He stands, signaling the end of the briefing. The others rise with him.
Ms. Ikeda approaches with a respectful bow. “If you’ll follow me, Your Highness.”
I siton the queen-sized four-poster bed and turn on my phone. The screen is a frantic mosaic of notifications. Six missed calls. Nine texts. Three voicemails from Alice. Two voicemails and a text from Rei. One from Leon. And one from my father.
I ignore the chaos and call him first.
He answers on the first ring. “Kaori.” His voice is as calm as ever, even though I know he’s probably pacing his office.
“I’m safe,” I say quickly, the words rushing out before he can even ask. “I’m at the Embassy.”
There is a long, heavy pause on the other end. I can hear him finally stopping his pace. “I’m glad,” he says at last. “Promise me that you will remain there until the security office advises otherwise.”
“Yes, Papa.” I trace the intricate carving of the bedpost, grounding myself in the wood’s texture.
He exhales, a sound of pure exhaustion. “You frightened us, Kaori.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Do not apologize. None of this is your fault.” In the background, I hear the muffled, urgent tone of his secretary reminding him of a meeting with the Prime Minister.
“Go,” I urge him. “I’m fine. There isn’t anything else you can do for me right now.”
“I wish that wasn’t true.” He sighs, the weight of a thousand miles between us hanging in the air. “We will speak tonight. Text me when you are available.”
“I will.”
“I am glad you are safe. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The line clicks shut. I stay there for a moment, the phone pressed to my chest, taking several deep breaths. Hearing his voice was the anchor I needed to keep from drifting away in the storm.
Next, I send a message to Leon.
Kaori
Hi, Dad. I’m safe. I made it to the Japanese Embassy. Please fill me in on everything that happened once I left when you can.
As the text sends, I move on to my other messages.
I listen to Alice’s messages next: “Kaori. Oh my gosh. Are you alive? I just saw the alerts on my mobile. Call me as soon as you get this!”
The recording cuts off abruptly, followed immediately by the next one. “Why aren’t you picking up? Please tell me you’re okay. I don’t care where you are, I’ll come get you myself if I have to—just answer!”
The third one is softer, the panic replaced by a grim seriousness. “Kaori, I saw the second story. This sounds really,reallybad. I know you’d never do what they’re saying. Art is on standby to help. Just call me.”
I swallow hard, a lump forming in my throat, and play Rei’s first voicemail.
“Onee-chan?” My little sister’s voice trembles. “Are you safe? Papa hasn’t said anything to me yet, but the news is blowing up on my phone. Were you... were you actually dragged out of a building in London?” She hesitates, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Please call me.”
In the background, I hear the faint, melodic chime of her boarding-school bell. She’s in Wales, and she’s supposed to be worrying about her classes and spending time with her boyfriend, not an international scandal involving her sister.
I scroll through the notifications one last time. Still nothing from Theo.
I quickly dial Rei back, but it goes to voicemail. “Hi, Rei, I’m fine, I promise. It’s a long story, but I’ll fill you in tonight after your classes are done. Don’t worry about me—focus on your studies.”
Next, I hit Alice’s contact. She picks up before the first ring even finishes.
