The claim before the strom

*Chapter 6: The Calm Before the Storm*

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The dimly lit safe house felt strangely quiet in the hours after their narrow escape. The adrenaline from their heist was fading, leaving behind an uncomfortable calm. Vincenzo sat at the small desk, his eyes focused on the papers before him, though his mind was elsewhere. He had been up all night, reviewing the evidence they had collected against the Kang family. It was a goldmine—a trail of illegal transactions, corrupt dealings, and bribery that could bring the Kangs to their knees.

Ji-ae, on the other hand, paced restlessly in the corner of the room. The weight of their next move was heavy on her shoulders. She could feel the storm approaching, but it was difficult to say whether it would pass quietly or strike with unrelenting force.

"You know, I keep thinking about how this will end," Ji-ae said, breaking the silence.

Vincenzo didn’t immediately respond. He was used to the quiet—he had lived in silence for years. But Ji-ae’s words brought a familiar ache to his chest. *How will this end?*

He looked up, his gaze meeting hers. "It will end when the Kangs fall."

She raised an eyebrow, skepticism flashing in her eyes. "And you really think that’s going to happen? Just like that?"

Vincenzo smirked. "I don’t think. I *know*."

But Ji-ae could sense something more beneath his confident exterior. Vincenzo wasn’t just fighting for revenge. He was fighting for control. And that made the stakes even higher.

The phone on the table buzzed, snapping Vincenzo out of his thoughts. He glanced at Ji-ae before answering.

"Casano," he said, his voice low.

“Vincenzo, it's done. They’re making moves,” a voice on the other end of the line informed him. It was his informant. "The Kangs have begun liquidating their assets, and they’re transferring everything into offshore accounts. The money’s being moved fast. They're preparing to disappear."

Vincenzo’s jaw clenched. It wasn’t a surprise. The Kangs were cornered, and they knew they couldn’t outrun the storm, so they’d try to hide behind their wealth. But Vincenzo wasn’t going to let that happen.

"How soon?" Vincenzo asked, his tone sharp.

"They’ll be done within the next 24 hours. If you don’t act fast, they’ll be gone before you can even expose them."

Vincenzo looked at Ji-ae, who was now standing beside him, her face tense. He could tell she was already thinking the same thing.

"We need to move fast," Vincenzo said, hanging up the phone. He turned to Ji-ae. "Prepare everything we have on them. We’re going public with the evidence tonight."

Ji-ae nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "It’s time to make them pay."

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Later that evening, Vincenzo and Ji-ae stood outside a sleek, high-rise building in the heart of Seoul. The city was alive around them, unaware of the war that was about to spill into the streets. In his hand, Vincenzo held a small flash drive—proof of the Kang family’s crimes. Inside that device was enough evidence to ruin their empire.

“We expose them tonight. It’s the only way to stop them from disappearing,” Vincenzo said, his voice steady but fierce.

Ji-ae glanced at him, her heart racing. "And what about the Kangs? When they realize what we're doing..."

“They’ll come after us. They’ll send everything they have,” Vincenzo replied, his eyes hardening. “But we’re ready. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years.”

Ji-ae felt a chill in the air. The city around them was beautiful, but she knew that, tonight, it would be a battleground. They weren’t just exposing a crime—they were exposing a dynasty that had ruled with an iron fist.

“Let’s do it,” she said, her voice resolute.

With one last glance at each other, they moved into the building. As they entered the high-tech office, the building’s security systems were already being bypassed by Vincenzo’s team. The plan was simple: get to the servers, upload the evidence, and make it public.

But they weren’t the only ones with a plan. As Vincenzo and Ji-ae worked, the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway. They were being followed. The Kangs weren’t going to make this easy.

“Keep moving,” Vincenzo whispered as he led Ji-ae through the hallway. “We can’t stop now.”

They reached the server room, and Vincenzo plugged in the flash drive, beginning the process of uploading the files to every major media outlet in Seoul. The files would be impossible to ignore.

But just as the files began to transfer, the lights flickered. The unmistakable sound of gunfire echoed through the building. Ji-ae froze, her heart racing.

“They know we’re here,” Vincenzo muttered, already pulling out his weapon. “Stay close. We’re not done yet.”

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Outside, the city lights flickered as the storm they had been bracing for began to hit.

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*End of Chapter 6*

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