This is not another story about a mafia king falling for y/n, a nobody. Not a poor, pathetic, powerless girl written to be saved. Not a clumsy romance wrapped in gunfire.
No. This story knows exactly what it is.
The Elysande Group sounds gentle, almost laughable. That is deliberate. A name that invites assumptions and discourages questions. Behind it stands the most elusive criminal syndicate Asia has ever produced. Ruthless men. Strategic minds. Ghosts in tailored suits. Never arrested. Never traced. Feared globally.
They exist by six rules only.
No loyalty above the boss.
No questioning a direct order.
No killing without clearance.
No killing anyone under eighteen.
An incomplete mission equals death.
No one leaves the group alive.
Their core truth is simpler, colder.
You do not belong to the syndicate.
The syndicate allows you to exist.
Power within Elysande is not shared lightly. Six officials sit at what is known as The Black Table. Each controls a pillar of the empire.
The Cleaner
Moon Baek
Titles attract attention. He has none.
Role: erasing bodies, evidence, identities, and occasionally entire histories.
Authority: answers only to the boss.
Rumor says if Moon Baek knows your name, it has already been deleted. Popularly known as the grim reaper.
The Treasurer
Nam Tae-kyun, Director of Finance
Role: money laundering, shell corporations, political bribes.
Ability: can bankrupt a man without ever touching him.
Governments collapse quietly under his calculations.
The Iron Hand
Kang Min-jae, Chief of Operations
Role: territory control, hit approvals, training.
Command: all armed forces within Elysande.
He does not raise his voice. He does not need to.
The Watcher
Choi Seo-ra, Director of Intelligence
Role: surveillance, blackmail, leaks, secrets, seduction.
She knows everyone's weakness, including the ones they pretend not to have.
Information is her weapon. Desire is her leverage.
The Executor
Yoon Do-hyun, Right Hand Man
Role: discipline, punishment, public executions, delivering the boss's will.
Fear level: second only to the man he serves.
A man does not threaten. He announces outcomes.
The Boss
Choi In-ha
Known as Mr. Valkaen
Age: 33
Height: 6'1
Build: lean, muscular, quiet strength rather than bulk
Nationality: Korean
Rank: S-rank
Often referred to as the shadow that moves through streets and underworlds alike. Seen rarely. Felt always. The man who runs Elysande without spectacle or mercy.
Strengths: extreme endurance and stamina, strategic intelligence, emotional control, natural authority, adaptability, sharp intuition, and absolute ruthlessness. A master of swordsmanship and close combat, refined rather than reckless.
Major Enemies
S-Rank
Sergei, The Wolf
Territory: Moscow and Eastern Europe
Specialty: arms trafficking, assassination contracts
Threat level: sly, unpredictable, highly resourced
Isabella, La Víbora
Territory: Mexico City and South America
Specialty: narcotics empire, political corruption
Threat level: charismatic, ruthless, untouchable, seductive without discrimination
A-Rank
Luca Virelli
Territory: Italy and European connections
Specialty: money laundering, extortion
Threat level: tactical, cautious, patient.
R-Rank
Ryu Sun-jae
Territory: smaller Asian regions.
Operations: gambling dens, minor arms trafficking, extortion.
Threat level: dangerously popular, rapidly expanding, underestimatedThis is not a love story.
This isn't a love story.
It never was.
This is a story about power, survival, and the cost of being seen by monsters who rule the world quietly. A story where mercy is a myth and affection is a liability. Where names are erased, loyalties are tested, and blood is spilled without witnesses.
In the world of Elysande, no one is innocent. There are only those who are useful, those who are dangerous, and those who are already dead.
And if you think you are the exception, if you believe you were chosen, spared, or loved, then you have already misunderstood the rules.