Hi,

I will be quite busy in the coming weeks, so I want to upload this chapter early. :)

As always, thank you for those who has reviewed, faved, and followed. This story will reach its climax soon. But I am planning to write the continuation, a series of how Asami and Akihito's daily life is with the teenage twins and their 10 years old angelic sister. If you have any input/feedback, kindly let me know. Oh, and since I am so bad at making names, if you have any suggestion for the name of their daughter, please let me know in your review or message as well (with the meaning, if possible). I will appreciate it much. ^_^

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer : VF belongs to its Yamane Ayano.

Warnings : Tortures.

Chapter 9. The Victims Of Evils

Part 1. Some Things Are Worth The Risks

Asami inhales the addicting smoke deep into his lungs. Closing his eyes to savor the familiar sensation, he lets the sweet taste of nicotine calms his anger. He almost lost his control in front of Akihito, and for that, he feels more anger towards himself than towards his naive boy.

He actually doesn't want to scare his lover by showing his evil self. Asami knows that the boy is frightened enough by Asami's world, even though Akihito has never admitted it out loud. He can see the battle within Akihito every time his young lover has to face a piece of reality of his cruel world. But so far, his boy always makes him proud by conquering his own fear.

Blowing the smoke leisurely, his anger slowly fades out. It is then that he realizes Suoh's glances in the rearview mirror. His bodyguard's face is full of concern.

"Is there anything you want to say, Suoh?"

Driving the Benz smoothly in the heavy traffic of Tokyo, Suoh doesn't take his attention away from the road as he answers, "I mean no disrespect, Sir, but are you sure you want to do the interrogation today? You look tired. Now that Takaba-sama has came back, you may want to rest for a bit."

Asami chuckles dryly at the advice. "My boy is so angry with me right now. I doubt he will let me rest."

"Does he know about the babies' identity, Sir?"

Asami exhales. "Not yet, Suoh. Right now, imparting such information won't be wise. It will push Akihito to the wrong direction. Handling my boy requires certain techniques and tricks. But it keeps me on my toes."

Suoh nods and remains silent for a while. A few minutes later, Asami hears his bodyguard carefully suggests with reluctance, "If it suits your fancy, should I drive you to one of the other places where you can take some rest?"

Suoh doesn't dare to ask directly, but Asami understands the hidden meaning well. The other places. With other pretty girls or boys with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes. How many does he have right now? He can't remember. He takes a few drags of his cigarette while considering his options.

"Which one is the closest one right now, Suoh?"

There is a slight hesitance. Then the answer comes, "It is Emi, Asami-sama."

Ah, he almost forgets about the girl. Since the twins were born, he has no time to think about anything else but Akihito, his work, and their sons. He stops himself to repeat the last phrase slower: their sons. He has never truly considered the twins as their sons up until now. It feels...a little bit weird. But, it warms him in a way that he can't explain. It sounds like they are a real family now. Their sons bond Akihito with him, stronger and thicker than what any chain can do. And Asami doesn't hate the feeling that the idea creates deep within him.

"How is she, Suoh? I haven't seen her for a while."

"Based on the report that I receive everyday, she is well. But Haruka reported that Emi suddenly attacked her a few weeks a go. The reason is unclear. Kirishima plans to bring the girl to see doctor, but he hasn't been able to fit it into his schedule yet. Should I tell Kirishima to push the check up ahead?"

Asami can't blame Kirishima. His right hand man has practically spent all his energy and time to find Akihito and to take care of the twins while doing all his usual duties. They all need a break. And now that Akihito is back, hopefully everyone can relax a bit. At least, after they clean up the mess Akihito created.

"Leave her for now. I will deal with her personally once everything with Akihito has settled. Just tell her guards to pay more attention to her. Ask Kirishima to pamper her a bit, buy her some jewels, cars, clothes, or whatever it is the girl possibly wants. She deserves some rewards," he orders.

Something is off with the girl, but it doesn't change the fact that she has given him and Akihito two healthy baby boys. And for that, Asami feels surprisingly thankful. He is not sure why the girl attacked Haruka. For now, he decides to dismiss it. The girl must be emotional after giving birth. As long as she doesn't do anything stupid, he is willing to let her go with a generous amount of money in her bank account and a spacious house so she can live in luxury for the rest of her life.

"Understood, Asami-sama. Then, do you want to go to the other boy's place? Takumi's apartment is a bit further, but with this traffic it won't take more than 30 minutes."

"Let's just finish our business as soon as possible, Suoh. Then we both can go home and have our rest."

Right now, Asami doesn't want anyone else to comfort him. The only thing he desires is to go back to the warm embrace of his lover and their sons, which may be a bit difficult at the moment considering the boy's anger towards him.

Asami doesn't feel surprise to find Feilong and Yoh in front of the warehouse where they keep Tao. What surprises him is the way Feilong immediately kneels and bows down so low until his forehead touches the dirty floor as soon as the man sees him coming. Yoh looks awkward for a while but he quickly follows Feilong's example. Looking down at what he considers as a ridiculous and useless act, Asami keeps his face devoid of all emotions.

"Asami, have some mercy on Tao. My son is young and inexperienced. I had forbidden him to do any illegal business, hoping that he can live as an honest man unlike his father. But apparently he didn't listen to me. Now he made a stupid mistake by hiding your boy. He should have known better than challenging you. I am willing to do whatever it takes to compensate for your inconvenience as long as you can guarantee the safety of my men. Just, please, let my son live."

Asami can't stop the snort he makes. He notices Yoh's hands curl into tight balls as the man swallows his anger at Asami's rudeness. But Asami doesn't care. For the past year, Sion group has grown so strong that Feilong's power is nothing against his. Asami has to teach the world what will happen if someone dares to upset him. If he doesn't instill fear now, someone else may try to do it again. And the next time, he may not be so lucky to be able to get his family back.

"If you want him to live longer, you should have controlled him better, Feilong."

Feilong doesn't even lift his head up as he answers, "One day, you may be fortunate to be a father, Asami. Then you will realize that your child has his own thoughts, his own desires, and his own mistakes. You can never fully control your child. If I knew about his plan, I would have stopped him. What kind of a father am I if I let my son die before me, Asami? Please, let him live, for the sake of our years of friendship and alliance."

Feilong's words stop his next retort. His ally's voice is full with emotion. Asami stands there, staring down at the prideful man who pushes aside his own ego to safe his son. Asami knows very well that in other circumstances, Feilong will never do something like this. The man will rather die than bowing down to anyone; moreover to bow down to Asami.

And if this happened a few months ago, Asami would pay no heed to this kind of plea. Before, he never understood the sentiment between parents and their children. His own mother is a prostitute who doesn't even know who his father is. There is not much that Asami remembers about her. The woman didn't care about him, preferring the company of pathetic men who warmed her bed for just a single night. And when she finally abandoned him, Asami didn't feel anything. He doesn't know where she is now or whether she is still alive. And he doesn't feel the need to know.

But now, with his own sons sleeping at home, he can't help but feeling a little bit of sympathy towards his ally. If he can, he also won't let Rikiya and Naoyuki see the ruthlessness of his world. He wants to shelter them from the cruelty of life for as long as he is alive. However, it is simply impossible.

One of the many things that he learns in his life is that not everyone has the privilege of ignorance. And as his sons, Rikiya and Naoyuki will have none of it. As soon as his enemies find out about his sons, they will try to use them to get him. And his enemies are going to find out. There is no such thing as a secret in his world. If the ugly truth can save his sons from an early death, he will show the kids the darkest side of the world himself.

And refusing to teach Tao the rules of their world is the only mistake that Feilong did. But who can blame the man for trying to keep his son away from their dangerous world? Asami didn't want to give this kind of world to his own sons as well; a world where fathers watch their sons die for stupidity and sons kill their fathers for power. That is one of the main reasons that started his plan to let Akihito and his dog raising Rikiya and Naoyuki in a normal world. But now that he has a taste of how it feels to have a family of his own, he isn't sure he has the strength to see his lover and sons laughing in the embrace of another man.

It has been a very long time since the last time Asami felt unsure of what to say or what to do. So he puts Feilong's concern aside for now and decides to just follow his instinct. His loyal bodyguard follows right behind him as he enters the warehouse without another word.

The dark hair boy sits in the middle of the dimmed warehouse. His hands are tied to the chair. His ankles are chained to the legs of his seat. His face is dirty with sweat, dried blood and scratches. His left eye is swollen. There is a deep cut at the edge of his lips. He is barefoot and naked but for his torn jeans. And Asami can see purplish bruises all over his well-built chest and stomach. But despite his pitiful condition, Tao sits as if he is a royal and stares at Asami with a strong and steady gaze.

Impressive, the crime lord silently praises. Not many can stay calm in this situation. Most people will beg for their life as soon as he enters the room. He has to admit that Feilong's son has the guts. Unconsciously, he smiles at the thought of breaking this boy.

Based on the report that he received, Tao gave quite a fight when his men tried to capture the boy. More than half a dozen of Asami's men were shot in their vital organs. And the boy seriously injured a few others before they finally managed to bring him down. And the only thing that made the boy stop fighting was because Kirishima brought Feilong over to persuade the boy to submit. His ally didn't want all his men to end up butchered like Mikhail Arbatov's, and so, he gravely agreed to give his son up.

Asami takes his time to take his jacket coat off, draping it over a comfortable sofa near the door. After he rolled up his sleeves, he carefully removes the watch on his wrist. It was a gift from Akihito years a go, he doesn't want to break it. Finally, he takes a pack of cigarette from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, he patiently waits while Suoh attentively lights it while Asami puts a nitrile gloves on. He quietly relishes a few satisfying drags of nicotine as he observes the young boy.

Tao doesn't say anything when Asami leisurely walks toward him. As per the usual procedure, his men have prepared a table full of instruments near the boy. A collection of various torturing devices, from different sizes of needles to numerous shapes of steel saws, is spread in such a way so that the person being interrogated can take a good look at each of them. It is more for psychological effect than practical purpose, really. Asami drags his fingers lazily on the table, slowly touching any tools nearby as if he is trying to make his choice.

"Stop pretending," the boy says calmly, "I know you have made your choice already."

Tilting his head, Asami replies amusedly, "Oh? And may I know what your guess is?"

Sighing, the boy answers in a bored flat tone, "I guess, it is your own hand. Right now, you want so much to feel how your hand can break my bone and rip my muscle up. You aren't so imaginative, aren't-"

And before the boy can fully complete his sentence, Asami hits Tao's stomach hard, though not with all his power. He doesn't want to tear Tao's intestine and send the boy early to death. Tao can't even groan. He gasps for breath and bends his body as much as he can before he throws up. Asami gives a signal to Suoh and the giant instantly throws a bucket of cold water to the boy, instantly cleaning all the mess.

"That's for giving the wrong answer," Asami tells the boy calmly before he grinds and stubs his cigarette on the back of Tao's left hand. "And this is for your cheeky attitude."

Tao doesn't even grunt at the pain. His fists tighten as he endures the burning sensation. He slowly looks up at Asami, his eyes are full with silent anger. Asami suspects that most of that anger is directed towards the boy himself rather than towards him. Right now, the boy must feel frustrated at himself for being helpless. But surprisingly, Tao manages to hide it better than most men older than him.

Throwing the cigarette away, he walks around the boy as he explains. "You are a smart boy, Tao. I have to admit that you impress me a lot. If Akihito didn't come out on his own, I would have never found him again."

He gently caresses the boy's scalp from behind before tugging the black locks roughly, forcing Tao to look up at him. Leaning down so their faces are separated only a few inches away, he asks, "So, I don't understand. Why did you make such a stupid move? Why do you try to challenge me? Is this your way to prove yourself to your father? Do you want him to approve your skills so bad?"

For a long moment, they just look at each other. Then the boy slowly smirks.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Asami Ryuichi? Because I am not intere-"

Asami hits Tao on the face. Bloods spill from the edge of Tao's lips and the boy leans forward until it looks like he is going to fall if the restrains doesn't stop him. But Asami pulls the boy's hair back, even rougher than before, and forces Tao to look at him in the eyes.

The boy growls low. "You won't understand, Asami. He is going to do it, with or without my help. But without my help, your enemies may find him and kill him. Unlike some people," the boy sneers sarcastically at him, "I hold friendship in high regard. It is not easy to find a true friend in our world. Some things are just worth the risks."

Asami releases the boy and Tao struggles to take a deep calming breath. Assessing the boy's injuries and behavior, Asami suspects that Tao has one or two broken ribs. But the boy quickly puts his mask of calmness and confidence on again, determined not to show his torturer any weakness.

In another 15 years, Asami hopes that his own sons can grow into strong and courageous young men, just like the one who now sits in front of him. If by that time, someone kills his sons, what will he do? Even now, he can't imagine it. He surely will kill anyone who dares to put their filthy hand on his sons. No. Let him amend it. He will torture and kill their loved ones in front of their eyes first before he kills them slowly. That he can guarantee.

Finally making a decision, he gives Suoh a brief order, "Bring Feilong inside. I want him to witness the punishment I give to his son directly."

And just like that, Tao loses all of his composure. The boy jerks his body in his useless fight to break free. His curses and shouts echo in the wide room.

"Fuck you, Asami Ryuichi! Isn't it enough to fucking kill me?! Do you have to add more to his pain?! He knows nothing about my crime! Leave my father alone, you fucking asshole! He is your friend and ally for years! Is this how you are going to repay his loyalty and trust?! By forcing him to watch his son die? You bastard, I pray that Akihito sees your true color so he will hate you to death! I swear, Asami Ryuichi, one day you will pay the price! Too bad I can't see your pathetic face when that happens!"

"Gag his mouth," he calmly orders one of his men who stand at the corner of the room.

When Feilong finally comes, the boy's calmness has broken into pieces. Both Tao's wrists bleed from trying to break free from his restrains. The boy screams uncompressible sounds through his gag, shaking his head in a soundless plea. Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks at his adopted father in regret.

Feilong freezes at the sight of his son. Asami observes how Feilong's hand turns into fists, so tight that it becomes pale white. But Feilong doesn't say anything. What else to say? He told Asami everything that might persuade the crime lord to release his son. And so far, it seems that nothing worked.

Feilong knows he can't challenge Asami. Not now. Not yet. He knows it will become a war that he will surely lose. He also knows that losing that war means sending all his men into their grave. And he can't do that to the thousands of men who relies their lives on him. If it is not for saving the live of his men, he will never let Asami treats his son like this. So he tries his best to pretend calm in front of Asami even though his heart feels like it will explode in unbearable anger. Mustering as much strength as he can, he tries to silently encourage his son, vowing wordless revenge and praying a quick painless death for the boy.

"Your son has offended me and so I have the right to punish him."

Feilong doesn't move his gaze from his son. He bits his lips until he can taste blood in his mouth, trying not to scream at his so-called-ally and give any more entertainment than necessary to the bastard.

"Therefore, I will take over all his businesses and routes. He will work for me, for years most probably. And during those times, he will learn how to grow strong and how to eliminate his enemies. I will teach him everything he needs to know to build his own power. And when I deem him ready to do his own dealing without repeating a stupid mistake like this, I will give back everything to him."

Before Asami finishes his sentences, both the boy and Feilong turn their heads abruptly towards him. Feilong's jaw hangs open as he gawks at Asami in disbelief. Asami simply smirks.

"Your boy has talents, Feilong. In fact, he is way too intelligent, astute, and cheeky to live a normal life as a salary man or even an honest businessman. You must be blind not to see it. If you don't want to teach him yourself, I will take him in and become his mentor. It is safer for him this way. But you and your son must know that I won't go easy on him. I am known for being a difficult boss and I will surely make him work to the bone. Maybe one day he will wish I killed him today instead of letting him live. And let that be his punishment for all the headaches he gave me."

The relief he sees in Tao's eyes are so transparent that he can't help but smile. No matter how hard the boy pretends to be mature, he is still just a child. Feilong's son is not even legal to drink and smoke yet.

Thankful that his son escapes death, Feilong walks quickly to hug his son, gently releasing the gag while Tao struggles to breath to gain his composure back. Asami waves his hand to tell Suoh to remove the restrains on Tao's wrists and ankles. And as soon as his son is free and safe, Feilong strides to Asami. Kneeling gracefully, his ally puts a respectful kiss at the back of Asami's hand.

"Hong Kong and China will always be your ally for as long as I and my son live, Asami Ryuichi. We will stand by your side even when no one else will. That I promise you."

And with that promise, Asami seals the deal that will ease his sons' path to his world. He is sure by now that there is no way he will let another man to raise Rikiya and Naoyuki. He and Akihito will take care of their sons together. There will be risks. But indeed, some things are just worth the risks.

And to do so, he needs as many allies as he can get. If he kills Tao today, it is just a matter of time until Feilong betrays him. By saving Tao's life and taking the boy under his wings, not only he has successfully eliminated a future threat towards his little family but he has also strengthened his power by creating a stronger alliance with the Chinese triad.

Asami notices that Liu Feilong grows soft with age. Ever since they are still enemies, Feilong has often made decisions based on his emotion rather than his logic. It makes Feilong easy to be manipulated. And in his opinion, those are the reasons why Baishe stops growing stronger in the past few years.

But Feilong's adopted son is a completely different case from his father. Despite his unconditional love to Feilong, Liu Tao is fiercer, shrewder, and less emotional. In a way, the boy reminds Asami of himself when he was young. Asami can see that Tao will make a very strong leader one day. And when the time comes for Tao to take over his father's organization, his sons will have a very powerful ally by their side.

Besides, it is much easier to make sure that Tao and Akihito don't have any sort of romantic relationship if he keeps the black hair boy close to his side. Satisfied with the result, Asami sighs. Now, he has another boy that needs to be taught some manners back at home.

Part 2. The Imitation and The Original

Emi is terribly disappointed. Oh yes, she is so disappointed that she feels like tearing someone apart. It doesn't even take half an hour before Mariko starts spilling everything. Emi truly hopes that Akihito will last much longer.

The electricity shock works wonder. Chained helplessly to the wooden table as she screams her pain in agony, Mariko quickly tells Emi everything she knows about Akihito. Where the boy met her brother, how they met, how long their relationship was, what she thought about Akihito the first time she met him, how Akihito treated her children so kindly and got the affection of her parents so quickly, how her brother suddenly told her that Akihito wanted to break up half a year a go, how devastating his brother was since Akihito disappeared, blah blah blah.

From what she gathers so far, it is quite interesting to know that her master is actually interested with someone who is in an honest relationship. Especially since her master is willing to go as far as letting this Akihito to keep that dull man as his boyfriend for so long. Maybe, this Akihito is too boring that her master didn't want to keep the boy for himself. The boy may be just a light snack in between meals. She starts to question herself whether she really needs to spend effort to kill the boy.

Of course, with her master's charm, no one can resist the temptation no matter how honest he is, not even this Akihito. Even Emi can feel that her heart melts every time she looks at her powerful master. And heaven knows that only one or two things in this world that can do that to her. Unfortunately, none of that information will help Emi to get the boy.

She hums softly as she increases the voltage and Mariko shouts at the top of her lungs.

"STOP IT! Please, I told you everything that I know! PLEASE! Turn it OFF, PLEASE!"

The woman shrieks and begs and struggles in her restrains, fighting in hopeless attempt to avoid the jolts of electricity that shots from her wrists, her ankles, the tips of her every finger and some of her more private parts. Tears, sweats and mucus cover Mariko's face. But what Emi likes about electricity shots is that it is relatively clean. Nothing will stain her expensive clothes. After a while, she reduces the electricity power to a more bearable pain.

"It is not up to me to stop the pain, Mariko-san. It is up to you. Give me valuable information, and I will end your misery. I promise," she tells Mariko in sweet innocent voice.

"I told you everything. Please, let me go. Please, I beg you," Mariko cries as her body shakes from the constant aches.

"Now, I want you to search everywhere in your brain, Mariko. Find something that will make me happy and I will release you."

That is the only warning Mariko gets before Emi increase the voltage once again and extreme pain shots through her body. Actually, the whole process is so boring for Emi. Emi starts the pain, waits for a few minutes, reduces it, and asks questions. Then everything repeats all over again. She almost falls asleep sometime in between Mariko's screams.

But after a few rounds, Emi smiles as Mariko starts to mumble something that may be useful. Finally.

"I saw him...Akihito...he walked in this elite neighborhood... with groceries..."

Oh, Emi remembers this. She followed Mariko around. But when Mariko entered the condominium building, Emi couldn't because she didn't have the access. So, she didn't know what happened inside.

"How did you manage to go inside?" she ask nicely in curiosity while trailing Mariko's cheek gently.

"...cleaning...I...I work for a cleaning agency...have some clients at that building," Mariko answers as she trembles by Emi's tender touches.

Poor woman, Emi thinks. She can't help but pity Mariko. If it is not because of this Akihito boy, this woman doesn't need to go through all this pain. That boy is a pure evil to put so many people in misery.

"Ah, I see," she replies with a warm smile to encourage the woman to talk more. "And what did you see inside, Mariko-san?"

Mariko sobs but she doesn't try to get away from her touches anymore. The woman doesn't have strength left to resist her. Emi shakes her own head. What a weakling.

"...I saw...I saw Akihito...he went to...to this lift...you see...the building has a special lift reserved for the penthouse...and he went into this lift...then I couldn't follow him anymore..."

Emi is stunned, "That's it? I wait so patiently and this is all that you can tell me?"

"Wait! Wait, please!" Sensing her displeasure, Mariko quickly tries to stop her. She swallows quickly before she tells Emi the rest.

"I asked around...I was so curious so I asked around. Another cleaning lady told me that she cleaned that penthouse weekly before. She...she told me that the penthouse was empty since she was assigned to clean it around three years a go. Maybe more, she couldn't remember. But the owner was a bit eccentric, she said. There are certain things that she must clean but must not move. And there is this one bedroom that she must make sure that everything stays at the same place."

"So, she can't move anything?"

Mariko shakes her head vigorously. Her eyes are wide in fear that she may say the wrong things. So, Emi shows her good grace by nodding warmly. She even smiles beautifully to encourage the poor woman to continue.

"Not even a piece of paper. She explained that there were receipts on the desk in that bedroom. But the owner's secretary instructed that she must not throw those receipts away. She could move it for a while to clean the desk, but she must put it back to where it was. She told me she couldn't even throw away anything inside the trash bin. She must clean it carefully, but everything that had been there, must stay there."

"Why? What for?"

"I...I don't know. I swear. Please. She told me that her agency suddenly informed her to stop cleaning the penthouse around a year ago. She was not sure why. But since then, she said, sometimes she saw a blond boy came to use that lift. So she thought the owner might hire another cleaning agency to clean the penthouse. But she couldn't be sure; the boy didn't look like he was a cleaning service. But she also knew that the boy didn't live there permanently. Sometimes, she didn't see him for weeks or months."

"So, this blond boy, am I correct to assume that he is Takaba Akihito?" Emi asks carefully, thinking while tapping her pretty finger on the woman's shoulder. Mariko shudders but quickly nods her confirmation.

"Is there anything else I should know, Mariko-san?"

"..."

"Mariko-san? Please, do not disappoint me anymore," she chastises her sternly as if she talks to a little girl instead of a woman.

"...I...the man...the receptionist in the lobby...we often talk when I come there...he has worked in that building for almost ten years..."

"Oh? And?"

"...he...he told me...that...that Akihito lived there before..."

"When? When exactly was it?" Emi needs to confirm. Her hand brushes the electricity panel and lingers there for a while.

"I don't know! I truly don't know! Please...He just told me that it was more than three or four years ago. He didn't remember when exactly it was..."

Three or four years a go? It was earlier than when her master started collecting light brown hair boys and girls. Emi knows for sure because one of those girls called Misaki mentioned it to her before Emi killed her. It seemed that Misaki was one of the earliest version in her master's collection.

"Then?"

"...the receptionist told me...a few years ago, the blond boy suddenly stopped coming. He didn't know why. And then the owner of the penthouse also didn't come much anymore for years. Not until around a year a go. Then he started seeing the owner and the blond boy again. Around two months a go, one of the owner's staffs even brought two babies in. It seemed that the woman didn't notice that he heard the babies' cry from his desk. He hadn't seen the blond boy for a few months now, he said. But he also said that sometimes it happened. Besides, the owner still came regularly. So he didn't pay much attention. He didn't know Akihito's name, though. So...so he always called him..."

"...called him what?" Emi pushes impatiently.

"...he called Akihito using the family name of the penthouse's owner. He called him...Asami-san. I didn't...I couldn't tell my brother. Akihito was a good kid. I tried to convince myself that he had to have a strong reason to go there. Maybe the owner was his family or something. I wanted to ask Akihito myself before saying anything to Arata. But then he suddenly disappeared."

Emi freezes. She thought her heart must have stopped beating for a while because her entire body feels so cold. What does this entire information mean? Does this mean that the boy is not the same with the other boys and girls? Which one is the original and which one is the imitation? He can't be the original, can he? But the fact that the boy had lived with her master even before her master started collecting the boys and girls with light brown hair and hazelnut eyes and the fact that her master brought her sons to that penthouse, what does it mean?

And the way the receptionist calls the boy Asami-san? If it is one from his famous collection, she knows her master will shoot the receptionist dead and punish the boy or girl for not correcting the mistake. Up until now, Emi thinks that she will be the first one who gets the honor of being called Asami-san since she is the one who survives to give her master heirs.

But maybe she is wrong to assume the owner of the penthouse is her master. From Mariko's story, the owner seems to be so different from the unforgiving and ruthless master that she knows. Maybe it is a relative of her master. Yes, it must be it.

Emi can't recognize her own voice as she forcefully asks the shaking woman, "What is the name of the owner, Mariko?!"

"Asami Ryuichi! He told me the owner is a zillionaire...a businessman named Asami Ryuichi. Please, I don't know anything else! Let me go! Please, I beg you."

It is almost 7PM when Akihito calls him. Asami smiles as he answers his phone, expecting a full lash of anger from his boy. But as always, Akihito surprises him. The boy's tone is quite civil as he complains, "You know, if you want me to take care two babies, you should tell me their names, at the very least. I can't keep calling them Boy No. 1 and Boy No. 2."

Asami chuckles, "The older one is Rikiya. The younger one is Naoyuki. They have bracelets with their names engraved, if you pay more attention."

There are some noises on the other end of the phone as the boy makes a quick check.

"Geez, the name is engraved on the inside of the bracelet and it is so small. How do you expect me to notice it?" His boy pouts.

"Well, I don't expect you to notice it," he replies with an amused tone. I expect you to call me to ask for it, he adds silently.

"So, no last name? Do you just pick them up somewhere?"

Asami can hear suspicion in his boy's question. Akihito is smart. His boy will connect the dots soon. Asami knows he can't keep avoiding this issue for long. But he tries to drag it, nevertheless.

"Why? Don't you like them? Should I tell Kirishima to throw them away?"

"They aren't some garbage that you can just throw away, bastard! I just want to know whether they have family searching for them at the moment! I won't take any part in kidnapping!"

He grins, "As far as I know, they have no family searching for them."

There is silent and Asami starts to wonder whether his boy somehow guesses the truth sooner than he expects. Then he hears Akihito sighing.

"Poor babies."

"Anything else, Akihito?"

The boy grumbles and mutters, "What time will you be home today?"

Ah, Asami can guess the boy's problem by now. But the crime lord feigns ignorance. It is entertaining to see his boy fumes. "Do you miss me already?"

"No way!" his boy's answer is quick and loud. There is hesitance. Akihito's voice sounds unsure as he mumbles, "But I made dinner. It won't taste good if it is cold."

Oh, the boy is trying to lie to him, isn't he? Asami smirks in enjoyment.

"Don't worry. I am sure everything you made will taste good even after it is microwaved."

"Argh, fine! I want to take a bath, okay? I feel sweaty and dirty after all that running through the airport you made me did and a few hours flight back to Tokyo. And your goons don't want to release the chains for me. They are afraid to even touch or look at me as if I have some kind of diseases! How can I take off my clothes with the chains on my wrists and ankles?"

Asami bursts into laugh.

"Stop laughing, bastard!"

"That, Akihito, is a problem I believe I can solve quickly. Actually, I am on the way home already. I will strip you out of your clothes in 10 minutes."