THE STREET KING

1. The Aftermath of a Bullet

Blood soaked through Kim Do-yun's shirt as he lay motionless on the cold marble floor.

Tae-sung gritted his teeth, pressing his palm against his wounded shoulder. The gun in his other hand trembled slightly—not from pain, but from rage.

He had been betrayed.

By the one man he trusted the most.

The room reeked of gunpowder and blood. His guards were either dead or dying.

And now, his empire stood on the edge of collapse.

Tae-sung refused to fall.

Not tonight.

Not ever.

With a groan, he pushed himself up, staggering to his feet. He glared down at Do-yun, whose chest still rose and fell—barely.

He wasn't dead yet.

A shame.

Tae-sung raised his gun, ready to finish the job—

But then the doors burst open.

Jinwoo's men flooded in, their weapons raised.

Tae-sung had seconds to react.

He dived behind his desk as bullets tore through the room, shattering glass and splintering wood.

Pain screamed through his shoulder, but his mind remained sharp.

This was war.

And he would not lose.

---

2. A Deadly Pursuit

Jinwoo stepped over the bodies as he entered the blood-soaked room.

Tae-sung was gone.

But Do-yun—

He was still alive.

Jinwoo crouched beside him, his eyes cold.

"I gave you a choice," he murmured.

Do-yun coughed, blood bubbling at his lips. "I—"

Jinwoo's grip tightened on his gun.

He could kill Do-yun right now.

But something stopped him.

Was it pity?

No.

It was strategy.

Do-yun had already betrayed Tae-sung.

That meant he was no longer loyal to anyone.

And a man with nothing left to lose… was dangerous.

Jinwoo exhaled sharply.

"Take him," he ordered his men.

Seok frowned. "Are you sure—"

"Now."

Seok nodded and hoisted Do-yun's limp body over his shoulder.

Jinwoo turned, his eyes dark with unspoken plans.

Tae-sung might have escaped tonight.

But the war was far from over.

And the final battle was about to begin.

---

3. The Queen's Move

Hye-jin sat in her car, her fingers tapping the steering wheel.

Tae-sung's voice echoed in her mind.

"Kill Jinwoo."

The order had been given.

She was expected to obey.

And yet…

She hesitated.

Hye-jin had spent years in the shadows, playing both sides.

She had seen men like Tae-sung and Jinwoo rise and fall, consumed by their own arrogance.

But for the first time—

She didn't know which side she wanted to win.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number.

Meet me at the docks. Midnight. No weapons.

Hye-jin smirked.

She had a feeling she knew who it was.

And if she was right—

Tonight would be the night everything changed.

---

4. The Last Deal

Tae-sung limped through the darkened warehouse, his injured arm hanging limp at his side.

He was outnumbered.

Wounded.

Hunted.

And yet—

He wasn't finished.

Not yet.

A man waited for him at the center of the room.

His face was hidden in the shadows.

But Tae-sung knew him well.

A ghost from his past.

The man stepped forward, his voice like steel.

"You're bleeding."

Tae-sung smirked. "I've had worse."

The man's gaze was unreadable.

"You need my help."

It wasn't a question.

Tae-sung exhaled.

"I need an army."

A beat of silence.

Then—

The man smiled.

"Then let's talk business."

---

5. The Final War Begins

Jinwoo stood at the rooftop, staring down at the city.

Tae-sung had survived.

Hye-jin was missing.

And Do-yun—

Do-yun was still unconscious.

Nothing had gone according to plan.

And yet—

Jinwoo could feel it.

The war was reaching its final chapter.

One last move.

One final betrayal.

And when the dust settled—

Only one of them would still be standing.

Jinwoo's phone buzzed.

A message.

From Hye-jin.

Meet me. Alone.

Jinwoo exhaled.

This was it.

The beginning of the end.

He grabbed his gun and walked into the night.

Because tonight—

The Street King would be decided.

---

End of Chapter 22