by Con Template
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Soo Jin told his corpse with flippancy. Her hardened eyes rested on the twenty men standing in the corner—the ones who were the dead idiot’s gang members. “I was talking to them.”
Shaking in their stance while they eyed their boss’s dead body, all it took was for the Queen to say “kneel” again before twenty pairs of legs hit the floor and kneeled before her like she was a revered deity.
Soo Jin smirked, looking all across the room with challenging eyes. “Anyone else who objects to my presence and me reclaiming my rightful throne?” she asked, knowing that no one would say anything. “If you have any issues, I could have the same discussion with you.”
She was a walking dichotomy, and she knew it. She very well knew that people had described her as a devil with the face of an angel. She knew how contradicting she looked as she stood there, completely underdressed in a black hoodie that clearly belong to a man and black jeans and boots that unquestioningly belonged to a more innocent Princess—one who would never kill a man for simply disrespecting her.
The hushed silence was her answer when she saw the entertained smiles on the faces of the crowd around her. Based on how some of the 1st layer heirs on the balconies were staring at her with desire in their eyes and how some of the 1st layer heiresses were gazing at her with idolizing eyes, Soo Jin knew she was more than making their night. Her return brought forth a fabled legend that was so widespread around her world that even those outside her society had heard of her. The Queen that everyone once thought was dead . . . was back. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher that the elders in the Underworld and the future of the Underworld were extremely pleased with this turn of events. They lived for historic nights, and this night was proving to be the most historic of all.
Marveling in a similar state, she looked at Ju Won, whose face had already softened after bearing witness to what she did and the power she easily displayed. “I have a gang now.”
“Don’t insult us, An Soo Jin,” a familiar male voice boomed from the opposite corner of the room.
Something in her gut clenched at the condescending voice. Even though she was surprised with who it was that spoke, she was also pleased with the prospect of such a comment.
With an amused smile on her face, she lifted her hand up and motioned a wave with it, a silent command for the attendees blocking her view to move aside.
Like parting waters, they adhered to the silent command, giving Soo Jin an unobstructed view of the King of Serpents.
He was still sitting in his seat, looking as powerful and indomitable as ever. His eyes—cold and unfeeling like hers—were glued on her. She could see his nine Cobras standing on the ground floor beside him, and she could see the hatred in their eyes.
“Insult you?” she asked carefully, scrutinizing the demeanor Kwon Tae Hyun wore. Even though she was insulting him, she refused to gracefully accept him calling her out. A cruel laughter echoed into the ballroom as she regarded him with hateful fire in her eyes. “I haven’t even begun to insult you.”
“Your twenty-something gang members are a joke compared to the real players in the game,” he went on, deliberately ignoring her last comment. “You’re not only wasting the Underworld’s time, but I would daresay you’re wasting my time as well. You left this world three years ago for a reason, and I promise you will leave it again tonight. This isn’t three years prior. You may have reverence, but you do not have an Underworld army to govern. Go home, Princess. This is no longer your world, and as long as I’m in it, it won’t ever be your world again.”
“Then we can arrange for you to be out of it,” she retorted quickly.
“If you can even touch me that is,” he countered just as quickly.
She didn’t like the condescending tone he used with her, and she most definitely didn’t like that when she spoke to him, she was also feeling a bit affected and intimidated by the sternness he radiated. Kwon Tae Hyun was a natural born leader who had the charms of a politician and an untouchable quality that made him a great King. The aura of his power could supersede many, and when one was around him, they could not deny his overwhelming presence. The fact that he was an alpha male by nature was also a problem. His promise of protection was a godsend, and his opposition was hell on earth.
By how things were going, she knew he merely viewed her as an opposition. This alone sparked the competitive fuel in her veins. It definitely helped that she was an alpha female by nature, and it helped even more that his prevailing personality didn’t frighten her. All it did was remind her of the epic fight to come. It was a fight that she could not wait to wage against him.
She smirked, not even deigning to reply to him, for she knew it pissed off the prideful one whenever he was ignored. She could hear Tae Hyun’s scowl of anger from across the room for her complete disregard of him. She maintained her air of indifference and turned back to the Advisors. She had other things to resolve before she dealt with the favored King.
“Uncle,” she started cordially, staring directly at Ju Won, “please reconsider—”
“I have mixed feelings about you, Soo Jin,” Ju Won admitted, his face cool with aloofness. “I spent three long years feeling disgraced by you because I thought you actually felt remorse and committed suicide. But now that you’re here, I can’t help but feel intrigued.” He grinned, his eyes roaming around the room at all the people in attendance. “But in matters like this, it is not my place to decide if you should become a contender.”
Soo Jin furrowed her brows in confusion before someone spoke in Ju Won’s place.
“You’re in a precarious position right now, Soo Jin, for it is not the Advisors who decide your future in this world,” a Corporate Crime Lord from the balconies shared as he held his champagne glass in hand. She immediately recognized him as Choi Min Hyuk, the owner of the various conglomerates around the world. He was one of the, if not the most powerful and respected, Corporate Crime Lord in the 1st layer. To add insult to injury, he was also one of Tae Hyun’s mentors.
Ju Won nodded, staying quiet as Choi Min Hyuk continued to speak. “The three elder Advisors are the mentors, but apart from working together to choose an heir for their empires, their powers have never been absolute. They may choose their heirs, but it is the majority of the Underworld who ultimately decides who their Lord should be. We consider the eldest Advisor’s decision as a supplement to our end decision—nothing more, nothing less. With that said, they do not hold vetoing or approving power in terms of who gets to be a contender for the throne. The choice resides in the Kings and the rest of the Underworld. Three years ago, we all agreed on two competing Kings. The King of Serpents and the King of Skulls had already been crowned the contenders. Your sudden appearance, although very fascinating and intriguing to me, does not surpass the traditions of this world. One King has already opposed you joining the ranks—”
“—I want her as a contender,” Ji Hoon interrupted, staring directly at Soo Jin, who smiled as she kept her eyes on Min Hyuk.
“I believe that equals out the vote of the Kings,” she replied blithely, more than elated with Ji Hoon’s overt support.
Min Hyuk did not get a chance to respond when a woman standing on the adjacent balcony, a woman she recognized as an Advisor for the 2nd layer and a Ji Hoon supporter, said, “Make your speech then. Tell us exactly why we should kneel before you. Afterwards, we’ll all decide as a society about what course to take.”
Soo Jin nodded and complied, not because she was afraid of them, but because she respected them. Her society was a tough world to infiltrate and an even tougher world to impress. One had to be born into it, be raised within it, and be willing to die in it to make any sort of impact. She was born to rule, but she still had to fight for power. She still had to remind everyone why she was better than them.
“You’ve all heard of me, remembered me, or dreamed of meeting me,” she began powerfully, her voice resonating across the enormous room. “I am the
very embodiment of greatness. I was born with the prestigious Japanese and Korean Underworld blood pumping in my veins. I was raised to be powerful in this world, to be the pride of this world, and to rule over this world. If I wanted to, I could kill over five hundred of you in the span of an hour without even breaking a sweat. If I wanted to, I could outsmart and outwit each and every one of you without thinking about it. I could do whatever I want because I was trained to be above the rest—I was trained to be your God.”
She made sure to pause and allow them to soak in her words before continuing with unmatched authority.
“Will you really forgo what the future may hold because of a few minor problems that I could easily solve in a few days? I don’t have an official gang right now, but I could easily form one. All I ask for right now is your trust in my capabilities, the things I can bring, and the greatness that you all know have always awaited me. I am a walking and breathing legend. I am the only one who has captivated this world and the world outside ours with such allure, that I can’t help but wonder if seventy-percent of your recruits didn’t join out of fascination about me and the world that raised me.” Her eyes grew firmer, more determined. “Give me back the throne that has been rightfully mine the moment I took my breath in this world. Give me a chance to retrieve the throne that was stolen from me three years ago. Give me what I want, and I’ll bring you an epic era that you will never forget.”
She knew her speech worked. She knew it was effective when a profound silence collapsed over the room after she was done speaking. She smiled inwardly, pleased with this response. It was only a matter of time before she got what she wanted tonight.
“Please leave for the time being,” Ju Won told her softly, a crafty light playing off in his eyes when he realized what he could do with this historic moment. The wickedness in his eyes didn’t sit well with Soo Jin, but she didn’t have time to try and figure it out. “We have things to discuss, and there’s no need for the two Kings and our Queen to be in the room when we discuss it.”
“Of course,” said Soo Jin, already anticipating having to leave the room as they held their discussion.
Bowing slightly, she raced down the steps and motioned for Jae Won and Kang Min to stay where they were. Then, she made sure her wicked eyes were trained on Tae Hyun’s, who was watching her every move with a cold expression on his face. She bestowed him with a devious smile before veering her attention to Ji Hoon.
Watch this, Kwon Tae Hyun, she thought cruelly.
She smiled seductively and extended a hand out to Ji Hoon.
“Hi babe,” she whispered to him after he raced down from his seat and enveloped her in an embrace.
“God, I’ve missed you, baby,” Ji Hoon murmured against her neck, holding her close to him before he hovered his lips over her, reveling in the feel of her being close to him. “It’s been hell without you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” she cooed before she wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and brought him down for a kiss that was long overdue between them.
She kissed him for a few long breaths, angling herself into a methodical direction. She kissed Ji Hoon with more deliberation, her cruel eyes fixing on Tae Hyun. She noted that Tae Hyun was doing his best to not look their way—he was employing everything in his power to not rush over from his seat and tear Ji Hoon apart for even touching her. She knew this scene was a painful one for the King of Serpents, which was why she so callously displayed it in front of him.
After a long moment she pulled out of the kiss, stared up admiringly at Ji Hoon, and tugged at his hand, leading him towards the door where an adjoining room laid. She kicked the door closed with her foot, catching one last peripheral glance of Tae Hyun rising from his seat and storming out of the opposite doors, away from the room she and Ji Hoon were in and away from the privacy she wanted herself and Ji Hoon to have.
They still had unfinished business to tend to, and she intended to take care of it without delay.
“And you can fight all you want . . .”
03: The War Clause
“I thought Tae Hyun kicked you out of the country,” Ji Hoon murmured in a perplexed state of mind. As they continued to stumble into the adjoining room, he embraced her with an iron-grip and continuously molded his lips with hers.
“I got the trigger I needed to come out,” Soo Jin explained, panting for little bouts of air. Their mixed breaths continued to mingle as she affectionately pressed her body against his. As the tempo of their kiss leisurely came to a halt, she steadily withdrew her lips and moved her fingers through his hair, feeling the silky texture between her fingers. She gazed at him warmly and suddenly asked, “Have you really?”
“What?” He tilted his head to the side in confusion. He didn’t understand her question.
“Missed me? Have you really missed me?”
“Yes, of course,” he uttered, thunderstruck by her query. “Why would you ask that?”
A chilling air settled over them. Soon, the warmth from her eyes abruptly dissipated. While the rest of the Underworld was discussing her future, she might as well resolve some of the issues with her “boyfriend” too.
“You’ve been having so much fun these past three years, haven’t you, Ji Hoon?” Soo Jin casually observed. Her voice encompassed all the vile feelings she was harboring. It was low, concentrated, and lethal. “Sleeping around with your many playmates when you told me for years that no one would be able to catch your eye after me.” The vacant stare slowly morphed into a dangerous glint, and Ji Hoon grew more and more wary of the impending confrontation. “But you know what pisses me off more? The simple fact that you didn’t even try to help me regain my memories when you saw me again as Yoori.”
With Soo Jin’s evident animosity, the hope and jubilance in Ji Hoon’s eyes instantly vanished. He realized now that this reunion wasn’t going to be as heartwarming as he anticipated. In fact, it was painstakingly clear that it was going to be the polar opposite.
“I didn’t want you to go through with your original plan,” he justified in hopes of vindicating himself.
“No,” she rebutted, dismissing all his bullshit excuses. After unwrapping her arms from around his neck and pulling out of their embrace, she stepped away from him calmly—too calmly. “You didn’t want me to regain my memories because you preferred my body and not the killer impulse that came with it. I was your pretty little trophy, and my memories or wellbeing didn’t matter to you.” She smirked dryly, shaking her head at him in great pity. “But of course, since our dear Yoori couldn’t care less for you, you decided it was finally time to have your trophy emerge by sending eleven men to rape an innocent girl, and thus, provoking my anger. And, oh yeah, choking my neck against a wall and slapping the hell out of me when my counterpart didn’t give you what you wanted.”
Even though her voice was serene, her eyes were fuming with toxic fire.
“I hit Yoori, not you,” Ji Hoon defended as if he were the victim in this scenario. Aggravated by Soo Jin’s belittlement, his voice escalated to the same level of anger as Soo Jin’s. “I sent men to rape Chae Young, not you. All of this happened because of you. You just had to go through with that stupid plan of yours when I told you not to. Do you know what it was like for me to go through three years of hell by myself when I once had the best woman by my side? It also didn’t help that your precious human counterpart had to get into bed with my greatest enemy.”
Soo Jin smirked, her patience wearing thin with Ji Hoon. The next words out of her mouth throbbed with restrained fury. It brewed with a storm that would annihilate Ji Hoon if she liberated it.
“The fact that you’re breathing is a miracle. If I hadn’t taken into consideration all those times where you helped me and stuck with me through my ‘stupid plan’, then I wouldn’t even have cared about keeping you alive. Regardless of how tempted I am to skin you alive, I owe you for your help, and I’m returning the favor. But believe me, one of the blessings of being Yoori was s
eeing your true colors. I will never forget when you didn’t even give a fuck about my well-being and told Tae Hyun that I killed his mother.” Her breathing became harsher. She was absolutely livid with the remembrance of Tae Hyun confronting her about his mother’s death. “Kwon Tae Hyun is a fucking King in this world. Under oath, he is required to put the loyalty for his family and his gang above anything else. He is required to exterminate anyone who dares to hurt his family, and you didn’t put my fucking safety over your petty jealousy?”
She did not permit him to speak when he tried to chime in.
“It was pure luck that he showed me mercy because of his feelings for my stupid human counterpart, and it was pure luck that your idiocy didn’t get me killed. I’ll never forget that—among other things. Having said that, it looks like we’re not going to work out anymore.”
Unable to believe the words ringing in his ears, Ji Hoon’s calm composition deteriorated. His eyes rounded incredulously. “Are you breaking up with me?” he asked heatedly, his voice laced with outrage. “After I gave you my support in there while Tae Hyun opposed you? Do you think they’d even be considering you as a Lord if I hadn’t given my approval?”
“Yes,” she responded flippantly. Her voice teemed with artificial sweetness. “Thank you for your support. It was much appreciated.” She then tilted her head out of curiosity. “By the way, what happened to your nose? Did Kwon Tae Hyun kick the shit out of you?”
He didn’t say anything and merely looked away from her.
Ji Hoon was unable to maintain his poise when—
Bam!
Without notice, Soo Jin whipped her hand in the air and slapped the shit out of him with the back of her hand. The sound of flesh hitting flesh resonated into the air. A red handprint formed on Ji Hoon’s handsome, but completely fucked up, face.