Hey guys! I excited to read such positive comments on the story. Glad you guys like it so far :D Hope to read many more of your thoughts!
- Kameo1 - Hahahaha I'm glad you liked the Tim Gunn thing :D And yeah, I have something cool planned for Amy, so keep an eye out for that ;) Enjoy!
- Aquamarine6996 - Hahahhaa YAY BOB!... You're about to see if Zoe's in trouble or if she'll have a backup plan. Yeah, Chad deserves to die... asshole. And you'll have to wait to find out more abour this Arya situation :D Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
- ZoeMileyButterfly - Aww, well you can always count that our Takumi will go back to each other no matter what :) Yes, Diana does have something up her sleeve thanks to what Ryo found on Zoe. What will she do, though? We'll have to wait and see :D But yeah, Taki's parents are insane. Enjoy!
- The Keeper of Worlds - She is a bitch, isn't she? Well, now to see how badly she will ruin things. And will that be the end of Chad? Hmm.. doubt it. Enjoy! :D
- Guest - Hahahaha WOW. Ok. I will try to see what I can do when it comes to 'gore'. But I did add something for John in this chapter that I know you'll appreciate. Like you said, Zoe's probably going to be the one to take him down, but John will have his chance later on. Maybe. We'll see. I'm happy you enjoyed Tai's awesomeness haha. It was fun to see him go down like that. I know that you will LOVE this chapter then. Yes, there is something weird about Kari's confusion with the whole Amy/Arya thing.. wonder what it is. Guess only time will tell :) Don't worry, Chad will get what's coming to him. But wonder how much damage he'll do before he goes down? Let's see... Enjoy! :D
- Red Page - Yay, Tai! Not going to lie, it was awesome to write about that, haha. And yay for Takumi! But... how long will their happiness last? Because Diana's obviously going to try and ruin it by exposing Zoe... Let's see what happens. I also love writing about the group. I obviously can't do it in every chapter because I need to move on with the plot, but I do it as much as I can :) I did add a Gino scene here that I think you'll appreciate. And yeah, interesting about Kari's thing. Wonder what that is... Let's wait and see :D Enjoy!
- Digidestined Dragon Rider - Welcome to my reviwers list, then! :) I hope to read more from you. I am psyched to hear that you love this story and hope I continue to reach your expectations. Takumi all the way!
OK guys! Here it is... Chapter 14!
Chapter 14: Losing Control
NORMAL POV:
Takuya and Zoe prepared themselves to face Diana. They had received a text from her earlier, inviting them for a cup of tea. However,Takuya couldn't help but feel anxious about it. He was used to having his mother meddling in his relationships, which he hated, but she better watch it with Zoe. Diana was already on thin ice with him, so he knew he would throw a fit if she dare mess with the only girl he has come to love. Besides, he had behaved so horribly with Zoe that he was going to do anything not to upset her more. He knew that if it ever came to choose a side, his parents had made it too easy for him to pick Zoe.
They finally arrived to the front of the Kanbara Mansion, where he parked the car into the driveway. He noticed some of his parents' regular employees rushing towards the car to open Zoe's side of the door.
"I got it Andrew", said Takuya as he exited the car.
The young employee bowed his head and Takuya sprinted to open Zoe's door. As he did, he offered his hand to help her out. Zoe took it and adjusted her skirt.
"Well?" she said nervously. "How do I look?"
Takuya gazed and the blonde beauty before him. She had changed into a white laced skater skirt, with a sleeveless turquoise blouse, matching necklace and sand-colored stilettos. She had also made a small braid on the side and let the rest of her hair fall freely.
Takuya smiled and kissed his girlfriend on the lips. "You are a complete vision. You have always have been."
Zoe giggled. "Cheesy. But thank you."
Takuya chuckled and then took a deep breath. He offered his arm to Zoe and smiled. "Ready to face the devil?"
"Takuya," laughed Zoe, taking his arm. "She can't be that bad. Besides, you want to be in good terms with your family before your birthday this weekend."
Takuya rolled his eyes. "To be honest, I'm not looking forward to it. I wish we could have something intimate instead of what I know my mom has planned."
"She already told you what she has in mind?"
"No. But for my 21st birthday, she hired the cast of Cirque Du Soleil to perform. Subtlety is not her style."
Zoe laughed. "Well, how about we go for a clambake on the beach? Only your closest friends and family members."
"That sounds perfect", he said pecking her cheek. "I will tell her it was my idea so she won't go ballistic."
"Well, make sure you make her feel included."
"I will. Well? Ready to face the Dragon Lady?"
Zoe smiled and kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "I told you, I don't scare easily."
Diana was sitting in the terrace with Ryo. She couldn't wait to see the look on that bitch, Zoe's face, when she exposed her in front of her son. She would regain any doubt Takuya had on her and she would also show Grayson that she is the only one winning the race to get their children back. It was perfect.
Just then, a handmaiden came out to where Diana was.
"Mrs. Kanbara?", she said. "Mr. Takuya and Ms. Capulet have arrived."
"Excellent", smirked Diana. "Send them here."
The maid nodded and opened the door of the terrace. Takuya and Zoe appeared and started approaching Diana's table.
"Takuya!", smiled Diana. "I am so glad you could come."
"Hello, mother", he said dryly.
Diana then turned to Zoe and smiled. "Zoe. You look beautiful."
"Thank you and thank you for having me, Mrs. Kanbara", she smiled gracely.
"Well, I wanted to discuss some matters with the two of you. Please, take a seat."
The three of them took a seat in the table, with Ryo behind Diana. Zoe noticed how he was eyeing her suspiciously, so she tried her best not to pound him into the ground. All in good time.
"So," said Takuya. "What do you want, mom?"
Diana scoffed. "Takuya, darling. Can't I simply have tea with my son and his girlfriend? You two have become quite close this summer and I want to get to know her better."
"I don't buy it."
Zoe kicked Takuya under the table and widened her green orbs at him. "He means... thank you, Mrs. Kanbara. We very much appreciate the gesture. Takuya has become very important to me and there's nothing I would like better than to be welcomed into your family."
Diana faked a smile and chuckled. "Well, it pleases me that you admit you would like to be welcome here."
"Why would it please you to hear her say that?" asked Takuya.
"No real reason", she said. Diana then took a sip of her tea and turned to Zoe. "Ms. Capulet -"
"Please. Call me, Zoe."
"... Well, Zoe. You were telling me about your parents on the day we met. They died when you were young, correct?"
"Mom!" hissed Takuya, pissed by Diana's tactless remark.
"What?", she said feigning innocence.
Zoe smiled and placed her hand in Takuya's shoulder. "It's alright, Takuya." She then turned to Diana and nodded. "Yes. They did."
"And what did you do after that?"
"Well, I did several charities that helps Digimons and orphans, went to several schools and courses, and have dedicated my life to others, as my parents taught me."
Diana narrowed her eyes at the blonde girl in front of her. "So... nothing out of the ordinary comes to mind?"
Zoe tilted her head. "It seems like you want me to say something in particular, Diana. Am I right?"
"It's Mrs. Kanbara, please. I am still not comfortable with such informalities. And, well, that depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you want to say it yourself or have me do it for you."
Zoe and Diana glared at each other for what seemed like ages. Takuya was trying his best to hold back, but his mother's unbelievably bold words were making him lose his patience.
"What the hell are you talking about, mom?" he asked angrily.
Diana smiled and asked Ryo to hand her a folder, before turning to Takuya and Zoe. "I had Ryo take a look into Ms. Capulet's past."
Takuya scoffed in disbelief. "You... You were having her investigated? I don't believe this!"
"No," said Zoe with a grim look, gaining everyone's attention. "Don't blame your mother, Takuya. She had every right to be suspicious."
Takuya stared at Zoe worriedly and took her hand. "What do you mean?"
Zoe dropped her gaze and sighed. "You see.. After my parents died, I went through some pretty dark times. I ended up at Allenwood."
Diana smirked from her seat as she watched the woman she hated fall before her eyes.
"What's Allenwood?" asked Takuya.
"It's a maximum security juvenile correctional facility in Milan, Italy", said Diana.
Takuya turned his gaze back to his girlfriend. "Why maximum security?"
Zoe swallowed hard and slowly turned her gaze towards Takuya. "Well... my last foster father abused me."
At that moment, Diana's smirk faded.
"When I turned 16, I put a stop to it", continued Zoe. "I ended up in Allenwood for two years after that."
"How do I know that you're telling the truth?" asked Diana. "After finding this, you have to understand that I don't trust you."
Before Takuya could snap at her, Zoe spoke. "You don't have to." She then took out a folder from her bag and gave it to Diana.
"What is this?"
"This is my foster family records from the date my parents died. There's names, phone numbers and, as you can see, it's stamped by the court to prove that it is authentic. You can go ahead and call them and they will tell you all about me, especially the ones in my last foster house, which was the one who sent me to Allenwood. Or, better yet, you can call Allenwood themselves and ask the same question."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "And you just happened to have this in your bag?"
Zoe smiled. "Actually, before you summoned us here, Diana, I went to meet with a board of the Home4Soul Charity. Its' purpose is to provide new homes to foster children who have had the same or similar problems as me. I wanted to show them my story and make a big contribution to it. I had just returned from the meeting before I saw Takuya at my door."
After noticing Diana's inability to react, Zoe smiled inwardly and continued with her speech.
"You see, my past is the reason I've dedicated my life to charity, trying to right the wrongs and all of that. Besides, that's how my real father taught me to live. Give to others as much as you possibly can." She gazed into Takuya's eyes and tried holding back tears. "Takuya, I'm sorry. I should've told you."
"Come here," he said, taking her into his arms and stroking her hair. He kissed her forehead gently and sighed. "You didn't need to tell me anything, ok? You're an amazing person."
He felt Zoe's head nod in his chest and smiled. Then, he turned to Diana, who was left speechless about Zoe's answer.
"What did she ever do to you?" snarled Takuya.
Diana shook her head in disbelief. "I-I... I guess it was a misunderstanding. It was a mistake."
"You don't make these kinds of mistakes, mom!" he yelled. "Why did you have Ryo investigate Zoe anyway?"
"Because she came out of nowhere and she set her sights on you! You heard her! She said so herself! She would like nothing else than to be welcomed into this family."
Takuya scoffed. "Do you know how lucky I am that she agreed to become my girlfriend? She's the best person I've met and I am not going to let you stand in my way of happiness with her!"
Diana's eyes widened. "Takuya, she had been hiding a criminal record!"
"The only thing she was hiding is that her crazy-ass foster father abused her and she paid the price for defending herself! Is that what you hoped to find?"
Diana frowned. "I didn't hope to find anything."
Takuya shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell happened to you to make you feel so threatened all the time?"
Diana didn't respond but lowered her gaze instead.
"Or maybe you don't know why you hate so much", continued to speculate Takuya. "Maybe it's just who you are."
Zoe took Takuya's hand. "Taki, that's enough. She was just worried about you."
Takuya took a deep breath and turned to the monster he had for a mother. As much as he wanted to break her neck, he decided to take Zoe's advice and shake off the feeling. She was not worth it. "Fine", he muttered under his breath. He then turned to Diana and glared at her. "Stay away from Zoe. I love her."
He stood up and took Zoe's hand. "Let's go, Z."
"Where are you going?" asked Diana.
Takuya turned and once again faced his mother. "You know? I came here because I so naively thought that you were trying to change. Now I know, you never will. You lost me, mom. So I hope you're happy being by yourself in this big house, because you're going to have to get used to it." He was about to walk away but then turned around again. "Oh, and you know what else? For my birthday, I'm planning on doing an intimate clambake on the beach. People who really care about me will be there, but you can skip it considering how little you care. And to be honest? You won't be missed. As long as I have Zoe there, that's more than enough for me."
Diana was stunned by Takuya's boldness and had no other choice than to sit there and watch as her son grabbed the girl by her waist and walked away with her. She had had setbacks in the past, but the fact that her assistant had been too incompetent to realize the truth of Zoe Capulet, made her furious.
She turned to Ryo with a dark glare. "You fool! You've destroyed any chance I had of exposing her to Takuya!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kanbara", he said apologetically. "Everything was sealed by court. I did not know the reason she was placed there. I warned you, Diana."
Diana groaned. "Well, then you have work to do. You better look for something else I can use against her, because I need her out of Takuya's life for sure."
"Yes, Mrs. Kanbara."
She watched as Ryo walked away and she cursed under her breath. It didn't matter how long it took her, she would find a way to bring down Zoe Capulet once and for all.
Elsewhere around the mansion, Gino and JP were working together. Gino was designing a new landscape for Diana's backyard, while JP was busy doing the wire system from one of the rooms.
"Ok", said Gino as. "Here's what I don't get. The Kanbaras have had John working as their handyman for God knows how long... So why did they hire us to do the work John was already doing?"
JP shrugged. "Well, not sure. It's a pretty damn big piece of property. I doubt he can do it on his own."
Gino thought for a second. "Yeah, but why now all of a sudden? They've never had problems with him... Now, it appears like every freaking light bulb seems to have an issue, and it feels like my landscaping will never end."
JP rolled his eyes. "Gino, you worry too much. We got a job, don't we? Stop complaining."
"I'm not! I'm just curious."
JP sighed and then noticed a door in the corner. "Where does that door lead to?"
Gino turned his gaze in the direction JP was pointing at and scoffed. "That's John's lair. It leads to the basement, where I told you that he hides all the time. He lives there."
"I wonder what's inside."
Gino smirked. "We could always go look."
JP's eyes widened at his friend's suggestion. "Are you insane? If catches us, he'll probably cut us into tiny little pieces."
Gino chuckled. "Oh, come on. Don't be such a baby."
"I'm not! But I don't want to die in the process!"
"Let's go", he said, ignoring JP's pleas. "John isn't even here. He's outside."
JP was about to make another complaint, but he knew it was hopeless. The two of them walked towards the door and slowly opened it. They encountered a steep stairwell that went all the way down into a dark room.
"I don't like this", said JP, who was now shaking in fear.
Gino was also a bit scared, but he concealed the obvious by rolling his eyes. "JP, grow up! I want to see what's down there, so man up and come on!"
The two boys descended through the stairs, the creaking sound of each step echoing in their ears. When they finally reached the bottom, they tried adjusting their eyes to the darkness.
"Damn it, I can't see anything!" cursed Gino.
"Hold on", said JP. He retrieved a small flashlight from his pocket that he had been using for the wiring behind the walls and such. He shook it a couple of times and pressed 'on'. When he did, both of their eyes widened.
"Holly... fuck", said Gino.
The place was a nuthouse. There were all kinds of tools in the walls: chainsaws, adzes, knives, pliers, shovels, an ax, a scythe and some tools that they could only assume could go back to ancient medieval times. There was also a desk, filled with hundreds of newspaper articles, books and notebooks.
"Ok", said JP in a nervous breakdown. "This is all too creepy for me. I'm out."
"Right behind you!"
As they both turned to run back up the stairs, they came face to face with none other than John himself, who was followed by his loyal Andromon.
"AAAAAAHHHH!" screamed the boys as JP's flashlight hit the ground.
"What are you lads doing here?" asked an angry John.
"Please!", cried JP in a high-pitched voice. "Don't murder us!"
"GET OUT! AND DON'T YOU DARE COME HERE AGAIN, EH?"
"Right away, sir!" said Gino.
The boys rushed all the way up the stairs, practically tripping on each other, until they finally reached the top. They locked the door behind them and began panting.
"Fuck!" cursed Gino. "I did not expect that. What the fuck was up with that?"
JP, trying to regain his breath, scoffed. "I don't know. But I don't want to go back there EVER again! You hear me?"
"I don't want to either, but -"
"No! No 'buts'! We are never going back there again!"
"JP... What the hell were all those articles and tools for? Don't you think that dude's up to something?"
"I don't care. I've had enough trauma for one day and I will not do anything else that may get me killed. Leave the poor man be! I don't want to hear anything else, Gino!"
Gino sighed and gave up on the argument. He had been as scared as JP when he saw John's room. But he couldn't help feel as if there was something going on down there. Something big. He knew it'd be best to stay out of it for now, but he would make sure to keep an eye on John just in case.
At the Dark Wolf Tavern, Davis was sitting at one of the docks behind the bar with Veemon. He had spent all night and day thinking about Kari. She was something else. He didn't know what it was about her, but there was something in her that made him feel funny. It's a fact.. he liked her.
"Are you thinking about that Kari girl?" asked Veemon.
"Yeah," said Davis with a crooked smile. "She's just so pretty and.. nice. I don't know, I wish I could get to know her better. She seems like a very unique girl."
"Well, why don't you?"
Davis frowned. "Oh, come on, Veemon. You saw the way she ran away from the bar the last time. I don't think she likes me."
"How do you know that was because of you?" asked Veemon. "From where I was standing, she seemed to have been spooked for some reason when she met Amy. It had nothing to do with you."
"I guess... I wonder what was that about?"
Just then, he heard a loud groan behind him. He turned around and realize it was Kari walking towards the docks. She was clearly unaware of his presence, and she seemed very frustrated.
"Kari?" he asked as he rushed towards her.
Kari jumped slightly, but smiled when she saw it was only Davis. "Oh, hi Davis."
"Hey," he smiled.
Veemon, noticing that it was time for Davis to have some private time, started walking inside. "I'm heading in," he said. "I'm going to watch some shows with Tsunomon and Agumon. Bye, Kari!"
"Bye, Veemon", smiled Kari.
After Veemon was out of sight, Davis turned back to his new crush and smiled. "How are you?"
Kari sighed. "I'm ok."
Davis stared at her and wasn't buying her response. "You don't seem like you are."
"I'm just... I don't know. I'm having some struggles."
"You want to talk about it?"
Kari scoffed. "You really don't want to hear me talking about my problems."
"Are you kidding? Kar, I would love to help in any way I can. Besides, people say I'm a great listener", he joked.
Kari laughed. "Oh they do now?"
"Yup", he said proudly. "Now, come on. Let me help you."
Kari hesitated and was about to walk away. That is, until she saw Davis chocolate orbs staring at her. At that moment, she felt an instant connection... one in which she could feel to her very core that she could trust Davis. It was all too new, but maybe this is exactly what she needed. A friend.
Kari sighed. "I don't know you that well... But... can you keep a secret?"
Davis nodded. "I promise, I won't tell a single soul."
"Well", she said, trying to find the right words. "I guess it all started when I was a baby."
And just like that, Kari began to tell Davis everything. She told him about the moment she was taken from her house, to when she got separated from her brother, her life in captivity and even about Kami rescuing her.
The spent almost two hours on the subject, but Davis didn't so much as move. He was listening to every word carefully and nodding in understanding. Kari kept talking, but she was surprise that Davis was listening so intently. She had half expected him to stand up and run away, but he proved her wrong.
"And so", she continued. "When I told Kami about my theory from Amy and my friend Arya, he didn't believe me."
Davis wasn't entirely sure of what to say. "Wow", was all he could get out.
Kari chuckled in embarrassment. "I know... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you with this."
Kari was about to leave, when Davis grabbed her hand unexpectedly. She turned around to face him and, to her surprise, she saw that he was simply smiling at her.
"No", he said. "I'm happy you told me. I actually feel honored that you've opened to me and trusted me with something like this. People usually think I'm too stupid to withstand a normal conversation."
"I don't think you're stupid", she smiled. "I think you're a really great guy."
Davis smirked and turned slightly red by her compliment. "I think you're really great too. And I'm really sorry you've been through all that. You don't deserve something like that and neither did your brother."
Kari half-smiled. "Thanks. I just wish I knew where he was. I mean, Kami has been amazing and all, but I would love to find my brother."
Davis tilted her chin up and caressed her face. "I'll help you find him."
"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Oh, you don't have to -"
"I want to. I mean, I'll try to help you."
"Wow," smiled Kari. "You'd really do that?"
"Of course!" he grinned. "You deserve to find him, right? So come on. Let's go to the computer and see what we can find."
"Thank you, Davis."
"Don't mention it."
The two of them started walking in, hand in hand, until Davis stopped and faced Kari.
"Oh," he said. "And, for the record... I do believe you when you say the Amy/Arya thing. I too have seen Amy grow up with the Kanbaras, but there's always more to a story than we know."
Kari grinned and impulsively kissed Davis's cheek, making both of them turn crimson.
"T-Thanks, Davis", she said nervously.
"Er... Anytime", he responded, as he felt his heartbeat go 100 miles an hour.
Kari followed Davis inside with a grin on her face. Davis was exactly what she needed, and she felt relieved that she finally found someone she could find comfort in aside from Kami. He had been the first person she had had a say on becoming friends with. Zoe, Geji, Kami and the girls that were locked up with her were amazing, but they had all been thrown into her path. Davis was the first guy she picked to be friends with that she could've chosen not to. Now, she was glad she decided to be friends with him.
After their fiasco of a meeting with Diana, Takuya and Zoe met with Tai and Mimi at a cafe to thank them for helping Takuya with Chad and to tell them the story about Diana's latest attempts against Zoe.
"Typical mom", scoffed Tai, who was lying on the booth next to Mimi. "She just doesn't know what boundaries mean!"
"Oh, I know", agreed Takuya, who had his arm around Zoe. "God, I hate her for that."
"It's ok, Taki", smiled Zoe. "I mean, she probably felt threatened, you know? She was just trying to be a good mother."
Takuya shrugged. "Yeah, but she went at it the wrong way. I'm really sorry... I don't know what to say."
"Don't be. It's fine, I swear."
Takuya smiled and kissed his girlfriend lightly. "You're too nice, you know that?"
Zoe chuckled and took a sip of her coffee, and then turned to Tai. "Honestly, I really want to thank you guys for what you did for Takuya and me. Who knows what might've happened to him?"
"It's Tai who did all the work, really", smiled Mimi. "I'm just glad you two are ok again. Besides, having to see Chad get pounded on the face by my amazing boyfriend? Jackpot!"
The four of them laughed in unison. To be honest, all of them had enjoyed the fact that Chad had been knocked down by Tai, including Takuya.
"That's what he gets for checking out my girl", said Tai. "I really don't get why you hang out with him, Takuya."
"I don't know", he admitted. "But either way, I'm done with him. Besides, I'm furious at the fact that he lied to me about Zoe cancelling on me. Why the hell would he do that?"
As if on cue, Chad entered through the door and noticed Takuya, Zoe, Tai and Mimi sitting in the booth. He removed his sunglasses, showing everyone his black eye. He was clearly pissed about the situation with Tai, but was not about to show it. Instead, he opted for playing it smooth.
"Hey, rockstar!" he said, directing his words to Takuya. "Crazy night, huh? And I see you and Zoe made up."
"Nice eye", smirked Tai. "Suits you, well."
Chad was about to say something to Tai, when Takuya cut in.
"Why did you lie to me about Zoe cancelling our date?" he asked.
Chad was taken aback with his question, but quickly smiled. "Wow, Taki... I was just trying to protect you from making a mistake."
"A mistake?" asked Zoe in disbelief.
"That is such a load of crap", said Takuya.
"Dude", said Chad. "I just had a feeling about this one. Ok... Do you remember when I dated Mika Nakuro? You swore up and down that she wasn't good for me, even though I didn't want to hear it."
"That's not the same thing, Chad! It's not even in the same ballpark."
"It's exactly the same thing. Whose idea was it to have that pledge hit on her to prove that she would cheat on me, huh?"
Takuya groaned inwardly and shook his head.
"Brother to brother," continued Chad. "I was just trying to help."
"Well, do me a favor. Don't. If you can't respect what I got going on with Zoe, then maybe you shouldn't be here. Let's go, guys."
The four of them stood up from the table, and started walking towards the exit. Chad, however, grabbed Takuya's arm.
"Taki-"
"Shut up, Chad. I don't want to hear it."
"I don't understand!" he said angrily. "Takuya, if it weren't for me, you would've never realize that this... harlot... is cheating on you! Or don't you remember that she was dining with another guy?"
Takuya couldn't hold back and he threw a right hook straight to Chad's nose, breaking it when his fist made contact. Chad squealed in the floor, leaving a shocked Zoe and Mimi and a mocking Tai who was laughing uncontrollably.
"Don't you EVER insult Zoe again, are we clear?" snarled Takuya. "I swear, if you so much as talk to her or any of us for that matter, that nose will not be the only thing that's going to crack."
With that, he took Zoe's hand and exited the cafe, followed by Mimi and Tai. Chad groaned, trying to suppress the pain. He couldn't believe that Takuya Kanbara, his best friend, had chosen that bitch over him. He began to feel that angry sensation taking over him once again, and this time it was big. He ignored the prying eyes of everyone in the cafe, and sank his hand inside his pocket to retrieve his little orange tube. When he did, he panicked when he realized it was empty. Cursing under his breath, he threw the tube in the trash and stormed out.
ZOE'S POV:
After our little encounter with Chad, Takuya dropped me off at my house so that he and Tai could go visit Amy. I was so glad Takuya had finally taken my side for good and had put him on his place. I admit, Takuya has been wonderful today in standing up for me. First his mother, now Chad? I'm so glad that he and his siblings are nothing like their parents.
I poured myself a glass of wine, when I heard someone at the door. I quickly went to open it and saw that Kami was standing there with a big grin on his face.
I chuckled. "Come in, Kami."
"Bravo", he said with an applaud. "Honestly, you've learned some new tricks. I saw what you did with Diana this morning."
I smirked. "I assumed you enjoyed it?"
"I really thought he had you, Zo. I mean, when he mentioned Allenwood, I was terrified. I thought it was game over for you. How the hell did you manage to pull that off?"
"You really want to know?"
"Yeah!"
I chuckled. "Eager much?... Anyways, remember when you asked me where I went to the night that Takuya stood me up? You know, after you left?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, I knew Ryo was trying to dig dirt on me. After some research that Geji sent me from him, I realized this guy was good and that he might be able to stumble into something. I couldn't risk that... So... I went to the only person I knew could help me in this situation."
"Who?" asked Kami with intrigue.
"Me."
Kami turned around and I could tell he was startled by the girl that was standing behind him. She had big, purple eyes and ginger shoulder-length hair that was worn up in a ponytail. She wore a black faux leggings, a gray tanktop, with a black leather jacket and black boots.
"Kami", I said. "Meet Rika Nonaka, my old friend from juvie."
Kami was clearly dumbfounded by Rika. She was, without a doubt, the sexiest girl he had ever laid eyes on, and it was noticeable.
"Er...", he mumbled. "Nice to meet you."
Rika snorted. "Same."
"Rika was the one who helped me to create my new identity as Zoe Capulet", I added.
"Wait," said Kami, coming back to reality. "She helped you?"
"Always", said Rika. "I can be pretty handy when it comes to these things."
I smiled. "Well, Rika and I share a long history. We were off to a rocky start, since we were cell mates and would not stop fighting."
"Which I won, every time", added Rika.
"In your dreams", I smirked. "Anyways, Rika and I somehow became close... until they moved her to another facility. After Geji found me on my 18th birthday, I tracked her down and asked her for help. You see, Rika had always been good when it came to this. So, after listening to my story, she offered to create a new identity for me to have my revenge on the Kanbaras. That's how Zoe Capulet was born."
"I made her fake I.D.s, paperwork, background and even photoshopped a few images from her past", said Rika. "My dad used to work in the government, so I knew how to sneak into every system to put Zoe's name into anything I wanted.
"Izumi Orimoto no longer existed", I said proudly. "Now, I was to be known as Zoe Capulet."
Kami raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I'm impressed. But I'm still confused as to how you managed to outsmart Diana and Ryo."
I smirked. "Well, like I said, Ryo seemed very competent and I feared that he could stumble into something I may want to keep hidden. So, if he wanted dirt, I would give it to him. Rika helped me erase Izumi Orimoto's name from the records and replace it with Zoe Capulet. As for the foster homes... those were people Rika knew growing up."
"Exactly", said Rika. "They had taken me in and keep in touch still. They all agreed to help Zoe if there ever came a time where someone came in asking about a Zoe Capulet."
"What about the family with the abusive father?"
I chuckled. "There was none. The 'abusive' father will be played by one of Rika's old foster dads, and he intends to keep my secret. Fortunately, they all hate the Kanbaras and their way of ruling, so they were more than glad to help."
Kami nodded. "Wow... and the charity you said you went to this morning?"
"I really did go and made a large contribution."
Kami scoffed. "Ok... I'm not worthy. You are too good."
"So they keep saying" I teased. "Hopefully, Ryo will stop getting on my back for a while. If he does, I'll have to remove him... permanently."
Rika smirked. "I would gladly help with that."
Kami wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Feisty. I like that."
Rika rolled her eyes and punched Kami in the arm, making him flinch.
"OW!" he frowned.
Rika scoffed. "Baby."
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Anyways, that's that. Diana is also permanently on Takuya's list, and the look on her face when she realized I beat her was priceless. Not to mention the fact that Takuya also hit Chad, taking my side for good."
"Three birds in one day?" snickered Kami. "Diana, Ryo and Chad. Bravo, Capulet. However, we do have something else."
I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Kami sighed. "Well, ok... Geji and me were talking to Kari. It appears that she met Takuya's sister, Amy?"
"Yeah... what about her?"
"Well... That's what's strange. You see, Kari swears that Amy looks exactly like girl she once knew... Her name was Arya Takashino."
"What do you mean exactly like her?"
"Everything. Same hair, eyes, nose, face... Basically, she is convinced that Amy is not who she says she is, but Arya Takashino."
"What?" I scoffed. "That's impossible. Amy grew up here and there are plenty of witnesses to that."
"That's what I said. But she seemed so sure of it, I found it really strange."
I paused to think for a second. It couldn't be. She had studied these people her entire life. There was no way Amy was this... Arya person. If she were, she would've known from the beginning and people wouldn't have seen her grow up here. Besides, ti could easily be that Kari's lockdown made her hallucinate a couple of times. I wouldn't blame her. I had gone through similar things and I was now, as Geji referred to me, a certified sociopath. Who knows what psychological scars may be left on Kari? On the other hand, she should never underestimate the Kanbaras. They are far more shady than they appear, so maybe there was something fishy there.
"I think it's worth taking a closer look to the situation", I said. "Where' Geji?"
"He's already on it", said Kami. "He should be at his place doing some research."
NORMAL POV:
Geji sat with his computer in front of him and frowned. He had been digging up stuff about Amy Kanbara and Arya Takashino for what seemed like hours. Kami was off somewhere, Kari had gone to the bar with Bokomon and Neemon, Zoe was playing James Bond with her revenge puppets and he was stuck here finding out information about a person that he was convinced was not real.
"This is bullshit", he said.
Just when he was about to give up, he found out a page that was of much interest to him. He clicked on the link and began to read something. After a few minutes, his eyes widened and he came to a realization.
"Oh my God..." he mumbled. "I need to call Zoe."
He went to dial Zoe's number, when there was a knock on the front door. He hoped it'd be Zoe, so he ran to open it. However, he was surprised to see the person who was standing in his doorway.
"Mr. Yuru!", smiled Chad as he extended his arm. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I'm Chad Collinsworth, an employee in Kanbara Global and Takuya's best friend."
Geji raised an eyebrow. "U-huh... To what to I owe this visit, Mr. Collinsworth?"
"Well, I have a very interest proposal. May I come in?"
Geji hesitated but then nodded. He led Chad into the living room, where he closed his laptop with Amy's information in it and offered Chad a sit.
"So", said Geji, examining Chad's black eye and broken nose. "What happened to your eye and nose?"
"A little accident," smiled Chad. "But anyways...may I ask, what is it you want most, Mr. Yuru?"
Geji snorted. "What?"
"What is your heart's biggest desire? More money? More fame?... Perhaps... a woman?"
"Why the interest?"
"Because I want to offer you the world", smirked Chad. "You see, I want to make a deal with you if you were to decide to take my offer and -"
"Invest in Kanbara Global", scoffed Geji. "I don't think so."
"Mr. Yuru. You're not seeing the big picture. If you do so, I can bring you anything you want."
"What if I don't want anything?"
Chad snorted. "Everyone wants something. You may be rich, but I bet there's something you want that money can't simply buy."
Geji rolled his eyes, amused by Chad's attempts to lure him into his web. "Mr. Collinsworth, it's late. As much as I would love to continue this little chat, I need my beauty sleep. So, if you don't mind, I would like you to leave. I've declined every offer Kanbara Global has ever made me, and they will never change my mind. Have a good night, Mrs. Collinsworth."
Geji stood up and began to walk away in the direction of his bedroom, when Chad's voice stopped him.
"I don't think I've made myself clear", said Chad. "After all, I can be a very persuasive person."
Geji turned around to yell at him, when he felt his knees weak. He found that Chad was standing there, with a gun in his hand and pointing at him.
"Do I have your attention now, Mr. Yuru?" smirked Chad.
Geji swallowed. "C-Chad... put the gun d-down. Please."
Chad snorted. "I don't think so. You see, your bitchy friend Zoe got to my nerves today, so I'm not in a very good mood. Besides, I'm off my meds and I am feeling a little... let's say... impulsive today."
With that, he lunged forward and punched Geji straight in the stomach, making him fall on his knees. He then grabbed Geji's hair and pulled his head up so he could see him. Chad pointed the gun at Geji's temple and smirked.
"It sucks that you didn't want to listen to me", smiled Chad sadistically. "You see, I need to bring your company to Kanbara Global so I can prove myself. So, I will do about anything to get you to them."
Geji winced from the pain. "You're... agh... insane, you know that?"
Chad pressed deeper into Geji's temple with his gun, making Geji's breathing increase.
"You know?" said Chad. "For a genius, you're not too smart when it comes to real-life situations. Do you know what I could do to you if I pull this trigger?"
Geji swallowed and shut his eyes.
"Ah", smirked Chad. "You do know. Then I'm glad you're -"
Chad words were cut off, when he caught a glimpse of a box, next to a computer in the table. From where he was, he realized there was a picture of him, next to the Kanbaras and other people.
"What the hell?" he said. "What the heck is that?"
Geji refused to answer, which earned him a punch on his nose. He cried out in pain as he felt blood starting to trickle down his face.
"I'll find out myself, then" he smirked. "And if you move, I'll kill you."
He approached the table and started reading its contents. He was shocked to see people with their faces crossed out. People who coincidentally had been suffering in many ways lately. He also found pictures of a man he recognized to be Akito Orimoto. Geji, trying his best not to make Chad notice, carefully tried to press on the panic button and ask for help.
Chad then turned his attention to the screen of the laptop that was open. He noticed that Zoe was in the image, next to two others. He turned up the volume and enlarged the image.
"After Geji found me on my 18th birthday," said Zoe. "I tracked her down and asked her for help. You see, Rika had always been good when it came to this. So, after listening to my story, she offered to create a new identity for me to have my revenge on the Kanbaras. That's how Zoe Capulet was born."
"I made her fake I.D.s, paperwork, background and even photoshopped a few images from her past", said the girl Chad now assumed was Rika. "My dad used to work in the government, so I knew how to sneak into every system to put Zoe's name into anything I wanted.
"Izumi Orimoto no longer existed", said Zoe. "Now, I was to be known as Zoe Capulet."
Chad chuckled at his latest discovery. So the bitch's name isn't even Zoe... She is none other than Izumi Orimoto... Akito Orimoto's daughter. And she has been trying to take revenge on the Kanbaras... Well, Ms. Orimoto, looks like your charade is up. I would be a pleasure to bring the curtain down on this little play of hers.
Ok! So! Pft! Diana... you should've known better than to try to mess with Zoe. She ALWAYS has a backup plan... That one sure backfired didn't it? What's up with John's creepy room? Are Gino's suspicions right about him or is he being paranoid? What did Geji find on Amy? And will he make it out alive to tell? Or will Chad kill him before he gets a chance? Also, now Chad knows Zoe's secret! EEEEK! Is it over for our dear Zoe? FOLLOW/FAVE to stay tuned! And REVIEW! It's so much fun to read them :D