Chapter 4 Unbreakable walls

It had been weeks since Jisoo started working for Jennie, but the tension between them hadn't eased one bit. In fact, it seemed to grow with each passing day. Every interaction was a battle, every glance a challenge. Jennie had a way of making Jisoo feel like she was constantly on the edge, and Jisoo, despite her best efforts to remain professional, was starting to lose her grip.

Jennie was insufferable. Every day she found new ways to test Jisoo's patience. She would order Jisoo around like she was nothing more than a servant. She would throw icy remarks her way, knowing full well how much they grated on her nerves. And every time Jisoo did her job-whether it was neutralizing a threat or ensuring Jennie's safety-Jennie would dismiss her efforts with a wave of the hand, like she hadn't just saved her life.

Today was no different.

Jisoo was standing outside Jennie's office, arms crossed, waiting for her to finish her meeting with yet another powerful associate. The door opened, and the man who had been inside with Jennie stepped out, his face pale and tense. He didn't even glance at Jisoo as he hurried down the hallway. Whatever had happened in that meeting clearly hadn't gone well.

Jisoo stepped inside the office, her expression unreadable. Jennie sat behind her desk, looking completely unfazed, her eyes scanning through some documents. The tension in the room was thick, but Jennie seemed completely at ease.

"Is everything secure?" Jennie asked without looking up.

"Everything's fine," Jisoo replied curtly. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't meet with these people alone. It's risky."

Jennie's eyes finally lifted to meet Jisoo's, her gaze cold. "I don't need your advice."

Jisoo clenched her jaw. She was getting tired of this. "I'm not giving advice. I'm telling you what's best for your safety."

Jennie leaned back in her chair, a small, mocking smile playing on her lips. "You think you know what's best for me? That's cute."

Jisoo's fists tightened at her sides. She had dealt with difficult clients before, but Jennie was on a whole different level. She was infuriating, arrogant, and completely dismissive of the dangers surrounding her. But what bothered Jisoo the most was the fact that, despite Jennie's cold exterior, there was something about her that Jisoo couldn't quite shake.

"I know my job," Jisoo said, her voice low. "And I'm good at it. But if you keep acting like you're invincible, you're going to get yourself killed."

Jennie raised an eyebrow, her smile fading. "Is that a threat?"

"No," Jisoo snapped, "it's reality. The people you're dealing with-they don't care how powerful you are. They'll come for you. And when they do, you won't be able to talk your way out of it."

Jennie's expression darkened, but instead of responding, she stood up and walked around the desk, slowly closing the distance between them. Her heels clicked against the floor, each step deliberate, calculated. When she was only inches away, she stopped, looking up at Jisoo with a cold, unreadable gaze.

"You think I don't know that?" Jennie's voice was soft but laced with ice. "You think I don't know the risks? I've been running this empire long before you came along. I don't need some bodyguard telling me how to do my job."

Jisoo met her gaze, refusing to back down. "Then stop acting like I'm here for decoration. I'm trying to protect you."

Jennie's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Protect me? From what? Myself?"

Jisoo could feel the heat rising in her chest, her frustration boiling over. "From people who want to kill you! This isn't a game, Jennie. Your life is on the line, and you're treating it like a joke."

For a moment, they stood there, staring each other down, the tension between them crackling like electricity. Jisoo's heart was pounding, her body rigid with anger. But Jennie-Jennie just looked at her with those cold, calculating eyes, as if she was assessing every single weakness Jisoo had.

Then, without warning, Jennie turned and walked back to her desk, dismissing Jisoo with a wave of her hand. "If you're done lecturing me, you can leave."

Jisoo didn't move. "This isn't over."

Jennie didn't look up. "It is for me."

Jisoo's hands were trembling as she stormed out of the office, her head buzzing with frustration. How could someone be so infuriating? Jennie didn't seem to care about anything-not her safety, not the danger surrounding her. All she cared about was keeping her icy facade intact, as if letting anyone in would destroy her.

Jisoo paced the hallway outside the office, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to lose control, not in front of Jennie. But the woman was driving her insane. Every day it was a new challenge, a new way to undermine Jisoo's authority.

But as much as she hated to admit it, Jennie was starting to get under her skin in more ways than one.

---

Later that evening, Jisoo was in the security room, going over the footage from earlier in the day. She liked to review everything, make sure there were no gaps in their defense. Jennie might not appreciate her efforts, but Jisoo took her job seriously. She had to. Jennie's life depended on it, even if Jennie didn't care.

The door behind her opened, and Jisoo tensed, expecting another one of Jennie's barbs. But when she turned around, it wasn't Jennie. It was one of Jennie's lieutenants, a tall man with a scar across his face who went by the name of Kai.

"We need to talk," Kai said, his voice gruff.

Jisoo narrowed her eyes. She didn't trust Kai. There was something about him that felt off, like he was hiding something. But she wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now. "I'm busy."

Kai stepped further into the room, his expression dark. "This is important."

Jisoo sighed, leaning back in her chair. "What is it?"

Kai glanced at the monitors before locking eyes with Jisoo. "You need to be careful around Jennie."

Jisoo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Kai crossed his arms, his eyes hard. "She's not someone you can trust. She'll chew you up and spit you out without a second thought. If you're smart, you'll keep your distance."

Jisoo raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kai's jaw tightened. "Because I've seen what happens to people who get too close to her. She uses them. And when they're no longer useful, she discards them."

Jisoo stared at him for a moment, her mind racing. She didn't trust Kai, but what he was saying hit a little too close to home. Was that what Jennie was doing to her? Testing her limits, pushing her until she broke?

"I can handle Jennie," Jisoo said, her voice steady.

Kai shook his head. "No one can handle Jennie."