Forbidden Territory of the Heart

CHAPTER II - THE ESCAPE

Meanwhile, Eiji had found the USB drive containing the documents. The most surprising thing for Eiji was that the USB was not with the accountant. “They anticipated my arrival?” Eiji thought, holding the USB drive and sneering. The documents were safe. This USB drive had a special design, equipped with a GPS and a three-layer password: entering one layer incorrectly would result in the self-destruction of the drive. Eiji followed the GPS to find the USB. However, the alarm had sounded. Eiji still had no intention of giving up. He was determined to find the traitorous accountant.

The retrieval of the USB drive triggered the alarm system. Simultaneously, the alarm bell in Akiko’s server room also screamed.

"Damn it, only 30 seconds," Akiko cursed under her breath. The computer screen was counting down. Money was quickly being drained from the Demon King's account. She needed to execute the transfer command to those 1,000 separate accounts. Akiko uploaded the list of names, addresses, and corresponding amounts she had prepared. Akiko was impatient, her fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard. She needed 10 more seconds. The sound of footsteps grew louder and more urgent.

As a group of six black-clad guards rushed into the room, Akiko exited through the emergency escape route, walking down the stairs to return to the 15th floor. Akiko quickly peeled off her outer costume, placed a cherry blossom decal on her face, and a small black butterfly near her left eye for a second layer of disguise. She stuffed the extra costume into the garbage chute before emerging from the escape route.

She had become Yor Forger (Spy x Family), a charming lady in a black dress—short in the front above the thigh, with a fishtail flare in the back, and a red lining. The dress was not overly elaborate but was very elegant, highlighting her slender and alluring figure.

Just as she opened the door and stepped back into the masquerade hall, Akiko bumped into Kazuki, who was about to leave. Kazuki was impressed by the stunning, mysterious Yor Forger cosplay. They merely brushed past each other, but Akiko's large, dark eyes left a strong impression on Kazuki. Akiko quickly melted into the crowd.

Kazuki was surprised by the alarm on the 38th floor, while all his deployed traps were elsewhere—on the highest floor, where the traitorous accountant's room was. Kazuki had kept him there as bait to lure Eiji into a trap. The alarm on the 38th floor made Kazuki surprised and confused.

The atmosphere at the party grew frantic. An announcement blared from the speakers, stating that a minor theft had occurred, and all partygoers would have to pass through a security check gate. Akiko wondered in surprise, “What did they steal?”

She took a glass of wine from a passing waiter. The wine was gently sweet, with a minty aroma. Suddenly, someone passing by heavily knocked her hand, and the wine spilled onto her dress.

"Oh, a familiar face, I see." The man in the Kaito Kid costume exclaimed. It was Eiji.

“Too handsome!” was the thought that flashed through Akiko’s mind when she saw Eiji. She had admired him earlier, but now, in the large hall under the bright lights, he seemed even more gorgeous.

"I apologize." Eiji leaned in to grab a tissue, intending to wipe her, but Akiko quickly waved her hand, signaling it wasn't necessary, and walked away. She needed to leave this place as fast as possible.

A security guard noticed Akiko and quickly trailed her. Akiko turned into the women's restroom to wash off the wine stain. She felt a tinge of regret for having been so reckless as to come here.

In the main hall, all guests were being scanned by metal detectors. Eiji happily raised his hands for the scanner to rake over him from head to toe.

“Clear!—You may pass.”

Eiji smiled calmly and walked out.

Akiko, after briefly cleaning the wine stain, was next to be scanned. The machine beeped incessantly. Akiko was surprised.

“Please empty all the contents of your handbag.”

“What the hell?” Akiko was worried. Her phone, which had just run the system, was in her handbag, and she hadn’t had time to turn it off. If they saw that...

But she didn't understand why the scanner was alarming over this bag. Akiko smiled, pretending to cooperate, but she quickly shoved the guard hard and ran outside. She violently yanked off her pearl necklace, the round beads scattering with a clinking sound on the stone-tiled floor. The people behind her stumbled, and the guests descended into chaos.

Akiko had no idea why her handbag suddenly blared an alarm, but her instinct screamed, "Run!" And so it began.

She fled down the stairwell, picking up speed, and veered around a bend at the end of the corridor. Before she could reach the turning point, a powerful hand yanked her back, pinning her against the cold wall. With one hand, the man pulled his flowing cloak high to conceal her against the structure, simultaneously bowing his head to claim her lips in a deep, distracting kiss. It was the masked enigma, Kaito Kid.

Akiko tried to shove him away, but froze when she spotted the security detail right next to them.

"We need to check you two," one guard asserted.

Akiko trembled with fear. But the masked man, Kaito Kid, appeared utterly unfazed. He pretended not to hear the guard, deepening the already feverish kiss.

The two guards stepped closer.

"Get out," Eiji muttered, raising his eyes slightly towards the two guards who were about to approach them. Eiji's cloak almost entirely shrouded Akiko's figure.

The two guards exchanged nervous glances. One of them noticed Eiji’s hand braced against the wall. A proud, defiant black Sapphire Ring rested on that hand. The two men looked at each other again. One was about to move closer to Eiji when his partner stopped him.

"Don't! That's the youngest son of the Yamada family."

"How do you know?" the other asked, surprised.

"That ring is extremely unique. The whispers say it holds a seal that can command the forces of the Yamada House."

"Shouldn't we capture him then?"

"Are you playing dumb? I fear if we intentionally approach, we'll only bring about a miserable death. Besides, the Young Master has given his order: He belongs to him."

With that, the two guards quickly retreated, radioing their report to Kazuki as they left.

The guards didn't know that Eiji had skillfully placed his thumb right between his lips and Akiko's.

"How much has he had to drink?" Akiko wondered silently. At such proximity, the faint scent of peppermint liquor wafted lightly, like pure, icy air rushing into her nostrils—a chilling freshness, like a winter gust just making its presence known. Despite her panic, Akiko's mind was momentarily distracted.

As soon as the two guards were gone, Eiji reached for the small bag Akiko wore. The sound of their footsteps fading was Akiko's cue; she delivered a sharp knee kick to the man opposite her and bolted.

Struck by surprise, and right in a vulnerable spot, Eiji was genuinely hurt. He briefly doubled over. When he looked up, the girl in the black dress had vanished.

"Damn it! My thing is still on her!" Eiji slammed his fist against the wall.

"Find the traitor and get out of here," Eiji muttered, quickening his pace.

After escaping Eiji, Akiko found a secluded corner to steady herself. She was still overwhelmed by fear. That Kaito Kid... he dared. She lightly touched her lips. Although he had skillfully placed a finger between their mouths earlier, it wasn't a real kiss. Yet, she had never been this intimately close to a man. Her heart pounded so erratically that the health monitor watch on her wrist flashed yellow repeatedly.

Akiko placed a hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and tried to take deep breaths to calm down. If she hadn't managed to escape his embrace quickly, her heart would have hammered itself into a frantic frenzy, causing her to faint. Akiko had a medical condition: if her heart rate spiked excessively, she would suddenly black out. That was why she wore a special watch; if her pulse reached a certain threshold, it would issue a warning—initially yellow, then red when the limit was about to be reached.

After a moment of recovery, Akiko told herself, "What the hell am I doing here? I didn't steal anything! How foolish. If I happen to be caught here... at worst, I'll just tell the truth, right?"

Her inner conflict resurfaced. "Try to get out of here first. The less trouble, the better."

Akiko left her hiding spot and dashed out into the corridor. The lower floor was sealed off. She reasoned that she should go up; perhaps there was an exit there.

She ran to the elevator and ascended to the building's highest floor. Thankfully, Akiko possessed a special card that allowed her access to the building's VIP elevator, so she encountered no guards there. However, she knew her image had probably been captured by the security cameras. If she hadn't escaped quickly, they would have caught up to her immediately.

Stepping out of the elevator, Akiko aimed for the nearest door. She swiped her access card. After a few beeps, the door opened. She let out a sigh of relief.

But her relief was immediately replaced by a fresh wave of terror. She froze. The room was dark; the lights were off. In the shadows, she saw a tall figure beating another person. Just as her eyes adjusted, the figure delivered a final blow, causing the victim to collapse. By the light cast from the outside window, she glimpsed a spurt of blood. The person was likely dead. She wanted to scream but managed to stifle it, clamping a hand over her mouth.

The killer swiftly moved towards Akiko and covered her mouth. As he reached her, she recognized him—it was the masked Kaito Kid. Akiko felt dizzy, her vision blurring. She was about to faint. The watch on her wrist beeped red continuously. Akiko stammered, "I didn't see anything. I swear. Let me go."

Akiko tried to pull the door open and run outside, but the man held her arm. Just then, voices echoed in the hallway. Thundering footsteps were approaching. It seemed the security team had tracked them down.

The Kaito Kid drew a rectangle on the glass window, like a door. "CRACK." The diamond ring on his hand cut the glass with surgical precision. He lifted the pane out. The wind outside violently rushed in, starting to suck lightweight objects out of the room.

Akiko tried to run, but a strong, firm hand pulled her back. "Ah, help me!"

Those were the last words Akiko could utter before she found herself free-falling through the air. Before they fully plummeted out the window, she saw the room lights flicker on. Kazuki rushed in with a group of guards, but it was too late. Eiji and Akiko were already dropping from the window.

Kazuki smirked. "Eiji, I've found your weakness. But why her?"