Daon stood outside Minjeong's apartment, hands shoved deep into his pockets. His frustration was palpable, a gnawing anxiety that had been consuming him for the past two weeks. He had been keeping a close watch on her, ensuring Jeongjun didn't come anywhere near, but still, she refused to leave her apartment. Something had to be done.

His first instinct was to go straight to Jeongjun, confront him, and make it clear that if he came near Minjeong again, there would be consequences. His hands curled into fists at the thought of the man who'd terrorized Minjeong for so long, knowing that the court's leniency had only allowed the abuse to continue.

Daon stalked toward the bar where Jeongjun was likely to be. It wasn't hard to find him—Jeongjun had been spending more time than usual drinking his misery away. As Daon entered the dimly lit room, he saw the man sitting in a corner booth, casually flipping through his phone.

"Jeongjun," Daon's voice was a low growl. The words were clipped, controlled, but the tension in the air was enough to make anyone in the room feel it.

Jeongjun didn't even look up. "What now?" he asked, his tone dripping with boredom.

Daon's fists clenched tighter. He was trying to keep calm, but this man—this monster—had gone too far.

"You stay the hell away from Minjeong. I'm done with your games."

Jeongjun finally looked up, a lazy smile spreading across his face. "Oh? You think you can stop me?"

Daon took a step forward, voice dropping dangerously. "You lay another hand on her, and I will make you regret it."

Before Jeongjun could respond, a sharp voice interrupted them.

"You really should control your temper."

Daon froze, his head snapping toward the source of the voice. Standing by the door, arms crossed and face unreadable, was Aera. She wasn't just a stranger. There was something unsettling about the way she stood—something predatory. The air around her seemed to shift, an invisible weight pressing down on Daon as her eyes flicked toward Jeongjun.He didn't trust her. Not at all.

Aera's gaze never left Jeongjun as she spoke again, her words as sharp as a blade.

"This little exchange doesn't concern you, Jeongjun. You've already made your mark." Her lips curled slightly into a smile, but there was no warmth in it.

"But I suggest you finish what you started, before someone else does."

Jeongjun seemed taken aback, unsure whether to be annoyed or intrigued. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm someone who doesn't appreciate people like you causing problems," Aera replied, her tone icy.

"And you're in my way."

Daon watched, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. What was her deal? She was obviously not here to stop Jeongjun; she was here to let things escalate. But before he could ask her anything, Aera's gaze slid to him.

"You should leave him to me. He'll be dealt with."

Daon narrowed his eyes at her, every instinct telling him to get out of this room, to handle this in his own way.

"You think I'm going to stand back while you—"

"You don't have a choice," she interrupted smoothly, her voice dropping an octave.

"You'll be better off if you let things play out."

"Are you on his side?" Daon demanded, stepping closer, refusing to back down.

Aera's smirk deepened. "I'm on no one's side. But he's more useful alive for now."

She shifted her gaze back to Jeongjun, who looked like he was about to speak again, but Aera's stare was too intense for him to form any words. After a tense beat, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door.

Before Daon could stop her, she looked over her shoulder. "You've got bigger problems than this idiot."

With that, she left the bar, leaving Daon standing in stunned silence. His mind raced, trying to figure out what exactly she was doing here and what her real agenda was.

Bitna was growing impatient. She wanted this over with. The mirror she held in her hands glowed softly as she peered into it, watching Jeongjun make his purchase. The tools—heavy, sharp, and designed for violence—were exactly what she needed to see. He was preparing for the kill. Her lips curled into a smile.

Jeongjun was about to finish what he'd started.

With the flick of a wrist, Bitna's mirror vanished, and her focus shifted. There were too many distractions in the world, too many delays. She would have to act soon, and she had everything she needed to make sure Jeongjun would go through with his actions. She could already feel the bloodshed looming.

As expected, Daon arrived at Minjeong's apartment to find the scene far worse than he could have imagined. Police were swarming the area, yellow tape wrapped around the door. Inside, things were even worse.

The door slammed open, and Daon barged in, pushing past the officers to find Minjeong's lifeless form hanging by a thread. His heart stopped, the blood rushing from his face as he rushed to her side.

She was still breathing, but barely. He cut the rope in a panic, lowering her to the ground as the police scrambled around them. The room was a wreck—furniture overturned, windows smashed, a shattered watch in pieces on the floor.

Bitna, still standing outside, looked on with a faint smirk as Daon worked frantically to save Minjeong. The room was thick with the smell of violence and regret. This was the reality of Judge Kang's leniency. A cycle of justice, delayed and broken.

"You're too late," Bitna murmured under her breath.

"But then, you always will be."

"Stay here, Minjeong," Daon whispered, his voice trembling with frustration as he held her, the anger boiling in his veins. There was still time to make things right, and if it was the last thing he did, he would make sure that Jeongjun paid for everything he'd done.