+ MISSION HUH? +

+CHAPTER 33+

"That's the problem," Victoria said, her frustration evident. "He hasn't. He just... lets it happen. And Drea's hurting because of it."

Jeno exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "He should've shut it down."

"Exactly," Victoria agreed. "She don't deserve that. Not after everything she's been through. You know how that makes her feel."

Jeno nodded, his gaze hardening.

The ride back to the mansion was suffocatingly silent, the weight of Andrea's condition pressing down on everyone. Jeno carried her into the medical wing, his movements steady despite the chaos swirling inside him. Andrea was barely recognizable—her skin was ghostly pale, her lips tinged blue, and her body drenched in sweat. She was still bleeding, her breathing shallow and weak.

Ethan met them at the door, his face tightening at the sight of her. "What the fuck. Get her on the table. Now."

The medical team swarmed around her, their voices clipped and urgent as they assessed the damage. It wasn't long before one of them turned to the group, his expression grim. "She needs immediate surgery. The bullets need to come out."

Victoria's voice cut through the room like a knife. "So do it. Now."

The team didn't hesitate. They wheeled Andrea into the operating room, leaving the group to stand in the hallway, their emotions tangled in a mess of fear, guilt, and helplessness.

Ethan paced the hallway, his frustration boiling over. "Someone tell me what happened."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, their silence only fueling his growing anger. Finally, Renjun stepped forward, his voice quiet but steady. "It was Angel."

Ethan stopped pacing, turning to face him. "What do you mean?"

Renjun took a deep breath, recounting the events of the mission. "Angel betrayed us. He was about to shoot Haechan, but Vi stopped him. He reached for his gun and accidentally pulled the trigger twice. It hit Drea, but she stayed quiet. We didn't realize until after the mission when we noticed she was missing."

Ethan stared at him, speechless. His usually composed demeanor faltered, the weight of the situation crashing down on him.

+++++++

The group sat in tense silence, the air in the meeting room so heavy it was almost suffocating. Jaeda stood at the front, her usual commanding presence even sharper as her piercing gaze swept over the team. She didn't waste time easing into the topic, her tone cold and deliberate.

"Kara and Angel," she began, her voice steady but icy, "were working together the entire time."

A ripple of disbelief spread across the room, their shocked faces betraying their struggle to process the information.

"They weren't just rogue agents," Jaeda continued, pacing slowly. "They were working for someone far more dangerous—Sujin. She is a powerful figure in a faction dedicated to eliminating Jaehyun. And not just Jaehyun—all of you were targets. Even Andrea."

Victoria's fists clenched on the table, her jaw tightening as she narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense," she said through gritted teeth. "Why us? Why Andrea?"

Jaeda stopped pacing, her hands clasped behind her back. "Let me explain. Sujin has been orchestrating attacks against Jaehyun for years, attempting to dismantle his family's influence piece by piece. When Jaehyun became unreachable, Sujin turned to you—his inner circle. She saw you as leverage."

The room fell deathly silent as Jaeda's next words hit like a freight train. "Sujin is the one who ordered Jisung's kidnapping. And it was her people who captured the rest of you."