Disclaimer: I do hearby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.
This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.
Cyancat (/)
The Captive Bride
Chapter One - Shocked Words
"Is something wrong, Rin?" Mr. Tosai Hashi looked at her anxiously through the tinted lenses of his glasses.
"No." Rin Nagawa shook her head in quick denial even though her world was spinning dizzily. If she hadn't been sitting down when he'd made his announcement, her legs wouldn't have supported her. As it was, her pale complexion had grown paler by the second. "It's just... such a surprise. You never mentioned that you were considering selling the company. You didn't even as hint that..." Her voice trailed off, she was worried that her horrified astonishment might make him suspicious.
"I used the wrong word. It's actually being classified as a merger. It isn't even official yet and won't be until the final papers are signed." Mr. Hashi explained, "Naturally Sadamoto wants it all silent until that time. You know how the stock speculators would leap on any news related to Taisho Twin Swords Corporate."
"When...when will that be?" Rin tried to get a grip on herself and respond with her usual calm efficiency.
"When will what be?" The short, thin man frowned absently at the question, his keenly intelligent mind having already dismissed any subject that was clear to him. A lanky hand ran over his balding head, pondering Rin's question.
"When will the final papers be signed? How soon before Taisho takes over?" In her mind she was wondering how long she had.
"The contract agreement is being finalized now by the attorneys. All the terms have been agreed on, so it's only a matter of taking care of a few minor details. I imagine it will be within the next month." Mr. Hashi shrugged, as if the exact date was unimportant.
Within the month. The phrase crashed through her mind with the force of a deathblow. Rin felt sick to her stomach, a nauseous pain hammering through her head. She glanced at the account sheets and ledger books on her desk, avoiding eye contact with her boss so he wouldn't see the stricken look of frantic desperation in her hazel eyes.
"I wish you had mentioned it to me before." Her weak response barely above a whisper.
"Sadamoto asked me to wait until we had ironed out the terms. He didn't want a lot of premature rumors flying around, and I agreed. Now that the merger is certain, I explained to him that I had to inform my key employees, like yourself. After all, we are going to have a final audit of the books to close out Sagawa Affiliates as a separate entity and begin the change-over in reporting." He made it all sound so unimportant of course, which to him it was.
"Will this... Mr. Sadamoto be doing the final audit?" Rin asked, swallowing the sickening rush of fear.
"Good god, girl, NO!" Mr. Hashi laughed in his amusement. "Sesshomaru Sadamoto is the president of Taisho Twin Swords Corporate. He's the son of the founder, Taisho Sadamoto! I've heard of another son, but I don't think he's part of the business anyway. No, the final audit will be done by you, the same way it always has. Naturally someone from his accounting staff will assist you in transferring everything to their system and aid you in the audit."
"I see." Rin murmured, killing the foolish hope that her secret might remain hidden.
Her less than enthusiastic response to this announcement nagged at Tosai Hashi. She was never this depressed about good news such as this. "Something is bothering you, Miss Nagawa. What is it?"
"I am ... concerned about this merger." Rin admitted, removing the pencil from the sleek raven strands of hair near her ear. Her fingers fidgeted with it as she tried to find the precise words to explain her situation. "You know how ill my mother is... and..."
"Ah, I see. You are worried that this will affect your position, aren't you? You needn't be, Miss Nagawa. Sadamoto has assured me there will be no drastic changes. Part of the agreement was that you kept your position in the company. You have no fear that you will be fired, my dear. I have fully stressed how conscientious you have been in your work, and made them aware of your flawless work record. Sadamoto indicated to me that there would be no change in your salary or your position. If anything, your benefits will be increased, since you will be working for a large corporation."
His praise wasn't very reassuring because he didn't have all the facts. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Hashi." Rin began, but got no farther.
"Kind?" He scoffed at her words. "It's the least I could do after all the invaluable support you have given me. You don't realize what a very vital part you play in this company. I don't know how I would have coped after my brother died if you hadn't shouldered the responsibility of this department."
"Thank you, but I-"
He interrupted her with a heavy sigh. "We both know, Miss Nagawa, that my brother was the businessman, not me. I haven't a skilled bone in my body when it comes to managing a company. I can barely organize myself, let alone a half dozen departments and their staff. I knew it when Myoga died, but after a year and a half of supposedly being in charge, I'm convinced that the company is only suffering under my leadership."
"Every employee has enormous respect for you." Rin insisted, because it was the truth. "You are a genius!"
"In my field," he corrected. "In my field I am a genius and my field is not management. I belong in the backroom, tinkering with my designs and making new ideas. As soon as Sadamoto signs the papers, that's where I'll be. He admitted that the only reason they're buying the company is for the designs. Naturally, it will be another expansion for them, but my designs were the key." Tosai Hashi declared without false intentions.
Rin moistened her lips nervously. With each second that passed, it was becoming more and more difficult to tell him her situation. "I believe you sir." Rin let out, needing to say something in the silence. The buzz of the intercom interrupted her. She answered it and glanced at her employer. "It's your secretary, you have a long distance call."
He grimaced and sighed, "I'll be glad when somebody takes over for me. Tell her I'll be right there." With long harried strides, he left her office while Rin placed the phone down.
Her hand quickly spread protectively over a ledger book. She had known for a year that Tosai Hashi disliked running the company, but as head of the accounting department, Rin had always expected that she would be consulted if he ever contemplated selling the firm. She never once suspected the company such as Taisho Twin Swords Corporate would approach him with a merger offer. Sagawa Affiliates was a lightweight firm in the field of innovative weapon designs. But she had overlooked one thing. How other companies would crave those designs, those innovative ideas and... their creator.
If Taisho Twin Swords Corporate was taking over in a month, Rin was positive some of their executive and staff would be taking an active part in the company before that. She had been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn't seen the warning signs. With more time, she could have taken steps to alter the situation. What chance did she have of doing it now? None. Maybe the discrepancy in the ledgers wouldn't be noticed. Or maybe if she explained what had happened to the new owner, he would understand. After all, there hadn't been any criminal intent involved.
Rin stared down at the book for a moment before wilting under her own pressure, laying her head upon her desk. No. There was no way in hell that they'd miss this huge of a loss. How could they not miss $55, 000 just missing from the accounts? It was her fault that she had even taken the money and soon she was going to have to pay for it, one way or another.
Rin quickly lifted her head and gathered up the black ledger book, carrying it to the fireproof cabinet to lock it securely inside. She had just closed the door and was turning the key when a pair of arms curved around her waist from behind and a mouth began nuzzling the slender length of her neck.
"Its almost quitting time, lover." a voice murmured. "Why don't you let me take you away from all this?"
Rin stiffened in the embrace, recognizing the voice, the insolent exploration of that mouth, and the masculine feel of the body pressed against hers. She pried apart the arms crossed in front of her and made her away from this unwanted body.
"It happens to be a full twenty minutes before quitting time, Kohaku." Rin walked to her desk in the small windowless office. "You may not have any work to do, but I do."
"So? Leave it." Kohaku Yoshida followed her to the desk, brazen by her rejection of his advance. "Hashi's busy. He won't be back. What's the difference if you leave early anyway? He's sold us out to be absorbed by a giant."
"Where did you hear that from?" Rin threw a glaring look at him, knowing he wanted information and she wasn't going to supply it.
"Hashi paid a visit to my department before he came here." Kohaku informed Rin with a mocking look. "So you aren't letting anything out of the bag, my secretive beauty."
Rin let the compliment go. Kohaku Yoshida was too free with them. His compelling complementing tongue was a vital part of his forceful charm. Because of that, his good looks, and his salesman's refusal to take no for an answer, he was very successful at his job... and with women.
"You don't look exactly overjoyed by the news." he observed.
"It doesn't change my position." Her long fingers began tapping out the number of a column of figures on the keys of the adding machine. She noticed Kohaku moving away from her desk and hoped he was leaving. She wasn't in any mood to deal with him anymore.
But leaving wasn't his intention. Instead he walked over to pull the plug to the adding machine from the wall socket. It instantly went dead. Rin pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Will you plug that back in? I have work to do!" Rin said, not even trying to hide her irritation.
"All work and no play makes Rin very dull." Kohaku taunted flinging the power cord to the ground.
"I am very dull. Why don't you accept that?" She retorted.
"Because no one as beautiful as you are could possibly be dull." He walked around her chair and sat on the corner near her.
Rin glared once more at Kohaku before turning to roll her chair away from her desk to plug the cord in herself. Kohaku quickly captured both armrests to trap her in the chair. His brown eyes ran slowly over the molding lines of her blue tweed jacket, on the angrily beating pulse in her throat, and admired the flawless features of her oval face, wiped clean of any expression. Raven black hair formed around her pale frame, pulled away from her face in a orderly coil. Long and uncommonly dark eyelashes outlined the hazel of her eyes, shooting out electric flashes of irritation.
"Get out of my way, Kohaku. I don't have time for your games." Rin tried to get up, but Kohaku intervened by placing himself closer to her trapped body.
He shook his head mockingly at her. "Not like that, I won't. Have dinner with me first." He smiled broadly, showing his bright white teeth. "Then we can celebrate our union into the big time."
"That's highly impossible. I go home straight after work. I don't have time for dinner...or you." Rin wished that he could remember this, as she had told him the same thing everyday.
"How about I come home with you then? We could have a fine dinner, then sit on the couch and talk a little..." Kohaku's mouth spread into a malicious grin.
"A little? You talk? Really, tell me Kohaku, what would you want to talk about? Politics? Accounting? Or what the color of my bedspread is? No way! Last time I let you in, it turned into a wrestling match in the living room. I am not dealing with you again! Get the hint! I'm not interested in you AT ALL!"
Kohaku rolled his eyes. "It might seem that you try too hard to get rid of me. May there be some underlying love hidden deep with you?"
"If there it is, I'll send it back." Rin stated coldly before trying to turn her chair away from Kohaku. He kept his grip tight.
"Rin, you need someone to take care of you. A lovely lady such as yourself should not go through life alone. Enjoy life and have a little fun." He stated as he trailed a finger down her cheek to her lips. "With me, you could have a lot of fun."
Rin brushed away his hand. "I don't need you or anyone to take care of me. I'm fine by myself. Don't try anything more, because none of it is going to work. I can't think of anything more boring than spending time with you."
Kohaku quickly stood and straightened out the sleeves of his blue dress shirt. "You're just saying that."
"Am I?" Rin said with a raised eyebrow. "I've heard talk, you know."
He walked away from Rin's desk and headed towards her door. Turning to her, she noticed that he didn't look angry, but not pleased either. "You really need to get out because your life revolves around this room. Once in a while you should fit in time for friends, not paper and books."
"I'll keep that in mind. Good-bye Kohaku." She replied dryly, turning back to plug back in the power cord to her adding machine.
She busily began tapping away at the machine, not bothering to see if Kohaku left. When her door closed, Rin paused from her work and sighed. Was she really that much of a workaholic? Maybe she should have taken that date with Kohaku. Her mind drifted, thinking more about the money and the merger. Her blood ran cold at the thought of it.
A glance at her watch made Rin realize it was half past five and her eyes widened in surprise. "Shit! I've missed the bus." Rin groaned as she began assembling her things. Now she was going to have to wait for the next one.
The setting sun was a beautiful backdrop for the bus ride home on through Tokyo , but Rin didn't notice the view at all. Her mind was more impatient to be home right now. When the bus finally came to her stop, it had seemed like eternity. She jogged the two block distance to her home, not caring that she was in heels and a short skirt. She just wanted to be home.
Finally it came into sight, a one-story house of red brick with green shutters. The house was were she had grown up with her parents whom at the time, wanted the American look. Opening the door, she had time to put down her purse and jacket.
"Sorry, I'm late Sango." she apologized to the young woman whom had just walked out of the living room. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her red blouse accented her almond face perfectly. "I missed my bus. I hope I didn't keep you from anything."
"No way Rin!" Sango laughed. "The only thing waiting for me at home is my cat."
Rin shot her a quizzical look. "I thought that you were going out with that new guy of yours... What was his name? Shiro?"
"Oh, you mean Miroku." Sango blushed. "Well, its kinda off and on with him. Sometimes I don't know if he's interested in just me or all women. Seriously, I feel like he wants to grope every woman's butt! His eyes wander every were, but when he talks to me, I feel like the only woman in the world."
"Good to hear, Sango. So..." Rin lowered her voice. "How's Mom?"
Sango smiled and addressed the room she had just left. "Why don't you look for yourself?"
Rin looked anxiously from Sango to the living room and nearly bolted inside. Her smile widened as she saw the thin woman sitting in a cushioned armchair.
"I guess you're feeling better today." She bent to kiss the pale face. "Hi, Mom."
"How was your day dear?" Her mother's words were slow and carefully placed to conceal her speech slur.
"Fine." Rin lied. "How about your day?"
"I helped Sango plant some flowers in the back and we made a pie today, though she did most of the work. It's your favorite, plum." A smile curved a corner of her mouth, but her muscles weren't able to hold it. But her eyes held the most life that Rin had seen in a long time, hazel just like hers.
Each day it was the same question that she asked her mother. It had to be boring for her mother to be kept within these walls all day sitting in a chair, but it was typical for her not to complain. She had only complained once in her life and it was only a simple, "Why?"
It was when the doctor had informed Rin and her mother that she had a debilitating disease that was slowly but surely killing her muscles. That had been three years and innumerable medical bills ago. These last few months though, had been the hardest. Rin could only watch as her mother's condition deteriorated rapidly, which the doctor had warned would happen. She couldn't even do the simplest things for herself anymore, which was why Rin had hired Sango Yoshida. She was a nurse right out of school that had the right heart to help people in need and just a few years older than Rin herself. But now, Rin was at ease that there would always be someone with her mother. Though it had been tough to take in that she was the older sister of the same Kohaku that she worked with. It just didn't seem like they were really related.
Through all the treatments, the drugs, Sango's salary, the doctor's bill had long ago exhausted their meager savings. The house was mortgaged twice and even the inheritance that her mother received eight months ago from some distant relative was gone. Three months ago, Rin had been at her wit's end, going crazy trying to figure out what to do until an answer formed in her mind. She'd have to come up with another answer now, but this time it was going to be even harder.
Rin saw Sango off into the night and then started dinner for them. It was a light meal consisting of udon noodles, mashed plums, and a soup broth made from scallions and fish. Rin fed her mother the meal, her arm coordination gone long ago from the disease. In between bites, her mother requested to know how work was. Rin paused for a bit before revealing the recent happenings that she had just learned that day. Her mother was very surprised.
"Will it mean a promotion for you?"
"It could." A smile crossed Rin's lips. "Or it could mean that I won't have a job. The new company may get rid of me when they take over."
"Do you really think so?" Her mother said with a frown.
"I'm really not worried about it mother. Even if I do, it will be easy to find another job. The paper is full of listings for bookkeepers. It won't be any trouble."
"True." Her mother chirped. "But it's still a hassle. When will you know?"
"Not until next month probably. That's when they move in." Rin said with a sigh.
"You were always beautiful, you know." Her mother said after a long pause. Rin shook her head, not understanding her words.
"What are you talking about, Mom?"
"Even as a little girl, I knew you were going to be a beautiful woman and now here you are, a woman. I look around here and I see how your life is and I feel guilty sometimes."
"Mom, you shouldn't feel that way! I want to take care of you!" Rin interrupted. She didn't need her mother to go into a state of depression, just as she was looking better today.
"But its true. It's my fault that you aren't enjoying life like you should. Your young life is passing you by because of me and this disease." her mother declared with an sadness in her voice. "I never wanted to put such hardship on you at such a young age. You were only 19 when you had to care for me and now, at 23 years old, you still have done so little in your life."
"Mom, please. I'm not complaining about this. I have the rest of my life to date, go to parties and dance the night away. Right now I'm were I'm needed the most." Rin hated to say more that she only had a few months left with her.
"I was blessed to have such a great daughter."
Tears sprang to Rin's eyes and she quickly turned so that her mother didn't see them as she wiped her face. "I certainly hope so." She declared, attempting to make a joke out of her tears.
"You're full of yourself." Her mother laughed as Rin plastered a smile upon her face once more.