The first time I sensed something was off was the night his new club opened.

A slender young boy was sitting on his lap. After half a glass of wine, the boy’s fair face gradually turned red, delicate like a dew-covered flower bud. His eyes were glazed as he clung to Wen Yingjue, asking for a kiss.

Wen Yingjue smiled, grabbed the back of the boy’s neck, and kissed him deeply.

Like the other guys, I stood quietly in the dark corner, blending into the background.

But suddenly, Wen Yingjue opened his eyes.

Even though he was still kissing the boy, there wasn’t a hint of passion in his eyes.

Those eyes squinted slightly, and the look he gave me was filled with unmistakable aggression and possessiveness, like a predator watching its prey, slowly baring its fangs.

I shifted my position, trying to test the waters.

Yet his gaze stayed fixed on me.

I stopped moving, continuing to stand there expressionless, but my palms were already soaked in cold sweat.

I realized—

I might be the prey.

---

To be honest, I had been mentally preparing myself for a long time.

I even thought about what I would do if Wen Yingjue forced himself on me.

But instead of that, something else happened.

Wen family’s shipment from the sea was arriving.

This shipment was crucial to the Wen family; it was tied to several of Wen Qingshan’s major domestic operations.

It was also important to our plan.

Because whoever took over this shipment had to stay within the country for at least a year.

At that time, my task was to gather information and act accordingly.

Originally, Wen Qingshan had assigned Wen Yingjue to handle it, but Wen Ye also wanted the job.

Surprisingly, Wen Yingjue voluntarily offered to give up the shipment and route.

I guessed that he was probably setting a trap, planning to take down Wen Ye later.

Either that, or he was using Wen Ye as a scapegoat.

That way, when Wen Qingshan tried to use one of his sons as a sacrificial pawn before fleeing, it wouldn’t be so easy.

There was actually another possibility, but it was so absurd that I didn’t consider it at the time.

Wen Yingjue’s plan was for me to pretend to betray him.

He had me make contact with our rivals, deliberately letting Wen Ye discover it.

Wen Ye really couldn’t outsmart his big brother.

Everything that happened afterward went exactly according to Wen Yingjue’s plan.

Except for one surprise.

Wen Yingjue lost his memory.

---

After losing his memory, Wen Yingjue misunderstood our relationship.

But it was also an opportunity to take a big gamble.

Time was precious, and I couldn’t remain a lackey forever.

The moment he embraced me from behind, I made a decision.

I went along with the misunderstanding and let everything unfold.

From that decision onward, I watched myself rot away, inch by inch, with complete clarity.

But what choice did I have?

There was no turning back.

---

The sky outside had already turned pale with dawn.

Wen Yingjue sat on the sofa by the window, smoking a cigarette. He was shirtless, his muscular body covered in tattoos that spread from his chest to his lower back. Beneath the tattoos were old scars crisscrossing his skin.

I reached out my hand, tracing the end of the tattoos, inch by inch, until I touched his heart.

The skin there was smooth and unmarked.

Then, he grabbed my hand.

I wanted to meet his gaze, but he exhaled a puff of smoke, hiding his face behind the gray mist.

I softly asked him:

“Brother, what is our relationship now?”

He continued smoking without answering, but he faced me the whole time, as if staring at me through the haze.

It gave me the illusion that he was someone I had known for a long time.

Suddenly, he responded to my question.

“It’s whatever relationship you want it to be.”

Just as he said that, the smoke cleared.

But he turned his head away and stopped looking at me.

---

With this new dynamic between us, life became much easier.

Although Wen Yingjue never said it out loud, he became more indulgent toward me.

I gained access to more and more information, and I was able to pass it along more frequently.

Even though it was a dangerous game, everything was going surprisingly smoothly.

Too smoothly, in fact, that it sent chills down my spine.

I had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.

And sure enough, it did.

---

The reason Wen Qingshan still dared to stay within the country was that the police hadn’t yet obtained the key evidence to completely take down the Wen family, their protectors, and their entire business chain.

The old fox was certainly cunning.

But his son wasn’t as capable.

This time, it was Wen Ye who caused the trouble.

Wen Ye was too greedy, but he wasn’t careful in his dealings.

This time, someone finally caught him slipping.

Wen Qingshan was ruthless, even toward his own son.

Wen Ye was beaten so badly he was barely recognizable, covered in blood as he crawled to Wen Qingshan’s feet, begging for his life, knocking his head on the ground.

He said there was an undercover cop among them, and he would hand over the cop’s life in exchange for his own.

“There are two rats hiding in the Wen family—”

He paused to take a harsh breath, then suddenly turned his bloodied face toward Wen Yingjue and me.

Spitting out blood, Wen Ye continued:

“One of them—

is right by my brother’s side.”

---

How many undercover agents had infiltrated the Wen family? I didn’t even know.

The identity of an undercover agent was highly confidential.

After all, one slip could topple the whole operation. We only communicated with our direct superiors.

I wasn’t sure if I had been exposed, but running at this point would only be more suspicious.

First, the Wen family was watching too closely; escaping wasn’t feasible.

Second, fleeing would confirm my guilt.

I could only take a gamble.

Luckily, I had already sent out important information earlier.

Even if I got caught… it wouldn’t be a total loss.

---

It wasn’t long before the Wen family caught two people.

One of them was Wen Yingjue’s driver.

By the time Wen Qingshan summoned me, they had both been tortured.

He beckoned me to his side.

I had no choice but to walk toward him, stepping through the blood-stained floor.