Akira did not wake up at her usual time.

The night had been a little too exciting for her, so she was exhausted and overslept without her knowledge. She did not wake up even when the sunlight filtered through the living room window and brushed her sleeping face.

She finally woke up when she heard her phone vibrating on the table.

She was still a little groggy with sleep due to the disruption of her usual sleeping cycle. So, when she tried reaching for the device, she ended up on the floor. She groaned and sat on the floor ungracefully. Luckily, there was no one to see her embarrassing moment.

Instead of standing up, she directly picked the phone and answered it. She did not check the caller identity because she assumed it was Kaito.

"Where are you?" She asked without prelude.

"Miss Brown, this is your mother's lawyer." The kind old voice reached out to her through the earpiece.

Akira removed her phone and looked at the caller identity. It was 'Annoying Lawyer'.

"Oh, what do you want?" She asked.

The old man was an annoyance, but he was a well-meaning annoyance. Therefore, she could not be too mean to him. He would check up on her and ensure she was still eating. He used to be her mother's colleague and was supposed to help her with all legal issues.

"Don't worry. I am not going to nag you." He said in good humour. "But I have received news about your mother's sister. This piece of news has triggered a certain thing that your mother entrusted me with. I think it is important that we meet as soon as possible."

Akira frowned. The mother mentioned was Helen Brown. She was a businesswoman with a lot of prestige in Tokyo before she sent Akira to the Immortal Sword Valley and left the country. After that, almost all the information about her disappeared.

The only person who seemed to even recall that woman was the lawyer. Everyone else acted as if they had never heard of the name Helen Brown.

As for that sister, Akira somewhat knew her identity. Her name was Dr Harriet Brown. While her mother was not a good person, she was not as bad as that witch. They were not familiar with each other, but Akira associated her with a perverted appearance.

She also knew that her mother's letter about family and the reason for leaving was related to that Harriet Brown.

Her curiosity perked up at the mention of the person who kidnapped her. She had never been able to take action against that woman because she was elusive. Moreover, she did not know how to deal with someone her mother considered important.

Now, she could learn about her.

"What happened?"

"I think it is best if we discuss this in person. You can come to Tokyo, or I will travel to Mountain Ridge." The old man said.

"Can't you at least give me a clue?" She asked.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Harriet Brown is dead. I just confirmed the matter since Interpol was involved in her situation."

"That is quite interesting. What did my mother want me to do if her sister died?" Akira asked.

"I am not giving you more information until we meet in person."

"Fine, fine. I will come to Tokyo as soon as possible."

"Excellent. Give me a call when you decide on the day."

Once the call ended, Akira dialled Kaito's number. She frowned when she heard the automated message. She put away the phone and looked at the ring around her neck. She smiled with some embarrassment about being too excited.

She did not keep calling Kaito or send him a message.

She was not overly worried about his status. Even though he promised to return immediately, things could change on the field. He was probably just experiencing a delay. He had mentioned that the matter could take up to a week.

Akira stood up and rubbed her sore butt. Sleeping on the couch was not a good idea. She checked the wall clock and found it was almost noon. She groaned.

She did not have plans, but she hated destabilising her sleep schedule. She would have to plan for a hard reset to regulate her sleep patterns again.

Just as she was leaving the living room to take a shower, her phone vibrated again. She rushed back and checked the caller. It was Hina.

"Hello." She said without enthusiasm.

"Don't sound so excited," Hina responded flatly.

"Sorry. I was hoping for someone else."

"Has Kaito not returned?" Hina asked knowingly.

"Mmmh, I am a little worried," Akira said.

"He is a grown man. What could happen to him? Plus, evil people live long lives."

"Don't call my boyfriend evil." The words sounded sweet.

"A married daughter is like spilt water. Are you saying that he is not evil?"

"He is evil. But you can't say it." Akira replied.

"Fine, fine. I wanted to invite you for lunch. My assistant recommended a great seafood restaurant. If you are free, we can check it out. It will distract you from your woes." Hina said.

"I don't have woes."

"Are you going to keep checking your phone?" Hina asked.

Akira sighed.

"You definitely have woes. I am coming over in fifteen minutes. Get ready."

Hina did not give her another chance to refuse.

About one hour later, the two young ladies found themselves in a private room of Oysters & Lime. The restaurant was a bit modern with a westernised décor theme. It was a beautiful place, and the customers they met on the way in seemed satisfied.

"Order whatever you like. I am treating you." Hina said with the generosity of a king at a banquet.

"Then, I won't be polite. I have been planning to have lobster for a while now. What can be better than free food?" Akira said. "I will also order a good bottle of old wine. It might alleviate my woes."

Hina looked at the petty woman, but she did not comment.

When the food was finally served, Akira did not waste time. She broke apart the lobster shell like a starved woman. However, she paused after the first taste.

"What is it?" Hina asked.

"The lobster tastes a bit funny," Akira replied.

Hina stretched her fork and picked out some of the flesh.

"It tastes fine to me," Hina said.

Akira frowned a little and tried another piece. However, as soon as it touched her tongue, she gagged and spat it out in a napkin.

After a few moments, Hina's eyes widened.