The Invitation and the Truth Beneath Names
Jodie Starling Receives the Invitation
A quiet hotel room in Marseille, curtains half-drawn, late afternoon light spilling across scattered files.
Jodie Starling stared at her secure phone.
Unknown sender.
No traceable network signature.
No FBI routing.
Only a message.
Invitation
Mr. Keith Argus Runcandel requests a private meeting.
Location: Runcandel Vision HQ.
Purpose: Personal and professional clarification.
Attached was a single photograph.
A young man with platinum-silver hair and sapphire-blue eyes, standing calmly beneath the Runcandel crest.
Jodie froze.
"…He's—"
Her cheeks warmed despite herself.
Handsome was an understatement. There was something composed in his gaze—too composed for someone his age. Not predatory. Not manipulative.
Just… certain.
Runcandel, she thought. That Runcandel?
She exhaled slowly.
"This is either the biggest trap I've ever seen…"
"…or the first honest invitation I've received in years."
She typed back.
Jodie Starling:
I'm currently in France on assignment. Send the address.
The reply came instantly.
Keith Argus Runcandel:
Understood. I'll be waiting.
Coordinates followed.
Jodie swallowed.
"…Alright," she murmured.
"Let's see who you really are."
Akemi & Shiho Settling into the Mansion
The Runcandel mansion was unlike any place they had lived before.
No hidden microphones.
No handlers pretending to be caretakers.
No constant fear.
Shiho discovered a private laboratory wing tailored precisely to her level of knowledge—advanced but not overwhelming. Akemi found something even rarer: peace.
That afternoon, Keith invited them to a quiet sitting room overlooking the gardens.
"Akemi," Keith said gently, "do you know a man named Shuichi Akai?"
Akemi shook her head immediately. "No."
Keith nodded. "What about Dai Moroboshi?"
Akemi stiffened.
"…I knew him," she said carefully. "We met after a car accident. He helped me. We became friends."
The room went silent.
Vermouth's lips twitched.
Ethan Hunt's jaw tightened—just slightly.
Curacao's eyes sharpened.
Shiho looked between them. "What's wrong?"
Keith leaned forward, fingers interlaced.
"Dai Moroboshi," he said calmly,
"is Shuichi Akai."
Akemi's breath caught.
"He's FBI," Keith continued, voice even.
"And he was using you to reach the Black Organization."
Akemi's hands clenched.
"If his identity had been exposed," Keith added, eyes steady,
"you and Shiho would have been eliminated. No hesitation."
Shiho flinched.
Akemi's eyes burned with anger.
"…He lied to me," Akemi whispered.
"Yes," Keith replied simply. "And you weren't the only one."
He turned slightly.
"He also used Jodie Starling's feelings."
That did it.
Vermouth's expression darkened.
Ethan's lips pressed into a thin line—anger buried deep, controlled.
Shiho looked down, fists trembling.
Akemi swallowed hard.
"…We were that close to dying," Shiho said quietly.
"Yes," Keith answered. "You were."
The Truth of the Miyano Family
Keith stood.
"There's more," he said. "And you deserve the truth."
He told them everything.
About Atsushi Miyano.
How he entered another organization before the Black Organization.
How he manipulated Elena Miyano into loving him.
How he experimented on her—even while she was pregnant.
Akemi's breath shattered into sobs.
"He escaped," Keith continued.
"Made it look like he died. Elena survived—but fell into a coma."
Shiho's eyes widened, tears spilling over.
"…Mama… is alive?"
"Yes," Keith said softly.
"And she has a godfather."
He paused.
"Karasuma Renya."
Both sisters broke.
Years of running.
Years of fear.
Years of thinking they were alone.
All undone in a moment.
"He's been protecting you from the shadows," Keith said.
"Every route change. Every erased file. Every delayed order."
Shiho cried silently.
Akemi covered her mouth, shaking.
"And Atsushi Miyano?" Akemi asked, voice trembling with fury.
Keith's eyes hardened.
"He'll answer for everything."
Aunt Vermouth
Vermouth stepped forward at last.
She knelt in front of them, removing her gloves.
"…You can hate me if you want," she said quietly.
"But I won't lie to you."
She pointed to herself.
"I'm your aunt."
Shiho stared.
Akemi blinked through tears.
"…Aunt… Vermouth?"
She smiled sadly. "I preferred to watch from afar. But now—"
Keith interrupted gently.
"They're family," he said. "And they're staying."
Vermouth nodded.
Before the Meeting
Later, as the sisters rested, Keith turned to Vermouth.
"I'm meeting Jodie Starling today."
Vermouth's eyes narrowed—but she nodded.
"…Be careful," she said. "She's not stupid. Just… misled."
Keith smiled faintly.
"Then I'll give her the truth."