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Chapter 224: Three Hundred Million Yen and a Father's Scheme
Three hundred million?!
Mori Kogoro's squawk echoed through the lobby, causing even the well-trained security guards to cast strange looks his way.
Kisaki Eri frowned in disgust, subtly taking a small step sideways, as if to disassociate herself from this embarrassing man.
"Ran..." Kogoro lowered his voice, leaning in sneakily toward his daughter and nudging her with his elbow.
Ran felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "Dad, what are you doing?"
"Look, just look!" Kogoro gestured toward the top of the apartment building, then pointed at Blake's name on the registry, his voice brimming with unconcealed excitement. "This Mr. Blake—young, promising, generous, and he knows Chinese Kung Fu... Most importantly, he seems to be unmarried, right?"
Ran's face went red instantly, the blush spreading all the way to her ears. "Dad! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!" She stomped her foot, a mix of shame and anger.
Conan, standing nearby, clenched his small fists until they cracked. This old geezer! Did his brain contain anything other than money and Yoko Okino? This is intolerable!
"Ran-neechan has Shinichi-niichan!" Conan shouted loudly in his childish voice, looking up and trying to interrupt Kogoro's unrealistic fantasy.
The words "has Shinichi-niichan" were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples across the quiet lobby. Ran's cheeks burned even hotter, and she awkwardly wanted to cover Conan's mouth.
"Hah? That detective brat?"
Mori Kogoro sneered, curling his lip in disdain. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear. "How long has that guy been missing? Not even a phone call! If you ask me, he's probably mesmerized by some pretty rich girl at a crime scene somewhere and has forgotten Ran completely!"
"Dad!"
Ran's voice spiked, carrying a trace of hurt and a tremor. Her eyes rimmed with red as she glared at her loose-lipped father. "I won't let you talk about Shinichi like that! He... he is working on a very important case!"
Even she lacked confidence in her defense. The wait had been too long—long enough that she occasionally had wild thoughts late at night.
Conan stood frozen, feeling the blood rush to his head. This damn old man!
"I... I'm doing this for your own good!" Kogoro, feeling guilty under his daughter's tearful glare, stiffened his neck and argued forcibly. "What's so good about that detective kid? Always appearing and disappearing, making you wait alone for so long! Dad is looking out for a better option for you!"
"Mori Kogoro."
Kisaki Eri had walked into the middle of the group unnoticed. She pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, her gaze behind the lenses sharp as a knife. "Are you done making a scene?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but like an ice pick, it instantly shattered Kogoro's laughable bravado. "Embarrassing yourself in public, and intentionally poking at your daughter's heartbreak—is this what you call being a father?"
Every word from Eri was like a severe cross-examination in court, striking the vital points.
"I..." Kogoro's arrogance was doused. He could act tough with anyone, but faced with his separated wife, he always felt inexplicably shorter. "I was just... just joking..." he defended dryly.
"Joking?" Eri laughed coldly. "Is your daughter's happiness and reputation something to joke about? Do you think peddling your daughter like a commodity makes you look good?"
"I didn't!"
"Shut up!"
Eri shouted sternly, unleashing her full Queen's aura. Not only Kogoro, but even the two guards standing nearby subconsciously straightened their backs.
She took a deep breath, ignoring her disgraceful husband, and turned to Ran, gently patting her daughter's back. "Ran, don't listen to your father's nonsense. Mom trusts your judgment, and I trust Shinichi too."
"Mom..."
Ran couldn't hold it back anymore and threw herself into her mother's arms, her tears soaking Eri's expensive suit.
Holding her daughter, the sharpness in Eri's eyes turned into helplessness and heartache. She looked up, her gaze passing over her husband to land on Okiya Subaru, who had been silent the whole time. She nodded slightly. "I apologize, Mr. Okiya. You've had to witness something unsightly."
"Not at all. Family bonds present themselves in many forms." Subaru maintained his squinty-eyed, gentle appearance, his tone sincere and flawless.
Conan, however, read something else in his eyes. Mr. Akai... has probably adjusted the old man's danger level to match the Organization's members. After all, a teammate who accomplishes nothing but failure is sometimes scarier than an enemy.
"Let's go up."
Having soothed her daughter, Eri resumed her posture as the legal queen. She straightened her lapel, damp from Ran's tears, and led the way to the front desk. "Hello, we have an appointment with Mr. Blake on the top floor."
Her voice was calm and professional, as if the family drama had never happened.
The security guard at the desk clearly knew of the famous lawyer Eri Kisaki and was respectful. "Yes, Attorney Kisaki. Mr. Blake has already informed us. Please sign in here."
Conan leaned in, standing on tiptoe to look, feigning curiosity. He saw Subaru sign his name, his finger seemingly tapping the registry casually while his eyes scanned the entire page of visitor records in a split second.
Registration complete, a guard respectfully guided them, opening the gate to the dedicated elevator for the top floor. "Mr. Blake's apartment is the penthouse; this elevator goes directly there. Please enjoy your visit."
The elevator doors slowly slid shut. The mirror-like walls reflected the faces of the group, each harboring their own thoughts.
Conan and Subaru stood in the corner. One looked up, his gaze heavy behind his lenses, taking in everyone's expressions. The other squinted, a gentle smile on his lips, looking for all the world like a graduate student genuinely curious about occult theories.
The elevator climbed quietly and steadily. The red numbers on the screen jumped continuously. Conan's heartbeat accelerated along with the numbers.
Here it comes.
Finally, he was going to face that man directly. The one who called himself "Blake," whose codename didn't exist in Organization records, yet who held a status far above Gin. The demon who ruthlessly decided to use Ran as experimental material while chatting and laughing.
He glanced instinctively at Okiya Subaru beside him. The man maintained his smile, but Conan could sense that beneath the gentle exterior lay muscles pulled taut and a killing intent ready to explode. It was the state of a hunter finally closing in on the prey's lair.
Ding—
A crisp chime. The elevator doors slid soundlessly to the sides.
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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