Only yours

Deceptive Tracks

I had just left the conference room when Massaru hurried towards me. His expression told me from a distance that something was wrong.

"What happened?" I asked as soon as he was within earshot. "Boss, there have been simultaneous transactions on the accounts. Globally," he explained with a worried look. "What does that mean?" I asked anxiously as he pulled out a table and spread it out in front of me. The numbers and data increased my tension.

"See for yourself, here are the withdrawals listed. In North and South America, Europe, Africa... everywhere at the same time, but with different amounts, large amounts all marked as cash withdrawals." I took the table in hand and skimmed through the entries. My heart rate quickened. Saphir, that little rat. This would make it much harder to track him down.

"Prepare the conference room at the villa. I want every available man on standby," I commanded firmly.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Kunzite's number. "Yes?" came the curt reply from the other end. "We have a lead on Saphir. Nothing concrete yet, but we have some clues. Let's meet at the villa," I informed him. "See you soon."

Less than an hour later, we were gathered around the large table. Kunzite, Massaru, Haruka, some carefully selected members from Massaru's team, and I. I had spent the last hour working with Massaru on a plan.

"I assume Saphir has paid others to make the withdrawals for him. We have withdrawals from all over the world in Las Vegas, Rio, Munich, and Cairo," I began, marking the locations on the map behind me with crosses. "I'll focus on Brazil since that place is personal for us; Kunzite will handle Vegas, Massaru will take Munich. You two concentrate on Cairo, and Haruka will stay here to keep an eye on Usagi." I felt the looks directed at me, expectant and eager. We had to find him and put an end to his madness.

"Are there any other clues or just the withdrawals?" Kunzite wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, we only have the withdrawals for now. But we'll start with the locations listed in the transactions. Maybe someone has seen Saphir; if possible, get the surveillance footage—any hint could be helpful. Massaru has prepared lists of properties we own, as well as potential hideouts where he might be lurking. Each of you will receive an envelope with the relevant information and everything that has interested Saphir so far. We are prepared, and each of you has suitable accommodation," I explained as Massaru distributed the envelopes. A moment of silence fell over the room before I handed the floor to Massaru.

"Mr. Prince has already covered the most important points. Should anyone on-site need assistance or find any leads, please contact me immediately. I will send reinforcements. We still have some people in backup here in Tokyo. Haruka, you'll get someone additional since I'll be abroad myself. Ms. Tsukino needs a 24/7 contact."

Our mission was clear: track down Saphir, hold him accountable, and ensure he could cause no more harm. Massaru dropped me off at the jet.

> I'll be away for a while. I'll check in when I'm back in the country.<, sent to Usagi.

I informed Father about the current situation and assured him that I would attend his meetings from Brazil.

Brazil, once again. A land of diversity and beauty, but at this hour, it had become a place of the hunt for me. A place that stubbornly refused to reveal Saphir's tracks. Days passed, and the unsuccessful search for Saphir only added to my rising frustration. Two days had already gone by with no sign of him. Every location seemed like a dead end. Our investigations into the properties we controlled led nowhere. The streets of Rio remained silent; no one had seen him, and no one could help us pick up his trail.