The evening air was heavy with Seoul's neon glow when Choi Gangmi left Prosecutor Lee's residence. Her heels clicked against the pavement, sharp and deliberate, as if marking time with each step. A black sedan pulled up smoothly, and she slid into the backseat, her face half-lit by the city lights.
She dialed a secure line. The voice on the other side answered instantly.
Worker Contact: "Report."
Gangmi: "I met him. Daniel Park. He's no ordinary child. His control over Union and Cheongryong… it isn't luck. He has the presence of someone twice his age. His business empire already stretches across Korea and beyond. At twelve, he's wealthier and more feared than many men will ever be."
The voice on the line was calm, unreadable.
Worker Contact: "And his reaction to your warning?"
Gangmi's lips curled into a faint, ironic smile.
Gangmi: "He compared himself to a dragon. Said the opinion of sheep doesn't matter. That kind of arrogance… it's either genius or suicide."
Silence. Then a faint chuckle.
Worker Contact: "Interesting. Keep your eyes on him. If he grows unchecked, he'll become a variable in the balance of power. Workers don't like variables."
The call ended. Gangmi leaned back against the seat as the car rolled toward Gangnam, where the Workers' headquarters pulsed like the heart of a shadow empire.
But as the neon signs streaked past her window, her thoughts turned inward.
He's dangerous, yes. But there's something different about him. The way he looks at the world—calm, ruthless, yet strangely human. Is he a boy playing at being king? Or a king trapped in a boy's body?
For the first time in years, Gangmi felt uncertainty creep into her chest.
---
The next day, in Gwangseong City, Daniel Park walked through the glass doors of an upscale Gucci boutique, his mother at his side. The staff recognized him immediately—how could they not? The youngest billionaire in Korea, a boy with the presence of an emperor.
"Danny," his mother said with a warm smile, holding up a black Prada blazer against him, "this would look so handsome on you."
Daniel chuckled softly. "Mom, I think you'll end up with more bags than me."
She laughed, her arms already filled with Louis Vuitton, H&M, and Chanel shopping bags. To the world, she was simply a woman enjoying her son's success. She didn't know about Union, about Cheongryong, about the wars Daniel fought in shadows. To her, he was still the boy she raised—the son who wanted nothing more than to see her smile.
Later, they sat in a quiet cafè terrace, sipping coffee and hot chocolate. Daniel leaned back, his posture calm, his aura of dominance set aside. Here, he wasn't a leader or a billionaire. He was just her son.
His mother reached across the table, brushing his hair like she had when he was younger. "Danny… you're working so hard. Don't forget to live too. Money is good, but moments like this—family—is what lasts."
Daniel smiled faintly, his eyes softer than they ever were in boardrooms or back alleys.
"Don't worry, Mom. As long as I'm here, you'll always live like a queen."
She chuckled, her eyes glistening. "Then that makes you my little king, doesn't it?"
Daniel didn't answer. He only smiled, but deep within, the dragon stirred. A king indeed—but not so little anymore.
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✨ End of Chapter 66 ✨