The aftermath of the shootout left Lisa pacing the cold concrete floor of her penthouse. She couldn't shake the image of Jungkook—the way he had smirked, his calm demeanor in the face of violence. Most men crumbled under the weight of her authority, but not him. He was different, and that both irritated and intrigued her.
"Lisa, are you listening?" Jisoo's voice cut through her thoughts.
Lisa turned to her right-hand woman. Jisoo sat at the table, her laptop open to a map of the docks where the firefight had taken place. "Our losses weren't too heavy," Jisoo continued, "but we didn't get the shipment back. And Jungkook... he slipped away."
"I noticed," Lisa said coldly, staring out the window. The city glimmered below, unaware of the war brewing beneath its surface. "He's playing with fire."
Jisoo sighed. "He's smart, Lisa. You know that, right? He isn't like the others. We need to be careful."
"Careful doesn't win wars," Lisa snapped, more at herself than at Jisoo. She couldn't believe she had let him walk away so easily. "I'm not afraid of Jungkook."
"It's not about fear. It's about strategy," Jisoo replied, her tone calm but firm. "If we push too hard, we could ignite a full-blown mafia war. One that neither of us might walk away from."
Lisa knew Jisoo was right, but her pride wouldn't allow her to back down. Jungkook had made the first move, and she wasn't about to let him think he could control the game. If it was war he wanted, she would bring it to his doorstep.
But there was something else—something she didn't want to admit. In the midst of the chaos, Lisa had felt an unexpected thrill when she faced Jungkook. His arrogance had infuriated her, but there was a fire in his eyes that mirrored her own. It was as if they were playing a dangerous game, both testing each other's limits. And despite herself, she liked it.
"Find out where Jungkook's safehouses are," Lisa ordered, her voice low and controlled. "I want every detail. If he thinks he can outsmart me, he's about to learn otherwise."
Jisoo hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Consider it done."
As Jisoo left the room, Lisa sat down at her desk, pulling out a file on The Black Serpent. She needed to know more about Jungkook. Who he was. What drove him. How he had managed to build such a powerful empire from the shadows. The more she knew, the better she could dismantle him.
But the more she read, the more she realized that Jungkook wasn't just another mafia leader. He had grown up in the criminal world, climbing the ranks through sheer brutality and intelligence. He was strategic, calculating, and, most importantly, ruthless.
Still, Lisa couldn't help but wonder—what kind of man hid behind the mask of the Black Serpent? Was he as cold as he appeared, or was there something more beneath the surface?
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from one of her informants. "Jungkook spotted at the Paradiso Club."
Lisa's heart skipped a beat. The Paradiso Club was a high-end nightclub known for its exclusivity—and its ties to the criminal underworld. If Jungkook was there, he wasn't hiding. He was making a statement.
Without hesitation, Lisa stood and grabbed her coat. She wasn't going to sit back and let him control the board. If Jungkook wanted to play games, then she would meet him head-on.
This time, she wasn't leaving without answers.