Chapter 229 Ugaki's Resolve

Ugaki’s Resolve

I couldn’t help but laugh. Who would have thought that such a minor hint could bring him so close to uncovering my most closely guarded secret? This man is dangerous. But depending on how I use him, he could become a trump card. Things just got interesting.

“You’re an intriguing person, Furuta-san. Rather than a policeman, wouldn’t you be better suited as a novelist or screenwriter? You could create an incredible crime drama series. But unfortunately, this is reality. What you’ve described is nothing more than your imagination.”

At that moment, I had no choice but to respond this way.

“Is that so? Then perhaps I should consider a career change.”

He deflected my verbal jabs with an air of effortless nonchalance.

And then, our conversation was abruptly cut short.

“Ugaki-san, preparations are complete.”

Furuta-san’s superior knocked on the door and stepped inside.

“Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

And with that, the intellectual game between us came to an end. There was a faint tinge of regret, but…

“Well then, Furuta-san. Until we meet again.”

“Yes, Ugaki-san. Thank you for your time.”

Like a conversation following an interrogation, our exchange ended with subtle implications hanging in the air.

When I first heard about the accident involving my wife and daughter, the blood drained from my face. I rushed to the scene, but by the time I arrived, my wife had already passed away. After the merciless announcement, my body stiffened for a moment, and my memory from that point onward became fragmented.

I intended to head straight to the accident site, but the police stopped me. Normally, I would have immediately understood their reasoning, but at that moment, perhaps due to my state of confusion, I couldn’t comprehend why they were holding me back.

“My wife is in there. Let me confirm my daughter’s safety!”

Later, when I asked my secretary, I was told that I had echoed those words before collapsing.

My secretary acted on my behalf and informed me that Ai had been taken to the hospital. I headed there, leaving my wife’s remains in the care of the rescue team.

Miraculously, Ai’s injuries were minor. After breathing a sigh of relief, I soon realized that her emotional wounds ran far deeper than her physical ones.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Because of me… Mom… Mom…”

All I could do was hold my sobbing daughter tightly. Despite being the one who endured the most fear and pain, every time she saw my face, she would apologize. The sight was so heart-wrenching that I couldn’t bear to face it.

I began to fear that seeing my face would only serve to remind Ai of the trauma.

That’s why I decided to attend my wife’s funeral alone. I couldn’t allow the media to turn my precious daughter—the miracle survivor—into their plaything.

And then, after the funeral, I uncovered a shocking truth.

I happened to overhear some gossip attendees during the service.

“Apparently, the cause of the accident was shoddy repairs.”

“Then this could become a huge scandal.”

“No, it seems that company has ties to a powerful political figure… The slush funds from the corner-cutting construction were funneled there. They’re applying significant pressure to bury the case. Responsibility will likely remain ambiguous, and the truth will never come to light.”

“Wow, that’s terrible.”

What followed was carried out with a speed that even surprised me. I gathered the construction records for the tunnel, confirmed the repair history of the collapse site, and identified the contractor responsible. It became clear right away that it was Councilor Kondo’s company. Then, with the cooperation of public security officials, I thoroughly investigated Councilor Kondo’s connections and the movements of his bank accounts. And finally, I arrived at the truth behind this incident.

The mental strain, the stress of losing my wife, seeing my daughter completely broken, and my already overwhelming workload—all of it, compounded by the effort to pursue the allegations against Councilor Kondo, pushed me to the brink. Everything piled up, and I suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Without letting my daughter or those around me notice, I was rushed to the hospital for emergency admission. The diagnosis I received was a severe and critical heart condition.

“You must stop working immediately. Excessive stress could worsen your condition. While the symptoms can be managed with medication, if you suffer repeated episodes, the medication will gradually lose its effectiveness, and eventually… it will lead to death.”

“If I quit my job, will I recover?”

“That’s…”

The hesitation in their response told me everything.

I now had to live with a ticking time bomb inside me, not knowing when it might go off.

It was a cruel reminder that my path led inevitably to death. Strangely, the thought of my own mortality didn’t shock me. What troubled me more, unbearably so, was whether Ai would be able to endure knowing about my death.

Ai was already at her limit, and the thought of being the final blow that shattered her heart completely felt like an unbearably cruel fate. I cursed the gods for this torment.

I couldn’t die like this. In that moment, I resolved to seek revenge.