Author's Note: So over four years since an update ... how many people were waiting for the inevitable update to announce I was abandoning Paper Roses as a deadfic? I wouldn't do that to you guys! It only took me four years, a new job and a global pandemic to kick my arse into gear. Thank you all for being so patient and all of your lovely messages over the past few years made me very humbled. I'm lucky to have such loyal and understanding readers and I owe you all a massive thank-you for keeping my love alive for this fandom. It's now been twelve years since I published this fic and I still intend to see it through to the end, but my writing has changed over the past four years and hopefully improved. I'm rewriting the earlier chapters to better suit this style I've developed and I hope it's not too jarring.
So once again, I hope everyone is keeping well in these strange times, thank you very much for being so patient and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
And there's no turning back. It's for the better.
"What would keep you here instead?"
"You."
The silence in the office lingered for far too long, neither of the shocked pair daring to breathe let alone disturb the ringing quiet with words. He had said it, so now what?
His head was beginning to pound with another migraine and Ahmed felt like an absolute idiot as he stood looking at her stunned face – all frustration and anger in him had thoroughly dissipated. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him instead; if he could just grab that word and stop it from being spoken. He gave a rueful shake of his head – more to himself than to her. He'd come here with a half thrown-together plan of maybe plucking up the courage to ask Ishizu out for a meal, or a coffee – some tiny step that might indicate the crush he had on her; not to get into a pointless argument and blurt it out into her face like some lovesick schoolboy. Scratching at the back of his neck, he scuffed a toe on the ground and took a step backwards, away from her, as the silence in the room threatened to ring in his ears.
"Well ... now you know. I'll just back out of this with some scrap of dignity intact." That inherent chip on his shoulder was back in place; he was a dirty-faced little orphan who had somehow fluked his way to university. And she was so much more – the Secretary General of the Egyptian Board of Antiquities. A woman at the very pinnacle of Egyptology and pushing the boundaries every day. But the smiles and laughs, and the sheer amount of work Ishizu put into her position here in Japan; those were the things he found his thoughts circling back to again and again. She was amazing in his eyes. And he'd made a complete fool out of himself.
Standing in the office and frozen to the spot, Ishizu felt like someone had cast a spell over her. Her brain yelled at her to move and say something, but yet her body wouldn't listen. Her mouth opened to say something, but she dropped her gaze back to her laptop and found her throat as dry as the desert.
Ishizu wanted to call after Ahmed as he flashed a wanly smile and made a quick exit from her office. She wanted to question why he would like her, what possible reasoning he had to even look at her twice and she wanted to explain why she lacked the requisite social skills to react. She had never had a boyfriend, never even thought of a serious relationship – her work and family had stunted such interpersonal fundamentals from growing.
She wanted him to stay in Japan.
But Ishizu remained rooted to the spot and didn't chase after him; this wasn't some romantic film. This was real life.
Nervous wasn't anywhere close to an accurate description and Kisara faltered for a few seconds at the café door, her brain refusing to offer any aid. Instead her backtracking mind only replayed the unexpected meeting at KaibaCorp's newest branch - the stupefied seconds between her and Xiaoli that had been rescued by Vivian's timely interruption. 'A friend of ours from China; it's been ages!' And with a grin from Viv, a smile from Xiaoli and a stunted nod of her own head the moment had been brushed aside and the rest of the new development toured and explained.
But why was she nervous even now, when she had come here of her own accord and fully aware of what she was walking into? It made absolutely no sense and Kisara felt annoyed with herself – she was an adult and had found this whole new life. But that didn't mean that every facet of her old life had to be viewed with a critical eye; some of it had been good, and that was something she had overlooked for a long time. Easier to pretend none of it had happened instead of regretting the good times she had left behind.
'Allow me, miss.' Kisara blinked at the new voice and looked around to see a kindly man smiling as he held the café door open for her; no time to dither now. So she summoned a smile and spoke her thanks with a grateful bow of her head before stepping over the threshold of the little coffee store. It was on Domino's high-street and one of the more expensive coffeehouses in the city. It was where the high-flyers of the corporate world dashed to on their lunch hour, where work and the world of social media clashed and kept everyone's attention ransom. A quiet chatter hummed in the background, each of the customers seated at small dark wooden tables and much too busy to look up and notice her. Aside from him. The same dark eyes and natural smile and Kisara could feel her legs bringing her forward without her brain's permission.
"I'm glad you came." Xiaoli was standing before she even reached the table and he greeted her with a handshake and polite dip of his head in a bow; those familiar eyes could always give away his feelings and she saw genuineness in them. And for all his unabashed honesty, he deserved some in kind. "I … I didn't know if I would." She had thought she would clam up, that a bright blush would ignite her cheeks and any and all vocabulary would vanish, but Kisara spoke with a small, almost guilty smile as she returned the handshake, seating herself down on the chair across from Xiaoli. Being social wasn't exactly a strength of hers and he knew that, nodding in understanding as he sat down too. And that put her on a familiar common ground she had always had with him. A security, in a way; this didn't feel strange, not like her meeting with Zigfried in his office all those months ago.
A waitress popped by and placed a steaming cup of tea before her; how sacrilegious to forego coffee with all the baristas flitting around and countless bags of expensive coffee beans filling the shelves behind the counter. And even after she nodded in thanks to the waitress and finally looked up to meet Xiaoli's gaze Kisara relaxed a little bit more – he was leaning away from the table and giving her as much space as possible. Just like he always had. Even when she had scarpered from his apartment and disappeared back to France without even an excuse or backwards glance. "I never meant to leave things like-"
"I know that." He held a hand over his mug of coffee, swatting at the steam like it might shoo away her attempt at an apology. "You don't need to apologise; it's in the past, Kisara. You still worry too much." She did. She knew that but couldn't help it - she was a worrier by nature and it struck her that someone aside from Vivian and Seto could pick that trait out. But he wasn't just someone. He was the boy who had spent weeks slowly getting closer to her before even daring to ask her out for dinner. He was the only person besides Seto that she had ever slept with. Their relationship had comprised of quiet laughs and enough space for her to bolt back to Vivian if she needed to. And even now he was letting her back away if she wanted to.
That initial surprise meeting at the new KaibaCorp branch had been awkward enough and completely thrown her. It sounded naïve now, but there was a part of her brain that hadn't realised that her life in China could overlap with her new life in Japan; those were separate things in her opinion. And she didn't like being caught unawares like that either; fumbling for something to say. And Xiaoli knew that; he had called Vivian a day later and asked that she pass along a message for him; that he would like to meet up with a promise he would understand if she didn't want to. Kisara had turned that idea over and over in her head for a few days before agreeing to it.
"You look happy Kisara, I'm glad." Another genuine comment from him and she relaxed a tiny bit more, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the dark wooden table. "I am, and you seem to b-be doing well; a contract with KaibaCorp?" Xiaoli hadn't changed a whole lot in the three years since she had seen him last; his frame had filled out with a bit more muscle, but he still had that way of putting anyone at ease. And he ignored her small scrabble for words and nodded enthusiastically before she had time to blush.
"We are! We tendered for the new development last year but lost the bid. It was lucky for us that every other architect ran a mile. They've signed us up for another three renovations over the coming year so this is massive for our company." A cheeky wink and Kisara couldn't stop the little laugh that barged out - if only people knew the pen and paper basics behind the flood-plans, and the endless list of architects who had come and gone from the project over the past few months. Oh, and the argument about the dialectical differences between a car-park and a parking lot. That laugh acted like a pressure release and she eased into the conversation more – she enquired about his father's architect firm only to learn Xiaoli was running the company these days. A small business but up and coming, and contracts with KaibaCorp would certainly raise their reputation. Xiaoli asked how her own studies had progressed and he listened earnestly as she explained her masters in English and Geography. He was astute and polite as ever with conversation steering well clear of the elephant in the room that was her status as CEO of the Ashbrook Estates. A few small queries about Duel Monsters and congratulations to Seto for winning the latest tournament. Then another round of giggles and refill of tea before Kisara explained the difference between magic and trap cards to Xiaoli and he pulled a confused face.
When it came afternoon and time to leave, Kisara didn't blush when Xiaoli left a light kiss on her cheek and she nodded and agreed when he voiced a hope they could meet up again. And she was surprised because she hoped they could meet again too. Aside from Vivian, her spectrum of friends in Japan was limited to people she knew through Mokuba or Seto and her social pool had stagnated with Téa's continued silence. There was a certain security to putting up walls between her new life and her old one, but not everything had been bad in China and she had forgotten that.
Less than a week ago the new development had been a sorry shell of construction and bare flower beds and somehow it had transformed into a sleek plaza of buildings with perfectly landscaped green areas in less than a week. It seemed a feat for all involved to be proud of; the construction workers, gardeners, even the police patrolling the area and the architect who had pulled the entire thing together on the shortest of time-limits. And for KaibaCorp itself; they'd managed to spearhead a development agenda that would see the revitalisation of an area of the city that drastically needed more business investment. The opening of eastern Domino's new Business Centre was a grand day. Basked in the summer sun with countless news crews in attendance as the Emperor cut the inaugural ribbon. It was hard to believe the development site had looked so far behind schedule last week; all down to teams of landscapers and an architect from China.
In theory, the very thought of attending such a public and media-driven affair filled her with dread, but Kisara found there was an ease she hadn't anticipated because Mokuba was there too, and Vivian and Toshi. So anytime Seto was summoned away by another corporate acquaintance or to deal with something off to the side with Roland, there was always someone within a few steps to help her out if need be. But she didn't need the help as much as usual. Perhaps it was down to finally finding her backbone when clapping back at that rude police officer a week ago, but Kisara felt just a tiny bit more confident in her capabilities. Of course there was still a blush when she dipped into a low bow before His Imperial Majesty, but that was down to the sheer surreal realisation; a year ago she had been anonymous aside from her family's surname … and now she was brushing shoulders with royalty on an almost regular basis. That surreal amusement was only heightened when Mokuba passed by and cracked a joke in her ear about another business-owner Seto was currently an unwilling conversation-prisoner to. Finding herself at Mokuba's side for most of the day, she was in awe of Seto's younger brother - the teenager just had such an affable way with people, it was no wonder he was the driving force behind KaibaCorp's renewed social-media presence. He'd even managed to convince her to appear in a handful of pictures and videos, though Seto still only responded with a glower when asked to join in by his younger brother. Kisara could honestly say her cheeks ached from laughing by the end of the opening ceremony.
But she had also forgotten that life had a way of giving things a little shake when the atmosphere became too relaxed, too calm and happy.
It started at the launch itself. Dressed to perfection by her team of stylists and without even a summer breeze daring to interfere with her dress or strategically-pinned hair, Kisara had the distinct feeling she was being watched. It was a ludicrous thought at first – of course she was being watched; there were countless cameras and journalists present, along with the eyes of the KaibaCorp security team watching the goings-on. But this was different. Turning on the spot as Mokuba answered a journalist, Kisara looked into the calling banks of reporters and flashing cameras. Through the unfamiliar faces and people calling her name, she saw him at the heart of the crowd. The noise of the crowd dimmed and faded away and in a frozen moment Kisara felt her heart plummet to the ground and her blood run cold: it was her uncle. He was here. But he couldn't be. Fear bolted through her and her heartbeat raced. It made no sense. He looked different; older, thinner and dirtier … a robe around him and one eye covered by lank grey hair. "- what do you think, Kisara?"
Mokuba's voice barely registered with her, but it was his hand tapping her elbow that made her blink back to the here and now. Her uncle's face was gone from the crowd and a glance to the closest security member showed no hint they had seen anything either. Searching the crowd for another second, she tried to push away the terrible shiver running up and down her spine. He couldn't be here. It was tiredness and the flashing of cameras having an effect on her, or the ever-present worry about her family's Estates. "S-sorry, I didn't catch that."
She offered a small smile in lieu of an apology to the polite lady reporter; she recognised her from the Domino nightly news station. Kisara fidgeted with her engagement ring and glanced back up at Mokuba, who was already charming the lady with his grin. "Kinda hard to hear one question when everyone wants to be heard, huh?" She mustered a chuckle and nodded in agreement with Mokuba, this time listening to the woman's enquiry.
But the seed of doubt was set and over the next couple of days, she kept over-thinking the letter that had arrived in the mail with the Ashbrook Estates' insignia on it. She had read it, but didn't know how to broach the subject with Seto just yet … purely because she didn't know how to deal with the issue herself; she wanted to get her thoughts and feelings processed around the matter before asking for his help. She was never going to be able manage things on her own if she didn't at least learn to make her own decisions. So the letter stayed her knowledge for now, and Kisara poured herself into trying to get a better understanding of her role as CEO. It was tedious and tiring pouring over so much corporate jargon and more than once she had to walk away from the documents completely pissed off with the complicated subject-matter. But procrastination was always a dangerously attractive option too, and she found herself delving back into the boxes of her parents' belongings, into the small scraps that proved they had been people. And buried in one of the boxes, Kisara found her attention landing squarely on some bound-together lined pages.
They weren't out of the ordinary save for how old and stained some of them were, a ring-stain from a cup of coffee here and there, but the same neat handwriting throughout the reams of pages and sketches too. It was a manuscript. That thought dawned on her as she flicked through the pages of her father's writings and saw hieroglyphics drawn onto the pages too. There was a map of the Valley of the Kings, and the mention of an ancient game … but it was the sketch of a sarcophagus that really drew her attention in. Finger tracing over the faded old pencil, Kisara scrunched her nose up and felt a strange bolt of déjà vu hit her; she had seen that before. Of course it sounded ridiculous that she had seen a lifetime-old sketch before, but she felt like she had.
Sorting through another box, she found more instalments of the manuscript; more bound pages of research that had never seen the light of day. More and more thoughts that had come from her father's mind before she had even existed. It was like a door that let her see a tiny glimpse of the man he had been; small notes in the margins of the manuscript, bored doodles on the back of pages and even some scribbled comments about the weather. It was extraordinary and Kisara was completely drawn into the reams of pages. She had always felt somehow connected to her mother, having hazy recollections of the woman, some pictures to look at, and her ability to play piano always reminded her of her mom, but her dad had long been a distant figure and finally here was this tangible way to learn more about him. Fingers drumming along the desktop in the mansion's library, she leafed through more of the notes Matthew Ashbrook had made a lifetime ago and settled on a cartouche he'd noted with the symbol of Ra used in the name. She had only studied Egyptology for a year, but the information was always something Kisara found interesting. It didn't feel like study if the material was something you genuinely enjoyed, so her basic skills in reading hieroglyphics had remained fresh over the years of disuse. Glancing around the library, she scanned the shelves and already knew that there weren't any books of Egyptology here; she had spent enough time in the room to have a knowledge of the countless titles within it. Pity, because there were a few symbols in the hieroglyphics that she didn't understand and didn't have the ability to interpret.
Standing in the doorway of the library, Seto just watched for a long few moments; she looked like she was in another world and he didn't want to interrupt that because there was something tacitly attractive about Kisara when she was utterly focused on a task. But two envelopes had landed on his desk today that she ought to know about and he had more than learned his lesson over the whole time-limit-stipulation drama.
"Studying hard?" Seto's voice made her finally pull her attention away from the manuscript; she hadn't even heard him coming into the library. Looking to where he gestured at all the boxes and reams of notes, she smiled and shook her head, tidying away some of the materials so he could sit up on the side of the big table like he always did. A quick look at the window showed it was getting dark outside. "Going through some of my father's things, guess I must have lost track of time."
Nodding, Seto eyeballed some of the writings before she could tidy them away; those looked like hieroglyphics to him. That didn't matter now. He'd come here with an intention. "Kisara, we need to talk," poor choice of words to start with and Seto half-cringed when he heard his own voice. That was a sentence usually heard in TV sitcoms and rarely heralded any good news. Truth be told, he didn't really know whether the envelopes were good or bad; he was ambivalent towards both right now. The look on her face was enough to validate his cringe about the words though. "Yeah, shit word choice I know …"
Her first reaction was fight-or-flight and Kisara eyeballed the library door behind Seto when she heard his words and looked over her shoulder to see that serious look on his face. Just a pity she had never quite mastered the whole 'fight' option and it would look awful to scarper away right now; especially after the past few weeks when they had truly worked as a team with tackling her family's Estates and getting the new development open on-schedule. A quick look at the window showed it to be darkening outside; she'd managed to while away the hours of a long summer's day in here without even realising it. Closing the manuscript, she let out an uneasy sigh and looked up at Seto; better to face the music here and now if she had done something wrong.
He never actually sat at the big table in the library. That thought struck Kisara as Seto sat upon the corner of the solid wooden table. Maybe it was a distraction technique, but her brain conjured up a slideshow of memories from the past couple of months – of sitting at the table and drawing out crude flood plans, of the first night he had shown her the library, numerous times since then when she had whittled away hours at the table and he would come in from work just like this – but Seto never once pulled up a chair and sat at the table, weirdly enough.
"This was hand-delivered to KaibaCorp by the Keishichō earlier today." Settling himself on the corner of the table, Seto figured there was no point in beating around the bush. He produced the first envelope and tapped its corner on the table in front of Kisara. He'd been caught blindside by the letter inside because he hadn't known a single thing about the incident. "An acknowledgment of an official complaint from the Superintendent-General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police … not to be blunt, but a heads-up would have been nice, Kisara."
Now it was her turn to cringe and she could feel a blush rushing into her cheeks, the heat in her face unmistakable when she realised what this was about. With the opening of the new KaibaCorp branch and then meeting Xiaoli, it had clean gone out of her mind and she hadn't thought back on the interaction since then. Maybe it was a bit naïve, but she hadn't realised lodging a complaint that night would result in paperwork or whatever it was that was inside the envelope. "I … it was that day Viv and I went to the zoo, there-"
"Roland explained what happened," Seto kept his voice casual because this wasn't a big issue really; truth be told he wasn't a fan of the Superintendent the complaint was about. That and he was pleasantly surprised by the story Roland had relayed to him; he knew Kisara had a temper and could quite capably defend herself, but he had yet to see that in action in public for others to witness. Running a hand through his hair and over his face, he instead opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter inside. "This is the official acknowledgement that a complaint has been made and that superiors will be investigating the matter through internal channels. I agree with you making the complaint, I really do."
"Why do I sense a but coming?" Looking up at Seto, Kisara all but groaned the words and wanted to hide her face in her hands; had she screwed something up? Perhaps she had over-stepped her boundaries and thrown around weight she didn't have the right to wield? "Because there's a small hitch," Seto was mindful to choose his words very carefully in this matter because he did agree with the complaint. Adachi was a dickhead, who needed to be brought down a peg or two, but there was another slightly bigger picture to keep in mind with this, one that Isamu had always been aware of over the past few years of incidents with the man. It was the reason there had never been a complaint lodged before. "The certified security I have employed all began as part of the police, so it benefits us if we stay on the good side of the Keishichō. They could make things a hell of a lot more difficult for us if they wanted to."
She still felt like she wanted to hide her face in her hands and let the ground swallow her up whole; had she completely and utterly messed something up? The more the conversation went on, the more Kisara felt that maybe she had done just that. "- and complaining about a Superintendent could make those things complicated."
Duh Kisara. She actually groaned and leaned her head against Seto's knee as he sat up on corner of the table. All of the certified security staff were once employed by the police, so it made sense to play nice and not rock the boat when it came to interacting with the other agency. It made perfect sense for the police and KaibaCorp's security to work hand-in-hand and with the least amount of friction between the two factions … and she might have just fucked that up.
"I didn't think, can I retract the complaint?" It sounded sheepish, but it was the only option her brain offered and Kisara looked up at Seto with a terrible knot of nerves in her stomach; she had overstepped a line without realising why it was in place.
"Yes, but that's not necessary." Seto turned the letter over in his hands and refolded the sheet of paper, sliding it into the envelope and tapping it against his thigh. Yes, in the past they had kept things as polite as possible between the security and the police, but boundaries needed to be re-established in terms of Adachi. "He was a dick. He's always been a dick. I'll recommend that he be reprimanded internally and let the Keishichō deal with it if that satisfies you? I mean, he was the dick to you, so it's your call Kisara."
Looking down into those clear dark blue eyes, Seto was a small bit torn; part of him was glad he hadn't been with Kisara and Wong when Adachi had decided to throw his weight around because the man would now be unemployed. But there was another part of him that was disappointed he had missed out on Kisara putting the idiot in his place, especially the way Roland told it; she had been nothing short of impressive according to his right-hand man.
"Oh that completely satisfies me. Even if they don't reprimand him, I don't mind as long as there are no repercussions for KaibaCorp." Kisara all but blurted the words out; too eager to find some redemption for causing this. "Seto, I reacted without thinking. It wasn't my place to-"
"Stop." He let the envelope lie flat on the table and shook his head; he could already sense where this conversation was going. Most conversations mirrored a chessboard; there were only so many moves that could be executed, or a limited number of outcomes and he could already read the chessboard of this discussion with clarity; Kisara would think she was in the wrong, or that she shouldn't have spoken up. "You done nothing wrong. Actually, I'm more impressed by the fact you put him in his place when I wasn't there, I'm just disappointed I missed it," A flash of a smirk and cocked eyebrow settled the tone and Seto grinned as he looked down at Kisara; when had he missed her coming into her own like this? "The Keishichō will decide what level of punishment, if any, that Adachi will receive. But in future, if anything like this happens again, just give me a heads-up okay? You were completely right and I'm not saying not to do that again, just keep me in the loop is all. Deal?"
"Deal." She nodded, relieved that she hadn't messed things up beyond repair, but Kisara could sense the conversation wasn't over yet as Seto produced another envelope from the suit jacket he had abandoned on the table. This one was a light lilac colour and she recognised the rose emblem on the paper, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Zigfried?"
Yup. Schroeder poking his nose in where it wasn't wanted again. Well, that wasn't entirely true; he was judging the fool on all his past actions, but the idiot wasn't making a good name for himself in the corporate pool of Japan after the whole stock-market ordeal. "He's holding a charity gala next week and invited us. It sounds like damage control and PR tricks for him to make good on the stock market blunder." Seto shrugged his shoulders and let the envelope flop onto the table. He hadn't even opened it; Roland had heard of the event through the grapevine and given him a heads-up hours before the mail arrived ostensibly hand-delivered by a Schroeder Corp employee. Rolling his shirt sleeves up, he eyed the envelope with contempt and didn't attempt to hide the dislike on his face.
One look at Kisara's expression had him reaching for the invitation to tear it up; she looked downright scared. Sure her last interaction with the idiot had left things on a bad note, but there was no reason for her to be so nervous; he could get Rin to come up with some excuse and that would be that. End of story. "Hey we don't have to go. I'll send a donation and-"
"I don't think it's going to be that simple Seto." Blinking out of her stupor, Kisara shook her head lightly and felt the familiar feeling of sinking in her gut. Every time she thought she was making progress or getting some distance between her old life and this one, something seemed to claw her back to it. All Seto could do was pull a confused frown. "Kisara, seriously it's no big deal."
But her mind was already onto the explanation, or how to explain this properly. What had she done with the letter? It had been the day of Mokuba's birthday, more than a week ago at this stage. She had been baking a cake in the kitchen. What had she been wearing that day? Jeans and shirt probably; that seemed to be her go-to for casual clothes in the mansion. Thinking back, she could remember changing her clothes in her old bedroom because they had gone out for a celebratory dinner that night. "I got a letter last week, but it was Mokuba's birthday, I was busy and forgot about it."
Her voice was almost robotic and Kisara stood from the chair and made for the door of the library. She paused when Seto's hand circled her wrist, but she slid her fingers into his and pulled him along to follow her. Out of the library, turn right and head over to the other side of the mansion, to the bedroom that had been her sanctuary for her first few months here and it was still one of her favourite places; it was always a hive of activity and fun when the stylists called over to get her ready for one event or another. Right now the room was empty and the folded pair of jeans were there for all to see on the bed, as if they had been waiting patiently for the past week. A quick rifle through the pockets and she pulled out the envelope with the Ashbrook Estates crest embossed in it.
Handing it over to Seto, Kisara sat on the chair by her desk and she idly sorted through the pictures she kept in the small metal box; the ruined images with the burn marks erasing the memories she couldn't recall. Her mother, her father, Natalie. All of them scorched across the front just like her photographs in France. And she had that same sinking apathy in her gut. Sometimes the dread pulled you down so deep it was easier not to fight it and to just swim down, and that was exactly how she felt now; every time she got her head above water and made more milestones in this new life, there was another wave from her old life that washed over her head.
"I don't-" Seto cut himself off when Kisara handed him the letter; that was her family's crest. Eyes darting down the body of the correspondence and it all made itself a bit clearer. Schroeder was holding a massive charity gala, but he had extended an invitation to Jonathon and Isabelle Ashbrook too. The letter from her aunt said they would be attending and staying in Japan for an unspecified amount of time to facilitate the handover of the Estates. Even reading the words, Seto found it hard to believe them; this Isabelle woman sounded genuine, but she wasn't the one who needed to cede conservator status. Her uncle would be coming to Japan and there would have to be a meeting; that was the bones of the problem and he could already see Kisara retreating into herself with that realisation. Moving to stand beside where she was sitting on the chair, Seto dipped down into a squat and left the letter on the table. This felt like familiar territory, back to the same reaction after he had found her on the floor of the kitchen, the night Jonathon had called her phone; one step forward and three back. He took her hands in his and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I'll think of a work-around. There has to be a way around this where you don't have to see him."
Kisara took a breath to say there was no point; a part of her already felt like this was inevitable after avoiding her uncle for months upon months. But she never got a chance to say anything as Mokuba appeared at the doorway of the room. "Hey guys, you-"
"Not now Mokuba." Seto's voice was low but he kept his tone even and not unkind. He just needed time to think of a way around this and it would be fine. She would be safe and she wouldn't have to see or be near that man. Mokuba paused at the door, already a few steps into the room; had they heard already? How? The press conference was only live right now. The teenager looked over his shoulder as he heard footsteps and saw Roland heading this way too. He really didn't want to piss Seto off, not when it looked like he'd intruded on some kind of private conversation, but this was important. "Yell at me later bro, but you two need to see this."
"Mr. Kaiba sir, I suggest you follow me, you also Ms. Ashbrook." Roland never used that kind of tone and it was enough to make Kisara blink out of her reverie; had something else happened? She returned the squeeze of his fingers and mustered a very small smile, pulling herself together. A breath and another and she swallowed down the dread. Deal with one thing at a time. Crossing the bedroom with Seto right behind her, didn't know what else to do but follow Mokuba and Roland, confused as they kept checking their watches.
Passing by Akari and Kimiko at the upstairs foyer, the short maid was on her phone and looked up just in time to see the head of KaibaCorp security giving her stink-eye for being on her phone while in work. Normally she would never do such a thing or be so casual around Isamu's boss, but this was an exception as she saw Mr. Kaiba, Ms. Ashbrook and Mokuba just a few steps behind him. "You'll miss it if you go downstairs, I have a stream here."
She stood her phone on the small sideboard table against the wall and raised the volume as much as possible, standing back out of the way to let everyone else crowd around the live stream of Schroeder Corp's press conference.
Trademark suit on the fool, Seto noted that in silence and let Kisara stand in front of him. Why all this publicity for a press conference? Sure social media and press were needed to build up hype for events, but this was a closed thing really; it would be the usual company owners in the country and a few others who might fly in. But even as he thought that, the conference flashed up an image of the Ashbrook Estates logo and it all clicked into place for Seto a second before Schroeder opened his idiotic mouth.
"We at Schroeder Corporation value partnership and loyalty above all else, which is why we strive to put ourselves as a common meeting ground to help resolve the issues faced by our allies in the Ashbrook Estates. By extending invitations to all involved, this charity event may springboard better relations and an amicable resolution." Zigfried went on about more details but Kisara had stopped listening by then, her hearing just repeating his words over and over again. He was backing her into a corner he didn't even know about. She had told him as a teenager that she didn't enjoy living in France, that her uncle had a drinking problem, and he had been a wonderful support to her then. They had chatted for hours on the phone or sent emails and empathised with each other; him about her uncle's demons and she about his father's nervous breakdown. But Zigfried didn't know the full extent of what had happened her in the chateau. He didn't know what he was doing, the hand he was playing or the situation he was forcing her into.
Standing in his own home, huddled around the phone of one of his employees and Seto felt like he had had the wind knocked out of him. He liked to have control in any situation he was put in, to orchestrate it to the best advantage it could offer him. Even the shittiest of circumstances could be spun in a good light. And that was what Schroeder had just done in all his ignorant wonder. They were snookered; he had just announced it on an international press conference that Schroeder Corp were playing the facilitator in this corporate spat, and Seto couldn't persecute Zigfried for that even if he wanted to curse the damned fool. KaibaCorp had done it in the past for multiple smaller allied businesses; acted as a mediator and it looked good in the press too.
Okay. Damage control mode instead. He elbowed Mokuba and shook the teenager from the frozen watching of the horror show on Akari's phone. "Call Leon, I know you're friendly with him. See what strings you can pull to make sure Toshi and Vivian Wong are invited to this shit-show. And you too, I want as many allies as possible there."
"I'll call him now." Mokuba nodded immediately, not sure of the atmosphere in the house right now, but he could sense something wasn't one hundred percent. There was a vibe underneath it all that made him feel uneasy. But Leon was a good friend and would wrangle invitations for anyone Mokuba requested.
"Roland, call Rin and get her to instruct the PR team that we will be accepting Schroeder's invitation and be in attendance." Because they had no fucking choice; that fact rankled Seto and he made no bones of hiding his utter dislike of the situation. He didn't like not being in control. But there were still some things he could keep within grasp and he planned to do just that. "- and be in my study in half-an-hour."
"Of course Mr. Kaiba." A deep bow from Roland and he was gone from the foyer without another word. Akari and Kimiko took the issuing of orders as their sign to leave, grabbing the phone and offering bows to their employer before disappearing down a hallway. And that left just the two of them standing in the empty upstairs foyer; even Kai had deigned to stay downstairs and away from this heavy tension.
There was a ringing silence that stretched until it was Kisara to break it. There was no more running from this anymore. "I meet with him, sort out the Estates and that means I can move on from it all." It was a quiet statement, but the only thing she could cling to as a mantra of what was going to happen. Her uncle would come to Japan, she would smile and look the part for the watching world, get lawyers to thrash out whatever agreement needed to be on paper and then she didn't have to see him again. She didn't have to go back to France. She didn't have to hide. She nodded to herself before turning around to look up at Seto; if she repeated it enough times, then that was what was going to happen.
A look down into those dark blue eyes and he blew out a breath, pressing his forehead against hers; this wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to protect her this time around. "You won't be left alone at the gala, I swear." That was why he wanted Toshi and Vivian and Mokuba there; even if he was called away then Kisara would have a familiar face beside her.
"You can't fix everything Seto, if this has to happen for me to get my family's company, then it has to happen." Her voice wasn't as terrified as before, but there was a subdued acceptance in it. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Seto nodded and tried to come up with plans to minimise the threat Jonathon Ashbrook could pose. There was no avoiding the fact she would have to meet with him to sign over the Estates, but he could put protocols in place to protect her. "What happened in France won't happen here," because he wouldn't let it, Kisara could see that in Seto's expression and she genuinely believed him. There was a safety and security she had here in Japan that had never been there for all her time back in France. "But in order to make sure it doesn't, I need Roland to have the full story."
That was a loaded comment and she felt her heart skip a beat. Let Roland know about everything that had happened? All the punches and kicks and visits from the family's doctor. There was a part of her that panicked and didn't want anyone else to know because then they would know why she was so nervous and why she hated confrontation. Blinking at her racing thoughts, Kisara realised she was ashamed of her past. It hit her with all the subtlety of bus; she was ashamed of being a victim. Why? It wasn't her fault; she could see that now. It had taken a new life thousands of miles away to realise it, but she knew she wasn't to blame anymore. So why fear Roland knowing? Seto trusted the man more than anyone else, and he had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived all those months ago. "O-okay." Kisara nodded her head, making herself agree to this, but she was relieved when her phone rang and Vivian's name flashed across the screen; her friend was already on her way over.
Rin had worked her magic and the PR team were spinning this as a gracious acceptance of a generous offer from Schroeder Corp. He had to admire their media team for the way they worked this into a seemingly good outcome. Then again, it was what he paid them for. Mokuba had been successful in his mission with the younger Schroeder; Toshi and Vivian were invited, and Mokuba too. Rumours already had it that Yugi and some of his group of dweebs would be attending too. For once Seto didn't see that as a bad thing; the more familiar faces there, the better.
"Sir, you wanted to see me." A polite knock on the door and Roland appeared right on faultless time. Standing from his desk, Seto walked around it and leaned back against the dark wood. He wanted to be on equal standing with Roland for this conversation, as heavy as it was. Wong had arrived a while ago and it was one of the only times he had been grateful to see her; she was exactly what was needed in the mansion right now – she could talk to Kisara on a level Gardner or Rebecca couldn't because she knew of Kisara's past in France.
"Roland, this thing we've been backed into. It's a pile of stinking shit, but we have to make good on it. Kisara wants her family's Estates and this is the only way she can do it." Roland closed the door behind him and approached his employer, nodding at Mr. Kaiba's words. He was aware of the fruitless result of Ms. Ashbrook's visit to France; Fuguta had de-briefed him on the trip, but what caught Roland's attention more was Isamu's information about the carnage Ms. Ashbrook's room had been reduced to; it seemed a senseless pettiness to anyone else, but it made his blood run cold. The box of pictures he had found in her room the morning after the break-in at the mansion had been ruined in the same way Isamu described her belongings in France. A black scorch mark like a cigarette burn across the faces in the pictures and it spoke of something more sinister. Something that reminded Roland of shadow duels and other inexplicable things he had seen in the past. Sensing the tone of the conversation, he took his ear-wig out and also removed his shades.
Seto lapsed into a silence for a long while, not entirely sure how best to word what he wanted to say. Pinching the bridge of his nose he let out a sigh and looked to Roland. "Jonathon Ashbrook is not to come within a mile radius of this house, nor KaibaCorp. All meetings will take place at designated locations with plenty of eyes watching."
"Of course sir, I will inform the security team immediately." It was a strange command with no context, but Roland had learned a long time ago not to question Seto Kaiba; the man's brain worked at an entirely different speed compared to other people – he could see opportunities and risks before they ever became a reality. So he nodded and made a mental note to call a meeting with the security force and produced his work phone with the intention of organising just that.
"Kisara is not to be left alone with him under any circumstances." The tone made Roland stop and his attention was fully-focused back on his employer. There was something familiar in the tone that put him on edge. "Sir?"
There was no point in drawing this out; he trusted Roland more than anyone else and this was a topic not entirely alien to them. If there was anyone who would understand the gravity of it all, it was Roland. "He hit her. Up until she left for China I think. Broken bones, bruises, knocked unconscious; the list goes on and on. You know the usual story. That man is not to be near Kisara unless I'm there, Mokuba or any of the security detail. You and Vivian Wong are the only other people who know; Kisara gave me permission to tell you."
You know the usual story. For a moment Roland processed the words without knowing how to react; this hit a nerve he had locked away a long time ago. Abuse was something he couldn't stand; so much more could be gained through discussion and talking issues through, but to have a child involved? It struck a nerve the man had long ago let show to his employer and it had cost him his job back then. Because there had been a time many years ago when he had stood in a study like this one, but on the third floor of the mansion. Gozaburo Kaiba had been there, sitting behind his desk and unflustered by the allegations levelled against him; ongoing abuse of hitting, punching and kicking his eldest adoptive-son. The house maids at the time had been terrified of Gozaburo and turned a blind eye to his behaviour, to him and Hobson as they took their frustrations out on the young Seto. Two of the older maids, Izumi and Kiku, were the only ones who brought their worries to Rin and himself. Izumi would attempt to move Seto out of danger while Kiku kept the young Mokuba as far away from his adoptive father as possible. That was the reason those two ladies had not been fired after Seto's takeover of KaibaCorp.
What Roland had borne witness to back then had been sickening and he couldn't stand by and let it happen. Finding Seto at the end of the stairs with a broken collarbone had been Rin's final straw; she had made enough noise and threats for the despicable man to get medical attention for the boy. Roland had been fired days before that for threatening to call the police and report the ongoing abuse. An accident when playing soccer; that was the official excuse for the scar on Seto Kaiba's clavicle. The truth was a punch that had knocked the small boy down the stairs, and Gozaburo had walked away and left him there.
"That explains so much." The gears were turning in his head now and Roland felt like everything was beginning to click into place; Ms. Ashbrook's nervous nature, the way she preferred to avoid confrontation. Even the day she had arrived in Japan with no sign of her family accompanying her for the long flight. "You two are far more similar than I realised." He would never dare to pass a comment like that in normal circumstances, but all the man got in response was a trite smirk from Seto.
"I had you and Rin. Kisara had no one to protect her." A sad but honest truth. Seto had never met her aunt, but it didn't take any stretch of the imagination to work out she was most likely a victim of the same abuse. He had had a crap childhood, but there had been a handful of people looking out for him; Kisara hadn't had that luxury.
"Are you okay Seto?" The question was too casual, too personal and it broke so many conventions of politeness and properness that it shook Seto from his brooding and made him look to Roland. He was caught off-guard by the expression on the man's face and he scratched at the scar on his collarbone, trying to deflect. This wasn't about him – it was about Kisara. It didn't matter if he was okay; what mattered was Kisara's safety. But he could just brush this away under a carpet like usual and he didn't know what to say for a moment. Usually he had no problem putting the memories back into their mental box and compartmentalising them away … but not right now, not standing in front of the man who had been the only worthwhile father-figure in his life.
They had never talked about it since the old man had died. There was never a need and it was easier to not think back on the years and pretend none of it happened. Seto had never wanted to and Roland had never asked, but now he had so many things running through his head "Do you remember teaching me how to avoid a punch?"
What a moment to pluck from the locked away memories of his so-called childhood. Roland had been the person to physically step in and try to stop Gozaburo hitting him. There had been one occasion the bodyguard put himself between the old man and child, shielding Seto from the horrible bastard's temper. That had earned Roland a punch to his gut instead and he was reassigned to the KaibaCorp building after it. But Rin and Roland were good friends and the woman had kept him informed, along with Kiku and Izumi.
"I had to do something." It was the simplest of explanations and it needed no other bells and whistles. Any other decent adult in that situation would have done the same thing and tried to protect a helpless child. A sombre nod from Roland was the only answer Seto needed and he flashed a smile that had no humour at all. The memory of the old man falling flat on his ass was still one he took pride in; Roland had taught his younger self how to use someone else's weight against them, just like in judo training. "I knocked the old fool on his ass that day. He never hit me again. That was down to you and I never properly thanked you."
Roland shook his head and waved the words away; Mr. Kaiba wasn't a person who was open with his own demons. This was the most they had ever discussed the happenings and as far as he was concerned, being a decent human being did not require any words of thanks. "There is no need for-"
"Yes there is. I never thanked you for standing up for me when no one else would." In a culture where speaking against your employer mean career suicide. Let alone against such a big name like Gozaburo. In a corporate world where he could have been financially ruined for calling Gozaburo out or black-listed to never work in the security sector again. "I'm not good at talking about things from back then, I know that, but I want you to know how grateful I am, Roland."
How grateful he would always be to this man. How many disasters had Roland stood by him for now? Death-T was a black mark on his memory that he still regretted, but the man had been there when he woke in the hospital even after everything he had put him through. The Duelist Kingdom drama and take-over by Industrial Illusions, Battle City, shadow games, the Big Five's attempted take-over, Paradius, KC Grand Prix and so many other times Roland had stood steadfast and never once failed him.
Dipping into a deep bow, Roland was genuinely choked up by the unabashed honesty coming from Seto Kaiba. He was a private young man, insanely intelligent, but not a person who was known to manage his temper or feelings well. Given how much trauma he had been through, Roland could understand the mannerisms and bluntness of his employers and never once held a grudge against the boy. He had been damaged by too many people who were supposed to protect him. "I appreciate that sir, truly."
Sensing the end of the conversation, Roland took a step back away awaited any other orders Mr. Kaiba might have. When nothing came from his young employer, it was the head of security's turn to venture a query; this wasn't something that could be discussed in open. "Ms. Ashbrook's uncle coming to Japan, the thing you saw on the mansion's stairs … does this concern those items? The rod?"
And that question alone was why Roland was worth all of the other employees combined. All of the happenings with the Millennium Items, the shadow duels, the trip to Egypt. Every one of those things Roland had been there for and never one breathed another word to anyone. Scratching at the scar on his collarbone again, Seto chewed the inside of his cheek and thought on an answer. He was biased because of what he had seen in Seth's memories, but neither did he believe in all of this being a coincidence. "I don't know yet Roland, but if you see anything that reminds you of those duels, the smoke or another item, you tell me immediately. Understood?"
"Without question sir."
A/n - Thank you so much for taking the time to read this newest chapter and thank you so much for being so patient!