The flight from Rome to Seoul was quiet too quiet for Yuna Kim.
She had boarded under a false name, her ticket booked through one of Lucien's encrypted systems.
In exchange, she'd given him only two things: her trust and silence. Lucien didn't push for more.
He simply handed her a black card and told her, "If you find him, don't trust him until he gives
you a reason to."
Now, thirty thousand feet above the earth, her mind circled the same question like a hawk: Was
her father alive… and working with the same criminal network that Lucien commanded?
She'd watched the video twenty times. The date stamp didn't lie just three months ago, filmed
inside a restricted Ricci Korea facility on the outskirts of Busan. The image had frozen her blood.
Jung Tae-Min, her father, presumed dead in an accident that had destroyed her family's
reputation… walking freely through the corridors of a company Lucien allegedly didn't control.
Or maybe he did.
Maybe Lucien Ricci controlled more than even she suspected.
Seoul Ricci Global Korea HQ
Lucien had arrived three hours earlier, taking a private elevator to the top floor of the skyscraper
that overlooked the Han River. The Ricci Global Korea division was sleek, cutting-edge, and
ruthlessly efficient. It was also the epicenter of their weapons logistics network in Asia.
But only a few people in the world knew that.
At the top of the tower, Lucien met with Daniel Jang, his South Korean director—a man who
walked with military posture and rarely blinked.
"She's in the air?" Daniel asked, handing Lucien a tablet.
Lucien nodded. "Track her discreetly. No one else makes contact unless I say so."
Daniel's jaw tensed. "There are whispers in Busan."
"What kind of whispers?"
"That Viktor Malinov's men are here. Quietly. Through diplomatic back channels. I think he
knows something."
Lucien stared at the tablet, where live satellite feed showed a black car parked near a warehouse
the same warehouse from the video Yuna had received.
"Get me everything on the Busan facility. And prepare a silent transport. No Ricci markings."
Daniel hesitated. "You're going there?"
Lucien's eyes darkened. "If there's a ghost from her past walking through my buildings, I need to
know whether it's a message… or a threat."
Seoul Private Hotel, Yuna's Suite
The city glowed beneath her as Yuna unpacked only the essentials: a burner phone, two encrypted
drives, and a pair of smart glasses Lucien had given her. She activated them with a tap instantly, a
live stream from Ricci's private intel network lit up the lenses.
Lucien's voice came through. Calm. Controlled.
"Yuna. I'm n route to Busan. You're not far behind. You'll find a contact in Seoul—go by the
name Min-Jae. He'll take you as far as the southern ports. After that, trust no one."
Yuna pulled the glasses off. She didn't need the warning.
Because something inside her had already shifted.
This wasn't just about truth anymore.
It was about answers, and whether her family had been used, discarded, and manipulated by the
same syndicate Lucien now led.
She picked up a framed photo from her luggage one of her, her younger brother, and her father on
the lawn outside their apartment complex, years before the scandal.
She hadn't realized until that moment just how much she needed him to be alive.
But also… how much she feared he might not be the same man she remembered.
Busan – Ricci Korea Port Facility
The ocean beat against the shore with a rhythmic thunder. Storm clouds gathered above the
industrial complex where international cargo moved with precision.
A convoy of three unmarked vehicles pulled through the gates. Lucien Ricci stepped out of the
lead SUV, flanked by two private guards. His coat flared in the salt breeze.
Inside the warehouse, an older man reviewed paperwork.
He turned when Lucien entered.
And Lucien froze.
"Mr. Ricci," said the man with a warm, practiced smile. "I was wondering when you'd come."
It was Jung Tae-Min. Alive. Gray-haired. Still sharp-eyed. And utterly unapologetic.
Lucien stepped forward slowly. "You're a hard man to find."
"That's because I didn't want to be found," Jung said. "Until now."
Lucien studied him. "You faked your death. Took your daughter's life and shattered it. Why?"
"Because I had no choice," Jung said, his tone hardening. "And if Yuna's here now, that means
you brought her into this world. You made her a target."
Lucien didn't blink. "No. She made herself a player."
Jung's eyes narrowed. "She has no idea how deep this goes."
"Then tell me," Lucien said, stepping close. "Because if you're working inside my company
without my authorization, you're either family... or enemy."
Jung exhaled slowly. "I didn't work for your company. I worked for Sable."
Lucien's blood ran cold.
Meanwhile: Seoul Back Alley in Myeongdong
Yuna waited beneath a broken neon sign as footsteps approached from the alley. A man in a worn
leather jacket and a hat pulled low approached her.
"You Kim Yuna?"
"Depends who's asking."
"Name's Min-Jae. Lucien sent me." He glanced over his shoulder. "We only have ten minutes
before someone else figures out who you are."
Yuna followed him through winding alleys and backdoor passageways until they emerged in a
basement garage. A modified black Genesis SUV waited, bulletproof and unregistered.
"Next stop: Busan," Min-Jae said. "And answers you're probably not ready for."
Yuna slid into the passenger seat. "I've already seen ghosts."
He started the engine.
"Then let's go see if they bleed."