The bar stood tucked between shuttered storefronts in an alleyway that smelled like spilled whiskey and forgotten sins. Its faded sign, "Midnight Bloom," flickered half-heartedly, casting purple light onto cracked pavement. Inside, the air was dense with cigarette smoke, and the unspoken rule: don't cause trouble unless you're ready to bleed for it.
Behind the counter stood a man in a dark leather jacket, the sleeves pushed up to reveal old scars and a silver watch that didn't tick. His hair was slicked back, streaked with grey, and his sharp eyes scanned the crowd with a permanent glint of suspicion.
Jung Tae-Hyun.Mira's uncle.Ex-enforcer.Now bar owner.Still dangerous.
He stirred a drink with two fingers, the motion slow, controlled. His presence filled the room like smoke unavoidable and suffocating if you got too close.
When the side door creaked open, he didn't look up. "We're closed."
"It's me," came Mira's quiet voice.
His head snapped up instantly.
In two long strides, he was around the counter. "Mira." His voice softened only for her.
She walked in, tension in her shoulders, eyes guarded. He pulled her into a one-armed hug, the kind that squeezed a bit too tightly, like he was afraid she'd vanish again.
"You don't visit enough," he muttered, ruffling her hair. "Something wrong?"
She shook her head. "Just needed some quiet. And maybe some answers."
He narrowed his eyes, voice low. "Is this about them? That company? The Han bastards?"
"I said I'm fine," she replied, but her tone didn't match her words.
Tae-Hyun stepped back, "I told you, I should've buried every one of them after what happened to your father."
"You promised not to do anything," she reminded him.
"I promised not to go hunting. Didn't promise not to bite if they get too close."
His gaze hardened. "You working there it's risky. I don't trust them. I never will."
"I'm not asking you to," she said quietly. "Just.… let me do this my way."
He sighed, exhaling smoke toward the ceiling. "You always had his fire."
They stood in silence for a moment. The jazz faded into a slower tune. The weight between them heavier than words.
Then Tae-Hyun added, "If one of them touches you the wrong way emotionally or otherwise you come to me first. I don't care if it's that cold bastard Ares or the smooth-talking cousin."
She nodded, avoiding his eyes.
Because a part of her wasn't sure anymore if Ares was the enemy.And that was more dangerous than anything her uncle could protect her from.