Rin lay awake long after the city had fallen silent, the glow of his phone screen the only light in his room. Kieran's last message flickered before him: They're isolating you professionally. But we can fight back.
The words echoed louder than any noise outside.
He stared at the ceiling, the weight of what Than was doing settling deeper into his chest. It wasn't just the rejection of his project proposals or the cold silences from his colleagues. It was the creeping sense that every door he tried to open was shutting just a little harder.
Morning came with no relief.
At the office, Rin moved like a shadow through empty conference rooms and vacant desks. His emails went unanswered. Calls that once ended with brief reassurances now cut off without explanation. Meetings where his voice was once heard now passed over him, a ghost in the room.
The project he had poured his passion into — a new initiative to innovate HanCorp's community outreach — was blocked before it could even be discussed. The official reason cited vague budget constraints and shifting priorities. The unofficial reason was written in the cold eyes of those who once nodded at his ideas.
Rin clenched his fists, biting back frustration and something else — a fear he refused to name.
At lunch, Kieran appeared at the café where they had made their fragile alliance.
"You look like hell," Kieran said, sliding into the booth opposite him without waiting for an invitation.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Rin muttered.
Kieran's gaze softened. "I wish I could do more than bring you bad news."
Rin folded the paper Kieran pushed toward him. It was an internal memo, marked confidential — a clear directive from the top: Minimize Rin Saetang's involvement in all major projects until further notice.
"Than's not playing fair," Rin said quietly. "He's trying to erase me."
"Erasing you won't solve his problems," Kieran said, voice low. "But it will keep him in control."
Rin looked up, eyes sharp with renewed determination. "Then we take the fight to him."
Kieran nodded. "Exactly. I've been digging. There are people inside HanCorp who don't agree with Than's methods. Some are scared, some are ambitious, but they're willing to talk."
Rin's pulse quickened. "Names?"
"Slowly," Kieran said. "We have to be careful. Than's watching."
The reminder hung in the air between them like a blade.
---
Meanwhile, Than's office was a fortress of glass and steel, the city skyline stretched beneath him like a kingdom to command. His expression was unreadable as he reviewed the latest reports.
Rin's isolation was progressing exactly as planned.
He tapped a quick message to his assistant: Increase surveillance on Rin. Every move. Every contact. Especially that journalist, Kieran Tae.
Than leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled thoughtfully.
He's fighting back, he mused. Good. It will make his eventual surrender all the sweeter.
But beneath the calm exterior, a flicker of something less controlled twisted in his chest—a mixture of frustration and something dangerously close to obsession.
---
Back at the café, Rin and Kieran moved beyond whispered plans into strategy. The lines between ally and confidant blurred as they shared late nights piecing together a puzzle of corruption, manipulation, and power.
Rin found himself opening up more than he intended — about Jun, about Than, about the cracks in his own resolve.
Kieran listened without judgment, offering quiet support and steady resolve.
"You're not alone in this," Kieran said one night as they pored over documents in the dim light. "I believe in you."
Rin's throat tightened. "Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against me."
"And sometimes," Kieran said softly, "you just need someone to stand with you in the dark."
A pause, heavy with unspoken meaning.
---
That night, Rin's phone buzzed with a new message—from Than.
"You can't hide forever. We both know where you belong."
The words hit like a slap.
Rin stared at the screen, anger and something else — a dangerous pull — warring inside him.
He typed back, fingers trembling but resolute:
"I'm not hiding. I'm fighting."
The reply never came.
---
Days passed with Rin walking a tightrope of professional sabotage and personal turmoil. Than's reach was everywhere, subtle but suffocating. But with Kieran's help, Rin began to see cracks in the armor surrounding his enemies.
He started to fight back—not with brute force, but with cunning and quiet resilience.
He refused to be erased.
He refused to disappear.
And somewhere deep inside, beneath the fear and the fight, a fragile hope began to grow.
---
To be continued