"Looks like the first guest for tomorrow's fancy feast has already arrived."

The Harada Estate buzzed with an air of frenzy today, as workers scurried around preparing for the upcoming extravagant event. While many people reveled in the anticipation of the banquet, there were those who sneered at the idea of toiling like swine just to impress a bunch of haughty elites. The whole affair felt tediously tiresome.

But Hatsuko Eto, a thirty-three-year-old woman, and her younger brother Rikuto, now twenty-nine, remained unfazed by the approaching spectacle. They had no major responsibilities other than unloading some exquisite furniture from their truck and into the Grand Hall, where the event would take place. Once they completed the task with the help of their hired crew, they would make their swift exit. The setup and decoration were none of their concern.

It was Rikuto who casually mentioned the arrival of an important guest, a passing remark to keep their conversation going.

"Oh really, who is it?" his sister inquired unenthusiastically.

"From what I've heard, it's Chairman Nakamura."

A faint trace of intrigue showed on Hatsuko's face. "How can that be? I heard he was on leave or something."

"Supposedly, but rumors have been swirling that he's actually back. It just hasn't been officially announced to the public or media," Rikuto explained.

Hatsuko nodded slowly, readjusting the weight of the two chairs in her arms. "I see. Perhaps he plans to make the announcement tomorrow since so many influential figures will be present?"

"Probably," Rikuto began, "Considering the Haradas are..."

"Guys, things just got even crazier!"

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a kitchen maid, Yuki, rushing toward them with a sizable basket of produce in her arms. Yuki was a close friend of the siblings and seemed breathless, as if she had hurried there just to deliver some juicy gossip.

"What's up?" Hatsuko inquired.

Yuki leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper, as if sharing a secret meant only for their ears.

"I heard they might cancel the banquet."

Rikuto gave her a skeptical look. "Says who? Are you sure about what you're saying?"

Even Hatsuko seemed unconvinced.

"Guys, I heard from a friend who heard from an acquaintance that the banquet might actually be called off. Apparently, one of the security guards stationed outside the meeting room overheard something!" Yuki revealed, her eyes darting around nervously, as if she had just committed some petty transgression.

However, the siblings found it hard to believe Yuki's words. She was notorious for believing any scrap of gossip that crossed her path. They inwardly dismissed it as nonsense, despite outwardly pretending to listen attentively to their friend's ramblings.

Little did they know that this time, Yuki was not merely spreading idle gossip.

**

Ryuji Nakamura wasted no time in getting straight to the point of his visit. Contrary to the Haradas' expectations, he had no intention of attending the banquet. He had come solely to ensure that it never took place.

"May I inquire about the sudden request?" Satoshi Harada, the current Chairman of Interactive Entertainment Ltd, appeared unfazed by his elder's abrupt demand. It seemed he would comply as long as there was a reasonable explanation behind the request. "I assume Chairman Nakamura is already aware of the true motive behind the banquet?"

The room fell into an eerie silence, as if the weight of the conversation rested solely on the two chairpersons.

Discarding formalities, Ryuji unabashedly helped himself to a cup of tea that had been left untouched for far too long. The others, initially hesitant, mirrored his actions only after he had already poured himself a steaming cup.

Standing steadfastly on either side of their boss, Yuichiro and Sakuraku flanked the charcoal-grey couch where he sat. Though offered seats earlier, they politely declined, opting to remain standing. They understood their boss's tendencies well enough to know that he preferred to handle matters in his own way, without the need for trivial formalities.

"I even cut short my leave for this," Ryuji interjected, his words dripping with a hint of exaggeration.

Yuichiro struggled to maintain his composed façade, nearly cracking under the weight of such a blatant lie. Ryuji's return from leave had little to do with the unfolding drama and everything to do with the mere coincidence of the Haradas' event.

Whether the others believed him or not remained a mystery, but Satoshi calmly responded, "Then your reasons must be grave indeed, to have disrupted your break."

Suddenly, a voice piped up, capturing everyone's attention. "This doesn't make sense, does it?"

It was Kohana Ishihara. Ryuji immediately noticed the disheveled state of the woman, a stark departure from her usual polished appearance. Gone were the meticulously applied makeup and fashionable attire, replaced by bare skin and casual drapes. It was evident that she had been the one most affected by the news, and not in a positive way.

Satoshi shot her a warning glance, but she paid it no mind. Rising to her feet, her gaze fixed on Ryuji, she appeared desperate for someone to finally listen. Even her voice sounded a tad unsteady as she went on, "The more I think about it, the more I really don't understand. It's all forced and unnatural, and deep down, everyone here knows it! Bringing in a second wife with no background... introducing a second heir when my Izuki is more than capable of inheriting the company... What's the reason for all this? To burden us further? You agree with me, don't you, Chairman Nakamura?"

Nanako Harada, taken aback by her daughter-in-law's outburst, desperately tried to calm her down, but Kohana adamantly shrugged her off.

"Kohana, we've already discussed this," Satoshi coolly interjected. His indifference to the situation was either genuine or expertly concealed, for this public display of discord was embarrassing for the family; especially for him.

Of all the days for this troublesome woman to create a commotion, it had to be today...

"Discussed?" Kohana shot him a venomous glare, before a twisted grin spread across her face. "And what exactly have we discussed, dear? All you've proven is your unwavering infatuation with that woman!"

"Kohana!" Nanako exclaimed, perplexed. Was this the appropriate time to air such grievances in front of guests?

Ryuji continued sipping his tea, captivated by the unfolding drama. His two companions behind him, however, grew increasingly uncomfortable. Yuichiro and Sakuraku coughed dryly, feigning interest in the room's décor, clearly longing to escape the tense atmosphere.

With no one able to pacify Kohana, Nanako eventually resorted to summoning security to help remove her, while she trailed closely behind with Suzuki. In the end, only the Harada males and the guests remained in the room.

After realizing his father had no intention of banishing him as well, Izuki discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. Even the slightest movement caused him pain, his face still bandaged and slightly swollen from the second beatdow— the second 'fight' he'd had yesterday with Kentaro.

"I apologize for the unpleasant scene you were forced to witness," Satoshi addressed the remaining people within the room, his voice as composed as ever. "My wife hasn't been well these past few days."

"En, she must feel it's unfair treatment in regards to herself," Ryuji casually remarked. "Which it is."

"But in the world we live in, situations like these are rather common, are they not?" Satoshi wasn't even fazed. "Chairman Nakamura might not entirely advocate for such, but you must agree the assertion is accurate."

"You're not wrong," Ryuji didn't even bother denying it, adding, "But like you said, I don't really support these forced arrangements either. Which brings me back to my purpose for visiting. I'd like you to give Yumiko Nomura her freedom."

The man poured himself a second cup of the surprisingly delicious tea and took a sip, as if his words were just an everyday phrase.

The air in the room didn't shift, though Suguru Harada's brow visibly twitched. Save for exchanging a few curt greetings with the guest at the beginning of the meeting, he hadn't spoken a word. This was also the case when Kohana lost it earlier, as if the incident had been within the elderly Harada's expectations. Even Ryuji's mention of Miss Nomura earned only a tiny, almost imperceptible reaction from him, and Suguru could see that his old friend was still as unpredictable as ever.

So this was why Old Nakamura wanted to cancel the event?

Meanwhile, Satoshi simply stared at the elderly man and calmly inquired, "May I ask why?"

"Why?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow and countered, "Why not?"

"I don't mean to say your words make little sense. I'm just curious why you're suddenly requesting this," the younger man raised his own cup to take a sip. "Chairman Nakamura has been absent and inactive for the past few years, so we're a little curious as to why the first move you made was to demand the freedom of a nameless woman whom you clearly do not care about. We just want to—"

His words were cut off by Ryuji's laughter, a chuckle that sounded anything but friendly. Satoshi patiently waited for him to finish, about to ask for an explanation when Ryuji's gaze shifted from him to his father.

"Since Harada senior here has been unusually quiet, maybe he can answer my question," Ryuji smirked lopsidedly. "Tell me, is your son playing me for a fool?"

Suguru didn't look like he wanted to be part of the conversation at all. Nonetheless, he cleared his throat and responded calmly, "He means well. Your request did come as a surprise to me as well, if I'm being honest."

Ryuji snorted and turned back to Satoshi. He placed his cup down and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and clasping his hands as he continued the confrontation.

"You seem like such a smart young man. Surely you couldn't have easily forgotten our agreement from ten years ago. Such a small request must have been a challenge for you to fulfill, so I can only make the decision myself now that I'm back, no?"

Satoshi responded, "I admit it took us a long time, but wasn't that our plan before you suddenly demanded that we cancel our event?"

"It took you this long because you didn't care about the matter," Ryuji corrected, a smile that didn't reach his eyes hinting at his suppressed rage. "This issue isn't making anyone happy, so why not just drop it? Let's give up on this pointless move and avoid stirring up unnecessary noise. Was this whole arrangement even based on mutual agreement? Did Miss Nomura agree to marry you willingly?"

"Of course."

"Is that so?" Ryuji feigned deep thought. "But that doesn't sound right. Your father told me a completely different story yesterday."

Suguru nearly spat out his tea at those words and couldn't help but glare at Ryuji. This was definitely not what they had agreed upon!

I agreed not to interfere, but I didn't sign up for this mudslinging with you, scumbag! What nonsense are you spouting now? Suguru seethed with anger.

Ryuji had unexpectedly called him the previous evening, requesting that he not interfere in whatever happened today. Suguru wasn't thrilled about being ordered around, so he had initially lashed out. However, the next few things Ryuji had told him had sent a chill down his spine.

Every illicit deal and shady transaction the Haradas had ever engaged in, mostly during Suguru’s rise to power as Chairman... Ryuji had meticulously gathered evidence, uncovering even the most trivial of crimes committed. How Ryuji had acquired such information remained a mystery to Suguru, who had gravely underestimated Ryuji's capabilities. After all, Ryuji had reigned as the uncrowned king of the underground for far longer.

Without the numerous pyramid schemes, money laundering operations, and the forgery of significant documents during Suguru's tenure as Chairman, how else could the Haradas have amassed such fame and fortune in such a short span of time? These were the dark secrets that Suguru Harada had sworn to take to his grave, concealed even from his wife and the rest of his family.

Ryuji Nakamura possessed enough damning evidence to dismantle their company and imprison Suguru for an extended period. Naturally, Suguru wasn't foolish enough to resist cooperation.

Who cared about his son's irrational infatuation anyway? It had only brought one problem after another to their doorstep in recent times!

So why was Ryuji suddenly exposing their conversation from yesterday? Suguru was already burdened with enough stress and wanted no part in this trivial exchange, please!

"Since you've been neglecting her all this time, what prompted this sudden change of heart?" Mr. Nakamura continued, his voice unwavering. "That's what I asked your father yesterday, and he was kind enough to share a fragment of information with me. Something about you favoring your other son to inherit the company?"

"...You say it as if it's not a good thing," Satoshi responded after a brief pause.

The corners of Izuki's lips twitched visibly at his father's words, his fists clenching quietly. Of course. It always circled back to that wretched half-brother of his!

"Ordinarily, it would be. However," Ryuji's head tilted slightly to the side, his gaze filled with curiosity, "Does the boy even want to be here?"

~~~~~~