"One of the hardest things you'll ever have to do is to stop loving someone because they've stopped loving you."
She felt the remnants of her heart splinter slowly as time agonizingly progressed at a slow rate.
If she could fade into the shadows, she would have gladly given up everything to be out of this situation.
Her Sesshomaru was supposed to love her, not that foul ningen!
Switching on the television, she wondered if dear Naraku had done his work.
As the 'urgent news' program poured its latest blathering on the television, a vicious smile appeared upon the demoness' facial features as she headed towards the hospital.
Time seemed to have its own amusement in making the woman wait.
She was stuck on the highway in slow moving traffic. Kagome turned the limousine's television on to deter boredom and worry.
Rin paid little heed to most of the commercial blathering, but when a breaking news telecast interrupted the program, it commanded her focus.
"...it has just been reported that Sesshomaru Takahashi, the CEO of Tokoyo's most notorious company, has been rushed to Sakuran Hospital earlier today. It has not been cleared with press of Mr. Takahashi's condition; but witnesses have seen the ambulance rushing to the emergency section of the hospital from his residence. Supposedly Kagura Onisami has been frantically trying to get a hold of Rinera, Takahashi-sama's wife, but she has not responded or even set foot in the hospital. More information is to come. This is Anko Kanoki, News 5."
A long period of silence occupied the cavern of the car.
"Bah, why can't those fuckin' eavesdroppers mind their own dam business?"
Leave it to Inuyasha to be the catalyst of Kagome's rage.
"Inuyasha! What did I just hear?! You better have not said what I think you did! SIT BOY!"
The hanyu was repeatedly smacked against the floor.
Several hours later, the group was able to check in to the hospital to see Sesshomaru.
"It is called Nakorna Disease; a very rare condition that is caused by severe circumstances of separation between two mates. This occurs when the demon Youkai abruptly follows all senses of logic within the instinctual perimeters of an animal."
The doctor sighed seeing Inuyasha's puzzled expression.
"In other words, Sesshomaru's mind is not functioning like normal. It is like he is in his full demon state; only he is in his first form with his Youkai controlling him."
She held back her tears as she faced her reality. "Doctor Lasorna, may I speak to you privately?"
The woman nodded and led her to one of the side rooms to speak.
She took a deep breath before continuing. "What are the chances of surviving this? Or rather...is there a cure?"
The doctor's face fell. "Mrs. Takahashi...there has only been two cases prior to Sesshomaru, and the likelihood of recovery is slim due to his body not being able to heal from his injuries or even wake up from his coma-like state. While there is a chance to cure it...the practice is not recommended."
In all her years of practice, Seii Lasorna had never seen her long time patient's composure shaken as it was currently.
Rin understood the hidden words: his life is in your hands.
She had promised to keep him safe.
Regardless of what happened to her.
"What is the practice?"
The blue eyes locked with hers. "The unaffected mate must die or sever the mating bond. Both circumstances have a high chance of producing deadly outcomes. The second option, as you may know, may result in the death of the one who severed the connection; of which the affected may even forget. As well as a chance that the Youkai will never resume the bonding even if both prevail."
She closed her eyes for a moment to assemble some sort of wall between herself and reality. "What is the good aspects of...the mating bond being severed?"
"The affected mate will be free from the current state and resume all natural functions."
She sighed. "Alright..."
Seii sighed quietly. "Rin...as a friend, I must ask...is there another..."lover" in Sesshomaru's life? Or...yours?"
Her heart jolted in response. "...there was. Kagura Onisami. The famous actress."
Seii pulled her friend into an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Rin. As a friend, I want you to know that of you ever need anything, I'm here for you. As a physician, I advise you to take the weekend to make your decisions about Sesshomaru's current medical condition. If you don't mind me asking, how are your wounds?"
The doors violently-as if by a immense force of wind-opened to reveal a very irate Kagura.
"How is my darling?! I must have an update! He must be saved!"
Oh, how she desired to wrap her hands around the bitch's neck to strangle her!
Rin's eyes glowered with controlled rage. "My mate is under my supervision. And you," she put severe emphasis upon the remaining sentence to fully capture the demoness's attention. "Are not to intrude upon family matters."
Kagura smirked. "You still continue to think you are of any value to him?"
"I've had it! Security! Take this woman immediately from the hospital premises!"
As security dragged her from the room, her last words shook Rin's resolve to the core.
"I shall get you, Rin! Mark my words!"
She sits, pondering how many cracks her heart could take before imploding to oblivion.
There were two forks in the road; of which both were one way streets.
An almost empty bottle of strong liquor sat near her trembling hands; a glass left half downed upon the cracked glass table.
Pale lips were pulled into a grimace as dim irises roamed the beautiful contours of the early hours of the morn.
Her life was falling in fragments; and there was little left of her that she could offer to fight.
Maybe...Kagura was right.
She...belonged six feet under.
Maybe...he didn't truly want her; and she was not going to keep him in shackles.
But...it hurt.
It hurt her deeply-even more so than the doctor's sympathies on her disease-that he did not truly love her.
"It was lust..."
"Poor girl. He ruins them all just the same..."
"The Takahashi family and the Onisami family were working together to come up with a business contract that is said to not only preserve the unity between the two companies but to promote a new era of wealth...rumors are of a marriage..."
The media had been cruel; calling her names all but short of "killer", "gold digger", and "cold".
Rumors spread as if wild fire; and she had not the energy to continue to disprove them.
All thanks to that god awful Benkei Sarotobi, Tokyo's most notorious news reporter.
She had until Monday morning to make her decision; and she was at lose ends.
She turned the television off and headed over to her bed room. Memories did not evade her mind.
She stood by his-her-desk and waited for the arrival of the head chairmen of the departments to the meeting.
They all, who had been instructed to arrive promptly when called, soon enough, filed into the office.
A small smile threatened to ruin her calm facial features as expressions of shock of her presence broke through their composure.
" I have summoned you all here today to announce that from here on out, I will be taking over the company. The same standards and expectations regarding morale and work will remain the same. I expect all of you to be diligent enough to maintain order in your department and notify all employees of their new CEO. If there are any questions, please ask."
None asked, and waited for dismissal.
Gone was the woman who was docile and kind. In her place was the female version of Sesshomaru, only she still held a sort kindness and warmth in her hardened irises.
She settled into the grand desk and attacked a large pile of paperwork.
"...Mrs. Takahashi?"
The secretary, often whose attire border- lined inappropriate, spoke tentatively through the speaker.
"Yes, Yumi?"
"You have an appointment in five minutes,ma'am, with Mr. Onisami. My shift is ending, so I shall be leaving in a moment."
Rin groaned. It was already seven o'clock. After business hours. "Send him up."
"Yes, ma'am."
She only had closed her eyes for a mere moment when a professional knock jarred her from her light slumber.
"Come in."
A dark haired figure strode into the room.
Naraku Onisami.
"Rinera Takahashi."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but nonetheless, she remained at a calm stature.
"Mr. Onisami." She greeted curtly. "You may take a seat," she murmured, gesturing towards the chair while seeking a pen and pad of paper.
"What brings you to my office?"
He looked sharply at her for a moment, but seated himself in front of her.
"The business contract. Mind the fact that it entails more than what the public has perceived it to be."
"And what does that entail?"
A smirk etched his features. "I know you cannot run this company on your own, Rinera. I have a business proposition that you cannot refuse. If the company has a joint partnership with the industries of Onisami Corporations, it would be highly beneficial to both of us! Think of the profits!"
She sighed. "Mr. Onisami..."
"Naraku."
"...Naraku, while I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, I must decline such a contract. Takahashi Corporation is strictly conducting business on its own for the time being. I am perfectly capable of running this company. How about in a few months-"
A pale hand grasped her wrist and pulled her towards a hard chest. "Are you sure, Rinera? Surely you need my help. If you'd like," he talked softly in her ear. "I can even show you how a man should love you-"
"Please excuse me, Mr. Onisami. I'm afraid I have other business to attend to at the moment-"
"Think about the proposition," he began, ignoring her pushing him away. "Come to my office next Friday with your decision. I merely seek a way to bring an end to the family feud."
He kissed her hand and released her. "Until then, I bid you farewell."
She immediately pushed herself away from Naraku. "Good bye, Mr. Onisami."
She sat back in the fine leather chair and deeply sighed.
As the days passed under her guidance, the company fared tremendously well. Although she held up the same work efficiency standards, she proved to be more sympathetic towards the employees.
She had decided to wait a bit longer to see if Sesshomaru could defeat the sickness; and she visited him at any chance she could.
Work kept her mind off her situations at hand; and allowed her to have independence for once.
The following week turned out to be uneventful on the business matters; and for that she was thankful.
Sesshomaru continued to remain in a limbo-like state; he neither depicted progress nor signs of a worse condition.
She, on the other hand, was another story. The mark of the strange disease had returned-and now had begun to spread around her abdomen-with the skin surrounding it turning a grey shade.
The paralyzing attacks had not yet occurred; but she was fearful of the worst: the impact of her death.
She was in the middle of a business presentation when the first attack started. She quietly slipped out and rushed to her office; narrowly escaping the public eye.
Tremors shook her spine as the burn upon her side burned; and she grasped the edges of the office's bathroom sink in agony in wait for the merciless seconds to tick away.
"...Mrs. Takahashi? Are you in here?"
Yumi?
"Yes. Please return to work. I thank you for your concern."
"Mrs. Takahashi-" the woman's voice was cut off.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Rin. You are going to have to come with me."
The office door burst open with such a force that the glass windows shattered.
"Every body who cooperates won't get hurt."
Both were forced upon their knees as they were bound and gagged.
The trio of assaulters forced them down several flights of stairs as more perpetuators invaded the businss building.
They forced her into the trunk of a tinted car and drove off.
Her brown orbs locked into the malicious dark blue irises of Yumi in the dark compartment.
The car jarred them every which way; and she was pressed against Yumi in a matter she did not, under normal circumstances, tolerate.
Her side burned with the same force, although it had to be put on the back burner for the list of priorities now.
"So you betrayed me for what? Money? Status? I have nothing of value to be traded for."
The simple answer nearly shocked her skin off.
"My daughter." A somber smile curved the corners of her thin lips. "Many think I do not go any lengths to protect what little I have of kin, but they have her." She turned back towards her as she moved her body away. "They want you, Rin, and are willing to make the trade. I merely told them where you were; I did not think they would take me as well during the business presentation. It was my true intent to do my job today; not get abducted."
They drove right into a busines building garage as if they owned the place.
The trunk was cautiously opened as a hand reached to unbind Yumi from her bindings.
"Boss." Several men greeted Naraku as Yumi tore her ungraciously from the car.
'An accomplice to Naraku...the "Boss?!"'
And to think that she had felt some sympathy for the woman.
After a ways up stairways and elevators, he opened a door to a beautifully crafted office room.
He bound her to a chair and sat at a large wooden desk.
"Welcome to Onisami Corporations, Mrs. Takahashi." He opened, portraying the matter as if they were professionals meeting for the first time.
"You must be wondering, my dear Rinera, how do you fit into the immaculate plan of my madness?"
He stood, placing his hands dramatically upon the desk.
"The answer is quite simple compared to the months of planning I've put into this arrangement. I desired for Kagura to be mine, but Kagura desired Sesshomaru. So, I settled for second best: you.
The whole disease situation was purely perfect timing to drive the wedge between you and your beloved demon. Kagura merely stepped in with your ignorant little secretary drawn over to our side for a mere twenty thousand dollars to set the plan into motion."
As she was moving to cut the ropes with a knife she had kept hidden in her sleeve, he violently twisted her chair to the center of the room; evicting a scream from her lips as her palm was deeply cut.
He paced around her.
"Sesshomaru only married you for connivence to cover up his then scandal with Sarah Harioko. He is a player, Rinera. And you played right into his game. Do you really think he went to Kagura to control himself? Of course not. So, I decided to play along using a bit of an ancient curse from an old ally unbeknownst to our dear Sesshomaru. You pondered endlessly for days, and it was quite an entertainment."
Her eyes narrowed into slits. "And proclaiming your evil plans will do nothing. Whatever you think will force me to do something you want will never work."
Naraku laughed and pulled her face close to his. "I'm going to make this clear, Rinera: only I have the cure for your beloved Sesshomaru. You do what I ask, and I'll cure him. You don't, and I'll have you executed on the spot. What's it going to be?"
She turned her face away. "And what are the added stipulations?"
Naraku smiled. "I had already told the press of the agreement finally reached that Onisami Corporations is pairing up with Takahashi Corporations with the said business plan. As for added stipulations, you will not breathe a word of this to anyone or Kagome dies. You will also," he grinned," be mine. And I'm sure that you know what that entails. This will help break the bond so Sesshomaru will be Kagura's. As for my side of the bargain, I will cure him and you shall be protected always. Then, Takahashi Corporations will be Sesshomaru's. Do we have an accord?"
She closed her eye lids. "Very well then."
"Good."
Lips crashed down upon hers.
The burning upon her side began to burn Naraku.
A shot rang out throughout the room, nearly blowing Naraku's head clean off.
"Sorry, Naraku dear, but I'm taking it from here."
Rin's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Kagura."
The dark haired demoness smiled as she strode into the room. "I have a new deal of my own, Rinny. I am bored; so let's play a game...a bit of cat and mouse. Sesshomaru is waking as we speak, and the baby is kicking! I want his father to know of him, so lets make it quick. Yes, we are expecting a son together, something you never can have. Run as fast as you can from here, and lets see how intelligent you can be without someone saving you. Hell, I'll even give you a half hour start."
Rin hastily cut the ropes and ran for her life.
"After her!"
She had eventually made it to her office.
After hastily writing a letter of what had happened, she frantically dialed her phone.
"...please answer...please.." A cracked voice pleaded as the phone dialed.
"Hello?"
"K-Kagome! I've done something...horrible..."
"Rin? Where are you? What happened?"
The voice on the other end choked up and whispered. "I can't...I can't tell you...but I want you to know that I...am sorry for everything...even my own existence. When...when Sessh is healed, tell him...tell him I loved him always...at my...office..."
Brown orbs grew wide. "Rin! What happened?!"
"I've made a deal with the devil."
"What-?"
A voice interrupted her on the opposite end.
"My dear, who are you speaking to? I hope it is not Kagome."
"...she's coming up the stairs! Watch the news...letter in Sessh's desk explains all...so sorry!"
End of phone call.
Kagome remained frozen until Inuyasha bursted through the door.
"Sesshomaru woke up! He's heading to the office in a bit... Where's Rin? Kagome? Kagome! What's wrong?"
"Rin's in trouble..."
"Humans really are stupid aren't they? Oh well. This shall be so easy!"
A sharp clawed hand grabbed her hair and yanked it mercilessly towards the demoness. "I made it so easy for you! I dispatched Naraku's grotesque henchmen and even came here myself! And yet here you are: making calls to your beloved family! If you want to be with them so badly, I'll let you join them!"
Her heart clenched at the mention of her own deceased family members.
She was thrown through the last large remaining undamaged glass wall of his office.
Glass cut stitches of previous wounds open as more were created.
She stifled a cry to prevent the bitch from knowing it hurt.
"So brave. I commend you for that. Get up!"
She was forced upon her feet; and the cold barrel of the gun was pressed against her back. "Walk."
Tears streamed down her cheeks from both pain and heart break.
She wouldn't meet her end like this.
Not even if hell froze over.
As they reached the stairs, she kicked Kagura's legs out from beneath her; resulting in a bullet whisking by her-missing her head by precious inches.
"You think you can waltz in here like you own the place? This is my company, my mate, and my life!"
Adrenalin rushed through her veins; temporarily blocking her coherence of pain.
She kicked the wind demoness down the stairway; who violently flipped continuously in a ungraceful descent downwards.
She landed upon the hard tile with a loud smack; and the gun was sent several feet from her hand.
Rin jumped, missing several steps as she did so; intending to attack while the opportunity presented itself.
Kagura sent a gust of wind to knock her off course as Rin moved to pounce upon her.
"Not so fast, Rinny!"
She landed heavily in the midst of the slew of waiting chairs.
She managed to push herself off the ground before being thrown in the opposite direction.
She rolled several times on the tile before coming to a stop against the fountain.
Kagura sauntered over and grasped her throat. "How does it feel to be left defenseless? Send Inutaisho and Izayoi my regards on the other side. Naraku enjoyed their deaths; as well as your beloved human family."
When she failed to respond Kagura squeezed her throat tightly. "This is such a bore. How should I end your pathetic existence? Hm. I know!"
She pulled a smaller gun and was planning to shoot the poor woman in the abdomen. "I'll let you suffer. You deserve it."
As Rin kicked and screamed, the doors where thrown open to reveal a red eyed Sesshomaru.
"Mate." A voluminous growl echoed in the grand lobby.
Rin watched with pure heart ache as Kagura merely threw her on the floor and strode over to kiss the demon.
'When the mating bond is broken, he will forget all about you...and you will die...'
Her insides felt as if fire raced through her veins.
An agonized scream tore through her lips and darkness brought her into its embrace.
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