The Hidden Card || NCT MAFIA

Chapter one: The beginning of a new chapter

The man let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his already messy hair, and took a glance at the expensive watch around his wrist.

Three hours. He had been looking at the papers in front of him for three endless hours.

A sudden knock on his door made him look up from his desk, and he quickly hid the papers he was looking at.

"Yes?"

A young man made his way in the room after making sure to close the door behind him.

"What is it, Jaehyun?" Taeyong sighed.

Judging by the look on the younger's face, he guessed he wasn't bringing good news. A quick glance at his left hand holding a small dark bag already gave Taeyong enough information to know what his skilled spy was about to say.

"There's been another one."

Taeyong rubbed his tired eyes and took a deep breath. It was only eight in the morning, and he didn't like the way his day was starting off.

Jaehyun took a step forward to put the small item on his leader's desk. Taeyong already knew what was in the bag, but he still looked.

A middle finger.

At this rate, with all the fingers they had found, always without bodies, they would soon be able to start a collection. What a creepy one, Taeyong thought.

A detail caught his attention, though, the ring that was with it.

"He was one of ours," Jaehyun spoke when he noticed Taeyong's change of facial expression. "He wasn't answering so we went to check his hideout, but he was gone. I ordered a couple of our men to stay there in case he'd come back, but he never did."

"How did they find the package?"

"They didn't," Jaehyun let out a sigh, "it was delivered here."

Taeyong's grip suddenly tightened around the black material. That was new.

"Thank you, Jaehyun, you can go. I'll send my condolences to his family."

Jaehyun slightly bowed before doing as he was told, and as soon as he was out of the room, Taeyong reached for his phone.

Anger was starting to boil in his veins as he dialed the number.

"Hello?" a voice spoke on the other side of the line.

Taeyong could clearly imagine the smirk on the other man's face, and it made him even angrier.

"We had a deal," he growled, completely ignoring the greeting.

"Yes, indeed we had. I'm guessing you received my gift," Park replied.

"You're not supposed to touch any of my men."

Park just smirked, although he perfectly knew Taeyong couldn't see it.

"Yes, but you see, your men aren't supposed to be looking through my stuff either..."

Taeyong's knuckles turned white because of his tight grip on the phone, and he had to restrain himself from kicking his chair.

"I thought you wanted to leave, to go far away. Why didn't you?"

"You ask too many questions, brother. Just make sure your men don't go around sticking their nose into my business, and I won't have to kill them. Send my condolences to his family, by the way."

Park didn't let Taeyong reply and hung up. Things were getting bad. If Park was starting to go after his men, Taeyong didn't know what he'd do. He couldn't kill him, after all. Not that he didn't want to, he'd give anything to be able to make that smirk of his disappear forever, but he couldn't. They had a deal, he said it himself. He had to stay away from Park, for Iseul.

The girl was absolutely unaware of the situation, which made it even worse for Taeyong as he couldn't talk about it to anyone. He had made a decision and he had to assume its consequences, alone.

He wouldn't burden her with his problems. He had already made her go through enough tragedies. He had made her life hell, and he had sworn to himself to never let that happen again.

But things were more complicated than that, and he was underestimating the situation. Soon enough, all Hell would break loose.

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Sorry for not updating yesterday, I was busy celebrating cause your girl passed her year!! (Not sure that's the right way to say it in English tho)