Aaron asked the bartender to pour him a glass of martini as he stared at the papers containing information about Karen. His brows furrowed slightly while he sat comfortably in his leather chair, having just finished his bath and still wearing his robe.
Aaron was at home, waiting for the detective to send him information about Karen. Oka's report was almost identical to Yaro's — not very helpful. There wasn't much difference except that her name was Karen and she lived in an orphanage.
Someone knocked and opened the door to his mini bar. Aaron glanced over and saw Ken standing by the door before another man entered the room — his hired detective.
"He's got your weekly report, Aaron," Ken explained, looking at him.
Aaron gave a slight nod. "Leave us, Ken."
Ken nodded and closed the door behind him.
Aaron looked at the detective with disinterest as the man approached, handing him a sheet of paper. The detective frowned as he read it.
"What's this?"
"If you came here just to give me the same information again, you might as well leave."
The detective grinned, placing the paper on the table in front of Aaron, then pulled something from his inner pocket — a brown envelope. He laid it on the table with a confident look.
Aaron stared flatly at the man while sipping his martini. His gaze fell to the medium-sized envelope. He set his glass down and picked up the envelope, opening it.
He reached inside and poured its contents onto his lap — dozens of photos of Karen.
There were photos of her working at the club, taking the bus home, leaving for work. None of it impressed Aaron so far, and the detective could tell.
So the detective handed him another paper — a note he'd prepared — and gave it to Aaron.
"What's this?" Aaron asked.
"Miss Leichester's daily schedule. What time she works, when she finishes, and what she does in between."
Aaron picked up one photo that puzzled him — it showed Karen entering a rundown building. It wasn't the orphanage she lived in.
"What was she doing there?" he asked, showing the photo to the man.
The detective shook his head. "I don't know."
"You followed her, and you don't know what she was doing?" Aaron's tone was dangerously calm.
"There were... people who wouldn't let me get close," the man said hesitantly.
"People? Where exactly did you take this photo?"
"Debets Hall."
Silence hung between them as the detective watched Aaron's sharp expression. He could see Aaron's brows knit in thought.
"You're sure?" Aaron asked slowly, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"I'm sure."
Aaron stayed quiet for a long moment before nodding and waving the man off. "Alright. Good work. Keep watching her."
When the detective left, Ken came back in and saw the faint smile on Aaron's lips — he knew something interesting had just happened, and it definitely involved Karen. Aaron looked lazily at him, picking up his martini again.
"Ken, do you know what that detective just told me?" Aaron asked slowly.
"That he found Karen?" Ken guessed.
"No."
"Then what?"
"That our dear Karen seems to have another name besides Karen Leichester," Aaron said with a crooked smile.
Ken frowned, puzzled. "Didn't Inspector Yaro himself confirm that she is Karen Leichester?"
"That was before I heard this new information. Do you know Debets Hall, Ken?"
"Debets Hall? Of course not. You just brought me from America a year ago," Ken replied, shaking his head.
Aaron smirked faintly and finished his martini before resting his elbows on his knees. "That place used to be heaven for the people there — safe, peaceful. Even if they were poor, there were no conflicts."
Ken nodded slowly. "If it was that nice, then why would Karen be there?"
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Used to be. Now it's different."
"What changed?" Ken asked.
"A rich man moved in and took over the place. He forced the husbands to work while the wives were taken to satisfy his workers' desires. Paid only with rice balls, the men eventually snapped and tried to escape."
"I assume many died," Ken said grimly.
"Exactly. Fifty years of that hell turned them into beasts. When the police finally acted, it was far too late. Debets Hall had become a den of criminals, filled with smoke and old whores. But it's also a refuge for illegal immigrants."
Ken was amazed that Aaron knew so much despite his young age. "So Karen's an illegal immigrant?"
"Possibly. She must have needed a new identity," Aaron said quietly. "Investigate this, Ken. Find out what she's doing there. Search every house and door. Find out who she's meeting — and bring that person to me alive."
"Should I ask Toma to help?"
Aaron immediately refused. "No. Toma loves blood too much. That'll cause trouble. Get Eji to handle it. At least Eji lets people live."
"With one broken limb," Ken muttered.
"Would you rather send Toma then?" Aaron shot back. Ken fell silent and quickly nodded before leaving to call Eji.
Eji and Toma — the butchers Aaron found in New York. Ken remembered clearly how Aaron had to tame them before they'd agree to work for him.
When Toma was tasked with destroying the Butterfly Club, ten people died. Toma wasn't a psychopath; he just loved fighting. As an underground fighter, he fought daily for money — fights where killing was allowed.
Aaron first saw Toma from the audience and challenged him in the ring — despite being in formal clothes and leather shoes. Aaron won after three brutal rounds, covered in bruises, while Toma's face was swollen and missing a tooth. Aaron convinced him to join on one condition: Toma could do as he pleased, within limits. Aaron agreed. He spent a week in bed afterward, recovering from that fight.
Eji was easier. He worked as a laborer to pay for his sister's medical bills — strong, disciplined, with fists like iron. Aaron first saw him break a man's leg in the market for bumping into him. Impressed, Aaron offered him a job. Eji refused, until Aaron offered full medical care for his sister, Suzu.
His condition was simple: Suzu must stay with them when Aaron returned to Japan, and she must never know the truth — she would believe Eji worked as Aaron's accountant.
And Ken? He'd been with Aaron the longest — since childhood. They were once friends. Ken ran the New York branch of Aaron's company while Aaron handled Japan. When Aaron called him back to be his assistant, he agreed, thinking the old Aaron Tokugawa had returned. But he was wrong. That Aaron was long dead — and Ken could only hope that somewhere inside, the man still remembered they were once friends.
---
After a heated argument between Tokio and Karen, she was allowed to work with her arm in a cast — on one condition: if she dropped a glass or caused trouble, she'd be sent home. Karen agreed.
At first, she thought carrying trays with one hand would be impossible, but she figured out a way — balancing the tray on her cast and steadying it with her free hand. Slowly, she carried it from the bar to the upper floor — a 15-minute walk.
Some sober customers noticed her injury. The drunk ones just asked for more drinks.
Jehd, who was assigned to watch her, approached as Karen wiped sweat from her face.
"You alright?" he asked.
Karen closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing hard, her free hand clenched. She should've been in the orphanage, sleeping — not working for money. But she wasn't a normal girl with a normal life.
She was Karen Leichster, the unwanted foreign child — a baby left to die. That was her truth. And she'd learned never to depend on anyone.
She knew since childhood that people only used her. Without money, she wouldn't survive. People were only kind when it benefited them. That's why she kept everyone at a distance.
She opened her eyes, blinking away the pain, and looked at Jehd flatly.
"I'm just not used to it yet," she said softly before walking away.
Jehd nodded and turned. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a man standing silently in the crowd, moving subtly between people. Jehd's expression sharpened.
He quickly went upstairs and told one of the guards, "Keep an eye on that man."
"Is he causing trouble?" the guard asked.
"Not yet. Just watch him for me."
The guard nodded and leaned forward to get a better look at the mysterious man.
---
Ken stayed quiet as Aaron drove with Eji toward Debets Hall. He didn't understand why Aaron had to come personally for something this simple — and why only bring Eji, not Toma?
Sure, Toma was dangerous, but Debets Hall was filthy and lawless — Ken trusted Toma more in this kind of place. Did Aaron not consider what could happen?
The car stopped by the roadside, near some dim old buildings. Aaron looked at Eji, who was putting on black leather gloves.
"Bring him to me, Eji. In one piece."
Eji nodded and got out, walking toward Debets Hall. Aaron waited until he disappeared, then turned to Ken sharply.
"What are you thinking, Ken?"
"What?" Ken asked, confused.
"I've seen you looking at me. Why?"
Ken unbuckled his seatbelt and turned. "I don't understand why you had to come yourself. Why not just wait?"
Aaron smiled coldly. "There are a few things I want to ask personally."
"You know what I mean, Aaron. That's not what I'm asking, and you know it."
Aaron leaned back, touching his lips with his finger. "What's the difference, Ken? Whether I go to them or they're brought to me."
Then casually added, "Besides, if I'm lucky, I might see Karen."
Ken shook his head at Aaron's confidence. "She can't be working, Aaron. Her finger's broken."
"Oh, I doubt that. That woman loves money too much."
Less than fifteen minutes later, someone knocked on the car window — Eji — with an unconscious old man lying on the sidewalk.
Aaron stepped out. "Is he dead?"
"Just fainted," Eji said flatly.
"Ken, water."
Ken handed him a bottle, and Aaron poured it over the old man's face until he sputtered awake, looking around in panic. His eyes landed on Eji — and terror flickered. He remembered what this man had done to his guards earlier, beating them down while demanding to know where Karen was.
Aaron crouched before him, pulling a photo from his pocket.
"Do you know this girl?"
The old man looked at Karen's photo, then turned away. Aaron smirked — defiance.
"No answer? Want your pinky broken?"
No response. Aaron nodded once, and Eji acted immediately —
CRACK!
Ken winced as the old man screamed. Eji's face remained blank. Aaron sighed in annoyance.
"Well? Do you know her?"
The man nodded rapidly through the pain. "Her name's Karen Leichster!"
"So that's true. Go on."
"She asked me to make her an ID card and passport."
Aaron's brows furrowed. "For what?"
"I don't know! She didn't say!" Another bone cracked — "I swear! She just needed them! She said she wanted to leave this place!"
"When will she come back?"
"I don't know, I swear!"
Aaron studied him for a long moment before finally deciding to believe him.
"Stop, Eji."
Eji stepped back.
"Alright. When she returns, you tell me — and ask where she's going."
The man clutched his broken fingers. "You've got money. Why don't you just ask her yourself?"
Aaron smirked coldly. "Because she bites every time I get close. And I'm not interested in animals that bite."
Satisfied, Ken opened the car door for him. Aaron was about to get in when the old man shouted again.
"Wait! Your man hurt my guards! You owe me compensation — or send someone to protect me until they recover!"
Aaron raised an eyebrow, glancing at Eji.
"Are their injuries bad?"
"Should I guard him?" Eji asked dryly.
Aaron shook his head.
"No. But I'll send someone to watch you. And remember — if you lie to me, I'll send the devil himself to your door."