Taesan smirks, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable. Alright work now!"
And Joshua, ever the charmer, simply smiles like he's won. Because, as far as he's concerned, he has.
Taesan asks, "Did you get everything sorted?"
Joshua nods, sliding a small envelope across the table. "The mansion is ready. The registrations are complete. Everything's moving according to plan."
Taesan's smile sharpens, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Good. It's time to take the next step."
***
Back at the house, Jaewon plugs the blue heart-shaped designed flash drive into his laptop. His heart pounds as the files load—a mix of encrypted documents and folders labeled with names he doesn't recognize. His brow furrows as he clicks through them, frustration mounting when nothing immediately makes sense.
But then he stumbles across a video file. He hesitates for only a second before clicking play. The screen flickers to life, revealing grainy footage of Taesan—his expression cold, his voice sharp as he speaks to someone off-screen. He sits across from someone, the camera angled casually, as if it captured a raw, unedited moment from a larger professional shoot. The footage feels unpolished and candid, like a behind the scenes fragment that was never meant to be seen.
"Jaewon doesn't matter," Taesan says, his tone chillingly detached. "He's just a stepping stone. Once everything is in place, he'll realize just how little control he has over me."
Jaewon's blood runs cold. He leans back in his chair, the weight of Taesan's words sinking in. Whatever game Taesan is playing, Jaewon is clearly a pawn in it.
A faint, dark shadow shifts at the edge of the frame, moving just beside Taesan. It is subtle, almost easy to miss, but deliberate enough to suggest someone else standing there with him, just out of sight. Before the figure can fully come into view, the video abruptly cuts off as Taesan closes it.
He is dressed sharply in a tailored suit, every line crisp and deliberate. A blue badge is clipped to his chest, the color clear but the text too blurred to read, hinting at an identity or affiliation the footage refuses to reveal.
And now, more than ever, Jaewon is determined to uncover the truth. He stares at the paused video on his laptop, Taesan's cold expression frozen on the screen. The person he thought he knew, the one he had once trusted without question, is a stranger plotting something far darker than he could have imagined.
Jaewon clenches his jaw, his fists tightening as he replays Taesan's words in his mind. "A stepping stone," he mutters bitterly, his voice laced with anger and hurt. He closes the laptop with a sharp snap, his mind racing.
"And who the fuck is that guy beside hyung!? He must be involved too."
If Taesan thinks he's just a pawn, then he'll prove otherwise. But to do that, he needs more. More proof, more leverage—something that will expose whatever game Taesan is playing.
Jaewon grabs his phone and scrolls through his contacts. His finger hovers over a name he hasn't called in years: Seo-young, a private investigator he had hired once during a business dispute. With a deep breath, he presses the call button.
"Jaewon," Seo-young's voice comes through the line, cool and professional. "It's been a while. What can I do for you?"
"I need your help," Jaewon says, his tone urgent. "It's about someone close to me. I need to know what's hidden."
***
Meanwhile, Taesan and Joshua stand outside the mansion, its grand facade looming over them like a silent witness to their plans. The crisp winter air bites at their skin, but Taesan barely notices. His eyes are fixed on the ornate double doors, his mind racing with thoughts of what's to come.
"This is it," Joshua says softly, his voice breaking through Taesan's thoughts.
Taesan nods, his jaw tightening. "Once the event is set up and the dealer take it, everything will fall into place."
Joshua places a hand on Taesan's shoulder, grounding him. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Taesan turns to him, his expression unreadable. "Ready? I've been ready for years. Jaewon deserves everything that's coming to him."
Joshua studies him for a moment, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "I just don't want you to lose yourself in all of this."
"I won't," Taesan says firmly, though the words feel hollow.
Joshua's hand lingers on Taesan's shoulder before he lets it fall. "Alright, Tae. Let's do this."
***
Back at the house, Jaewon sits at his desk, a map of connections spread before him. He has pieced together fragments from the files he found, creating a tangled web of names and places. But one name stands out among the rest: Joshua Hong.
"Who are you?" Jaewon mutters, his eyes narrowing as he stares at the name. He pulls out his phone and begins searching, his frustration mounting as little information surfaces.
But then, a single article catches his attention.
It's a profile piece on a young entrepreneur named Joshua Hong, heir to a multimillion-dollar company HJ FOUNDATION. The accompanying photo makes Jaewon's blood boil—Joshua's arm is draped casually around Taesan's shoulders, both of them smiling for the camera at what appears to be an exclusive gala.
"Hyung," Jaewon growls under his breath. His mind races with questions. "How had Taesan gotten involved with someone like Joshua?"
"And more importantly, why?" He coughed.
Jaewon's phone buzzes, pulling him from his thoughts. It's Seo-young.
"I found something," she says, her tone serious. "But you're not going to like it."
***
Later that night, Taesan sits in the dimly lit apartment of Joshua, a glass of wine in his hand as he overlooks the preparations for their event. Everything is coming together perfectly—almost too perfectly.
Joshua joins him, leaning against the edge of the table. "You're quiet," he observes.
"Just thinking," Taesan replies, swirling the wine in his glass.
"About Jaewon?"
Taesan glances at him, his expression hardening. "About how to make him pay."
Joshua studies him, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Tae, just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"That when this is over, you'll let it go. Don't let him take up any more space in your life than he already has."
Taesan doesn't answer, his gaze returning to the preparations below. The only thing he knows for sure is that this game is far from over—and he's willing to do whatever it takes to win.
***
Meanwhile, in a small café, Seo-young slides a folder across the table to Jaewon.
"You were right," she says, her tone low. "Taesan's playing a dangerous game. But you're not the only one he's deceiving."
Jaewon opens the folder, his eyes scanning the contents. What he sees makes his blood run cold. Photos of Taesan meeting with shadowy figures, transaction records that point to off-the-books deals, and a name at the center of it all: Joshua Hong.
Jaewon leans back in his chair, his mind reeling. Whatever Taesan and Joshua are planning, it's bigger than he thought. And now, he has to decide whether to confront Taesan or let him dig his own grave.
"He's in real estate, dealing in mansions and million-won properties… since when?"
——————— TO BE CONTINUED