Prologue
Force a woman to marriage?
Take her away from her home, across the ocean, and keep her isolated until she submit to her father's will and married a man twenty years her senior?
Tseng Yamaoka had heard worse.
With narrowing eyes, he emptied his martini and put the glass aside. He was in Midgar to celebrate the latest success in his work. The other company had opposed the purchase, but Tseng the Turk had been determined.
Tseng the Turk always got his way.
He felt the predatory instincts in his very soul. Just like the undomesticated hawk, Tseng was ready to hunt.
Ready to strike down on his prey.
There were worse things than to force a young woman into marriage.
Betrayal. Attempts of murder. A conspiracy with the goal to murder Tseng's boss, President ShinRa, and all men close to him.
Tseng Yamaoka grind his teeth in cold fury. No one would touch his family. No one would lay a hand on Rufus, or his kin. No one. Not even Godo Kisaragi, Rufus' closest connection outside the company.
Tseng happened to know that Godo planned to strengthen his power by marrying his daughter to the radical fundamentalist Don Corneo, Rufus' worst critic.
Godo was dangerous due to his weakness. Corneo was dangerous because he was violent. Together, they had the power to annihilate the ShinRa Company. But the straightforward Rufus refused to cut all contact with Godo, and therefore lose a valuable client.
Tseng gripped the martini-glass firmly. The marriage between Yuffie Kisaragi and Don Corneo had to be stopped. It was an alliance that would give Corneo access to the ShinRa faculty, and endanger the whole Shinra family.
That was why Tseng had tried to stop the wedding.
But someone had made a mistake. If the situation had been handled properly, the problem would've been solved by now. Instead, Yuffie was to be flown to Wutai and her awaiting husband as soon as tomorrow night.
Unless Tseng did something about it - personally. And considering the circumstances, it was exactly what he was planning to do…