Querida Usagi
Hello, everyone! I know, I know - I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long, but I have been swamped. This chapter is actually relatively short because I decided to make it a two parter. I wanted to get this out so that I had a little more time to work on the second part. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered in this chapter.
amethysth: Thank you! I'm happy you're enjoying the story so far. I really wanted to make it original so it definitely does get a little crazy at times.
Mzmiami: Ohhh, they will. Eventually!
BlueMoon: Endy has not been sleeping with anyone else since Sere, rest assured. He's been a good boy, aside from... well, from everything else lol.
LegendaryDiamond: LOL ;)
unlockurdestiny: Some answers for you await in this chapter! Haha I like it when Serenity is fierce; it's definitely one of my favorite parts of her personality. I thought about making Diamond a villian in this story, but I settled on making him a pseudo-nice guy. Endy certainly does have a whoooole lot on his plate. Can't say he doesn't ask for some of it though lol.
smfan4ever72: I hope I don't disappoint you too much!
AM9: Haha I feel as if I am always leaving you guys with a cliffhanger! I promise I don't do it to be cruel. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter; it really makes me feel good when my readers find something special or intriguing in my story.
MV: I didn't abandon it! :)
To all of my other reviewers, you're the best. Your answers (welllll, some of them) await!
Soundtrack: Hanging On – Ellie Goulding
"You know, Endymion, I have to tell you; I'm not too pleased with you right now."
Endymion looked at her, perched atop his desk, her golden hair spilling over her shoulder. She was dressed in a sheer negligee, barely covered by a tiny orange robe. She leisurely crossed her legs, a look of enjoyment crossing her features. "You've been a very bad boy."
Clearing his throat, he moved across the room to pour himself a glass of scotch. "What do you want?"
"I think you know what I want." Uncrossing her legs and leaning backwards on her elbows, she considered him. "Don't play coy."
Endymion grabbed his office chair, pulling it further away from her and taking a seat. He needed distance between them – he couldn't stand the sight of her. She watched him as he tilted his chair back, his eyes zeroing in on her. When Endymion didn't respond, she leaned towards him. "Serenity was supposed to call off this marriage. She was supposed to divorce you."
"She was supposed to do this all on her own," Mina continued, her voice as honeyed and sweet as it always was. "And yet – here, she still is. Months later. Why is that, Endymion?"
"I don't know," He drawled. "Maybe I've decided I couldn't give less of a fuck what you think."
Mina looked angry for a brief moment before she beamed at him. "Now," She began, swinging the fleece belt of her robe around casually. "You know that's not true. Do you know how I know that's not true?" She taunted. "I know that's not true because I know you love her, and you want to salvage what's left of your relationship."
Endymion watched her carefully, sipping on his whiskey. "What is there to salvage really? Haven't you done your part in destroying it already?"
"You don't really want to play this game with me, Endymion."
"I don't know, Minerva," He said, leaning uncomfortably close to her, enjoying her sudden discomfort. "I think I do."
Mina recovered quickly, never being one to lose. She slid off of his desk, moving behind him and jerking his chair forward so that all feet were planted firmly on the ground. Gripping the back of the chair, she leaned over his shoulder, speaking softly into his ear. Endymion tensed. "How do you think she would feel if she knew that you," She motioned towards the rest of the room with a flicker of her hand, "Set all of this up?"
"Hmm?" She pressed, her fingers digging into the chair. "That you were so obsessed with her that you forced Ken to hand her over? That you were the reason she had to drop out of school?"
"That you were the reason her father was on his deathbed?" Endymion closed his eyes, the painful reminder overcoming him.
"Do you think," Mina kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "That she'd love you so much then?"
Endymion swallowed, feeling a boulder-sized lump in his throat. "Why are you doing this, Mina?"
She giggled contemptuously behind him, her hair falling over his shoulder and tickling his forearm. Her giggle reminded him of nails on a chalkboard; it was so grating to his ears. "For us, baby. So we have a chance."
Something rang entirely untrue in her statement and he shook his head. "I don't believe you."
She laughed again. "You got me! No one could ever accuse you of being stupid." Her hands leisurely moved downwards to caress his chest before he threw them off of him in disgust. "I'm doing this because you took something important away from me, and now I'm taking something important away from you."
"This is your sick little revenge?" He twisted in his chair, his dark eyes analyzing her in amazement. "Are you in love with Serenity?"
"The company, Endymion! That company was supposed to be mine!"
Endymion regarded her incredulously. "That's what this is about? This is about the company?"
"Of course that's what this is about! What did you think this was about, you?"
"No," Endymion replied, his voice mocking. "That would be ridiculous."
"I'm being very generous, Endymion." She moved around the chair to face him, her eyes glimmering. "I'm giving you a chance to get out of this before it gets ugly."
"Here's the thing, Mina." Endymion shifted in his chair, looking pensive momentarily as he leaned on his armrest. "I meant what I said to you over the phone. I'm done. Let it get ugly. If this is all you have to threaten me with, I'm really not that worried."
"And, the truth is," He continued, his voice lowering so that Mina was forced to move in closer, to her great irritation. "I don't really have too much respect for someone who would fuck her best friend's father for his company."
Her anger was so white-hot that she didn't even feel it at first. She smiled at him before her face twisted in anger, her hand whipping around to backhand him forcefully. The ring on her finger caught onto his skin, piercing him by his lip. He silently held his cheek, his face taut with anger. His eyes were so dark in that moment that they looked black. "You have no idea what I've been through." She whispered to him fiercely. "I was overlooked year after year, for promotion after promotion. I was drowning in debt, and if Ken weren't such a disgusting, weak man, I'd still be drowning. You men are so weak. You're so weak."
"He was going to hand the company over to me. You ruined everything!" She hissed, her hands moving to grip both sides of his chair.
Endymion sighed, tiredly. "You were never going to get that company, Mina. He wanted someone he could trust, and you weren't it."
"Oh!" She screeched, her face bright red. "And you were? His main rival? You nearly killed him!"
"I'm not responsible for the way Onikust was being run into the ground. I'm also not responsible for how he reacted to it. His nephew Shingo was going to inherit the company before the car accident, and that's when I stepped in. You were a non-issue. You're delusional."
"I'm delusional..." She felt her entire body tense in frustration, the tears escaping unwillingly. "You're going to regret this, Endymion."
"Am I?" His voice held a twinge of pity. "It seems to me that the only person who can back up your claims is Ken, who is the picture of health right now and has everything to lose by siding with you."
Mina swiped at her eyes, silently. Her eyes blankly wandered the room before falling onto Endymion's. Her gaze was piercing. "Are you sure about that?"
"Mina." Endymion stared her down as she left the room, cold dread trickling down his spine like raindrops. "What do you mean by that? Mina!"
But she was already gone.
Stay tuned for part two!
