Chapter 9 - The Child Hidden For Twenty Years
A frozen video screen showed a missing child beside a man who was supposed to be dead, and Kenji Takahashi whispered: "Who is that?"
When Kenji watched the second person sitting beside Lily, he discovered an old family photograph hidden inside the archive. But written behind it was a name erased for twenty years: "Yuna Takahashi." Kenji realized the missing person was connected to his own blood.
The screen remained frozen.
Lily sat quietly.
Masato stood behind her.
And beside her was someone covered by shadows.
Kenji stared.
He couldn't understand what he was seeing.
For twenty years, one name had never appeared in any record.
One person had disappeared from every document.
Every photograph.
Every memory.
Yuna Takahashi.
His mother.
The woman everyone told him died when he was a child.
But she was sitting beside Lily.
Alive.
Older.
Looking directly at him through the screen.
Emma covered her mouth.
"No..."
Kenji turned toward her.
"You knew."
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
"I thought she was dead."
"Everyone thought that."
Kenji looked back at the screen.
"But she wasn't."
Nobody answered.
Because nobody had an answer.
The truth had become something impossible to touch.
Every time Kenji thought he understood what happened, another secret appeared.
Another lie.
Another person who had been hiding.
Masato's voice came through the speakers.
"Kenji."
The sound made everyone freeze.
"I know you're angry."
Kenji stepped closer.
"Where is Lily?"
Masato smiled.
The same smile Kenji remembered from childhood.
The smile of a man who always believed he was right.
"She's safe."
"Bring her back."
"You still give orders like you are in control."
Kenji's expression hardened.
"You took a child."
Masato looked at Lily.
The girl's eyes were wet.
"But that child is the reason you finally came here."
Kenji clenched his fist.
"What do you want?"
A pause.
Then Masato answered:
"The truth."
Kenji almost laughed.
"The truth?"
"Yes."
"You kidnapped Lily to tell me the truth?"
Masato shook his head.
"No."
He looked directly into the camera.
"I took Lily because I knew you would never listen to me."
The words were strange.
Not threatening.
Almost disappointed.
Kenji hated that.
Because it sounded like the man truly believed he had done something necessary.
"Where are you?"
Masato didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at Yuna.
"Tell him."
Yuna slowly moved closer to the camera.
For the first time, Kenji saw her clearly.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
Her eyes were exactly like his.
"Kenji."
Her voice shook.
The sound broke something inside him.
Because he had spent his entire life wondering if he remembered her voice correctly.
If childhood memories were real.
If the woman holding his hand in old photographs had truly existed.
"Mom..."
The word escaped before he could stop it.
Nobody in the room spoke.
Yuna closed her eyes.
A tear fell.
"I waited so long to hear you call me that again."
Kenji looked away.
He didn't know what to feel.
Anger.
Relief.
Pain.
All of it mixed together.
"You left me."
The words came out colder than he expected.
Yuna looked down.
"I know."
"You let me believe you were dead."
"I had no choice."
"Everyone says that."
Kenji looked at Masato.
"Everyone always has an excuse."
Masato's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked hurt.
"You think I wanted this?"
Kenji stared.
"I think you controlled everything."
Masato was silent.
Then he said:
"Because I did."
Everyone reacted.
Even Hiro.
Masato continued.
"I controlled the information."
"I controlled who knew the truth."
"I controlled what you believed."
Kenji's eyes narrowed.
"And you expect me to trust you?"
"No."
Masato looked at him.
"I expect you to understand why."
Kenji stepped back.
That was the one thing he feared.
Not lies.
Not threats.
An explanation.
Because explanations were dangerous.
They made monsters look human.
Masato continued.
"Twenty years ago, your family was attacked."
Kenji listened.
"Your real father was hunted."
"By who?"
Masato looked toward Yuna.
"By people who wanted your bloodline erased."
Kenji frowned.
"Why?"
Masato didn't answer.
Instead, Yuna spoke.
"Because you inherited something."
Kenji looked at her.
"What?"
Yuna's eyes became sad.
"Not money."
"Not power."
"Something much more dangerous."
The room became silent.
Akira stepped forward.
"Kenji."
Everyone looked at him.
He had been quiet since the call started.
"You need to know."
Kenji turned.
"Know what?"
Akira looked at the screen.
"Why Masato protected you."
Masato's expression changed.
"Akira."
"No more hiding."
Akira looked back at Kenji.
"Your real father discovered a network inside the organization."
Kenji listened.
"People who had been controlling families, businesses, governments."
Ren's expression changed.
"A hidden organization?"
Akira nodded.
"They don't want money."
"Then what do they want?"
Akira looked at Kenji.
"Control."
A pause.
"And your father found proof."
Kenji looked at Yuna.
"Where is it?"
Nobody answered.
That silence told him enough.
Someone still had it.
Someone had spent twenty years hiding it.
Then Lily suddenly moved closer to the camera.
"Mr. Takahashi."
Kenji immediately focused on her.
"Lily."
She looked scared.
"There's something you need to know."
Masato looked down at her.
"Lily."
The warning in his voice was obvious.
But the little girl continued.
"My mom told me before we came here."
Kenji's heart tightened.
"What?"
Lily looked directly at the camera.
"She said the person who knows the truth isn't your father."
Everyone froze.
Kenji looked at Emma.
Then Akira.
Then Hiro.
"Who?"
Lily's eyes moved toward someone outside the camera view.
Someone standing near Masato.
Someone Kenji couldn't see.
Then she whispered:
"She said the person who started everything..."
A pause.
"...is someone who is already inside your family."
The screen suddenly went black.
The connection was cut.
Nobody moved.
Kenji stared at the empty screen.
Inside the headquarters, every security monitor turned off.
Then Ren's phone received a message.
He looked at it.
And his face changed.
"Boss..."
Kenji turned.
"What?"
Ren slowly lifted the phone.
May you like
The message contained only one sentence.
"The person you're looking for is standing behind you."
