Nari's voice sharpened with suspicion, her brows furrowing as she locked eyes with Minho. "Why do you need it? How do you know about our project?"

Minho's response was unexpected. Leaning in, he pressed a hand over her mouth with a teasing grin. "I can't hear you!" he quipped, his tone betraying a maddening casualness.

She groaned, swatting his hand away before jabbing a light punch into his stomach. "Cut it out! Fine, I'll give it to you," she said, her tone mocking his insistence. "But heads up—it's incomplete, genius."

His lips curled into a confident smirk, an almost predatory gleam in his eyes. "That's fine. I know how to finish it."

He extended his hand, his fingers splayed in silent demand. Nari cocked her head, one eyebrow raised as she stepped back. With a cheeky smirk, she smacked him lightly across the head. "Are you for real? The project's in the lab. I'll hand it over when I've found my family."

Her words seemed to pierce through his composed demeanor. For the first time, hesitation flickered across Minho's face. "And how do I know I can trust you?" he asked, his voice quieter but no less intense.

Tossing her head over her shoulder, she called back, "I don't do fake promises, sweetheart."

He remained rooted, watching as her figure disappeared into the haze of the city night. Her unwavering confidence stirred something in him—an intrigue laced with caution. Was she an ally or yet another player in this dangerous game?

Fate, it seemed, was playing tricks on them. 

Nari and Minho arrived at the restaurant, only to be greeted by destruction. The front door hung ajar, the glass shattered into a glittering mess on the ground. Inside, tables and chairs were overturned, as if the place had been abandoned in a panic.

"They were here," Minho murmured, his eyes scanning the wreckage. His voice was low, tense, a confirmation of the danger closing in on them.

Nari stepped over the shards cautiously, her heart sinking. This was more than a simple lead gone cold—this place had been vital.

Back in America, the sprawling headquarters of the Korean International Lab buzzed with the tense energy of secrecy. In a glass-walled office, the head scientist clutched his phone, his knuckles white against the receiver.

"Nari is searching for her family. What should we do?" he asked, his voice trembling as he sought guidance from the CEO.

The voice on the other end was cold, devoid of hesitation. "If she uncovers the truth, our plans will be exposed. End her. Now."

"But—" the head hesitated, the weight of their predicament pressing on him. "The time travel project isn't complete. She's the only one who understands the mechanics."

A sharp intake of breath followed on the line. "We've invested too much in this operation for failure. Nari must finish the project. Once it's done, she becomes expendable."