THE DEVIL'S GUEST LIST

Chapter 5: FAMILY BUSINESS

UNKNOWN POV

"You're telling me he survived?"

Baek Tae-jun stared at the man standing in front of his desk.

"Yes, sir."

The man looked like he wished he were anywhere else.

Tae-jun leaned back in his chair. "And where is he now?"

"The hospital. We haven't been able to get close to him."

"Why not?"

"His partner is there, and they've increased security."

Tae-jun rubbed his forehead. "So you failed to kill him, lost track of him, and now you can't even get near him?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Just go."

The man hurried out.

Tae-jun picked up his phone and checked the time. The meeting was supposed to have started ten minutes ago, and he was already in a bad mood.

The last thing he needed was another problem.

Especially one named Kang Do-yun.

He grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs.

The meeting room was beneath an old hotel in Seoul. Nobody came here by accident. The entrance was hidden behind a private parking area, and every visitor had to pass through two security checks before getting inside.

The people waiting downstairs weren't ordinary businessmen, either.

Some owned companies worth billions. Others controlled criminal organisations that the police had spent years trying to bring down.

And then there was the Han family.

Han Min-jae sat at the table, checking something on his phone while his wife, Yoon Hye-jin, spoke quietly to a woman beside her.

"You took your time," Min-jae said when Tae-jun entered.

"I had something to deal with."

"Something more important than this meeting?"

Tae-jun pulled out a chair. "Apparently."

Hye-jin smiled faintly. "You two haven't changed. You could turn a simple conversation into an argument."

"He's the one who started it," Min-jae said.

"You're a grown man, Min-jae. Stop blaming everyone else."

Tae-jun laughed as he sat down.

"Chairman Han, how do you live with her?"

"Very carefully."

Hye-jin shook her head. "Both of you are annoying."

For a few minutes, the conversation remained light. Then the door opened, and a man hurried inside with a folder.

Tae-jun's smile disappeared.

"What's happened now?"

The man placed the folder in front of him. "We received new information about the attack."

Tae-jun opened it and scanned the first page.

"Where did you get this?"

"From the men we questioned."

He turned another page, then pushed the folder toward Min-jae.

"Take a look."

Min-jae frowned as he read through the documents.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

"The men who attacked Do-yun were working under orders connected to your organisation," Tae-jun explained.

Min-jae looked up. "That's impossible."

"Your name is on the records."

"Then someone used my name."

"Do you have proof of that?"

Min-jae dropped the folder onto the table.

"If I wanted Kang Do-yun dead, I wouldn't need to hide behind someone else's name."

The room went quiet.

Hye-jin gave her husband a look. "That wasn't the best way to explain yourself."

"Would you prefer I apologise for something I didn't do?"

"No, but you could try not to sound like you're threatening everyone in the room."

"I wasn't threatening everyone."

"You were getting there."

Tae-jun watched them argue for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Can we get back to the problem?"

Hye-jin turned to him. "Please do. I'd like to go home before midnight."

Tae-jun pointed at the folder.

"Someone is trying to make it look like Min-jae ordered the attack. The question is why."

"Maybe they want you fighting each other," a man suggested from the other side of the table.

"That's the obvious answer," Tae-jun replied. "I want to know who's behind it."

Min-jae folded his arms.

"I'll look into it myself."

"No," Tae-jun said. "You won't."

Min-jae's expression hardened. "Excuse me?"

"If you start investigating using your own people, whoever did this will know we're onto them. Let my people handle it."

"And I'm supposed to sit at home and do nothing while someone uses my name?"

"That's exactly what you're supposed to do for now."

Hye-jin sighed. "Can the two of you stop measuring your egos for five minutes? We have a bigger problem than who's giving orders."

Tae-jun looked at her.

"Such as?"

"Someone managed to arrange an attack on Kang Do-yun and make it look like Min-jae was responsible. That means they have access to information they shouldn't have. Find that person first."

This time, nobody argued with her.

Tae-jun nodded toward the man beside the door.

"Get me everything you can find about the people involved. I want names, phone records, bank transactions—all of it."

"Yes, sir."

"And nobody touches Do-yun again until I say so."

The man left to carry out the order.

The meeting continued for another half hour. They discussed money, business arrangements, and a few problems involving people who had become too ambitious for their own good.

By the time it ended, Min-jae was ready to leave.

Hye-jin picked up her handbag and followed him toward the door.

"You're awfully quiet," she said.

"I'm thinking."

"About the attack?"

"Among other things."

She lowered her voice. "Do you think they'll find out?"

Min-jae glanced at the guards standing nearby.

"Not here."

She nodded, and they continued walking.

Neither of them looked back.

But once they were inside their car, Min-jae took out his phone and sent a short message.

The meeting is over. We need to talk.

A reply arrived almost immediately.

Come to the usual place.

Min-jae deleted the messages.

Then he started the car.

HAN SEO-JUN'S POV

"Your father looked like he was about to throw that folder at Tae-jun's head."

I looked up from my laptop.

Kwon Tae-oh was stretched across my sofa, eating the food he'd ordered to my house without asking me.

"Did he?"

"I'm serious. And your mother was trying to stop them from arguing. Honestly, I don't know how she puts up with either of them."

"She doesn't. She just knows when to let them embarrass themselves."

Tae-oh laughed.

I turned my attention back to the screen. The meeting had gone almost exactly as expected. Someone had tried to use my father's name to make trouble for Do-yun, and now everyone was busy trying to figure out who was responsible.

That was fine by me.

While they searched for answers, they wouldn't notice what we were doing elsewhere.

"So, what's next?" Tae-oh asked.

"Nothing for now."

He stopped chewing. "Nothing?"

"We wait."

"You're telling me we've spent months putting this together, and now we're just going to sit around?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes. We could get up and do something."

"Brilliant. You should become a strategist."

He threw a cushion at me.

I laughed and went back to my laptop.

A few minutes later, my phone rang. Mum.

I answered.

"How was the meeting?" I asked.

"Long and boring," she replied. "Your father nearly started an argument with Tae-jun."

"Nearly?"

"Don't sound disappointed."

"Sorry, Mum."

She sighed. "Anyway, we're meeting your father later. There are a few things we need to settle before we move forward."

"I know."

"And Seo-jun?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do anything without speaking to us first. We've come too far to ruin everything now."

"I won't."

She paused.

"Good. We'll talk later."

The call ended.

Tae-oh had stopped eating and was watching me.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just find it funny that the three of you can plan something this big and still talk to each other like you're discussing what to have for dinner."

"Would you prefer us to shout?"

"No. But sometimes I forget that your family is completely insane."

"You're welcome to leave."

He grinned. "And miss all the fun? Never."

I shut my laptop and stood.

The plan had taken a long time to put together. My parents had their part to play, I had mine, and everyone else would eventually find themselves exactly where we needed them.

Seo-yeon would be part of it, too.

She didn't know that yet, and there was no reason for her to find out before the time was right. She was curious by nature, and she'd already started asking questions about Do-yun.

That was useful.

Very useful.

Tae-oh watched me for a moment.

"Does she know anything?"

"No."

"And you're planning to keep it that way?"

"Until we need her to know more."

He nodded slowly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I."

He stared at me.

I smiled. "Relax. I know exactly what I'm doing."

That wasn't entirely true, but he didn't need to know that.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the city.

Soon, things would start moving. People would make decisions, secrets would come out, and everyone would have to choose a side.

And my sister?

She'd play her part whether she realised it or not.

After all, this had always been family business.