The cold morning light filtered through a cracked window, waking Akira from her unconscious state.
She opened her eyes, her vision blurry as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The room was unfamiliar a small, makeshift shelter lined with temporary blankets and basic supplies.
As the events of the previous night rushed back into her mind the pregnancy document, the ruins of her home, the loss of her family a sharp, suffocating pain flared in her chest.
She tried to push herself up from the futon, intending to walk away, but her legs instantly buckled beneath her. The relentless exposure to the freezing rain, combined with severe emotional trauma and the physical injuries from digging through the rubble, had triggered a burning, high fever overnight. Her body felt impossibly heavy, every muscle aching with severe weakness.
Hearing her struggle, her neighbor hastily walked in, holding a warm cup of water.
"Akira, don't try to stand up!" he warned gently, placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. "You collapsed in the street last night with a raging fever. Your body is completely exhausted. Please, just lie back down and rest."
Akira looked at the kind man, her voice rasping and barely audible. "Thank you... thank you for taking care of me..."
She paused, taking a shallow, painful breath as she stared down at her trembling, bandage-wrapped hands.
"But I cannot stay here," she whispered, her eyes devoid of life. "I don't want to bring any more trouble into your life. You've done enough."
Gathering every ounce of remaining strength, she tried once more to force her legs to carry her weight and step toward the door. But her body refused to obey. Her knees gave out completely, and she swayed dangerously, unable to take even a single steady step forward.
With her body completely refusing to cooperate, Akira had no choice but to stay put. She lay back down on the futon against her will, feeling hollow and utterly defeated.
Her neighbor, demonstrating the deep kindness of an old family friend, carefully tended to her. He brought her warm soup and administered a strong dose of fever medicine to bring down her burning temperature.
The heavy medication took effect rapidly, dragging Akira into a deep, dreamless state of unconsciousness.
When she finally opened her heavy eyelids again, the harsh glare of the morning had faded into the soft, amber shadows of the late afternoon. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of a desk fan.
Reaching out with a trembling hand, Akira grabbed her phone from the small table beside the futon. The screen flickered to life, displaying a barrage of notifications:
NOTIFICATIONS
Macau : 10 Missed Calls
Macau : 1 Unread Message
With slow, hesitant fingers, Akira tapped on the chat thread. The message from Macau instantly loaded onto her screen:
"Boss, where are you?! Are you really just going to let Naea walk away with Daisuke like this? Their pre-wedding party is tonight, and the official wedding ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow! Akira... are you seriously going to let Naea belong to Daisuke forever?!"
Akira stared at the glowing screen in total silence.
The words echoed through the quiet room like a ticking clock, marking the final hours before the girl she loved was permanently bound to another man.
Akira stared at Macau's message on the glowing phone screen, her face remaining entirely emotionless. She didn't type a single letter back.
Macau who was currently online—saw the tiny blue read receipts appear under her text. Seeing that Akira had read the message but chosen to stay silent sent a surge of pure frustration through her. Without wasting another second, she dialed her number.
The phone on the table began to buzz, its vibration echoing loudly in the quiet room. Akira simply let it ring until the screen went dark.
Instantly, a second call flashed on the screen.
With a slow, heavy breath, Akira swiped her thumb across the glass and brought the phone to her ear. She didn't say a word.
"Are you actually a complete idiot, or have you become a total moron?!" Macau's furious, panicked voice blasted through the speaker. "What on earth is going on in your head, Akira?! Naea Sato is getting married to Daisuke Otome tomorrow! Tomorrow! And you are just sitting there in absolute silence?!"
Macau took a sharp breath, her tone shifting from anger to genuine, heart-wrenching disbelief.
"Is this really you, Akira? Is this the same person who neutralized whole syndicates for Naea? Who silenced the Tokyo Agency and brought down entire underworld networks just to keep her safe? You are the person who would literally destroy the entire world for Naea... and today, you are just standing by, letting the love of your life belong to someone else?!"
"Say something, Akira! Speak to me!"
Silence stretched across the line, heavy and suffocating. Akira closed her eyes, listening to her junior's frantic breathing over the speaker.
When she finally opened her mouth, her voice didn't sound like the legendary Macau once served under. It sounded hollow, cracked, and completely dead.
"I lost the right to fight for her long ago, Macau..." Akira whispered softly, her hand tightening around the phone until her blood-stained bandages strained against her skin. "I stole her family... and now, she is building her own with the man who can give her a normal, safe life. What right do I have to destroy her peace again?"
A long, suffocating silence hung between them over the line before Akira spoke again, her tone flat and utterly lifeless.
"She's pregnant, Macau."
On the other end, Macau froze for a brief second. "What?"
"She is one week pregnant with Daisuke's child," Akira whispered, the words tasting like poison on her tongue. "I saw the medical report on her side table with my own eyes last night. It's over, Macau. She's carrying his blood. She's building a real family with him."
For a moment, there was complete quiet on Macau's end of the phone. Then, to Akira's complete shock, a short, sharp laugh echoed through the speaker.
"Are you serious right now, Akira?" Macau chuckled, her tone laced with disbelief. "You're telling me you gave up because of a piece of paper?"
Akira's brow furrowed, a faint spark of confusion cutting through her numbness. "It was an official hospital report from the Osaka Medical Center, Macau. I read it myself."
"And since when did the legendary Akira start taking documents at face value?" Macau snapped, her voice turning dead serious. "We work in the prosecution department, Akira! Fake reports, forged medical records, backdated filings—people create those every single day to cover up crimes, force marriages.
Akira's hand tightened around the phone. Her breath caught in her throat as Macau's words echoed in her mind like a sudden thunderclap.
"Think about it," Macau pressed on, her tone urgent. "Daisuke knows your exact weakness. He knows that if you thought Naea was carrying his child, you would step back completely and let yourself break. He's using your own guilt to play you! Did you actually verify the clinic's database? Did you check if the lead physician even exists?"
Akira stood frozen in the middle of the room. The dark, suffocating fog that had wrapped around her mind since last night suddenly fractured.
She remembered how cleanly the paper had been placed under the lamp, almost as if it had been left there specifically to be seen.
"It means... Naea did all of this knowingly?" Akira's voice trembled, a mix of disbelief and sudden clarity crashing over her. "She put that report there so I would find it?"
"Who knows?" Macau responded, her tone heavy with reality. "Maybe she did. Maybe she created this whole illusion just to push you away forever or maybe Daisuke set the trap himself to break your spirit. But you will never know the absolute truth until you look into her eyes and ask her yourself."
Macau paused, her voice turning quiet yet firm. "Don't let a ghost story dictate your life, Akira."
Without another word, Akira ended the call.
She lowered the phone, her hands still shaking. The burning fever hadn't entirely left her body, and a dull, agonizing ache throbbed through her muscles with every small movement. Physical weakness weighed on her like lead, warning her to stay down, to rest, to yield.
But the numbness in her soul was gone, replaced by a roaring, relentless storm.
Ignoring the sharp spikes of pain radiating up her spine, Akira forced herself off the futon. Her knees buckled for a split second, but she caught herself against the wall, her jaw set in pure, immovable resolve. Physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of living a lie. If Naea wanted her gone, she would have to say it to her face.
She walked out of the shelter into the cool evening air, ignoring the worried calls of her neighbor. Stepping onto the main road, she flagged down a yellow cab.
Climbing into the backseat, Akira leaned her head against the glass window, her eyes burning with an intense, unwavering focus as she gave the driver the destination Macau had sent her:
"Take me to the Naoki Grand Hotel . Now."
The yellow cab pulled up to the glittering entrance of the Naoki Hotel—a breathtaking five-star landmark dripping in elegance. The entire grand estate had been booked exclusively for the pre-wedding celebrations of Prosecutor Daisuke Otome and Naea Sato.
As Akira stepped out of the vehicle, the muffled cadence of classical live music echoed from the grand ballroom, drifting softly through the glass doors.
Despite the fever lingering in her veins and the agonizing weakness pulling at her limbs, Akira adjusted her coat and walked straight into the grand hall. The venue radiated an unmistakable luxury vibe—crystal chandeliers casting warm golden light over high society guests, shimmering champagne towers, and delicate floral arrangements covering every marble pillar.
Akira's sharp, scanning eyes swept across the room. Within seconds, she spotted Macau standing near the quiet balcony lounge, gently cradling baby Naria in her arms to shield the child from the loud crowd.
Searching the sea of guests, Akira looked for the one face that held her entire world.
And then, she found her.
In the center of the illuminated dance floor, bathed in soft golden spotlights, stood Naea. She looked painfully breathtaking in an elegant evening gown, moving gracefully across the floor. But she wasn't alone.
Her waist was held firmly in the grip of Chief Prosecutor Daisuke, who smiled down at her with a look of absolute triumph as they waltzed in seamless harmony before the cheering crowd.
Seeing Daisuke's hands resting on Naea's waist sent a sharp, agonizing surge of jealousy straight through Akira's chest. Her fists clenched tightly, the bandages beneath her sleeves straining against her wounds. But instead of charging onto the dance floor and causing a scene, she forced herself to swallow the bitterness and turned her back on the couple.
She walked straight toward the staircase leading to the upper balcony, where Macau was already carrying tiny Naria down.
As Macau stepped onto the marble landing, her eyes locked onto Akira. A wave of relief washed over her face, and a warm smile broke out.
Seeing her, Akira immediately stepped forward and reached out, gently taking Naria into her arms.
"Thank God you showed up, Akira," Macau said with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "She's been crying non-stop ! I was literally on my way to hand her back to Naea. But look at her now..."
Surprisingly, the moment Naria landed in Akira's warm embrace, her small whimpers melted away into absolute quiet. The baby snuggled her tiny face right into Akira's shoulder , completely calm.
Macau chuckled softly. "Looks like Naria missed you ."
Akira looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, her cold, hard expression instantly softening into pure tenderness. Leaning down, she pressed a soft, lingering kiss against Naria's forehead.
"I missed you too, little Miss..." Akira whispered, her voice full of genuine affection.
Hearing her voice, Naria looked up and let out a sweet, bubbly baby giggle, reaching her tiny fingers out to grasp Akira's collar. For a brief second, the physical pain from the fever and the crushing weight of guilt completely faded from Akira's mind.
Holding Naria safely , Akira began walking back down the stairs toward the main floor, with Macau stepping alongside her.
At that exact moment, the music on the dance floor drifted to an end. Naea, having stepped away from Daisuke to check on her daughter, turned toward the staircase—and froze as her eyes landed on Akira holding Naria in her arms.
Daisuke, noticing the sudden shift in the room's atmosphere, turned his head and saw Akira standing near the base of the staircase. A cold, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Before the tension could snap, Naea broke away from him, walking quickly across the marble floor until she stood right in front of Akira. Her expression remained composed, but her voice carried a quiet, urgent softness.
"Naria must be hungry... it's her feeding time," Naea said, her eyes meeting Akira's.
Without a single word of argument or hesitation, Akira gently transferred the baby back into Naea's arms, her fingers brushing against Naea's sleeve for a fraction of a second.
With the pre-wedding celebration winding down to its final moments, Naea turned back toward Daisuke, cradling Naria against her chest. "The function is practically ending anyway, and Naria is exhausted from the crowd. I'm going to take her up to the room to rest."
Daisuke offered a smooth, confident smile, stepping closer to press a deliberate, affectionate kiss against Naea's forehead in full view of the guests. "Of course. Go ahead and get some rest, my love."
Watching Daisuke's lips touch Naea's skin felt like a physical blade twisting straight into Akira's chest. A murderous rage flared behind her eyes, her knuckles turning white as she fought every primal instinct in her body not to lunge across the floor and throttle the prosecutor right then and there. She forced her breathing to steady, biting the inside of her cheek until she tasted iron.
As Naea slipped away toward the elevators, Macau subtly sidestepped through the departing crowd, closing the distance until she was standing right beside Akira.
Leaning in close, Macau whispered directly into Akira's ear, her tone sharp and decisive.
"Listen to me. Yumi and Yamato are out of the city, so they aren't around to interfere. Furthermore, Naea's suite is right next to mine on the top floor." Macau paused, locking her sharp eyes onto Akira's. "I am giving you this single chance, Akira. Tonight is your only night. Go up there, look past the lies, and fix this with her—otherwise, you're going to lose her forever. That's your choice to make."
Macau gave Akira's shoulder a firm, reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about Naria. I'll take her to my room and put her to sleep tonight. The door is wide open, boss. Make it count."