Crave You Forever
Chapter 89: It was all for nothing

Chapter 89: It was all for nothing

The men surrounded them, pulling them to their feet and quickly tending to their wounds, securing the area as they prepared to extract them. Despite their injuries and exhaustion, a hard-won sense of accomplishment hung heavy in the air—the mission was a success. The intel was secured, and the network had taken a hit they wouldn’t easily recover from. But the toll had been high, with both Yeongsoo and Sean bearing fresh scars from the brutal encounter.

As one of the medics wrapped Yeongsoo’s shoulder, he clenched his jaw, the pain a mere fraction of what he’d have to face when he returned to Haeun. He’d kept his promise to complete the mission—but at what cost? Bruised, battered, and bleeding, he could only imagine Haeun’s reaction.

Sean, seated a few feet away, winced as a medic stitched a gash across his eyebrow. Catching the troubled look on Yeongsoo’s face, he managed a grim smile. "Still worried about what to tell him?"

Yeongsoo exhaled, glancing over, his jaw set. "I told him I’d be back soon. Just a quick job. Now I look like I went to war and back." He wiped a streak of blood from his jaw, still struggling to compose himself.

"Hey, you did come back," Sean replied, his tone firm despite his own pain. "You took down one of the worst players in the game. I’d say that counts for something."

"It’s not just about the mission, Sean." Yeongsoo shook his head. "It’s Haeun. He deserves someone who keeps their promises. Who doesn’t put him through this."

Sean’s gaze softened as he considered him. "I know it’s hard. But look—what you’re doing is protecting him, even if it’s from the shadows. He’ll understand that."

The medic helping Yeongsoo paused, stepping back to give him a quick look-over. "You’re all set, Boss. We’ve got a jet ready for immediate departure; let’s get you both out of here."

Yeongsoo nodded, steeling himself. He knew that each hour away would only make things harder with Haeun. Despite everything, he had to get back and explain—face the look in Haeun’s eyes, the worry and fear he knew he’d see there.

As they were escorted to the waiting jet, Sean clapped a hand on Yeongsoo’s shoulder. "Look, just remember, he’s been through a lot, but he chose you, knowing who you are."

Yeongsoo managed a faint smile as he looked down at his gloved hands, the blood and dust still fresh on his skin. "Then I hope I’m still someone he wants to be with... battle scars and all."

As the jet ascended, the cabin lights dimmed, casting a low glow over the blood-stained seats and the weary figures of Yeongsoo and Sean. The silence between them was thick, each of them lost in thought. Their bodies bore the bruises and cuts of the mission, but the adrenaline hadn’t entirely left them. Rest was still out of reach.

Sean finally broke the silence, pulling a small, metallic case from his bag—the intel they’d risked their lives for. "We should see what we fought so hard to get," he murmured, flipping open the case.

Yeongsoo leaned forward, his expression taut as Sean extracted a secure data drive and inserted it into the portable reader on the table between them. As the drive booted up, they both watched, waiting for the files to load. Seconds stretched into moments, the anticipation simmering.

Then, a screen blinked to life, and a message appeared:

"Thank you for the entertainment. I almost thought you’d figure it out. Almost."

The mocking words sank in like knives, each letter dripping with sarcasm. Then, the screen flashed once more, and they watched in horror as the drive self-erased, leaving nothing but an error message.

"Are you kidding me?" Sean hissed, punching the armrest beside him. His face twisted in frustration. "We were played. All this... for nothing."

Yeongsoo’s fists clenched, his knuckles turning white beneath his gloves. His mind was a storm of anger and disbelief. They’d been ambushed, injured, and had endured the worst of the mission—and for what? A decoy. They had led them into a trap, knowing exactly how to bait them.

"Damn it," Yeongsoo muttered, his voice laced with fury. "He wanted us off his trail. Knew if he gave us a taste, we’d chase him down to hell and back."

Sean shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the mocking message that blinked on the now-useless screen. "He must’ve been watching us the whole time. Probably laughing while we tore his place apart."

Yeongsoo’s chest tightened as he thought of Haeun waiting at home, clueless about the hell he’d just gone through—all for an empty lead. It made him seethe. He’d wanted to return to home with some sense of closure, with the promise that the threats against them were weakening. But instead, he’d be returning with nothing but a tale of failure and wounds to show for it.

"This isn’t over," he growled, more to himself than to Sean. "He’s still out there, and this game he’s playing—"

"We’ll end it," Sean interjected, his voice steely, eyes blazing with the same intensity. "But we’ll do it on our terms. He won’t see it coming next time."

Yeongsoo nodded, his jaw tight. He knew this failure would eat at him, would shadow every moment until he got his hands on that person and end this for good.

Finally, Sean broke the silence, his voice a low growl. "We’ve underestimated him for the last time. Whatever resources he’s got, whoever’s helping him—we’re going to find them and rip his network apart, piece by piece."

Yeongsoo nodded, his face set like stone. "We need to rebuild our intel from the ground up. No more third parties, no more leads we can’t verify ourselves."

"...."

"Fucking dislocated shoulder and broken ribs for nothing, if those hostages haven’t died I would have been worth it..."

How annoying.

Sean didn’t say anything anymore, his injuries hurt so badly he couldn’t even be angry.