NABC Page 66
Page 66
He paused, as if searching for the word that best expressed his humiliation and anger.
"……running dog?!"
He emphasized the word "lackey" with extreme force, each syllable filled with endless humiliation, contempt, and overwhelming anger.
This was not merely an accusation against Saeko, but a fierce backlash against the challenge to his own authority.
Along with his volcanic rage, an invisible yet tangible, suffocating pressure of fear spread wildly from his body like a tidal wave.
The air in the entire restaurant seemed to be sucked out instantly, and the temperature plummeted to freezing.
The valuable oil paintings on the walls seemed to have faded in color as a result.
The light reflected from the crystal chandelier flickered and seemed about to go out at any moment.
Even the leftover food on the table seemed to be covered with a thin layer of frost.
Wakana Sonozaki felt a chill rush from her feet to the top of her head, making it incredibly difficult to breathe. Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, almost stopping its beating.
The tyrant of the family, the absolute ruler of the Sonozaki family, finally revealed his most ferocious and undisguised fangs to his eldest daughter who dared to challenge his authority and was even suspected of betraying the family.
Tonight, this magnificent prison is destined to be anything but peaceful.
The oppressive aura emanating from Sonozaki Ryubei, powerful enough to cause any weak-willed person to have their spirit broken on the spot, swept through the entire restaurant like an invisible tide.
The air seemed to freeze, each grain of dust carrying immense weight, making it hard to breathe.
The lights seemed to dim slightly, casting a menacing shadow on Ryūbei's gloomy face.
However, faced with this tangible anger and pressure, Sonozaki Saeko calmly, even gracefully, put down her knife and fork.
The clinking of the knife and fork against the porcelain plate produced a crisp sound, yet it seemed particularly abrupt at this moment.
She raised her eyes, her icy blue pupils completely still, calmly meeting her father's murderous gaze.
She was no longer the little girl who would tremble with fear at the mere glance or word of her father.
After personally witnessing Su Chen's almost godlike, unparalleled power.
After obtaining that forbidden power that belonged only to him, called "Kamen Rider Metsu".
The imposing aura that Sonozaki Ryubei was displaying at this moment was nothing more than the last gale of autumn in her eyes. It seemed fierce, but in reality, it was already at the end of its strength and not worth mentioning.
She even found it somewhat ridiculous.
What was it that my past self was afraid of?
She took a deep breath, her scarlet tongue lightly licking her lips, just as she was about to speak.
She planned to respond to her father's incompetent rage in a more intense and thorough way.
Use absolute power to tell him that times have changed.
The Sonozaki family should also try a different way of living.
However, just when tensions were running high and a complete break between father and daughter seemed imminent.
A voice that no one had anticipated suddenly rang out, yet clearly.
"Father! Please...please calm down!"
Her voice trembled noticeably, like a bud struggling to bloom on a branch in early spring—fragile, yet brimming with an undeniable vitality.
Sonozaki Wakana has always kept her head down, trying her best to minimize her presence.
That girl who was always as quiet as a ghost at family gatherings, almost forgotten by everyone.
At that moment, she suddenly stood up from her seat, drawing courage from who-knows-where.
Because of the hasty movement, the chair legs rubbed against the smooth floor, making a somewhat jarring creaking sound that stood out clearly in the deathly silence.
· ········Requesting flowers···· ······
Her body trembled slightly with fear, and her face was somewhat pale.
But her gaze was unusually firm, fixed on her father, who sat at the head of the table and exuded a terrifying aura.
Wakana's sudden action instantly attracted everyone's attention.
The rage of Sonozaki Ryubei caused his overwhelming, almost tangible, pressure to momentarily falter.
He turned his head slightly, looking at his youngest daughter with a hint of displeasure at being interrupted and a scrutinizing gaze.
Sonosaki Saeko, who was ready to completely break off relations and even resort to force, stopped her provocative words from being uttered because of this unexpected turn of events.
Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a deep sense of surprise flashed across her cold eyes.
The two sisters, along with the servants standing around them, looked at the youngest daughter of the family, who was always considered innocent, naive, and even somewhat timid, with great astonishment.
At that moment, she was like a small animal that had mustered up its courage, standing in front of a volcano about to erupt.
"My sister... she definitely didn't want to betray the family!"
Although Wakana's voice still trembled, every word was enunciated with exceptional clarity, filled with an undeniable sincerity.
She clenched her small fists tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
She was not only defending Saeko, but also defending the flawless man in her heart who had saved her like a knight.
"President Su Chen... he's definitely not a bad person!"
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When that name was mentioned, a strange light involuntarily flashed in Wakana's eyes—a light mixed with admiration, trust, and a hint of the hazy emotions unique to young girls.
"Last time, when I was in such terrible danger, it was President Su Chen who saved me without regard for his own safety!"
Her voice rose a few decibels with excitement as she tried to use her own experience to prove Su Chen's "innocence".
"He was simply protecting Fengdu in his own quiet way! Protecting the city we live in!"
"So...so my sister's decision to cooperate with him must be for the good of our Sonozaki family! For the future of the entire family!"
Her words sounded so innocent and naive.
Every word is filled with unrealistic, idealistic fantasies.
Like a child who has never experienced the world, interpreting this complex and cruel world with their pure and innocent logic.
"Perhaps...perhaps my sister wants to bring new technology and new development possibilities to our family through cooperation with President Su Chen!"
Wakana struggled to find a reasonable explanation for Saeko's behavior that her father could accept, by racking her limited vocabulary.
“Father, haven’t you always admired President Su Chen’s talent and his Zero One Technology?”
She carefully observed her father's expression, trying to find a trace of approval in his unfathomable face.
She was unaware of the complex and dangerous, almost master-servant, dark bond between her idol, President Su Chen, and her older sister, Saeko.
What she didn't know was that this involved a massive struggle for interests and power that could overturn the entire underground world of Fengdu.
She simply and sincerely didn't want to see her family members turn against each other.
She didn't want to hear the perfect, heroic man in her heart being humiliated by her own father with such vile words.
Her defense was so weak and feeble.
Her reasoning was so naive and ridiculous.
However, this heartfelt confession was so naive as to be almost foolish.
It was like a sudden, clear, and sweet mountain spring.
It was precisely poured onto the fuse of this powder keg, which was tense, filled with the smell of sulfur and gunpowder, and about to explode.
It caused a rare moment of stillness to appear on the face of the enraged Sonozaki Ryubei, a face filled with gloom and murderous intent.
Even the usually cold-eyed Saeko Sonozaki, whose aura was one of unapproachability, widened her eyes slightly due to this sudden turn of events, revealing a hint of unexpected astonishment.
The air inside the restaurant seemed to freeze at that moment.
The suffocating pressure subsided somewhat.
No one expected it.
In this impending family storm, the one who ultimately steps forward attempts to play the role of a game-changer.
It was her!
This youngest daughter, Sonozaki Wakana, has always had the lowest profile, the least noticeable presence, and has been the most overlooked by everyone in the family.
Chapter 54: False Cooperation and Temporary Calm, Sisterly Reconciliation and Undercurrents
Wakana Sonozaki's defense, full of naivety and fantasy, was like a faint but pure light that pierced through the almost solidified, suffocating darkness in the conference room.
The tense atmosphere, which was on the verge of exploding, took a subtle and inexplicable turn for the better because of this unexpected, childlike voice.
The smell of gunpowder in the air seemed to have faded a bit.
Saeko Sonozaki reacted with lightning speed.
Almost the instant Wakana finished speaking, she keenly grasped the thin, yet crucial, lifeline that her sister had unintentionally thrown to her.
The almost tangible coldness and resolute defiance deep in her eyes melted away in an instant.
Instead, there is a profound and superb "acting" that is full of the meaning of "taking the overall situation into account".
Her expression changed subtly.
Yet it is enough for any observer to sense a shift from confrontation to "restraint".
She slowly but firmly turned toward Sonozaki Ryubei down the steps laid out by Wakana.
That once proud head bowed slightly.
His posture carried just the right amount of "grievance".
There is also a kind of "profoundness" that is not understood.
"Father."
Her voice was less sharp and more hoarse than before, as if it were carrying a great deal of pressure.
"Wakana is right."
"I...did not betray you."