---
There was something cruel about how quiet the office had become.
Rin stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main workspace, coffee cooling between his fingers, watching a handful of interns move through their daily routine like nothing had changed. Like he didn't just have his access revoked from the analytics portal this morning. Like two more projects hadn't been pulled from under him with no explanation.
Not that anyone gave explanations anymore.
He set the cup down, jaw tight. The digital lock on the project lab had denied his thumbprint. No warning. No notice. Just a blank error message that felt like a slap in the face.
He knew Than was behind it.
Not a single call. Not a single confrontation. Just quiet, creeping sabotage designed to make him unravel.
"You're still here," a familiar voice said behind him.
Rin turned to see Pailin—one of the senior analysts—watching him with an expression that was almost sympathetic.
"I didn't get the memo I was supposed to leave," he replied dryly.
She gave a hollow laugh. "You didn't. That's the game."
"What game?"
She took a step closer, dropping her voice. "You'll stay until you leave on your own. They won't fire you. They want to bury you in silence."
Rin blinked, taken aback by her candor. "So they can say it was my decision."
"They're protecting someone's image," she said simply.
She didn't say whose.
She didn't have to.
---
In another office, several floors above, Than sat in his private suite, reviewing security logs. He watched a clip on silent replay: Rin standing outside the locked lab, hand on the scanner, expression flickering between disbelief and fury.
Than's fingers moved slowly across the trackpad, pausing on Rin's face.
There were easier ways to win someone back.
But Than didn't want easy.
He wanted obedience. He wanted love. And he wanted Rin to know the difference.
A quiet knock interrupted the stillness. His assistant stepped inside.
"Your father's office sent over the quarterly brief."
Than waved the envelope away. "Tell them I'll read it when I feel like pretending to care."
"Yes, sir."
As the door shut behind her, Than turned back to the monitor. He dragged the video file into a secure folder labeled Containment.
For now.
---
Kieran found Rin sitting in his apartment with the lights off, laptop open, face cast in blue light. He didn't knock. Just used the spare key Rin had given him two nights ago after a long strategy session turned into a late-night confession.
"You haven't slept," Kieran said, setting down takeout on the table.
Rin didn't respond.
Kieran walked over and nudged the laptop lid down. "You need to rest."
"I need answers."
"You also need to not pass out in the middle of decoding metadata," Kieran said, sitting beside him. "We'll make more progress tomorrow. One of my contacts inside HanCorp is warming up to us."
"Anyone I know?"
"Not yet," Kieran said. "They're keeping their name off the grid for now. But they say there's movement inside. Rumors. Than's father is paying attention to your conflict."
Rin snorted. "So now I'm a liability to two Hans."
"More like a match," Kieran said. "They're just praying you don't catch fire."
Rin leaned back against the couch, eyes closing briefly. "I keep waiting for him to confront me. But he won't."
"He's playing a long game."
"Then I'll break it."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Kieran said, voice quieter, "This isn't just about justice anymore, is it?"
Rin opened his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Kieran didn't smile. "You're not just angry. You're hurt."
Rin looked away.
And didn't deny it.
---
The next morning, Rin found an envelope slid under his office door. No name. Just his title, neatly typed.
Inside: a single USB drive and a sticky note.
"He's hiding more than you think."
Rin plugged the drive into his personal laptop. The files were encrypted, but the folder titles were clear.
Payments. Surveillance. A list of journalists. Internal memos. And something marked "Saetang – Fall Strategy."
He stared at it, throat tight.
He didn't know who sent it.
But someone wanted him to see.
---
Far above, Than received a quiet alert. His encrypted folder had been accessed.
He exhaled slowly, the tiniest smile curling on his lips.
So… someone had finally touched the knife.
Let them look. Let them dig. He had planted exactly what he wanted them to find.
He always did.
---
To be continued...