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

by Con Template

  “You’re telling me that my brother, the one who hid me from this world for my own safety, and Ji Hoon, the one who’s so in love with Soo Jin that he gave up power in this world for her, are trying to hurt me?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with exasperation. “I’m just telling you that nothing is always as it seems. You have this thing about you, Yoori, where you try to see the good in everyone when there’s no good for you to see. You’ve only seen the side that Ji Hoon wants you to see, but I know Ji Hoon. He can’t be trusted. Period.”

  Yoori inhaled sharply, not even absorbing the substance of his words. “Are you going to tell me you think my brother can’t be trusted either?”

  Suddenly, a hostile conversation about her brother and Ji Hoon was quickly transitioning into a venomous conversation between Yoori and Tae Hyun. She felt horrible for conceiving such idea, but she couldn’t help but think about the moment where she found out that he had been deceiving her. He shouldn’t be so quick to venture on to the topic of “trust” when it was only recently where she found out that he betrayed her trust. She had forgiven him, but sins like that were rarely forgotten.

  “Look,” Tae Hyun began, reading her mind. “I know that I’ve fucked up in the past, but I’m really trying to make things right here, Yoori. Trust me when I say that I wouldn’t be treading on this topic unless my gut is telling me that something is wrong. My gut tells me that something is off about your brother, and it’s not because he hates my guts. And something is definitely off about Ji Hoon—”

  Yoori unfolded her arms in defeat. She really wanted to end this conversation. They were getting nowhere.

  “I don’t doubt that you want what’s good for me. I just think your rationale is understandably biased when it comes to Ji—”

  “You don’t believe that I’m looking out for you when I warn you about Ji Hoon?” Tae Hyun interrupted, his voice throbbing with hurt and insult.

  Yoori was now at her wit’s end. “What more do you want me to say? I trust Ji Hoon, too, Tae Hyun!”

  How could she not?

  After all Ji Hoon had given up for Soo Jin, how could she not trust him?

  “He can’t be trusted!” Tae Hyun snapped. His face was evident of repugnance once he saw how emotional she was getting about Ji Hoon. “All the façade that he’s giving off right now, it’s not real!” He scrutinized her in distaste. “I didn’t even realize how affected you were by the façade until I saw the sympathy in your eyes when you looked at him last night. But now . . . now I see that you’ve been pushed into the deep end of this. To think I thought you were one of the few who saw through him.”

  “Kwon Tae Hyun, stop it!” she bellowed, unable to contain her anger. “You’re just being like this because you’re jealous and you’re afraid I’ll leave you for Ji Hoon!

  Tae Hyun fell silent at her words.

  Yoori, herself, went quiet. She bit her lips in frustration, already regretting what she said. She was such a dumbass to say such things. She didn’t mean it. She wanted to apologize, but it was too late. Tae Hyun would have none of it.

  “So, you really think jealousy is all that’s driving me right now?”

  Insult marked his face.

  “Choi Yoori,” he chided sternly. “I was just trying to watch out for you. People think I’m the most ruthless person in this world, yet I know better. It had always been Ji Hoon, and if you can’t see it now, you’ll see it soon when he shows his true colors and screws you over.” He took one last hard glance at her before saying, “You know what? Fuck this.” He walked past her. “I don’t need to deal with this. Go be with your Prince Charming, but don’t come crying to me when he fucks you over. I’m done.”

  Are you kidding me? Yoori thought as she watched Tae Hyun storm off into the growing crowd.

  Guilt gone, she started to feel infuriated as well.

  “Kwon Tae Hyun!” she shouted irritably, hoping that he would return to her after hearing her call.

  Within moments, he was gone, leaving her blindsided with shock. She was absolutely beside herself. How on earth did an innocent day end up like this?

  “Then you are no longer a God.”

  15: 57

  “I can’t believe what an ass he’s being right now!” Yoori complained when she stepped into the hotel lobby.

  “He was watching out for you and you called him paranoid and jealous. What reaction did you expect from him, boss?” Kang Min questioned, walking alongside Yoori. Four other Serpents treaded behind them. They were all dressed in black with the exception of Yoori.

  Since their altercation on the street, Yoori and Tae Hyun had been ignoring each other. Because Tae Hyun was too pissed off at her to accompany her, and because Jae Won was preoccupied with Chae Young, Yoori was left in the company of Kang Min and four other Serpents who served as her bodyguards. Initially, she didn’t mind the company because she thought Kang Min, who was always the more sensitive one, was going to side with her. Unfortunately for Yoori, she found that he was on the enemy’s side.

  Yoori scoffed. Her ivory halter dress bounced in the air as she huffed and puffed to herself. Holding a red velvet cake box close to her chest, Yoori said, “You and Jae Won . . . you guys are always siding with him.”

  “I’m not siding with anyone,” Kang Min told her quietly, his eyes roaming around the hall with vigilance. Even while speaking to her, he was still keeping his eye out for danger. “I told you before that I didn’t trust Ji Hoon, remember? Well, that fact holds true to this day and it’s not because of anything Boss Kwon says.”

  “You know what?” Yoori started when they approached the suite her brother was staying in with his wife. “I really don’t want to talk about this right now. I have to eat dinner with my brother, and I’d like to be in a good mood while doing so. I just want to forget about Tae Hyun’s nonsense.” She eyed him begrudgingly. “And yours as well.”

  Yoori turned away from him when they neared her brother’s suite. There were four Scorpions dressed in black suits at the doorway, gazing at her expectantly. All four bowed their heads down to her before moving away from the door to give her the opportunity to knock.

  Yoori gave them a polite smile before sighing to herself.

  She was still feeling exasperated. She was tired of everyone bad mouthing Ji Hoon when it was clear he had done nothing but sacrificed himself for Soo Jin. No one deserved this type of crucifixion, least of all Ji Hoon. With that thought in mind, Yoori decided to put everything on the backburner and focus on her night with her brother. She knocked on the door, unaware that Kang Min was frowning at her dismissal of his warnings about Ji Hoon.

  “Do you want to join us?” she asked Kang Min belatedly. No matter how angry he made her, she still adored Kang Min and would love for him to join them for dinner.

  “No,” he told her after he caught the glare the four Scorpions were giving him.

  Yoori swallowed uncomfortably when she noticed those glares. Evidently Young Jae wasn’t the only one pissed at Jae Won and Kang Min for joining another gang. The four Scorpions out here begrudged Kang Min as well.

  “Are you sure?” she whispered, wanting to help take Kang Min out of that uncomfortable situation. The last thing he needed was to wait outside with a group of people who clearly despised him. He should at least go inside with her. Albeit her brother was not a fan of Kang Min either, at least it was just one person as opposed to four people who disliked him.

  “Yes,” Kang Min said succinctly, taking his place with the other Serpents against the wall from across the door. They all stood parallel from her brother’s Scorpions. All the bodyguards stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with one another.

  “Have fun,” said Kang Min, clearly preferring to be amongst four Scorpions who disliked him as opposed to being in her brother’s company. “We’ll be out here.”

  Before Yoori could say anything, the door clicked open.

  “Little sis,” her older brother greeted, distracting he
r from Kang Min. He held the door open with a smile. Dressed in a black turtleneck and khaki pants, he radiated nothing but warmth.

  Yoori smiled, feeling better now that she was in her brother’s presence. At that moment, nothing else mattered but hanging out with him. If Kang Min wanted to be in the hall, then so be it. It was time for her to forget about everything else and enjoy dinner.

  “I brought you some dessert,” she told her brother, holding up the cake box.

  “Wonderful! Come in,” Young Jae told her warmly, easing the box from her hands and ushering her in.

  Yoori stepped into the luxurious penthouse suite. As her eyes perused the room, she was floored by how big it was. With a living room, dining room, and kitchen of its own, she would say that the hotel suite was as big as Tae Hyun’s apartment. She craned her neck and noticed that it even had its own pool outside. She gasped in her head, thoroughly impressed. This place was a dream. She wouldn’t mind staying here either.

  “I heard this type of cake is good,” her brother commented when he peeked inside the box. “I’m excited to taste it.”

  It’s Tae Hyun’s favorite, Yoori wanted to casually share with him.

  In lieu of that, she said, “Yeah, it’s delicious! My favorite.”

  She casually surveyed the apartment while she walked beside her brother. She was still distracted with thoughts of Tae Hyun (and how she really wanted him to be here with her only family member), but kept a pleasant expression on for her older brother. “This is a beautiful suite, by the way.”

  “This will do for the next week or so,” Young Jae told her.

  He politely herded her into the living room where a tall Korean man with blonde hair greeted her with a bow. He was wearing the typical black suit attire that all the gang members appeared to be donning tonight.

  “This is PC,” Young Jae introduced. “You probably don’t remember him, but he’s my right-hand man. Back in the day, the two of you were the ones I depended on while I dealt with Scorpions business.”

  Yoori smiled cordially at him, not really knowing what to say. It was odd that she probably worked closely with the guy, but didn’t remember him at all.

  “Nice to meet you, PC,” Yoori said meekly, nodding her head at him while he straightened his back.

  “It’s been a while. I can’t believe you’re here with us again,” he said respectfully, giving them another bow before he stood off to the side. “Welcome back, Ms. An.”

  “Thank you, PC,” Yoori replied, unable to contain her smile. It was a rare occasion for anyone to feel at home with people they just met. In Yoori’s case, as she started to spend more time with her brother and his Scorpions, she couldn’t help but feel safe—like she was at home.

  “It’ll just be my sister, my wife, and myself tonight,” Young Jae told PC kindly. “Tell the other Scorpions that they can rest for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow. Thank you again for all your help.”

  PC nodded at his King’s orders. “I’ll let everyone know. Good night, boss.”

  With another bow to both Yoori and her brother, PC left without another word. Soon, it was just the two of them.

  “I hope you’re hungry, little one,” Young Jae uttered, hugging Yoori from the side as he walked into the dining room with her. He placed her cake on the table. “My wife was ecstatic to hear that you were coming over and went crazy with the food.”

  Yoori’s eyes wandered across the wide array of food that embellished the rectangular dining table.

  “No kidding,” she murmured appreciatively. “Wow, everything looks so delicious!”

  “And here we have the woman of the hour,” Young Jae announced, his eyes elsewhere while Yoori admired the assortment of food in front of her.

  She followed his gaze. Her eyes landed on a beautiful woman who just walked into the room. Thin and graceful, Young Jae’s wife appeared to be in her late twenties. She wore a yellow blouse and a white skirt that accentuated her tall figure. She had her black hair tied up to one side and was smiling uncontrollably at Yoori.

  “Yoori . . .” Young Jae said, pulling her alongside him towards the woman. “This is my wife, Anna.”

  If Yoori knew what a family reunion felt like, then she could’ve sworn this was what was occurring as her brother introduced her to everyone. She could detect the adoration in his voice when he introduced his wife. It was the same tone of voice that Tae Hyun had when he introduced her to other people. Afraid that she’d get sucked into another crestfallen state at the reminder of Tae Hyun not being here for her, Yoori pushed back the thoughts of him aside. Instead, she smiled genuinely at her brother’s wife.

  “Nice to meet you, Anna.”

  “Boss,” Anna greeted, suddenly falling to one knee with her head bowed down in respect. “It’s been a while. Welcome back.”

  Yoori’s eyes enlarged. She turned to her brother in shock. “Why is she kneeling before me? She’s your wife.”

  “Her oath and loyalty to you supersedes what she has with me,” Young Jae explained to her. “If you hadn’t recruited her, then she wouldn’t be alive today. She’s just showing you the respect she has for you.”

  But still! Yoori thought appallingly. This was her brother’s wife! She couldn’t have the poor girl kneel before her, especially when she felt that Soo Jin didn’t deserve such respect.

  “Please, Anna,” Yoori voiced, bending forward to help Anna up. “Please, no kneeling or anything like that. You’re my brother’s wife. You never have to do that again.”

  Anna beamed appreciatively at Yoori. Tears began to glisten in her eyes. “It’s so good to see you again, boss.” She sighed, wiping her fingers underneath her eyes to prevent any tears from streaming down. “Young Jae and I have missed you so much.”

  “Anna gets emotional easily,” Young Jae whispered into Yoori’s ear as Anna playfully smacked him.

  “Let’s eat, let’s eat,” Anna ushered with a laugh. She grabbed Yoori’s hand and pulled her to the dining table where she took a seat beside her.

  Young Jae took a seat at the end of the table, beaming at his younger sister and his wife.

  “We have so much to catch up on!” Anna exclaimed.

  And they did.

  As dinner progressed, Yoori was elated to be in the presence of her family. She only wished that Tae Hyun were there with her too. As they ate, she casually asked her brother and Anna what they had been doing in Japan. As expected, they told her that they had been hiding from the Korean Underworld. A few loyal Scorpions followed them to Japan to help make their stay there safe. Young Jae had been traveling to meet with old business associates in Japan who still adored him. Evidently, his new job as a business consultant paid quite well. He was no longer involved in Underworld business and his Scorpions were also sometimes contracted as bodyguards. It was a peaceful life and one that they were enjoying.

  The conversation eventually shifted to her brother and Anna asking her what happened to her after her home was set on fire in Taecin. Yoori told them that she had been living by herself and that she was a waitress at a local diner for a while. She concluded the story by sharing how she met Tae Hyun and how she came to live with him. Even while telling this story, she couldn’t help but be amazed at how crazy her life had gotten. It was amazing how fast things could change within a blink of an eye.

  Dinner continued on really well after that. Yoori loved Anna just as much as she loved being around her brother. She thought it would continue to be pleasant until her brother decided to journey on to the topic of Tae Hyun.

  “So, I take it you didn’t ask him?” Although his voice was gentle, Yoori did not miss the sternness behind it. The disapproval in his eyes made Yoori slightly uncomfortable.

  “No,” Yoori admitted, feeling like an adolescent who was about to be scolded by her father. “And I’m not planning to.”

  The sound of Young Jae’s fork clinking against his plate reverberated through the room. He shook his head at her.

  “Lil si
s,” he began wearily. Before he could say more, his wife interrupted him.

  “Young Jae, that’s enough,” Anna said in Yoori’s defense. “She’s no longer your baby sister. She’s a grown woman, and she’ll do what’s right for herself.”

  Young Jae frowned at his wife. “She can be ninety and she’ll still be my baby sister.”

  “How unfortunate for her,” Anna joked blithely.

  Yoori giggled with Anna. She thanked the fates that she had Anna by her side. It was nice to have someone back her up.

  “Unbelievable,” Young Jae murmured, bitter that his wife and his sister were colluding with one another and uniting against him.

  “I’ve been curious about this,” Yoori began, looking between them. “How did you guys know that I was still alive?” Surely it wasn’t a telepathic thing that led them back to her.

  “We heard about what happened in the alley,” Anna answered. “Your signature move had always been broken beer bottles, and you had very specific methods in how you used them. Once we heard how one of those guys were killed, we knew it had to be you.”

  Yoori felt chills form at the reminder of what she did to those gang members in the alley. It didn’t take long for her mind to travel back to the incident at the nightclub. She had been tempted to ask him this entire time, and she didn’t think she could avoid it any longer.

  “Oppa,” she started hesitantly. She knew she shouldn’t tread on to this topic, but she couldn’t fight the urge. “You really can’t tell me what it was that Ju Won wanted?”

  “That’s enough,” Young Jae dismissed sternly. Any warmth from his demeanor depreciated. “I told you the other night that this is where it ends. I’m not telling you anymore.”

  Yoori turned to Anna. Hope surged in her eyes. “Do you know?”

  Young Jae’s jaw tightened dangerously. He did not give his wife the opportunity to reply. “Lil sis, stop it.”