KENJI
We are saying our goodbyes to Tokito and Nemu near the entrance when a voice, sharp and cultured as a honed blade, cuts through the murmur.
"Kenji Soma. I heard you were in New York. You didn't call."
I turn. Lady Saeko. Heir to the Kagami syndicate. Her family controls the ports in Osaka, and our business with them is… significant.
She is a viper in a sheath of white silk, her smile as cold and perfect as a diamond. Her eyes, dark and assessing, slide over me before landing on Nicole with a dismissive flicker.
"Saeko," I acknowledge, my tone neutral. Business. This is always business. "My trip was brief."
Her lips curve. "All play and no work? I'm shocked." Her gaze drags back to Nicole, lingering on the simple black dress I bought her, on the way she holds my arm. "And who is this? A new… assistant? They get younger every year, don't they?"
