dangerously calm.
"I-I'm sorry… I—" Her words tangled with terror.
He stalked closer, boot crunching on glass. "You saw something you shouldn't have."
Miran's vision blurred with tears. "I won't tell anyone — please…"
Minjae stopped inches away, the smell of blood still clinging to him. "If you do," he murmured, voice a blade, "I'll make you pay."
"H-how?" she choked out, shaking.
His eyes gleamed cruelly. "I'll drag you into my bed, Miran. And I won't be gentle."
Her breath caught, horror flooding in.
She nodded frantically, tears spilling. "I won't say anything. I swear."
His hand caught her chin, forcing her to look up. "Good girl."
---
Elsewhere, Kevin and Guen followed Orchid into a dim office.
"We want names," Kevin demanded. "Who paid to make Ha-nee disappear?"
Orchid tilted his head. "And why would I do that?"
Guen stepped forward. "Because if you don't, everyone here learns what you really sell."
For a moment, Orchid weighed them — then exhaled. "She feared a man higher than Congressman Park. Someone with real power."
Kevin's jaw tightened. "Name."
Orchid shook his head. "I don't know. But Ha-nee had insurance — something hidden, encrypted files. She told me it would bring everyone down."
Before Kevin could ask more, a guard burst in. "Police raid! Everyone out!"
---
Chaos erupted.
Kevin grabbed Guen's hand, pulling her through the smoke and running bodies.
Their fingers locked — warm, desperate.
For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to just them.
Then they were outside, gasping under the night sky.
---
Miran stumbled after Minjae, fear still freezing her lungs.
He glanced back once, smirk returning. "Smile, doc. Act normal."
She tried, but inside, something had shattered.
---
Later, back at HQ, they regrouped.
Alex slammed down a file. "Ha-nee's secret stash might still exist. If we find it, we find who ordered her disappearance."
Dohee touched his wrist, grounding him. "We will."
Kevin's gaze swept the team, resting briefly on Guen — her breath still uneven from the chase.
Minjae leaned back, bored mask on — but his eyes never left Miran, who avoided his gaze, pale and shaking.
She knew something now — something dark.
And he knew she'd keep quiet.
---
That night, Miran lay awake, shaking.
Minjae's words echoed: "If you speak… I'll make you pay."
She hated him. Feared him.
But worse… part of her knew, deep down, she would obey.
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