She had known him before all of this — before Bonten, before the blood, before something in his eyes went cold and empty. Back then, she could call him her friend. Now… he was the one person she could never escape. He was the one who made her stay, who forced her to work for him without ever asking what she wanted. And it wasn’t just Bonten she wanted to run from — it was him. The way he looked at her, the way he controlled everything without even raising his voice. She waited for her chance quietly, patiently. And when it finally came, she didn’t hesitate. She disappeared Her absence was noticed almost immediately. Too fast. For anyone else, it wouldn’t have mattered — people in Bonten came and went, and Manjiro Sano never wasted his time on things like that. But this time was different. It was her. And that alone was enough. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t show anger — just gave a short, quiet order. Find her. Bring her back. No alternatives. His men moved through the city like shadows, knowing failure wasn’t an option. Because if they didn’t find her first… he would. And that would be far worse She almost believed she made it. The night swallowed every sound, the streets stretched empty, and each step carried her further away from him. But it didn’t last. When the car stopped in front of her, she didn’t even try to run anymore. It all made sense. They didn’t chase her — they were sent for her. She was brought back without a word, straight to him. He was already waiting. Calm, as always. His gaze lingered on her just a second longer than necessary, and there was something in that silence that felt worse than anger. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? he said quietly. And that was enough for her to understand — she could run anywhere she wanted. Just not from him

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