Hana’s pulse quickened as she stared across the dimly lit warehouse. Kang Hyun sat at the head of the table, his posture relaxed and confident, as though he had nothing to fear. The two men flanking him were muscular, stone-faced, and alert. There was an energy in the air, tense and foreboding, and Hana could feel it clawing at the edges of her mind.

Kaito edged closer to her, his hand resting on her arm briefly. "Are you sure about this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the muffled voices from the group at the table.

Hana nodded, her eyes never leaving Kang Hyun. "I have to do this, Kaito. We’ve come too far to turn back now."

Kaito exhaled slowly, his eyes scanning the room. "Alright, but be careful. We don’t know how many others are here, or what they’re armed with."

Hana glanced toward Daeyoung, who had taken position behind a stack of crates, his eyes focused and alert. "We stick to the plan. You and Daeyoung watch the exits. I’ll confront Kang. If anything goes wrong—"

"If anything goes wrong, we’re getting you out of here," Kaito interrupted, his voice firm. "No heroics, remember?"

Hana gave him a small, grim smile. "Right. No heroics."

With that, she took a deep breath and stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. The sound of her footsteps echoed slightly in the cavernous space, drawing the attention of the men at the table. One by one, their heads turned toward her, suspicion flashing in their eyes.

Kang Hyun’s gaze locked onto hers, his smirk widening as recognition dawned on his face. "Well, well, well. If it isn’t Hana Song. I was wondering when you’d show up."

Hana stopped a few feet away from the table, her posture straight and defiant. "I’m not here to play games, Kang. I’m here to end this."

Kang chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "End this? You really think you’re in a position to do that? I’m impressed by your nerve, Hana, but you’ve always been too... impulsive. That’s what makes you weak."

Hana clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain calm. She couldn’t afford to lose her cool now. "I’m not weak. And I’m not alone. You’ve ruined too many lives, and it’s time you pay for what you’ve done."

One of the bodyguards shifted, his hand moving toward his jacket, but Kang raised a hand to stop him. "Let her talk. I’m curious to hear what she thinks she can accomplish here."

Hana’s mind raced. She needed to keep Kang talking, give Daeyoung and Kaito more time to position themselves. "You think you’re untouchable, don’t you? You think because you’ve got power and money, you can get away with anything. But you’ve made enemies, Kang. People are tired of living in fear because of you."

Kang raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading slightly. "Is that so? And who exactly are these people? You?" He gestured around the warehouse. "I don’t see an army behind you, Hana. All I see is a desperate little girl who’s in way over her head."

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Hana took a step closer, her voice low and steady. "I don’t need an army. All I need is the truth. And I’ve got it."

Kang’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "You’re bluffing."

Hana smiled, though there was no warmth in it. "Am I? You’ve got a lot of enemies, Kang, but none of them hate you as much as the people who work for you. You think Seo came to us by accident? He’s not the only one who’s tired of your games."

The mention of Seo’s name seemed to catch Kang off guard. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "Seo? That rat had the nerve to betray me?"

Hana could see the fury building behind Kang’s eyes, but she pressed on. "You’re losing control, Kang. Your empire is crumbling from the inside, and you don’t even see it. That’s why you’re so dangerous—because you’re too arrogant to notice when the walls are closing in."

Kang stood abruptly, knocking his chair back as he rose to his full height. The room fell silent, the tension so thick Hana could almost feel it in the air.

"You think you’ve won something here?" Kang growled, his voice dripping with menace. "You think a few traitors and a girl with a grudge are enough to bring me down?"

Hana held her ground, her heart hammering in her chest. "I don’t need to bring you down. You’re doing that all by yourself. The people who follow you, they don’t fear you anymore. And once that fear is gone, so are you."

Kang’s hand moved to his side, but before he could draw the weapon Hana knew he was reaching for, Daeyoung’s voice cut through the silence from behind the crates.

"Not another move, Kang."

Kang froze, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Daeyoung emerging from the shadows, his gun trained on him. Kaito followed close behind, his own weapon drawn, aimed at the bodyguards who were now slowly raising their hands in surrender.

"You’re surrounded," Daeyoung said coldly, stepping closer. "And unlike you, I don’t miss."

Kang’s expression flickered with surprise, then anger, as he realized the situation had shifted. But even now, Hana could see he wasn’t done fighting. He was the type to go down swinging, and she knew it.

"You’ve made a mistake, all of you," Kang spat, his eyes darting between them. "You think this is over, but it’s not. I’ve got connections you can’t even imagine. You’ll be dead before sunrise."

Hana took a step forward, her voice steady and cold. "Maybe. But at least we’ll die knowing we did the right thing. Can you say the same?"

For a brief moment, Kang seemed to hesitate, as if her words had struck a nerve. But then his usual sneer returned, and he straightened his posture. "You really think you can win this, don’t you? You’re more naïve than I thought."

"I think it’s over for you," Hana said quietly, but firmly. "One way or another."

There was a pause, the air thick with tension. Then, without warning, Kang lunged toward Hana, his hand reaching for her throat. But he never made it. A single gunshot rang out, echoing through the warehouse. Kang froze mid-motion, his body stiffening as blood blossomed on his shirt. He looked down, his eyes wide with disbelief, before collapsing to the floor with a heavy thud.

Hana stood frozen for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t even seen Daeyoung fire, but now Kang Hyun lay dead at her feet.

Kaito moved quickly, checking the bodyguards, who were still frozen in place, unsure whether to move or stay still. Daeyoung lowered his gun, his face impassive as he walked toward Hana.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice steady but with an underlying edge of concern.

Hana nodded slowly, her heart still racing. "I... yeah. I’m fine."

Kaito joined them, his expression unreadable as he glanced down at Kang’s body. "It’s done."

Hana stared down at Kang, her emotions swirling in a chaotic mess. Relief, anger, sadness—they all fought for dominance in her mind. But one thing was clear. It was over.

"We need to go," Daeyoung said quietly, glancing around the warehouse. "This place won’t stay quiet for long. People will come looking for him."

Hana took a deep breath and nodded. "Let’s get out of here."

As they turned to leave, Hana couldn’t help but feel the weight of what had just happened. Kang Hyun was dead, but the war wasn’t over. Not yet.