2026-01-05 20:51:42
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Chapter 380
Kaito, seeing no escape, lunged one last time, a desperate, animalistic cry. He grabbed a heavy marble statue from a pedestal, swinging it wildly. Bucky sidestepped, his movements fluid. He caught Kaito’s arm, twisted, and brought him down to the ground. Kaito hit the expensive carpet with a grunt, the statue rolling away.Bucky knelt beside him, pressing his metal hand against Kaito’s throat, just enough to hold him, not enough to kill him quickly. “Where are the rest of the files? The ones about Hana, about the other girls? The full ledgers?”Kaito gasped for air, his eyes wide with terror. “In… in the server room… down the hall… encrypted…”Bucky gave a sharp nod. “Good. You’re going to help me get them.”He secured Kaito, tying him up with cables from the office equipment. Then, using Kaito’s access codes and his own skills, he navigated to the server room. It was a maze of blinking lights and humming machines. With Kaito’s forced cooperation, Bucky accessed the main servers, down
Chapter 379
The next day was a blur of frantic, whispered activity. Sarai, disguised in a simple wig and glasses, met her journalist contact in a bustling coffee shop, far from Kaito’s usual haunts. She fed him carefully selected pieces of information, hints about Hana’s disappearance, whispers of Kaito’s involvement, and the general location of where he might keep incriminating records. She didn’t give him everything, not yet. She needed to build the fuse, not light the whole bomb prematurely.Meanwhile, Bucky was a ghost, moving through the city’s underbelly. He watched the Akashi Tower, studying guard rotations, entry points, blind spots in the security cameras. He found a maintenance shaft, a delivery entrance, a forgotten rooftop access. He planned his approach, step by agonizing step.As evening approached, they met back in the cramped apartment. Sarai looked pale, but there was a fire in her eyes.“The journalist is interested,” she reported, her voice hushed. “He’s making calls, checking
Chapter 378
The stale air in the cramped Tokyo apartment pressed down on Bucky and Sarai. The city hummed outside, a constant, indifferent presence. They’d been holed up for a day, moving only when absolutely necessary, living off convenience store food. Sarai sat hunched on a thin futon, tracing patterns on the dusty floor with her finger. Bucky stood by the window, peering through a crack in the blinds at the neon-lit street below.“We can’t stay here,” Sarai said, her voice flat, tired. “They’ll find us. It’s only a matter of time.”Bucky turned, his face a mask of grim resolve. “And we can’t leave. Not yet.”Sarai finally looked up, her eyes dark with a mix of fear and anger. “What do you mean, ‘not yet’? We’re done, Bucky. We got the information. Max has what he needs. We need to get out.”“No,” Bucky said, his voice low but firm. “Max needs Kaito gone. Completely. Not just a piece of paper. Not just a temporary setback. Kaito’s network is too big, too deep. If we leave now, he’ll rebuild. H
Chapter 377
“What about the clothes?” Trisha asked. “We can’t wear what we have on. Too fine, too noticeable.”Anya nodded. “Elara will leave three hooded cloaks and simple tunics, along with the satchels, hidden in the tapestry passage. They’re dark, plain, and will help us blend in with the festival-goers.”As the night wore on, the initial fear slowly began to transform into a focused resolve. The close call with Captain Kael, the Queen’s chilling ultimatum – they had only solidified their determination.“Anya,” Max said, looking at the young princess, “you know the risks. If we’re caught, the Queen will be merciless. For you, it could mean… a fate worse than marriage.”Anya met his gaze, her eyes surprisingly strong. “I know. But I cannot stand by and watch my people suffer under her cruel rule. And I cannot let her marry me to a man I do not choose, for a purpose I do not believe in. You offer hope, Max. For me, and perhaps for my kingdom. I am with you.”Trisha reached out and gently squeez
Chapter 376
“She will,” Anya agreed, her expression grim. “But by the time she realizes, we should be well into the hills. And the festival will provide a good cover for our initial escape. The confusion will buy us precious hours.”Just as Max was outlining a contingency plan for if the hidden passage was blocked, a sudden, sharp rap echoed on the chamber door. All three froze.“Princess Anya? Are you in there?” a gruff voice called out. “Guard Captain Kael. I heard… voices.”Anya’s eyes widened in panic. Max’s hand instinctively went to the small dagger he kept hidden in his boot. Trisha’s breath hitched.“Voices?” Anya called out, her voice remarkably steady, though a tremor ran through her. She quickly scooped up the map, stuffing it under a cushion. “Why, yes, Captain. I am speaking with my lady-in-waiting, Elara. We were discussing the arrangements for the Festival of Whispering Winds.”“Elara?” the Captain’s voice sounded skeptical. “I did not see her enter. And the voices sounded… deeper.
Chapter 375
The air in Princess Anya’s private sitting room was thick with unspoken tension, despite the sweet scent of jasmine wafting in from the garden. Max leaned over a crumpled, hand-drawn map of the palace, his brow furrowed in concentration. Trisha sat beside him, her keen eyes scanning the intricate lines and symbols Anya had sketched. Anya herself, usually so reserved, was animated, pointing with a slender finger to various points on the map.“The main guard rotation happens at midnight,” Anya whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustle of the silk curtains. “But the patrol on the west side, near the old kitchens, is always lighter after the second bell. They think no one would try to escape that way. It leads to the servants’ alley, which connects directly to the outer market district.”Max traced the path with his finger. “And the hidden passage you mentioned?”Anya’s finger moved to a small, almost invisible mark near her own chambers. “It’s behind the tapestry in the west c
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