Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Hiro’s expression shifted, going serious. "But Reo thinks you can. And I trust Reo's brain over my common sense, even over what my eyes clearly show me."
I swallowed down the lollipop’s cherry sweetness and turned to Kenji.
He looked at me like I was both precious and deadly.
His Tiger.
His Heart.
His equal in this war.
Kenji’s voice projected deadly calm. “Let's talk strategy.”
It wasn't a suggestion or a question.
It was the Dragon giving an order, and the temperature in the room shifted. Spines straightened. Attention sharpened. Even Hiro—who seemed to me to submit to no one—angled toward his brother with the kind of focus that must have come from years of absolute trust and undying love.
This was why Kenji led.
Not because he was the most violent.
Not because he was the loudest.
But, because when he spoke, killers listened.
Reo didn't sit back down. He remained standing with his shoulders squared. "First, we do a lockdown across the island. No one leaves their homes tonight. For the main house, no deliveries in or out unless security has stripped them bare."
The Fangs and Claws answered with small nods.
"Second, sweeps. Fangs take the grounds. Claws clear the house. Every corridor. Every blind spot. Hackers keep scraping our systems for more leaks."
Reo rolled his shoulders like he was loosening up for a fight.
One of the twins reached for a cup of tea.
Daisuke's fingers drummed once against the table, then went still.
Then Reo's gaze cut to me. “And third, the Tiger has her own ways. We’ll listen and work with Nyomi, giving her any guidance, help, and protection she needs.”
Heat crept up my neck, but I held his gaze.
Toma’s grin vanished.
One twin’s head tilted. I believed that was Yuki.
The other’s fingers tapped against the table.
Hiro’s hand, resting near mine, went still.
“Tonight,” Reo sighed. “Nyomi is going to need access to the Personal Scales’ rooms. Kenji’s Three.”
A muscle jumped in Hiro’s jaw. “Why?”
The word came out sharper than he probably intended, like it had been waiting in his throat, loaded and ready.
Every Claw turned toward Hiro.
The Fangs went still.
Even the twins’ synchronized breathing hitched for half a second.
Reo crossed his arms over his chest. “Nyomi wants to look further into Hina.”
The name dropped into the silence like a stone hit a stream. There was this rippling effect of shock and disbelief.
Hiro shook his head. “Little Hina?”
Heat pricked the back of my neck, but I forced my voice to stay calm. “Earlier today, I got a look from Hina I couldn’t shake.”
Kenji’s head turned a fraction, and his focus tightened on me.
I took a breath. “It might mean nothing. She could’ve just been tired or overwhelmed. But when Reo showed me the photos and we realized someone had been tracking me through the house, my brain went back to Hina’s look. It wasn’t just surprise or admiration. . .it felt like she was hiding something.”
Images flickered in my mind: the way Hina’s lashes had lowered for a heartbeat too long, the way her smile had lagged behind everyone else’s, like it had to be manually turned on.
“I’m not ready to accuse her of anything, but I don’t want to ignore my gut either. If she’s innocent, the evidence in her room will line up with that. If she isn’t. . .” I let the thought hang. “I just think that. . .her bedroom is the one place her guard might’ve slipped.”
Hiro took the lollipop out and stared at me. "It would destroy me if she were involved, and it would shatter Kenji."
Silence.
The kind that made my ears ring.
No one looked away from him. That confession dropped heavier than any threat. Hiro—who probably never showed vulnerability, who maybe kept everything locked behind violence and dark humor—had just named one of his breaking points.
I caught movement from my right. Kenji's hand had gone completely still on my thigh. Not tense. Just. . .frozen. Like he was holding something fragile that might crack if he moved wrong.
The twins shifted in their seats, nearly imperceptible, but I noticed. Their gazes flicked to Hiro, then away.
Protective.
Worried.
I swallowed hard. "I know. Which is why I want to be sure. Not based on a feeling. Based on facts."
“Good.” Hiro didn’t appear pleased at all as he returned to sucking on the lollipop. “Before you make any final assessment. . .make sure you’re thorough. I consider Hina a little sister, and I will not let anything happen to her without clear evidence.”
You’re loyal to the bone.
I gave him a sad smile. “I plan to be as thorough as possible.”
Kenji’s voice carved through the tension. “Right now, we don’t decide guilt in this room, but we do decide how to hunt it.”
His gaze moved from Hiro then to me. “If Hina is innocent, my Tiger will clear her. If she isn’t. . .”
He let it hang.
Everyone knew what happened to traitors.
Reo nodded once. “We’ll match the scale logs along with all guards within the house to the time stamps on the leaked photos. And then we’ll layer that with cameras and keycards.”