Location: PRIVATE ROSARY
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 — 12:30PM
While the Shark is busy measuring his office, the Prince is busy measuring his prey.
Vane Kenji is the Golden Son with the face of an angel and the soul of a predatory algorithm. He is sitting in a white marble gazebo. He is surrounded by white roses. He is looking at a high-resolution photo on a tablet. It's a candid shot of Ren in mid-air.
Kenji's smile doesn't reach his eyes. He slowly crushes a white rose in his hand until the petals are bruised and weeping.
"Master Kenji..." a servant approaches with a bowed head. "The Shark has made his move. He has secured the Ishida boy."
Kenji doesn't look up. He watches the video feed on his screen. It shows Ren scaling the fire escape like a panther.
"Kaito always did have a taste for things he couldn't understand," Kenji whispers. "He thinks he's protecting Ren by putting him in a cage. He doesn't realize that I have been waiting for that cage to close. Now I know exactly where my prize is kept."
He taps the screen. He pauses the video on Ren's defiant face.
"Kaito thinks he bought a strategist. I know he bought a masterpiece. And masterpieces always belong to the collector with the sharpest eye."
Kenji stands up. He brushes a bruised petal from his white linen trousers. He looks toward the city and toward the Vane Tower.
"Let them have their night," Kenji says. His voice is a soft, melodic poison. "The Beast can play protector. It will only make it more satisfying when I burn the house down to take what's mine."