**Chapter 4: The Web of Deceit**

Their investigation led them down a dark path, one filled with deceit, lies, and betrayal. They discovered that Carlos's death wasn't a random hit - it was orchestrated by someone close to both families, someone they had trusted. The true mastermind behind the plot was Maria's own father, who had secretly been working with a rival mafia faction to eliminate anyone who threatened his power.

Taeyung and Maria confronted her father in a tense standoff, but her father had one final trick up his sleeve. He revealed that Taeyung's family had known about his plans all along and had allowed it to happen in exchange for power. Taeyung was left reeling, his world unraveling as the truth came to light.

Maria, heartbroken and betrayed by the very man she had once trusted, turned to Taeyung for solace. But in that moment, everything changed. Maria's loyalty to her family, to her bloodline, faltered. She saw the man she loved, a man torn between family and love, standing before her - someone who had just as much to lose.

---