Chapter 1031: Tomiko’s Fierce Affection
By the ti I pulled into the underground parking of Suzuki Enterprises, the city had settled into its late-night hush.
I took the private elevator straight to the executive floor and stepped into Tomiko’s office without knocking. The lights were dimd, casting long shadows across the sleek modern furniture. Both Tomiko and Hina were standing in front of the large wall-mounted TV, their backs to , completely absorbed in the news broadcast.
On the screen, bright flas and ergency lights painted a chaotic scene. Firefighters were still hosing down the smoldering remains of a once-luxurious mansion. The headline scrolling below read: "Prominent Businessman Daiki and Family Found Dead in Suspected Arson Attack."
My breath caught. It was the exact house I had just escaped from.
The reporter’s voice filled the room with grim professionalism. "Police have confird that Daiki, his wife, and two adult children were discovered inside the burned ruins."
"All appear to have died from gunshot wounds prior to the fire. Miraculously, one young boy—believed to be the son of Daiki’s associate Ichika—was found unconscious but alive outside the property and has been rushed to the hospital in critical condition."
Akane. She must have returned after I left and systematically erased every piece of evidence. No witnesses. No traces. A clean, ruthless sweep.
Tomiko must have sensed my presence. She turned sharply, her eyes widening when they landed on . The color drained from her face.
"Jack..." Her voice cracked, hesitant and laced with fear. "Did... did you do this?"
The question hung heavy in the air. Hina also spun around, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
I shook my head slowly, keeping my tone steady. "No. I didn’t. Soone beat
to it. When I arrived, they were already dead. The entire family... gone. Only the boy was still breathing when I found him outside."
Tomiko’s shoulders sagged with visible relief, but the tension didn’t fully leave her eyes. She exchanged a quick, stunned glance with Hina.
"Who could have done sothing like this?" Hina asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you have any idea?"
I shrugged, forcing a calm I didn’t entirely feel. "I don’t know for sure. But Daiki was the type who made enemies everywhere he went. He was arrogant, ruthless in business, and probably crossed more dangerous people than we’ll ever know. It could have been anyone settling an old score."
Tomiko exhaled a long, shaky breath and ran a hand through her hair. "That’s... good. As terrible as it sounds, it’s good. One less threat hanging over us."
I turned my attention to Hina, shifting the conversation to safer ground. "How are things holding up here at the company? Any issues since I’ve been gone?"
Hina’s face instantly brightened, her earlier shock replaced by genuine excitent. She stepped closer, gesturing animatedly with her hands.
"Everything is back to normal—actually, better than normal. The team you brought in is incredible. Every single person is highly professional and ridiculously talented in their field. And with SERA’s assistance... It’s like magic."
"She handles data analysis, scheduling, and even anticipates problems before they happen. I finally understand how you managed to build such a massive empire in such a short ti. It feels almost unfair how efficient everything has beco."
A small smile tugged at my lips despite the weight of the night. "Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear."
Tomiko nodded approvingly and placed a gentle hand on Hina’s shoulder. "Hina, why don’t you order dinner for everyone still working in the office tonight? They’re putting in overti for us. Make sure it’s sothing nice—sushi, bento boxes, whatever they prefer. Put it on the company card."
Hina smiled brightly. "Of course! I’ll take care of it right away." She gave
a quick, respectful nod before heading out, the door clicking softly shut behind her.
The mont we were alone, the atmosphere in the room shifted.
Tomiko crossed the distance between us in three quick steps and threw her arms around , hugging
with surprising strength. Her body pressed tightly against mine, trembling faintly. I could feel the rapid beat of her heart through her blouse.
"Jack..." she whispered, her voice muffled against my chest. "You didn’t leave any evidence behind, right? The car... the CCTV caras... anything that could link you to that house?"
I wrapped my arms around her slender fra and gently rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles. The familiar scent of her perfu—subtle jasmine and sothing warr—cut through the lingering sll of smoke and blood still stuck in my nostrils.
"Oba-san, breathe," I murmured softly. "I was careful."
She pulled back just enough to look up at , her eyes glistening with worry. "If anything happens to you... My niece will never forgive . Even my sister won’t. I’d rather burn this entire company to the ground than lose you. Do you understand that?"
Her words hit harder than I expected. There was raw fear and fierce protectiveness in her tone. I leaned down, bringing my lips close to her ear, feeling the soft, full press of her breasts against my chest as I held her.
"With SERA’s help, I’ve already erased every trace," I whispered, my voice low and reassuring. "Footage, tire tracks, fingerprints—everything. Nothing can lead back to . I promise."
Tomiko let out a long, shaky exhale and nodded, her forehead resting against my collarbone. "That’s good... That’s really good."
She didn’t let go imdiately. For a few quiet monts, we simply stood there in the dimly lit office, holding each other.
The only sound was the muted news broadcast playing in the background—distant sirens wailing, flashing red and blue lights painting the screen, and a reporter’s voice speculating about motives that would never be answered. The weight of the day slowly lted away in the warmth of her embrace.
Tomiko finally pulled back just enough to look up at , her arms still loosely wrapped around my waist. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant.
"Sister called
while you were away... She was asking when we’d bring you back for that family picnic we planned. I had to make up an excuse—that we were stuck in an important business eting that couldn’t be rescheduled."
I let out a slow sigh, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "We can go tomorrow. Let’s take the day off. You deserve it. With SERA’s help, you can monitor the entire company from your phone. Everything will run smoothly even if we’re not here."
Tomiko’s eyes lit up with genuine excitent, the tension in her shoulders easing for the first ti that evening. "Yeah... I’d like that. A whole day without worrying about crises or numbers." A small, tired smile touched her lips. "Just family... and you."
We eventually joined the rest of the team for dinner in the conference room. The aroma of fresh sushi, tempura, and steaming miso soup filled the air as laughter and quiet conversations echoed around the table.
For a couple of hours, the horrors of the night felt distant. Hina was lively, sharing stories about the new hires, while the rest of the staff visibly relaxed, grateful for the al and the rare mont of normalcy. Tomiko sat close to , occasionally brushing her fingers against mine under the table—a silent reassurance.
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