Alpha Culinary Love

I leaned back in my chair, letting my eyes drift over the blueprints of the new branch. My fingers traced the outlines of the plans absently as my mind worked through the puzzle before me. It was time to dig deeper. Someone close to the project was betraying me, and I had a strong suspicion that the rot ran deeper than I initially thought.

I thought back to the workers at the site, replaying each interaction, each word exchanged. One person stood out in particular—one of the contractors. A man named Park Joon. He\'d always seemed a bit too jittery around me, too eager to please yet hesitant at the same time. It was like he was hiding something. And after what I\'d seen yesterday, I was almost certain he was involved.

"Park Joon…" I muttered under my breath, his name rolling off my tongue like a curse. "Let\'s see what you\'re up to."

I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed the number of one of my most trusted employees, Kim Seok-jin, who\'d been overseeing some of the deliveries. The phone rang twice before he picked up, his voice gruff with the remnants of sleep.

"Morning, Seok-jin. I need a favor," I said, not bothering with pleasantries. There was no time for that now.

"Of course, Ms. Jiyeon. What can I do for you?" he responded, his tone instantly alert.

"I need you to look into a man named Park Joon. He\'s a contractor on the new site. I want to know everything—his work history, any recent contacts, financials, anything that looks suspicious."

"Consider it done. I\'ll get back to you as soon as I have something," he replied without hesitation.

"Good. And Seok-jin? Be discreet. I don\'t want him knowing we\'re onto him."

"Understood."

I hung up the phone and exhaled slowly, feeling the familiar burn of determination in my chest. If Park Joon was the one screwing with my project, then I would make sure he knew exactly who he was dealing with.

A few hours later, I was pacing the length of my office, my patience thinning with every passing minute. Finally, my phone buzzed on the desk, and I snatched it up, seeing Seok-jin\'s name on the screen.

"Tell me what you\'ve got," I demanded, my voice sharp.

"Park Joon has been in contact with someone—a rival restaurant owner, Choi Min-seok. They\'ve exchanged several calls and texts over the past few weeks, mostly during off-hours. And it gets worse. I managed to pull some records. It looks like Min-seok has been paying Park Joon under the table. The amounts aren\'t huge, but it\'s enough to raise red flags."

Rage flared up inside me like a wildfire. "That fucking bastard," I spat. "Min-seok\'s been trying to undermine me from the start, and now he\'s paying off my contractor to do his dirty work?"

"It looks that way. I can\'t say for sure what Park Joon\'s been doing in exchange for the money, but given everything that\'s been happening at the site… I\'d say it\'s pretty clear."

"Thanks, Seok-jin. Keep this between us for now. I\'m going to handle Park Joon myself."

I ended the call and slammed the phone down, my hands trembling with a mix of anger and adrenaline. Choi Min-seok had been a thorn in my side ever since I opened my first restaurant. He was an arrogant prick who couldn\'t stand the idea of someone else succeeding in his territory. And now, he\'d crossed a line by trying to sabotage my new branch.

"Well, Min-seok, you picked the wrong person to mess with," I muttered, grabbing my coat and heading out the door. I had a contractor to confront.

The drive to the site felt like a blur. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one darker than the last. By the time I arrived, the morning sun had climbed higher in the sky, casting harsh shadows across the construction site. The workers were busy with their tasks, but I barely noticed them. My focus was on one person—Park Joon.

I spotted him near the back of the site, going over some plans with another worker. My blood boiled as I watched him, his every move now tinged with suspicion. I marched over, my footsteps heavy on the gravel. .net

"Park Joon," I called out, my voice cutting through the noise like a blade.

He looked up, his face paling when he saw the expression on mine. "Ms. Jiyeon," he stammered, taking a step back as I approached. "Is something wrong?"

"Don\'t play dumb with me," I snapped, my tone venomous. "I know what you\'ve been doing."

"I-I don\'t know what you\'re talking about," he stuttered, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him.

"Bullshit," I hissed, grabbing his collar and yanking him closer. "You\'ve been in contact with Choi Min-seok, haven\'t you? You\'ve been taking his money to sabotage my project. Don\'t bother denying it—I have the proof."

His eyes widened in panic, and for a moment, I thought he might try to run. But he was trapped, and he knew it. "I-I had no choice," he blurted out, his voice shaking. "Min-seok… he threatened me. He said he\'d ruin me if I didn\'t help him."

"And you thought betraying me was a better option?" I growled, shoving him back. "Do you have any idea who you\'re dealing with?"

"I\'m sorry, Ms. Jiyeon," he pleaded, his hands shaking. "I didn\'t want to do it, but Min-seok… he\'s powerful. He has connections. I\'m just a contractor—I didn\'t think you\'d find out."

"Wrong answer," I snapped. "You should have come to me the moment he approached you. But instead, you chose to stab me in the back. Do you have any idea what I\'m capable of when I\'m angry?"

He paled even further, his eyes wide with fear. "Please, I\'ll do anything to make it right. I\'ll fix everything, I swear."

I glared at him, my blood boiling. Part of me wanted to tear him apart right there and then. But another part of me knew that he was just a pawn in a much bigger game. The real enemy was Min-seok, and I needed to focus on taking him down.

"You\'re going to tell me everything," I ordered, my voice cold. "Every detail, every conversation you had with Min-seok. I want to know exactly what he\'s planning."

Park Joon nodded frantically, clearly terrified of what I might do if he refused. "Okay, okay. I\'ll tell you everything. Just… please don\'t ruin me. I have a family—kids."

"Start talking," I said, crossing my arms as I stared him down.

Over the next few minutes, Park Joon spilled everything. He told me about the first time Min-seok approached him, offering money in exchange for small acts of sabotage. At first, it was minor things—delaying shipments, misplacing tools, ordering the wrong materials. But as time went on, Min-seok\'s demands grew more aggressive. He wanted the project to fail, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.

"He said if I didn\'t help him, he\'d destroy my business," Park Joon explained, his voice trembling. "He has friends in high places, people who could ruin me with a single phone call. I didn\'t know what else to do."

I listened to his confession, my anger simmering just below the surface. Min-seok was playing a dangerous game, and he\'d dragged Park Joon into it. But now that I knew what was going on, I had the upper hand. And I was going to make sure Min-seok paid for every dirty trick he\'d pulled.

"You\'re going to fix the mess you\'ve made," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "You\'re going to undo every bit of damage you\'ve done to this project. And when I\'m done with Min-seok, you\'re going to testify against him. Understand?"

Park Joon nodded, his face ashen. "Yes, Ms. Jiyeon. Whatever you need."

"Good," I said, turning to leave. "You better pray that Min-seok doesn\'t find out you\'ve turned on him. Because if he does, you\'ll have more to worry about than just your business."

As I walked away, I felt a strange mix of emotions—anger, satisfaction, and a hint of fear. I\'d uncovered the truth, but the fight was far from over. Min-seok was a powerful enemy, and I knew he wouldn\'t back down easily. But I wasn\'t going to let him win. Not now, not ever.

Back in my office, I collapsed into my chair, the

weight of the day\'s revelations settling on my shoulders. I had the information I needed, but the battle was only just beginning. Min-seok had made his move, and now it was my turn.

But one thing was clear—I couldn\'t do this alone. I needed help, and there was only one person I trusted to stand by my side in this fight.

I picked up my phone and dialed Yura\'s number, my heart pounding as I waited for her to answer.