Page 41

CHAPTER FORTY

JIRO

I lay on my bed with my hands behind my head and my legs crossed, a smile on my face. My plan was coming together better than expected, not that I’d ever doubted myself. Still, I’d thought it might take longer to gain Akiko’s trust.

But I’d done it. I’d tugged at her heartstrings, reminded her of what we’d once had. Her feelings for me hadn’t disappeared. They’d just been dormant, waiting for the right spark to reignite them.

I let out a satisfied breath, my smile widening. There were moments I’d questioned whether I could pull this off, but once my father told me I was in the program, I’d known there was no turning back. I had to see it through.

And I would.

Because after all these years, I had to prove to Akiko that she’d been wrong about me and that I’d been right all along.

I glanced at my watch. A little past one in the morning. Almost time. I sat up and slid on my shoes. I was still dressed in my uniform, having never bothered to change. I stood by the door, listening for movement. Satisfied that the dormitory was silent, I slipped out.

Under the cover of darkness, I made my way across the compound, staying off the lit pathways and using the trees to shield my movements. When the entrance to the maze came into view, I slowed my pace, ears straining for any sound.

The maze was silent.

I entered, following the path I’d memorized: a right at the first T intersection, then a left, another right at the Y split, looping back, and finally, a left that led to a dead end.

I stopped.

A figure sat on a stone bench at the far end of the pathway, their silhouette barely visible in the shadows. I approached until I stood before them.

“Hello, Reina,” I said.

“Jiro,” she replied. “Thank you for meeting me at this hour. It’s safer for both of us.” She patted the bench beside her. “Sit.”

Reina kept her gaze ahead, her chin level, her back perfectly straight. She rarely looked at me when she spoke, but I didn’t mind.

“She trusts me,” I said, sitting beside her. “We’re further along than I expected. I believe she’ll do whatever I ask of her.”

Reina’s lips curved into a cold smile. “How can you be so sure?”

“I know her. I see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She’s agreed to my plan to team up with Kenji. We’ll approach him tomorrow morning during breakfast. I suspect he’ll say no.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Reina asked. “What if he surprises you and thinks it’s a wonderful idea?”

“Then I’ll deal with him,” I said. “Either way, he won’t make it past the next challenge. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You’d better,” Reina said, her voice hardening. “You’ve had ample time to prepare for this.”

“I have,” I said. “Thanks to you. And don’t worry. Akiko will make it to the final challenge.”

“Good,” Reina said, her tone laced with venom. “Because that bitch deserves everything that’s coming to her.”