Senju did not understand Adam’s words at first.

She kept looking at him after he said he would neutralize the danger before it reached them.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

Adam looked at her.

Senju’s voice became sharper. "Do you even know how dangerous this is? You are talking about the underworld, Adam. You have no idea what kind of trouble can come from that side."

Adam opened his mouth to answer, then stopped.

For a second, many things passed through his mind. He knew far better than Senju could guess because he had suffered because of people like that before.

He could not tell Senju all of that. Adam took a slow breath.

"It is not that I don’t understand," he said. "I understand it very well."

Senju did not look relieved.

If anything, her face became even more tense.

Adam saw that.

’This will not be enough.’ Adam thought. ’If I don’t make her understand properly, this will become a problem.’

He leaned forward a little.

"Listen," Adam said. "You remember the incident from some time ago, right?"

Senju frowned. "Which incident?"

"The one where a gang boss was killed," Adam said. "It was on the news for days."

At that time, the news had talked about a violent clash. A gang boss had died, and many people had been killed.

Senju had watched it on the news for several days.

"Yes," she said slowly. "I remember. But what does that have to do with you?"

Adam looked at her and said, "I arranged that."

Senju froze.

Her hand lifted a little, as if she wanted to point at him, but even that movement stopped halfway.

"You did that?" she asked.

Adam did not look away.

"Yes."

Senju stood up from the chair.

"How?" she asked. "How did you even do that?"

"That part is not important right now," Adam said.

"Not important?" Senju asked.

"What matters is that I had the means," Adam said. "That gang could have become a threat to us in the future. So I had its boss removed, and then I took the gang under my side."

Senju’s face changed again.

"Under your side?" she asked.

Adam gave a small nod.

"They work for me now," he said.

Senju looked at him without speaking.

Adam raised his eyes slightly and said, "A part of the money that moves toward Aster Core comes from there too."

That sentence made the room feel colder.

Senju remembered the day Bruno had entered the office. Everyone had been trapped in that room, and the fear from that day still stayed in her mind. Even back then, she had felt that Wil was tied to something dangerous.

Her view of Adam began to change.

Until now, a part of her had still been looking at him like a young boy hiding behind the name Wil. But now that image was cracking. The person in front of her could move the underworld without showing his real face.

That thought made Senju quiet.

Adam saw the change in her eyes.

He gave a faint smile.

"You don’t need to be afraid," he said. "I will not let that side touch you or Aster Core."

Senju did not react.

She only stood there and looked at him.

Adam waited, but her silence felt different.

Then Senju spoke.

"Adam," she said, "I want to ask you something."

Adam straightened at once.

All his attention went to her.

"Ask," he said.

Senju looked at him carefully.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Adam became quiet.

Senju continued, "You come from a normal family. You said your parents are simple people."

She looked at him with clear confusion.

"Then why are you doing all of this? Why are you touching gangs and hiding behind names?"

’Should I tell her?’ Adam thought. For a moment, he looked down.

Ever since he had returned from the future, he had been fighting alone. He had gained a power, yes, but power did not remove the loneliness.

’I accepted that I would fight alone.’ Adam thought.

Senju was still waiting. Adam slowly raised his head. He had not told her about his real power, and he would not tell her that yet. But he could tell her why he was doing this.

"Senju," Adam said, "if I don’t do this, there is someone who will kill me."

Senju’s eyes became still.

Adam continued, "Not only me. Everyone close to me can become a target too."

Senju did not interrupt.

"I am not doing this because I enjoy it," Adam said. "I don’t have some grand dream where I want to rule everything. I am doing this because I have no other choice."

His voice became lower.

"This is survival."

Senju looked at him with a new kind of shock.

If what he said was true, then all of this was not coming from greed. It was coming from the need to stay alive.

That made the question heavier.

"Who is it?" Senju asked.

Adam gave a small laugh.

It was not a happy laugh.

"Not now," he said.

Senju’s brows moved.

Adam continued, "I will not tell you that yet. But yes, I have an enemy. Someone capable enough to kill me and make sure no one even knows what happened."

He said it a little bigger than the truth because he needed Senju to understand the scale.

Senju stayed silent for almost a minute.

Then she stood up fully. Adam was still sitting on the bed. Before he could understand what she was doing, Senju stepped forward and hugged him. Adam froze while Senju held him quietly.

"I don’t know what happened to you," she said. "I don’t know who your enemy is either."

Adam did not move.

Senju’s voice became softer.

"But from what you said, it feels like you are facing something very big."

She paused for a moment.

"We thought we were working for a big dream," Senju said. "We thought Wil was an ambitious person building something huge. I didn’t know it was like this."

Adam remained silent.

He still looked stunned by the hug.

Senju slowly continued, "Don’t worry, Adam. You have worked very hard."

Her hand tightened a little around his shoulder.

"From now on, I am with you too. Whatever you need, please take my help."