The Manipulated Villainess

"Prime Minister." Nicole could barely utter the title as she was too shocked to see Peter Jung. Just what was he doing here?! Did he... perhaps... wanted to destroy her stepmother too?! Was he here to join hands with them?

"You must be shocked, Chairwoman. The Prime Minister is on our side and he will help us in carrying out our plans." Colin Park said and Nicole took a seat beside him.

"We didn't see each other as often as before. I think you have become more beautiful." Peter Jung said to the Chairwoman.

Nicole thought of what Aston said to her and she tightly clenched her fist in secret. She felt so disgusted by Peter Jung's seemingly innocent smile! However, she tried her best to hide her displeasure and forced a smile. She must dig deeper into the two's men relationship. "Thank you, Prime Minister. I wasn't expecting you but it's great to have you here."

"I can't just sit still and watch your stepmother anymore. I'm glad that you finally decided to stand against her. You've suffered enough." Peter Jung looked at her as if he pitied her and Nicole really hated that. She could barely sit still!

"I know, but I never expect you two to work together. How did this happen?" Nicole asked.

"I asked the Prime Minister for help after your engagement was broken. He suffered quite a loss due to that incident and he didn't want your stepmother to climb higher than now. That's why he is willing to help me. Now that you join us, everything will become easier." Colin Park answered her. From her observation, Nicole noticed how excited he was! He should be. He was waiting for this many years!

"I see. I'm glad that I'm not the only one wishing to take down my stepmother. It turns out that she has many enemies." Nicole remarked, glancing at the two men.

"It's not just us," Peter Jung said. "She has many enemies in the political circle too. But are you sure that she won't be suspicious of you? This is a very risky move." 

"Don't worry. I will be careful and endure just a while more for the sake of lifetime freedom. She won't know anything about this." Nicole assured the two men. She wanted them to trust her completely first. Only then her plan will succeed.

"Rest assured, Prime Minister," Colin Park spoke up, briefly eyeing Nicole. "Right now, the Minister of Justice trust the Chairwoman even more than she trusts me. She won't even have suspicions."

Peter Jung nodded in agreement. He knew Garcia Han well and though the latter always act tough, he long knew that her weakness was her stepdaughter who was sitting opposite him. He imagined Garcia Han finding out about this cooperation. She will surely be broken-hearted and... he can't wait to see it! He was too eager to pay her back for the way she treated him all those years!

"We have a plan in mind, Chairwoman." Colin Park said to Nicole and the latter was all ears. "We thought that the best way to attack Garcia Han is to destroy her reputation first. Then we can let her be arrested after that."

"Reputation?" Nicole asked. What did they try to reveal?

"Yes, we plan to reveal everything about her." Colin Park replied.

Nicole realized that according to Colin Park, she still didn't know anything about her stepmother's past. So, she decided to put on another act. "You mean, how she treated me all these years?"

Colin Park eyed the Prime Minister and the latter slightly nodded once. Nicole didn't fail to notice this but she feigned ignorance. Was Colin Park seeking permission? Why? Could it be... Peter Jung already knew everything about her stepmother?!

"That's one of the things we tried to reveal but there is more." Colin Park said and take out a file from his office bag. "When I decided to stand against Garcia Han a few months ago, I investigate her hoping that I could know at least one weakness of hers. I find out some shocking truth. I also inform the Prime Minister several days ago." He said and handed the file to Nicole.

Nicole knew what the file would contain. Nevertheless, she took it, faking a dumbfounded expression. Then she opened the file. Just as expected, it contained everything about Garcia Han's past and her life as Mira Kim. Everything. She read and then turned to Colin Park who was sitting beside her. "What are all these?" She asked, still putting on an act.

"That's your stepmother's past and her name is Mira Kim. She approached your father to avenge her brother." Colin Park said while Peter Jung observed her the whole time. Nicole knew that this two-faced Prime Minister had a penetrating just like her stepmother, so she tried her best to put on a convincing act.

"It's shocking, right? I was also surprised when I heard it from Director Park." Peter Jung said to her. "I think I finally understand why she is always so cruel to you despite raising you."

"Your father is innocent, Chairwoman. I was working for him at that time and he never ordered such a thing. He is not responsible for the death of Jonathan Kim. Mira Kim was also told many times but... she refused to believe it and plot such a big revenge mission." Colin Park added while she was just staring at the file with a seemingly stupefied face.

If this was true and not just an act, Nicole thought. If this was her first time knowing about her stepmother's past, she will surely fell into the trap of these two greedy men! She was too lucky for finding out the truth on time.

"Is this really true? I can't believe it." She finally muttered after more than a minute of silence.

"Unfortunately, yes. Everything is true, Chairwoman." Colin Park said. His voice screamed of pity for the young Chairwoman yet his face says otherwise. Nicole didn't look at him but he glanced at her as if she was his prey which he couldn't wait to devour! It's not just him. Peter Jung also looked at her with a victorious smile. Maybe she finally fell to their trap!

"Did she also kill my father?" Nicole asked in a low voice. She puts down the file and finally glanced at the two men. Her eyes hinted pain which Peter Jung didn't fail to notice.

Colin Park rubbed his temples and remained quiet for a while as if he felt reluctant to give her an answer. Then he finally said, "There is no proof but... that's highly possible."

Nicole put her hand on the table and clenched it for the two men to see. "I won't forgive her." She grunted.

"Don't worry, Chairwoman. We will work together and end her for good. She will pay for everything that she did." Colin Park quickly said, hoping to add fuel to the fire yet Nicole saw through him.

'You two will be the one paying for your crimes,' She thought and clenched her fist even tighter. For her father and Aston's father, she won't stop until she ends them!

"What do you want me to do?" She asked which made Peter Jung's lips curved into a smile.

"We plan to expose all her past and the way she treated you until now. You just have to admit to the media when that time comes." The Prime Minister said. "I know it will need a lot of courage but trust me. You will be safe from her and she will be the one who is gone." He thought of the time when Nicole denied the news that said her stepmother arranged her engagement to Leon. If she denied again, it will be hard for their plan to succeed. That's why they needed her.

"After a while, we will meet a reporter together. As long as you guarantee to the reporter, her fate will be set in stone. Then you can file a case against her." Colin Park added.

Meeting a reporter together? An idea crossed Nicole's mind and she said, "I'm okay with that but... give me a week or two. I have to get prepared, mostly collecting evidence to prove her actions towards me."

"That's a great idea." Peter Jung promptly remarked. "We have to make sure that she is down in one blow. Or else, she might come after us. So, the more evidence, the better it is for us."

"You're right. She is not one to be underestimated." Nicole said, trying to make the two men more convinced that she was trusting them. However, how to make their plan backfire was the real one that occupied her mind but one thing still bothered her. How deep was their cooperation? She doubted that it was a newly formed one.

"I understand." Colin Park spoke up. "However, she's not the only one we should aim for. She has a powerful aid and if we don't bring him down too, he will turn our plan to ashes."

A powerful aid? Nicole had an idea of who it was. These two truly had no limits.

"Carson Jun, the Chairman of JK Group." Colin Park continued and it was just like Nicole thought. "He is the real deal. He is the one who aids Garcia Han since the beginning and also her longtime lover."