The War of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 3) (30 page)

Tense
ness occupied his wrinkled face. “I’ve faced two disappointments already. Ji Hoon had his moment to shine after your death, after his power was at its highest and just before Tae Hyun came into power. But he fucked that up because he allowed his affections for you to cloud his judgment. And
you
. . .
I told you that night when I initiated you that I had always favored you. I favored you because you were the one I trained directly, because your father was like a brother to me, and because you were the one who reminded me of my daughter. But in the end, you became the biggest disappointment of all. Now, it is no secret that Tae Hyun is the pride and joy of this world. As the top Advisor in the 2
nd
layer, it is my duty to mold the first true Lord and make him the best this country has ever seen.” His voice vibrated with raw, unfettered determination. “Tae Hyun will be that mold, and I’ll be damned if you stand in the way of that.”

Overwhelmed with all that he was telling her, something snapped in Yoori.

“Why was Soo Jin such a disappointment?” she bit back, unable to ignore the elephant rampaging in the room. There was no point. No matter how hard she tried to keep Soo Jin at bay, it was inevitable that Yoori would drown in her. Now that the forbidden floodgate was opened, she might as well lead this conversation on to the topic she wanted to address. “Because she didn’t complete the ‘task’ you assigned her?”

Ju Won
studied Yoori’s face. Mockery began to surface in his gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Giv
e me the answers I want, Ju Won,” she snarled, her right hand gripping on the railing so hard that if it were someone’s neck, that person would’ve suffocated instantly.

“You’re not asking for answers,” h
e told her, taking inventory of the wrath she was exuding on to the railing. “To truly want answers, you’ll ask for the equations in which the answers derive from.”

Yoori scoffed. “You’re speaking in riddles.”

“Because you don’t even understand the question you’re asking.”

“You wanted her to do somethi
ng before she committed suicide,” Yoori went on loudly. “Whatever it was you had her do, it messed her up to a degree where she tried to kill herself. What did you need from that family, Ju Won? What did you need from the Hwangs?”

A spark of astonishment
lit his eyes. He faced her. “You know about the Hwangs?”

Yoori
could not decipher the emotions spreading through his face. Was he surprised or pleased that she knew this? She could not tell. She only knew that she had claimed his undivided interest.

“I know who they are and I know you had somethin
g to do with that massacre,” she told him confidently. She squared her shoulders in hopes of intimidating him into giving her an answer. “I just don’t know what power you held over her and her brother. What was so important, Ju Won? Why did you have them murder that family?”

Just as she
poured it all out, a professional looking man in his forties appeared at the door. He wore a black suit and had white gloves on. He bowed at Ju Won. “Sir, it’s time for your speech. Are you ready?”

A lingering silence
moved between them as Ju Won stared thoughtfully at Yoori. He peered inside the ballroom and then to the man at the door.

“Yes, go set it up. I’m ready.”

He nodded as a gesture for the man to proceed ahead and that he would follow soon. He returned his cold gaze to Yoori. He gave a slow smile, his expression unwilling to divulge in any secrets that he may or may not know.

“I gave you back your gun as a reminder
for you to finish what you started that night,” he told her instead. “Dong Min has lost hope in you, Jung Min is on the fence, but I still have some hope. Though I must admit, I’ve been more than disappointed with your shortcomings in the last three years. Perhaps you can figure out this conundrum and prove yourself.”

Yoori shook her head. “Whatever it was you wan
ted me to do, I won’t do it now.”

“Then,
Choi Yoori, you’ll die and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an entire Underworld waiting for me.”

With that, he left just as t
he MC announced that Seo Ju Won was about to give a “thank you” speech for everyone in attendance. Yoori watched him disappear into the ballroom, a round of applause commencing.

“Then,
Choi Yoori, you’ll die and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

Ju
Won’s words ricocheted in her mind when Yoori rested her elbows on the patio railing. She buried her face into her hands. What a waste of time. She risked coming outside with him and came out learning little to nothing about what he wanted from Soo Jin. All she got were more questions. This was no doubt an epic failure on her part. She couldn’t be more disheartened.

“I was counting down the minutes for him to leave so I could have a few
moments alone with you,” a familiar voice whispered just as Ju Won’s amplified voice saturated the ballroom.

He was thanking everyone for coming and
for their generous donations.

“Ji Hoon,
” said Yoori, releasing her face from her hands once she saw him step foot onto the marble patio. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt underneath a red tie. Much like Tae Hyun, the tuxedo did him a world of good and made him look more handsome than ever.

“You’
re the belle of the ball, Yoori,” he noted favorably, approaching her with a kind smile on his face. He looked extremely happy to see her. “Even when you’re only wearing a mask, all eyes of the men ate you up as you walked into the ballroom. It was like this entire event was made for you.”

Yoori smiled bashfully at his compliment. She had just got don
e with one intense conversation; she was definitely not looking for another one this evening. Tae Hyun was right. She did attract trouble.

“I was with Tae Hyun,” she said, bringing up Tae Hyun right away to dissuade any impressions he may have that she was available.
“I’m sure I received the runoff of the attention because everyone was wondering who this new girl hanging around one of their Kings was.”

“If only they knew it was the Queen herself they were loo
king at,” he replied, his face hardening faintly at the mention of Tae Hyun. “I must admit, I’m very surprised that you and Tae Hyun are back together already. But I guess regardless of what happens, it’s difficult to stay away from the one you love.”

Dread overwhelmed Yoori
when he said those words. She knew it not only applied to her and Tae Hyun, but it also applied to herself and Ji Hoon. Or, perhaps not her, but it did apply to Ji Hoon and Soo Jin. He was in love with Soo Jin, and she wasn’t Soo Jin. That was all the reason she needed to know that she should not be around him a second longer.

“I imagine you d
idn’t come to this event alone. You should go keep your date company.”

She hoped he would take th
e hint and let her be.

Ji Hoon was not the type to give up easily. “You’re
above any date I bring tonight,” he replied, getting so close to her that Yoori had to back away from him in cautiousness.

Hurt drenched
his gaze at her actions. He sighed at her overt show of displeasure with merely being around him. “I just want to speak to you for a few minutes, Yoori.” Concern teemed in his eyes. “It’s not safe for you to be here alone. Let me watch you until Tae Hyun comes back for you. I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

Yoori’s heart ached at the distress spilling out of Ji Hoon. She knew he was worried
about her. His only intention was for her to be safe. She appreciated his genuine care for her. Nevertheless, she couldn’t heed his pleas. There was too much at risk.

“If Tae Hyun sees you with me,
he’ll toss you into the pool without hesitation,” she said flatly. “I know the two of you. I know you’ll get into a fight the first chance you get.” Resolve palpitated in her voice. “I can’t have that happen. People are already looking at me as a distraction for both of you. I’ll be damned if the two of you get into a fight here. Thank you for wanting to keep me safe, but I’ll find Tae Hyun by myself.”

Yoori dodged past him and flew back into the ballroom before Ji Hoon
could reach out to her.

“Yoori!” he whispered, running after her. He tried as
hard as possible to seem casual and not bring attention to them.

The clacking of her heel
s quickened while she skirted past various crime lords and their dates. She drew deeper into the sea of people gliding on the ballroom floor. Since her absence from the mansion, it seemed that everyone had taken the opportunity to move onto the dance floor to prepare for a slow dance. The room was more packed, acting as an asset for her to lose Ji Hoon in the crowd. Her gut quaked guiltily. Yoori hated that she was running away from Ji Hoon when he only wanted to take care of her. She took in a painful inhalation. But this was for the best. It was the best for all three of them in the long run.

She could hear
Ji Hoon’s whispers for her name. He was trying to find her in the crowd. The looming darkness distilled over them, setting the mood for the melodic music that overtook the room. Yoori frantically looked around. She had to find Tae Hyun before she got lost in the crowd. Right when she was about to step away from the ballroom, someone grabbed her hand and dragged her to the side.

“Lil sis, where have you been? I’ve been looking fo
r you,” the male voice said softly.

He gently pulled
her to the area of the dance floor that was closest to the doors leading into the gardens. People around them were already slow dancing to the music; everyone was in their own world as Yoori fought the stranger’s firm grasp.

He was wearing a tuxedo with a white dress shirt and silk blue tie. Unlike
the majority of the men in attendance, he was wearing a silver mask over his eyes. She couldn’t really make out his face, but judging by his profile, she could tell he was also a handsome man.

“Excuse me,
” Yoori cordially said to the masked man. She was careful not to raise her voice. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She tugged at the grasp he held on her. “You have the wrong person. I’m not your sister.”

The man turned
around. He stopped in his tracks and assessed her. Moments later, his eyes swelled in mortification. He instantly released his hold on her hand.

“Oh damn,” h
e groaned, smiling embarrassingly at her. Dimples appeared on either side of his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I saw you from the corner and I thought you resembled my sister. I’ve been looking for her for a while, but this damn ballroom is so big. I wanted to surprise her and force her to do what she hates most—dance with her older brother.” He laughed disbelievingly to himself, earning a laugh from Yoori too. “Now I feel like an idiot. I can’t believe I grabbed the wrong girl. I’m really sorry.”

“No, no
. It’s okay!” Yoori laughed, for some reason already feeling comfortable with this man. There was something endearing about his adoration for his younger sister. “You’ve been treading around, looking for your sister so you can punish her with a dance? Gosh, how evil are you?”

His shoulders lifted with laughter. “Y
eah, she hates it. I haven’t seen her in a while. I figured it’d be a good way to catch up.” He groaned, running his fingers through the black hair that fell to the nape of his neck. “I can’t believe I thought you were my sister. This is so embarrassing.” He squared his shoulders awkwardly. “Well, since we’re here, will you dance with me? I don’t want to be some idiot who caught the wrong girl and wasted her time.”

Yo
ori looked around nervously. “I really shouldn’t. I think my boyfriend is looking for me. Plus, the only time I’ve danced was when I was barefoot. I’m known to be accident-prone and I’m wearing stilettos now. I would hate to be the one who stabs holes into your feet.”

He
chuckled, waving away her excuse. “I’m sure your boyfriend will be fine for a few minutes.” Yoori was about to politely decline until he cleverly added, “It also helps that I’m wearing one of the sturdiest leather shoes there are. Come on,” he urged, grabbing a hold of her waist. “Help me warm up before I find my baby sister.”

There was something in the way he spoke to her that
made it impossible for her to refuse him. He didn’t appear to be one of those sleazebags who were looking to bed her. And for reasons unknown to her, a part of her also wanted to dance with him, especially whenever he mentioned his younger sister.

Reluctantly, she said, “Okay.”

“Good,” he approved, smiling wider after Yoori placed her hands on his shoulders. They began to move to the rhythm of the music, following the sway of the crowd surrounding them.

Yoori’s
heart began to warm. Thoughts of being angry with Ju Won and escaping from Ji Hoon eased from her mind. The presence of this person made her feel so comfortable.

“I’m sorry,” the masked man started kindly. “I didn’t catch your name.”