Toru's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the custom-made pistol in Vermouth's hand.
He had been exposed.
That was his first thought.
Immediately, he began running through everything in his head, analyzing where he might have slipped up.
Every detail of his interaction with Chris Vineyard—or rather, Vermouth—flashed rapidly through his mind.
Countless images and scenes passed by, but he still couldn't pinpoint exactly where his identity had been revealed.
Noticing the look in his eyes, Vermouth, wearing only her bra and underwear with newly pulled-up black stockings clinging to her long, pale legs, curled her lips into a playful smile.
"Fujiwara Toru, illegitimate son of Fujiwara Yoshitaka, the current chairman of Japan's National Security Committee."
"Your mother was deceived by Fujiwara Yoshitaka and became pregnant. The Fujiwara family refused to acknowledge you. She brought you to America when you were three, and died of a terminal illness when you were five."
"As an undocumented immigrant, you roamed the streets at five, were picked up by an orphanage, and at eight, you were taken in by the current CIA Director and placed under special training."
"Under the CIA's training, you excelled, far beyond the standard. You eventually became the Director's adopted son."
"You personally orchestrated and executed the takedown of the Colombian drug cartel, arresting its leader and sending him to prison. At twenty, you became a Special Agent Inspector for the CIA. Codename: Wick."
Vermouth spoke in a calm, unhurried tone. Her slender fingers held a slim women's cigarette as she gently exhaled smoke.
It was mint-flavored. Even a few steps away, Toru could smell its cool aroma.
He didn't show any panic. Keeping his silenced pistol trained on her, he calmly walked over to the nearby sofa and sat down.
"Oh? And how do you know all this?"
Though he kept his voice steady, he was cursing internally.
Damn it. There's a mole in the CIA. And not a low-level one either.
CIA was divided into four major divisions: the Directorate of Operations, the Directorate of Intelligence, the Directorate of Science and Technology, and the Directorate of Support.
Toru, of course, belonged to Operations. As a Special Agent Inspector, he was at rank four, a high enough position for someone his age.
Nine ranks were still above him, but the CIA operated with a linear structure. Besides the Director, not everyone had access to agents' identities.
Especially in the Special Operations Division, only a handful of top-level officials had clearance to investigate agents' full backgrounds.
Toru rapidly filtered through those names. Who was the mole? Who sold him out?
Once he found them, he'd personally drown their head in a toilet.
Vermouth casually brushed her lightly curled golden hair aside, giving a mysterious and seductive smile.
"Secrets make a woman more attractive, Boy."
Toru remained calm, as though unconcerned about his identity being exposed.
He added, "So, Ms. Vermouth, is that all you know about me? Or do you have more to share?"
Vermouth gave a sultry smile.
"You returned to Japan a year ago. Transferred from Phillips Exeter Academy to Shuchiin Academy to attend third year. Scored exceptionally well on Japan's national exams and applied to Tokyo University."
"In the entrance exam, you ranked first. Quite the clever Boy. Balancing your studies while serving the CIA."
Toru's expression didn't change.
He had a cheat, after all, and one of his gained skills was learning. With that kind of advantage and consistent effort, it wasn't hard to achieve top scores in high school.
But even so, getting first place in the Tokyo University entrance exam wasn't easy. There were always other geniuses in the world.
The reason he could take first was simple.
As a high-level CIA agent with access to some resources, it hadn't been hard to use America's influence to steal the exam content from Japan ahead of time.
He wasn't above abusing his privileges.
"But I'm curious, Boy. Why return to Japan? Phillips Exeter is a top-tier American high school. With your grades, getting into Harvard or Stanford would've been no problem."
"Yet you came back to Japan and entered East University. Could it be the CIA is planning something behind the scenes here?"
"Or maybe it's because your family's in Japan? You have a cousin and two younger cousins, right? Fujiwara Toyomi, Fujiwara Chika, and Fujiwara Moeha?"
Vermouth's smile was graceful, her aura sharp, as if she'd gained the upper hand.
But Toru stayed composed. He smiled faintly.
"The Fujiwara family is a political dynasty, passed down for over a thousand years in Japan. One of the Five Regent Houses. Many of its members are active in politics."
"Oh, but for your Organization, that probably means nothing. You people would even dare assassinate the Prime Minister of Japan or the President of America, right?"
"So what, are you trying to use my so-called family to threaten me? If that's the plan, I suggest you drop it."
"Go ahead. Try killing them. If you fail, that's one thing. If you succeed, you can see whether I shed a single tear."
"Since your Organization knows I'm an illegitimate child, you should understand that with my background, the word 'family' means little to me."
He paused, then added with a touch of coldness.
"Of course, they're still my family. If they die, I'll avenge them."
"Just like right now, Vermouth. Since you know what I'm capable of, yet you still dare to aim a gun at me, do you really think you can kill me? Or is there a sniper out there with me in their scope?"
Toru glanced out the window. This was a high floor, and he could easily gauge potential sniper angles.
"There are no snipers. Aside from me and the Boss, no one else in the Organization knows your identity."
"I'm just... very sad, Boy. Heartbroken, even. You knew who I was from the beginning. You've been lying to me this whole time?"
Vermouth suddenly smiled bitterly, a trace of sadness in her expression.
"...Right. As a witch, I shouldn't have hoped for an angel to save me. Someone like me was always meant to fall into hell."
Her acting was flawless. After all, the persona she once lived as—Sharon Vineyard—had won her the title of Hollywood queen.
Even Toru couldn't claim to see through her performance. But this time, he had a feeling.
She wasn't acting.
This was real.
Toru stayed silent for a moment, then said calmly,
"I didn't know your identity at first. I mean, who would've guessed that Sharon Vineyard and Chris Vineyard, the mother-daughter Hollywood stars, were actually the same person?"
"And both were part of an international crime organization."
He looked at Vermouth's beautiful, alluring, mature face.
She wasn't wearing a mask. Toru had checked.
Chris Vineyard was her most important, most stable undercover identity. It was impossible to wear a mask all the time. Eventually, someone would catch on.
But Chris Vineyard wasn't her original face either. She had altered her features slightly with makeup.
Her hair, that pale golden-blonde, wasn't a wig either. Just a simple dye job covering her natural silvery platinum.
Toru wasn't lying. He truly hadn't known at first that Chris was Vermouth. Back then, his memories still hadn't fully returned.
It wasn't until everything from his previous life came back that he realized who she really was.
"Vermouth, you've racked up quite the rap sheet. FBI, CIA, MI6, even what's left of the KGB... you've left bodies in all their ranks."
"You might be called the 'Thousand-Faced Witch,' but modern tech is advanced. You've exposed too much. If I pass your information to those agencies, how long do you think you'd last?"
His words left Vermouth silent.
She knew that even if she had strong skills, she didn't possess overwhelming combat strength.
And even if she did, no one could survive being hunted by all the world's top agencies at once.
The Black Organization had reach, yes, and informants in various intelligence circles.
But it couldn't control them. It didn't have that power.
Just then, Toru added leisurely,
"But what's even more fascinating is how everyone thinks your youthful face is just a product of disguise."
"But you've let too much slip around me. You're at least fifty, yet you still look like you're in your twenties."
"That's not something cosmetic surgery can accomplish. I'm curious. How exactly do you stay so young?"
Vermouth's expression changed. That was the one secret she didn't want exposed.
The one she had been hiding above all others.
Toru didn't care. His gaze shifted to the bed, where a red plum blossom had stained the sheets. He spoke in a strange tone.
"And here I didn't expect you to be a virgin. You act well, but your awkwardness last night gave it away."
He had seen all types of women. Vermouth's performance in that area had been too amateur to fool him.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇◇
◇ I'll be dropping two bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ If you enjoy the story, please consider leaving a review, it helps a lot!
◇ Don't forget to add the book to your library.