THE CULPRIT'S VERDICT

The vibrant hues of red blended with tangerines and purples painted the sky and sent a quite invigorating panorama that welcomed us as we landed in Narita International Airport.

The rays touched down in the horizon behind the shadow of a mountain peak as the moon appeared on the other side to catch up with the escaping sun. No one but myself seemed to appreciate the nature-sent invitation as passengers moved swiftly out of the plane.

"Is this your first time to land in this place?" Ryle inquired from behind me.

"I haven't had a chance to visit this place before, " I replied. It had been a home to my parents when they were still alive. They had visited this place many times in the past and never did they bother to bring me with them, that was as far as my memory could remind me.

"There are a lot of good places here. You might want to visit some during your free time, " he said. Am I hearing him right? I didn't know but something had suddenly changed in him since that night in the office. I turned my face on him and scanned for the seriousness of his intention.

"Yes, I am allowing you to free yourself from work, only if you finish fixing my schedule and the few papers that I will ask you to review, so stop that incredible stare of yours," he said and started to make his way out of the airport as two men in black approached to collect our luggage.

I shadowed until we came across a long extravagant limousine that doubled the length of the wide exit gate of the modern and well laid-out terminal. He got in and I sat opposite him.

My eyes wandered at the busy street ahead, the upscale boutiques with high-class vibe captivated my eyes, but what more could mesmerize me than the attractive sight of Zelkova trees lining the pathway.

After minutes of travel, the car stopped at a wide white rectangular five-star hotel that would illuminate one's eyes with its expensive and highly modern architectural design. The entrance seemed to sparkle with gems as the interior mostly consisted of fine metals garnished with gold.

I approached the elegant lady at the counter. Her silver-colored hair was raised in a bun, emphasizing her heart shaped face and pointed chin. She welcomed us with a wide smile and I gladly returned the favor.

I ask about the room reservation named after Mr. Ryle Lleneda. She handed two digital cards for the rooms reserved for us- one king suite and one executive king suite. Her sweet smile and good demeanor called for excellent customer service.

As soon as I opened the door to my room, a magnificent sight of the city, viewed from my glass pane window, welcomed me and envived a great feeling of comfort. I felt like I was in the clouds as the walls reflected the same color, white, it looked clean and invigorating.

Suddenly, a magnetic force pulled my body to connect with the wide, soft king-size bed. My back relaxed with the feathery texture of the foam, whilst the light from the ceiling served as a pendulum that sent me to my dream. As I was already close to sleeping, a knock from the door made me jump out of bed. I stood to check the chosen human form of the great disturbance in my rest, and to my surprise, it was Ryle.

"Hey, let's have dinner, there's a buffet on the first floor." The parasites in my tummy grumped out loud and so I had no choice but to say yes to his offer.

"S-sure, I'll just change my clothes then I'll go after you, " I said.

"No, I'll wait for you, you won't spend an hour changing, right?"

"Actually, I don't think I'm that stinky, so I'll just change before I go to bed, let's go," I said, and closed the door to my room.

~~~

Swirled up, mixed and turned, that was how the sexy guy in a white long sleeve and black suit entertained me with his wine tricks. A poke brought me to my senses; It indicated that the solvent was ready for serving. He took a transparent tumbler and poured in it the mixture he made. He then placed a slice of lemon on the glass lid and pushed it close to me.

"Enjoy," he winked as he offered the drink.

"Thanks, "I mumbled with a smile on my face.

The drink was a mixture of cucumber and lemon plus an alcohol I wasn't even familiar with. It created an apple mint shade that resembled the iris of the guy over the counter. He stood tall with a wide and muscled chest, his face fitted perfectly with his brown skin complexion, an attractive figure that would invite everyone in to take a sip of his tonic.

I gulped three more glasses; Ryle had not returned yet. He excused himself after our dinner to talk to someone he knew, but almost an hour had passed, he was still invisible to my eyes.

As I stared at a blank space, a familiar face of a man in his late forties brought back my senses to reality.

"Uncle Danny!" I called and he immediately recognized me.

He made watchful eyes over his shoulders before approaching me in my direction. My smile expanded to my ears as I was happy to see him after almost a month of separation but his facial expression did not return the exact emotion I expected to receive. He grabbed my elbow and dragged me somewhere where there were only a few people passing by. His tired and faint face manifested a worried and furious expression.

"Why are you here?" he whispered, but his voice was demanding and modulated.

"I came with Mr. Ryle." My voice lacked confidence and stammered a bit as I answered him.

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"Ryle Lleneda? You did apply in your dad's company, didn't you?" His voice was soft yet rough. I gave him a nod whilst my head was tucked on my chest.

"Did I not make myself clear when I asked you to keep yourself away from people who would possibly recognize you?"

I pushed my head up and tried to communicate with him to listen to my own side of the story. "Uncle I just can't curl myself in a corner and wait for any development in the case. The investigators seemed to forget about it." I explained as I was totally opposed to his proposal of me not interfering with the detectives and NBI's business.

"Max, for pity's sake, I was not able to protect your family and all I have to keep is you. Stop this now and go back home."

"Uncle, first and foremost, I am no longer a child that would follow your fatherly wish of me going back home. I am an adult now and I can keep myself safe. If you really care about me, then tell me, to whom are you protecting me from, who are you so scared of?" I let out my frustrations and I hoped he would just spill what I wanted to know.

"I'm sorry Maxine, you have to choose: stay here or I will cut all connections and obligations I have with you? Will you choose me over your obstinacy?" he blurted with seriousness and sincerity.

"Oh come on, uncle, stop with your stupid wishes. I value you, but I value my parents more, they deserve justice."

"They will not be happy with your decision, Max. There's no miracle, they can't stand from their grave just to speak the exact words I'm putting in your head. I know your parents well and I know what's good for you." His voice suddenly became calm and pleading; I felt his heavy hands on my shoulder, "So please go home. Live a good life away from these people," he continued.

I nodded. But that's all I gave him, not a promise. As he was sure that he made his words clear to me, he pulled his hands off. I escaped from his right and dragged my foot as I walked back to my hotel room, still without certainty about the decision I should be making, shall I leave or shall I stay?

"Nam!" A hand grabbed my wrist and swiveled me to look the other way around. Ryle's face was filled with queries. "I've been calling you. Where have you been?"

"I just talk to someone I know, " I told him.

"Next time, inform me if you are leaving so I don't have to look for you," he said and calmed his nerves. "By the way, I will leave early in the morning and will be back a day after tomorrow. I want you to fix my scheduled meeting with the directors of Tishibawa Company. Once you are done, you are free to go and explore some places here in Japan, is that clear?"

"Yes Mr. Ryle, I'll do as you say, " I responded quickly. "Anything else I can assist you with?" I asked.

"None," he replied shortly.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "Then I'll go back to my room now," I turned my back on him and started to walk away.

"Nam, are you okay?" he asked. I stopped and gave him a nod.

"Good night, "I heard him say.

"Good night sir, " I replied and headed into my room, adjacent to Ryle's room. I wasn't in a good state. I couldn't think properly.

I woke to the rays of the sun that strike my eyes. Though a thick sky blue curtain was placed to cover the wide window of this room, the light was too bright to penetrate through.

I ran my hand on my bed to get a hold of my phone so I could check the time. I wasn't surprised to see it was quarter to eleven, the sun had almost made its way to the north.

Uncle's words echoed in my head many times and it didn't let me sleep until it was past midnight. I had tried to consider his request for me to go back but nothing in my system seemed to second on that.

My phone beep for a second and Ryle's name flashed on it, it made me lift my upper body up from the bed.

I'm not sure if you are already awake but I ordered a meal for your lunch. It will be delivered to your room at 11:30.

My jaw dropped upon reading his message. What was that for?

I knew he had been kind this entire time of our stay here in Japan, but this was too much. Then, it was followed by another message.

Can't let my secretary's stomach be worn down by parasites, it will be hard to hire a new one.

Oh, so that was it. He did it so I could focus on the tasks he gave me. Great!

I pulled myself up to stop myself from procrastinating. I had some work to run my hands-on, so I had to start moving. What more could be the best way to invite positivity than taking a full bath in a high-class bathroom with an indoor jacuzzi.