Chapter 301: Akari’s Hidden Motive

Yor Shinobu was stunned.

She couldn’t reconcile the man sitting before her with the refined and gentle gentleman she’d met only moments ago.

’People really can change their minds faster than turning a page.’

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in Luca’s eyes now. He looked at her as though she were nothing more than an object he could discard whenever she stopped being useful.

For the first time in her life, Yor found herself questioning her own appearance.

’Is my face really that unattractive to him?’

"It seems Miss Shinobu has no intention of cooperating."

Luca’s voice was calm, almost conversational.

"Don’t blame me for being impolite, then."

When Yor remained silent, Luca’s hand moved to her throat.

His fingers closed around her neck.

The pressure gradually increased, and Yor’s expression tightened as pain spread through her body. Her breathing became increasingly difficult, her cheeks turning red as she struggled beneath his grip.

Only when her lips began to lose their color did Luca finally release her.

Yor immediately bent forward, coughing and gasping for air.

Luca accepted a handkerchief from Captain Rico and calmly wiped his hand.

"Yor Shinobu, I’ll give you half a day to think about it. If you can’t give me a satisfactory answer by then, I’ll make you understand what it means to wish you were dead."

He stared directly into her eyes.

"I hope you won’t make the mistake of being ungrateful."

For the first time, Luca abandoned even the pretense of courtesy and addressed her by name.

Yor winced as she rubbed her throat, her eyes watering.

Although Luca had given her half a day to decide, she understood what that really meant.

There were only two possible outcomes.

She could confess everything willingly. Or she could be forced to confess. There was no third option.

When they reached their destination, Luca didn’t immediately get out.

He pointed toward Yor.

"Keep a close eye on her."

He glanced at his watch.

"If she still refuses to talk, start at noon. Every three hours, remove one finger."

"Understood."

Rico’s voice was cold and emotionless. Neither he nor Luca bothered to lower their voices.

Yor heard every word. Her head snapped up. Terror filled her eyes.

Before meeting Luca, she’d believed he was a refined, easygoing gentleman. Someone powerful, certainly, but still approachable.

Now she understood how wrong she’d been.

This wasn’t a man who hesitated when something stood between him and his objective.

And the people around him weren’t ordinary either.

The two men sitting in the front of the vehicle had remained silent throughout the journey, yet neither showed the slightest surprise when Luca issued his order.

Instead, faint, sinister smiles appeared on their faces.

It was obvious this wasn’t the first time they’d witnessed something like this.

A chill ran through Yor’s entire body.

She felt cold from head to toe, and despite herself, her body began to tremble.

Her fear didn’t seem to move Luca at all.

He reached out, grabbed her hair, and pulled her head up.

Yor’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him pleadingly.

Luca narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Yor Shinobu, whether you get to keep those delicate hands is entirely up to you."

He released her hair.

"I look forward to seeing you in one piece the next time we meet."

With that, Luca opened the door and stepped out.

Within moments, he disappeared from Yor’s sight.

She remained in the vehicle, frozen in place.

...

After passing through the necessary security checks, Luca boarded the sightseeing bus that had been arranged for them.

The vehicle followed a winding mountain road before eventually arriving at a secluded villa.

Harvey Adams was already waiting at the entrance. Dressed casually, he leaned against the doorway with a lazy smile.

"Luca! I didn’t even get my morning workout in after hearing you were coming. See how much I value you?"

The moment Luca stepped off the bus, Harvey threw an arm around his shoulder.

Luca wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.

"The security here is insane. They practically tore my underwear off during the inspection."

Harvey stared at him skeptically.

"Seriously? The security checks are strict, but surely they didn’t make you strip down."

"Ahem."

Luca covered his mouth and coughed awkwardly.

There was a faint note of pride in his voice.

"The guards thought I was carrying some kind of heavy weapon. Turns out it was just a misunderstanding."

"Heavy weapon..."

Harvey’s voice trailed off.

His gaze happened to drift toward the suspicious bulge beneath Luca’s clothing.

He stared for a moment.

Then his face twisted.

"You bastard!"

Luca burst out laughing.

The two entered the villa one after another.

Compared with Harvey’s mansion in New Orleans, which Luca had visited twice, this place was surprisingly modest.

The villa wasn’t particularly large, and its exterior was understated. Even the furniture inside followed the same restrained style, with most of the pieces appearing to be antiques.

It wasn’t the sort of place that overwhelmed you at first glance.

But after looking around for a while, Luca had to admit that there was something peaceful and elegant about it.

His eyes eventually settled on a large glass cabinet.

"Those?"

Inside were dozens of carefully preserved collectibles.

Harvey glanced over.

"Oh, those? The old man collected them before he died. They’re mostly for display."

He pointed toward the floor.

"The real treasures are in the basement."

Luca couldn’t help but sigh.

’This is what a completely different standard of living looks like.’

Even the pieces Harvey considered nothing more than decorations would be worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars individually.

For ordinary families, owning even one of these antiques would be a once-in-a-lifetime luxury.

For the Adams family, they were apparently little more than furniture.

The two chatted for several minutes.

After a maid brought them tea, the others gradually left the living room until only Luca and Harvey remained.

Harvey leaned back on the sofa.

"So, do you have something special planned today?"

Luca took a slow sip of tea before setting the cup down.

"Akari Sato came to see me today."

Harvey’s expression immediately changed.

His hand stopped halfway to his teacup.

"The Japanese?"

He frowned.

"They certainly have ambition."

First, they’d worked with Maison Premier.

Then, the moment Maison Premier began collapsing, they’d immediately turned their attention toward Luca.

And they were doing all of this right here in Capital City.

’What exactly are they trying to accomplish?’

Harvey’s expression became increasingly cold.

Japan had spent decades pursuing greater influence and power across the Pacific. Even after direct confrontation was no longer an option, that did not mean every ambition had simply disappeared.

The country had once been locked in a devastating war with Japan, and the conflict had left deep scars. The destruction, the loss of life, and the bitterness of that era had not been forgotten, even generations later.

But the world had changed.

After decades of rebuilding and sacrifice, the nation had grown into one of the most powerful countries on Earth. It no longer needed to fear Japan as it once had. It had the economic strength, military power, and global influence to stand firmly on its own.

Yet some of Japan’s ambitions had never truly disappeared.

If another war was impossible, could certain Japanese interests be attempting to achieve through economic influence, political pressure, and strategic alliances what they could no longer accomplish through force?

Perhaps the battlefield had simply changed.

"A bunch of filthy maggots," Harvey muttered contemptuously. "They really think the people at the top are stupid enough to let them cause trouble right under their noses?"

He scoffed.

"No matter how many schemes they come up with, they’ll eventually have to answer for them."

Before Luca could respond, the door to the study opened.

A middle-aged man with a square face and stern features stepped out.

His black hair was neatly styled, though several strands of gray had begun appearing around his temples. He held a teacup in one hand as he entered the living room.

"Dad."

Harvey immediately stood.

Luca followed.

"Mr. Adams."

The older man nodded.

Luca’s eyes quietly studied him.

There was something different about his presence.

He didn’t need to raise his voice or deliberately display authority. The moment he entered the room, the atmosphere seemed to become heavier.

’Is this what a real government heavyweight looks like?’

The man’s demeanor was completely different from ordinary businessmen.

He carried an unmistakable air of authority.

Luca then glanced at Harvey.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

’It’s hard to imagine someone like this being Harvey’s father.’

After all, Luca had personally seen how enthusiastically Harvey moved his hands whenever he visited certain adult establishments.

The contrast was almost comical.