She was shaking like a leaf, and it hurts to see her like that. We were at my home, in the study waiting. The clock showed 15 minutes past one. She was writing some papers and I pretended to read some book. I heard her sighs and her sobs, she was hurt and if it wasn't for the safety of all these people, I wouldn't put her through this, but I had no choice, and it felt truly unhuman. She rose her head sometimes, looked at me for a few minutes, her eyes were sad and pleading, and I felt my heart bleeding, why, why did this woman come back to ruin my life, our life.

"I'm done," she said raising from the chair and approaching me, "I've written to Masumi-chan, Kudo-kun, Granma, Tooru-kun and Akai-kun. Along with the one we left at the professor's, we can say that we had assured them of our whereabouts. I mentioned that we travelled back to Australia, because your grandmother was ill, very ill and we don't know when we will be back. And I added in invisible ink that if they have fears that we're lying to them, they shouldn't believe it. Unless they want us to be gone forever that is." She said putting the letters sealed on the table. "you can put off that book and stop watching me" she added seating herself.

"I'm sorry" I put down the book, and looked in her deep eyes which no longer shone. "Shiho, whatever what happens, I need you to know that I do love you. I'm sorry, but-" she interrupted me. "Saguru, whatever what happens tonight, you need to know that it's not your fault. This is what my parents started, and how it ends for people like me. I was one of them, I hadn't a choice then too, I really didn't. I was living in my father's friend house, and they came and took me. They left me for weeks in a cell or something, and one night,-" she paused for a moment, then I saw tears on her face, she wiped them with her bare hands and said in a cracked voice " 'whatever what happened that night, it's not your fault.' That's what Akemi-chan always said. Trying to make it easy for me, after that, I had to work day and night, I carried on the researches of my parents after their death. And I grew heartless, because tears were not enough, and sadness wasn't a relief. I worked hoping that maybe someday, they would –" her sobs grew heavier and her tears ran like drops of rain. "Shiho, please "I pleaded her to stop, I saw her fighting her memories, the memories I brought back.

"then when Akemi-chan was killed" she said a few minutes later "I had no hope of leaving that place and I tried to commit suicide because I was alone, and death was way better than remembering that night".

"This won't happen again, I promise" I said touching her hands, which were shaking, "I'm here now and you're not alone, keep that in mind".

"This is a moment to be cherished, to see the son in person, and my long not seen niece." He said, his face was shadowed but his devilish smile was wide. We ended here, in his office after a two-hour trip, we stood for a few minutes before he gestured us to sit down. She, my mother was there, standing by the window, a glass of wine in her hand. Her face wasn't the same ageless face I saw last time, she was for some reason worried and it kept me uneasy. Shiho, as well, who sat facing me, was worried, I saw her hands shaking a bit and her eyes, were just different. "I can't feel the same, we are both dead for you, aren't we?" I said, trying to sound as strong as I could, I was afraid because I couldn't predict his actions, and I had to protect my love for whatever cost.

"if you got the chance to live again, then you might deserve it." He said giving her a signal to leave, but she didn't.

"I don't feel you're entitled to judge whether I deserve to live or not. You are a heartless man who judged my existence of no use. I haven't come here to hear anything from you, I have come here to avoid a disaster planned and executed by some psychopaths." I replied looking fiercely into his eyes.

"So you found a psychopath to love? Won't you speak my beloved niece?" he asked turning his gaze to Shiho who rose her head to face him. "You have no business with her" I said firmly "and you have no say about who I love." I added when he looked at me.

"The only mad man here is you" Shiho said, her voice was suddenly cold "Isn't it madness when you kill your own brother, the one who sacrificed his life to cure you" she added when his eyes pierced into hers.

"You're getting trouble for yourself" Vermouth said then, I saw him touching some keys on his keyboards and in seconds, two huge men came in, and dragged Shiho out of the room, she gave in and made no sound, I rose to follow them but vermouth put a hand on my shoulder and said "if you make another step, I'll make sure she dies before they get to her cell". I sat back, thinking of Shiho, feeling that I have betrayed her, and we only were here for a few hours.

"Now, follow me" she said when he made another signal to her.

We left the room and went down a corridor, and then we headed to a lower floor. There were many doors, she stopped in front of the fifth one and said "this will be your room, hers is the next one". She opened the door and we went in, there was a single bed, a closet, a desk and a chair. "sit down" she motioned to the bed. And I did as she said, she leaned to the desk and lighted a cigarette.

"Saguru, I've never been sorry for anything, anything but letting you away" she said her eyes were blank for a moment. "But, a secret makes a woman, woman and this is a secret you should keep if you want to leave this place alive" she added making a few puffs from her cigarettes.

"We will leave alive" I said.

"Look, tell her to behave, because he gets angry easily and Gin, hates you both. And I can't stop Gin" she said, her eyes grew alive suddenly.

"Why are we here?" I asked firmly.

"He is dying, and she is the only one we trust to complete the drug before he's gone. If she does, you will be free, both of you. Else, I can't guarantee, which of us, Gin or me will take her life first" she replied, straightening herself "and I hope your friends won't pay us a visit, the last time they did, we hadn't a great time" she added.

"We did as you asked, we told them we left to Australia, but I needn't to remind you that you too should behave. You'll ask your men to bring her here immediately" I said.

"You're not threatening me, are you ?" she said almost laughing. "Trust me, it's for your benefit" I replied. "If she works faster, you'll be sure he is saved." I added. "Tell her to work fast then, I suppose you have a wedding to plan." She replied smashing the cigarette with her shoe. "You gave her a promise ring, but she refused it" she said looking deep into my eyes.

"Why am I here ?" I asked a few minutes later, "You could have kidnapped her and it would be less trouble for you" I added.

"I thought you were smart enough to know why" she gave a big smile, devilish. "I see very well that she loves you, and I thought a little pressure won't hurt. If she knows you're in danger, she'll work even faster" she said before she turned her back and left.

R&R