'Don't do it.'
But Ji-hoon's hand slowly reached for the papers. The silence in the room was suffocating.
Ji-hoon's fingers brushed the edge of the transfer deeds. The paper felt cold, a physical manifestation of the greed that had nearly destroyed Eunha's life. He slowly picked them up, his eyes never leaving the Uncle's trembling hand.
"Good boy," Uncle sneered, the barrel of the gun digging deeper into Eunha's skin. "Now, bring them here. One step at a time."
Eunha's breath was shallow. She could feel the heat of the metal against her temple. But more than the fear, she felt a burning betrayal. To her Uncle, she was just a countdown to a payday. She looked at Ji-hoon, her eyes screaming for him to stop. She would rather die than see her grandfather's legacy in the hands of a murderer.
But Ji-hoon didn't stop. He took a step forward, then another. However, something was different. His usual lopsided smirk was replaced by a terrifyingly blank expression.
"You know, Uncle," Ji-hoon said, his voice dropping to a hauntingly low register. "You spent so much time watching the property, you forgot to watch the clock."
"Shut up and give me the papers!" Uncle barked.
"The pocket watch I carry... it's not just a compass," Ji-hoon continued, stopping exactly three feet away. "It's a high-frequency jammer. And right now, the police aren't just down stairs. They've already breached the vents."
Before the uncle could react, Ji-hoon didn't hand over the papers. Instead, he flicked them into the air like a deck of cards. The sudden flurry of white paper distracted the Uncle for a fraction of a second—a window of opportunity that was more than enough for a woman trained like Eunha.
The Counter-Strike
Eunha didn't wait. Using the Uncle's own grip against him, she leaned her head back sharply, slamming her skull into his nose. The sickening crunch of breaking bone echoed through the boardroom. As he yelled in pain, his aim wavered.
Eunha's muscular reflexes took over. She grabbed his gun arm with both hands, twisting it upward with a force that made the Uncle scream. With a swift, powerful knee to his midsection, she sent him reeling back toward the shattered glass window.
The gun clattered to the floor, sliding away into the shadows. Eunha stood over him, her tactical gear dusty but her posture regal. She looked down at the man who had tried to play her like a pawn.
"My grandfather didn't just leave me a protector,"Eunha said, her voice trembling with the weight of eleven years of silence. "He left me the strength to protect myself. You're done, Uncle."
The doors burst open. Police teams swarmed the room, pinning the defeated man to the ground. As the police dragged Uncle and his goons out, a strange and terrifying silence fell over the entire boardroom.
Eunha, who had been as stiff as a rock, suddenly froze. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed on the floor.
Ji-hoon immediately lunged at her. He noticed that Eun-ha's hands were shaking—the very hands that had been breaking bones just a short time ago were no longer able to support their own weight.
Eun-ha dropped her head to her knees. Her entire body was trembling. "Eleven years, Ji-hoon... eleven years I trusted the man who killed my grandfather. Did I kill my emotions, sacrifice my smile, just so I could fight the enemies who were in my own blood."
Eunha... everything's fine now," Ji-hoon said in a soft voice.
Eunha raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but there was also a strange peace in them. "I'm tired, Ji-hoon. I don't have any courage left."
This was the first time she had talked to Ji-hoon about something she was weak about.
Ji-hoon smiled and took her hand. "So, from today on, you don't need to appear strong. From today on, be who you are inside. Laugh freely and put away that always strong bunny mask. Vortex and me doesn't need a girl like who can't even be happy when she's happy, or who can't be sad when she's sad, but I'd rather you be the way you are inside."
Ji-hoon stand and picked up one of the fallen papers and looked at it. It was blank.
"You... you used blank papers?"Eunha asked, stunned.
Ji-hoon winked. "I told you, Eunha-ssi. I play with their fear. He was so blinded by greed he didn't even check what I was holding."
As they walked out of the Vortex building together, The sirens were fading, and the "Ice Queen" was no longer hiding behind a suit or a mask.
"So," Ji-hoon said, leaning against the police cruiser as they watched the sunrise. "About that 48-hour challenge...I think I won. What's my prize?"
Eunha looked at him—the man who had become her shadow, her shield, and her partner. She didn't say anything. Instead, she reached out and took his hand, her strong fingers interlocking with his.
"The prize is,"Eunha whispered, "that you don't have to be a 'Mastermind' anymore. You can just be Ji-hoon."
Ji-hoon smiled, a real, soft smile this time. "I can live with that."
Ji-hoon walked over to her, his footsteps soft on the shattered glass. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Eunha-ssi..."You know... after winning a war of this magnitude, I've developed a legendary hunger. Can we go somewhere quiet for a midnight dinner? I don't think I can handle any more 'CEO-style' formal meals tonight."
For the first time, Eunha didn't snap at his joke. Instead, a faint, genuine smile touched her lips. "Fine... I'm starving too."
They drove to a small, hidden late-night diner on the edge of the city—a place where no one would recognize the powerful CEO of Vortex Enterprises. Eunha took off her tactical jacket, leaving her in a sleeveless shirt that revealed her sculpted, muscular arms, which were still twitching slightly from the strain.
Eunha and Ji-hoon sat across from each other in the dim, pale light of the diner. The smoke from the food on the table created a dim wall between them.
She took a deep breath and looked into Ji-hoon's eyes. "Well, when did My Grandfather give you that letter and how do you know my grandfather?" she asked confusedly. "My parents were your grandfather's good friends, or you can say that my parents considered your grandfather as their father or the person for whom they were living their life. When this conspiracy started in your family, my father sacrificed his life to save your grandfather. From that day onwards, your grandfather started taking care of me.
"One day, while I was with your grandfather, the gallery on his phone accidentally opened and I saw many pictures of a girl in it."
When I asked Grandfather who this girl , he told me about you and made me promise that I will always be your shadow and always take care of you."
Eunha looked at him in surprise. "So you knew all this since childhood?"
"Yes," Ji-hoon said with a smile. "I've seen you grow from an innocent girl into a tough one." She took a piece of beef from her plate. "So you became 'Mastermind' for me?"
"For you... and for Grandfather's promise. But after seeing you up close, it wasn't just a responsibility, Eunha. It became my life's purpose."
By the time they stepped out of the restaurant, it was nearly 2:00 AM. The cool night air hit them, and Eunha's eyes began to grow heavy. As she waited for her car to be brought around, Ji-hoon pulled his vehicle up to the curb.
"If you'll allow me...may I drive you home tonight?" Ji-hoon asked softly.
Eunha looked at him for a moment, then climbed into the passenger seat without a word. As the car moved through the quiet city streets, the soft hum of the engine and the gentle scent of Ji-hoon's cologne acted like a sedative. Before they had even reached the highway, Eunha's head leaned against the window, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
When Ji-hoon finally pulled up in front of Eunha's estate, he noticed she was fast asleep. Her head had slipped away from the window, tilting slightly toward him. He turned off the engine and just sat there, watching her. The "Iron Queen," who had been breaking bones just hours ago, looked incredibly peaceful in her sleep.
A stray lock of hair had fallen across her face, moving gently with every breath she took. Ji-hoon reached out instinctively. His only intention was to tuck that stray strand behind her ear so she could sleep more comfortably.
However, just as his fingers brushed her soft skin, Eunha stirred in her sleep.
Ji-hoon lost his balance and fell forward, looming directly over her. Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling in the small space. In that sudden, clumsy jerk, their lips collided.
It was an accidental kiss, but it was electric. It felt as if time itself had stopped.
Eunha's eyes snapped open instantly. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Ji-hoon's eyes were locked onto hers, wide with surprise. The wall between the "Rude CEO" and the "Mastermind" had crumbled in a single second.
Ji-hoon slowly pulled back, his voice a low whisper. "I wasn't trying to rob you... I was just fixing your hair."
She scrambled to open the car door, her movements uncharacteristically frantic. She stepped out and walked toward her gate, but before going inside, she paused and looked back over her shoulder.
"Tomorrow morning... be at the office by 9:00 AM, Mastermind. Our contract isn't finished yet," she said, her voice trembling slightly before she disappeared inside.
Ji-hoon sat in the car for a long time, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. He knew that after tonight, nothing would ever be the same again.
Eunha entered the house and closed the heavy door. She didn't turn on the lights. She leaned against the door and listened for the sound of Ji-hoon's car leaving. When the sound of the engine died down, she realized for the first time how empty this house was.
She slowly walked up the stairs and into her room. She saw her reflection in the mirror. She smiled slightly, brushed the dirt from her hair, and went to take a shower.
She turned on the shower. As the first jet of warm water hit her tired muscles, she sucked in a deep breath. She ducked under the water and closed her eyes.
The warm water washed away the traces of dirt and blood from her body, but she felt it was also cleansing the layers of hatred that had settled in her heart. For eleven years, she had gone to sleep every night with the pain of her grandfather's death, but today, for the first time, she didn't feel like crying.
She felt her fingers on her head as she shampooed her hair. For the first time, she was so relaxed that she could feel the speed of her breath. She thought about what kind of "Mastermind" game Ji-hoon had played. Those blank papers, that jammer, and him always being her shadow—everything was for her protection.
"Mastermind..." she hummed softly, and a smile appeared on her lips that no one had ever seen before.
Stepping out of the shower, she cleaned her face and ran her hand over the steamy mirror.
She looked at her reflection and said to herself for the first time, "Eunha, you're not alone anymore." She wrapped herself in a soft, white towel and returned to her room.
She didn't turn on the light, because she wasn't afraid of the darkness tonight. she looked out the window, where the city lights still shone. Somewhere far away, Ji-hoon might still be awake.
As she lay down on the bed, she realized how light her body had become. she buried her face in her pillow and remembered Ji-hoon's scent, which had been close to her in the car.
Sleep was creeping into her eyes, but it wasn't a sleep of exhaustion, but rather a sleep of victory.