"Zach, how delightfully uninvited you are to be here," Takumi remarked dryly as he stepped out of his car, his gaze narrowing in faint irritation.
At the sound of his voice, Zach, Sai, and Dryzza turned to face him, their surprise fleeting but palpable.
One of Takumi’s guards quickly approached, taking his car keys with a bow before driving the sleek vehicle through the gates.
“New car?” Zach asked, his eyes lingering on the vehicle’s elegant frame until it disappeared into the estate.
Takumi allowed a faint smirk to curve his lips. “Yes, La Rose Noire Droptail. A small indulgence.”
The mention of the car left Dryzza and Sai visibly stunned. It wasn’t every day someone casually referenced owning the most expensive car in the world. Dryzza, in particular, shifted uncomfortably, almost tempted to shield her own modest vehicle from view.
“I sometimes wonder how much you really make as a psychiatrist,” Zach quipped, though his tone carried a knowing edge.
He, better than most, understood Takumi’s wealth was less about his profession and more about the Takahashi family legacy—an inheritance that became his after his parents’ untimely demise.
"Let’s not waste time with pleasantries," Takumi said, his voice calm, almost detached, as he folded his arms across his chest. His posture remained impeccably poised, yet there was a subtle tightness in his demeanor. "What brings you here, Zach? I thought we're already with our little misunderstanding."
Zach’s lips quirked in a smirk as he gestured lazily toward the house. "Not even an invitation for an old friend to come inside?"
Takumi’s gaze never wavered, a flicker of disdain passing through his eyes. "We both know better than to pretend we’re friends. Spare me the formality. Speak plainly."
Zach chuckled lightly, his tone infused with an unsettling ease. "I’ve got all the time in the world today," he said, his eyes flicking briefly to Dryzza. "Especially for her. But since I’m sure you’ve got more pressing matters, I’ll get straight to it."
He took a slow step forward, his posture shifting to something more deliberate. "We’re here to search your home. A report has come through linking you to Dr. Andersen’s missing patients. This isn’t about suspicion—it’s a matter of clearing up the complications we’ve run into with the higher-ups and for you to be free from their suspicions."
Takumi’s eyes narrowed, the calmness of his expression faltering for a brief moment. "Search my home?" His voice rose, controlled but tinged with disbelief. "On what grounds?"
"Conspiracy," Zach replied coldly, extending a search warrant that had been meticulously prepared in response to Dryzza's account from the previous night.
Takumi took the document with a steady hand, his gaze lingering on the warrant for a moment longer than necessary, as though it were some kind of puzzle he had to solve. "Conspiracy?" he echoed, his voice almost a whisper. "You can’t be serious."
Zach’s lips curled into a sardonic smile. "I'm afraid I'm very serious," he glanced at Dryzza, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "And the pieces of the puzzle, Takumi, are falling into place far too neatly. I suggest for you to just cooperate to make things easy for all of us."
Dryzza stood still, her thoughts racing. She hadn’t expected Zach to take what she said about her encounter last night seriously, much less to act so decisively, procuring the warrant so swiftly. But there was something unsettling in the way Takumi reacted, the subtle undercurrent of tension. Was he truly surprised, or was he hiding something more? Something that made him want to control the narrative of what was to come.
Takumi stood frozen for several seconds, his mind struggling to process the unexpected turn of events. The atmosphere around him had shifted from controlled detachment to a tense, suffocating silence. He hadn’t even noticed the officers emerging from the shadows of the estate, their presence now closing in on him like a tightening vice.
The guards who had long been the silent sentinels of Takumi’s home moved with sudden, coordinated precision, positioning themselves between their master and the intruders. Their stances were defensive, ready to act, but there was hesitation in their eyes. They knew well the consequences of defying the law, but their loyalty to Takumi ran deep—far deeper than a simple set of rules.
Zach took a slow, deliberate step forward, his gaze never leaving Takumi’s rigid form. He knew Takumi’s tendency to remain calm in the face of adversity even at a very young age. He had observed this young man for years, seen the way he cared for his colleagues, the quiet intensity with which he approached even the most mundane of tasks.
Despite the enigmatic air that surrounded him, Takumi had always been someone Zach wanted to help, but never did he give him the chance to.
Now, watching him in this moment of frozen uncertainty, Zach realized just how tangled Takumi had become in the web of Samantha’s case—how deeply he had allowed himself to be pulled into something far more dangerous and confusing than the Takahashi Manor case.
"Takumi," Zach said softly, breaking the silence. His voice was steady but carried an undercurrent of understanding, as if trying to reach the part of Takumi that hadn’t yet been overwhelmed by the weight of the situation.
"We're only here to help you—in the right way possible. That's what I've always wanted to let you know ever since the death of your parents. So, please—"
"Stop begging for something you know I could never give," Takumi finally spoke in a stern, most calculated manner.
His jaw clenched, eyes flickering between the guards and Zach, a subtle shift in his expression indicating the struggle within.
"Let them in," his voice measured, fully aware that any refusal would not only undermine his authority but would also place his guards in direct violation of lawful orders, potentially exposing them to severe legal consequences.