"To you my friend… hope you didn't have a tough time with those arduous ordeals man tends to call exams"
Yours, Mine and Ours
The Tokyo counterpart of the prestigious England originated Law Firm, Prescott & Taylor was situated in the Hegira Towers, right at the thirteenth floor, overlooking a major part of the bustling city. The partners of the firm in Japan were Tokiya Himura, Kurosaki Tachibana and also a representative from the Head Office, Vivian Foster. The three presently were discussing over a cup of steaming coffee as to which one of their aspiring newbie shall be given the place in the partnership.
"Why Akira," the young CEO meanwhile asked the raven-haired lass who was sitting behind her desk inside her handsomely decorated office, busily looking through some important looking papers, "why the hell did you set that worthless crap with that picture…?"
Even though she didn't look up, the brunet did not miss the small smile that had crept to her lips at the sound of his perturbed question. But Kanata Saionji was losing patience with the woman who could possibly deteriorate the budding relationship that he seem to be having with his wife.
"Because Kanata," Akira finally lifted her head to look directly into those domineering amber orbs of the brunet, "fifty-two missed calls, forty-eight voice messages and one-twenty-one texts seemed of no avail to get your ass inside my firm… but that one photograph did it…"
She leaned on her desk, her smile widening with every passing second as Kanata continued to glare at her. His inner struggle to retort was what was practically brewing her desire to torment him even more.
"Did the handsome photographer touch a nerve love?" she asked, in a voice which she often used towards her clients, not only earning herself a good case but also a guy totally aroused.
She trailed her well manicured fingers along her cheek, her smile slowly now turning into an arrogant smirk, which highly enlightened her already flawless face.
"Fine," the brunet said as he got to his feet.
Although a little surprised, Akira got to her feet as well, masking her surprise with another one of her smiles.
"Leaving already Kanata…?" she asked.
Kanata didn't respond but pushing his hands into his pants, he turned to leave. But after a step, the brunet turned.
"I wanna ask you a legal advice Ms. Kijoyu," said the brunet, his face betraying nothing.
Frankly taken aback, Akira said, "Fire away…"
"Who do you think would be the best lawyer I should take if I wanna file a case against a venomous evil witch who takes the image of an attorney?" asked Kanata with a smile.
Akira's face turned to stone but it didn't take long for her to recover as after all, she has faced similar questions from her opposing teams during various trials in her career.
"Frankly Kanata," she said with a smile, "I don't think anybody is qualified enough to take her down…"
Kanata gave her a look of pure loathing combined with a smile he usually reserved for his rivals during auctions. He started to leave again but at the door, he turned yet again.
"Another lame comeback?" asked Akira, with her eyebrows raised, as though utterly bored.
"Actually," said Kanata, giving a smile which he could've obviously learned from his beautiful wife, "I'm officially firing your firm from being the legal counselor to the Saionji Group of Companies…"
"You can't do that," snarled Akira at once, all dignity forgotten as after all, she could lose all hopes of becoming a partner at this firm if the partners were to find out why they lost one of their most prestigious and profit bringing clients.
"As per the Paragraph 47, Article 22 of the little agreement I have with your firm," said Kanata flashing another smile, "I can and … I think Kijoyu, I think I just did!"
Akira glared as Kanata pulled out a pair of shades from his inner pocket and wearing them, left her office, his victory smile in place.
Chapter 16
Ai Higuchi has been the personal secretary to one of the top ten most formidable bosses known in the business world in the whole of Japan for more than a year now. Yes, she was the personal secretary to the one and only Kanata Saionji.
That morning when she dressed for work, Ai knew that she looked older than she was. She knew all the thanks should go to her boss but she shouldn't be complaining seeing as at the age of twenty-three she was already in the permanent employee list for a major tycoon in the industry.
After a quick brush of her waist length raven-black hair, Ai rushed out of her studio apartment, mentally reminiscing her boss's schedule for the day.
Getting onto the usual bus, Ai was glad that she got a seat. Once settled for her twenty minute ride, Ai remembered back to when she first joined at the Saionji Co., two years ago part-time as an assistant to the then personal assistant to Mr. Saionji.
She actually had found it weird at the need for an assistant to an assistant. But the very first day of her job, she knew why.
Her boss was the human form of Satan himself—more to quote all her other colleagues rather than her own words.
For her, Kanata Saionji was a savior. He saved her from the streets when her parents died in an accident and she quit business school. He paid her more than his actual secretary meaning she was practically forced back to school by him.
But he wasn't entirely happy when she told him that she wanted to be her secretary rather than pursue any other job in the industry which led him to be bossier to her than anybody else and pay her less than what he used to pay for her part-time job.
True, she used to have a small crush on him back in the day but it was totally crushed nearly a year ago when he started dating a lawyer from the firm which was assigned as the Company's legal face. It didn't look as though it'll last long as how detached her boss had been towards the relationship.
But her hopes had come tearing down when the brunet invited her to a jewelry shop to purchase an engagement ring for his girlfriend.
Just when she thought that her boss and his beautiful lawyer where going to end up together, everything changed. He stopped attending her calls and postponing and sometimes even cancelling appointments with her. The final straw was when he announced he was married to a Miyu Kouzuki.
Ai sighed when she placed Kanata Saionji's non-fat extra-milk latté on his glass desk. He was due any minute and Ai was ready to recite his schedule the second he enters his office.
But the most unusual thing happened when he entered his office.
Before Ai even opened her mouth to start his schedule, her ever-so-unfriendly boss sighed, "'Morning Higuchi…"
What was unusual about this was that Kanata Saionji has never greeted her before.
"M-morning sir," stammered Ai, a small blush creeping to her cheeks at his sudden gentleness, "shall I read out your schedule…?"
"Yea…" said Kanata sitting down on his cushioned chair, "but before you do that, could you call and inform Foster that we are withdrawing our agreement with their firm…"
"You mean Vivian Foster?" asked Ai before she could stop herself.
"Do you know any other Foster?" asked Kanata and then continued, "And while you're at it, get Hihara to get a list of law firms willing to work for us…"
Although it was very odd, Ai nodded her head going, "Yes sir…"
She turned to leave when he called her again.
"Higuchi…?"
"Yes sir?" she asked nervously, wondering what he wanted.
He looked a little nervous himself and she could not believe her eyes when she saw small tinges of red smeared along his perfect cheeks, "which is… err… which is the best way to explain to your spouse about your ex?"
After a seconds pause of staring blankly at her expectant boss, Ai smiled.
"Being honest is always the best way sir…" she said flashing another smile.
~Yours, Mine and Ours~
Kanata sat at the couch inside his more than a little extravagant room, tapping his feet impatiently on the carpeted floor, his suit now residing at the arm of the cushion. Sighing, he leaned back on the cushion helplessly wondering whether he would have to sleep another night in this cushion which seems so comfortable now but turns into a nightmare during the nighttime.
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't simply moved into another room—after all, the Saionji Mansion comprised of Four Master Bedrooms, Five Guest Bedroom and nearly more than a dozen bathrooms.
The answer was simple—He simply never gets any sleep or even the teensy bit of relaxation in any of the other rooms.
But sleep was to take the sidelines since he had more pressing matter at hand—his wife.
Miyu stepped out of the bathroom, her blonde hair wet and sticking to her face and neck and wearing a fluffy aqua blue bathrobe. She was brushing her hair against an equally fluffy towel when Kanata got to his feet.
Miyu practically jumped in surprise, going, "Kanata! When did you get here?"
"I have some explaining to do".
Miyu raised her eyebrows and then as realization hit her, her face relaxed and the first signs of possible sadness and maybe even fear started to surface.
"It's about the photo?"
Kanata cleared his throat and nodded his head gravely.
Miyu pursed her lips and slowly sat down at the bed, her eyes almost unfocussed. She clutched the towel possibly for support and constantly tried to adjust a particular strand of her hair which kept poking at her cheek.
"Her name's Akira," Kanata started, walking slowly towards her but stopped at a considerable distance from her, "Akira Kijoyu…"
Miyu said nothing.
Breathing out nervously, Kanata continued, "The law firm in which she works, are our legal advisors…"
Miyu glanced into his eyes, almost coldly.
That was when Kanata wondered whether this was how all of his employees felt when they try to explain something to him.
"At that time, the company was intending on buying out a smaller firm in Osaka," Kanata explained, "and… well, as we started seeing each other at the office more often, we started seeing each other…"
Miyu nodded knowingly. Kanata gave her a calculating look, trying to figure out what exactly she was thinking right at this moment.
"Romantically…" muttered the blonde under her breath.
"Yea," Kanata said in a strained voice and continued, "We were dating for about half-a-year maybe…"
"And you broke up how?" asked Miyu, looking directly into his eyes.
Kanata forced himself not to smile. People rarely ever look into his eyes while asking a question. And those people had been mostly his teachers back in school.
"She's basically an ambitious woman," Kanata said, reliving the little conversation he had had with the wife to his English Professor back at school and also a family friend, Vivian Foster nearly half-a-year ago.
"She's not what you think she is, son…" Foster had said.
Kanata hadn't said a word. Just then, Foster's cell phone began to ring. Looking at the name of the caller, Vivian sighed and placing her mobile on the coffee table, put it on speaker.
"Akira…?"
"Vivian!" Akira's voice could be heard crystal clear, "wait till you hear this…"
"Yes," said Foster, her face grim but her voice sounding warm nonetheless, "I'm all ears…"
"But before that, tell me… the partnership opening to be held in the next few months… where am I in that list?"
Kanata got to a straighter posture. Sensing that they were getting to the target, Vivian pursed her lips and then said, "I'm not sure honey… Yamaguchi and Hihara are at top though…"
"And I'm goanna bring them down…"
Vivian didn't look at Kanata but she knew that he sensed where this conversation was headed.
"How exactly…?"
"What if I get a more permanent agreement with the Saionji Companies?"
"What?"
"What if I told you that I could get us clients from within the Saionji Companies Circle?"
"You mean all of its branches and allies all over the world?" asked Vivian, almost dumbstruck.
Kanata slumped back on the couch, a weird look on his face which could easily be deciphered as nausea.
"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Vivian, "I know you're dating the Managing Director and all… but…do you think Mr. Saionji will allow for this?"
[Obviously, nobody knows of the other way Vivian Foster and Kanata Saionji are connected.]
"As a girlfriend," said Akira slowly, "doing this would be completely impossible…"
"You mean…" started Vivian, "he proposed?"
At this point, the older woman looked at the brunet almost disbelievingly to which the brunet slowly shook his head.
"Not yet," said Kijoyu's voice from the phone, as though acknowledging it, "but it's about time…"
"Within six months of dating?" asked Vivian.
"I have my ways," said Akira.
"What ways…?" asked Miyu, curiously.
Kanata looked away, a small tinge of crimson caressing his cheeks as the multi-millionaire blushed in embarrassment.
"Fortune teller…" he murmured under his breath.
Sure that she had misheard what he husband just said, Miyu said almost incredulously, "I beg your pardon?"
Taking a long breath, Kanata turned to face her and licking his lips lightly repeated, a bit more firmly but still unsure of what reaction he was going to get, "a fortune teller…"
Miyu frowned.
That was by far the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard escaping the lips of her amber-eyed brunet husband.
"What do you mean?" asked Miyu and Kanata could almost taste the slight hint of skepticism in her voice. This was the very reason why he had refused to disclose this information to anybody (even his father and Pierre) till now.
However he was surprised to notice he was only a little bit awkward and embarrassed about sharing this little insecurity with the woman who was now carrying the sole heir to the Saionji Family's vast fortune.
"Well," he said sighing lightly, "Long story short, I bumped into this fortune teller or maybe some old gypsy hag who said…"
He paused as if for dramatic effect, which was indeed the last thing on his mind. He simply didn't know how to put it into words. It had seemed so surreal and yet he had taken it to heart and had rushed into a stupid judgment of buying an expensive engagement ring, which now lay lazily in his wardrobe among many other nonessential accessories.
"Said what…?" enquired Miyu, a look of eagerness now filling her emerald eyes, "What did she say…?"
Kanata closed his eyes and then replied opening them again, "Wedlock will mend loose ends… a woman in white will bring the family close…"
Kanata breathed out and looked almost sheepishly at the blonde sitting beside him, wondering how hard this was going to hit his already damaged image of family insecurity.
However, he was surprised to see her smile at him.
"It's not f-funny," Kanata surprised himself with the stutter but, what can the poor guy do…? His wife's smile is just too enchanting to land him in even more embarrassing situations for him.
"I don't think it's funny Kanata," she said and Kanata sensed the relief that was spreading through her voice.
They sat there, looking at each other for a whole ten minutes before Miyu's smile turned to a beam when she said "I think that fortune teller might be right…"
"What…?"
She placed her hand softly on his cheek and Kanata was slightly overwhelmed by the warmth that she was giving him. He wondered who had been the last person who had been able to give him this much warmth, this much security with just a mere touch…
The answer was simple…
His mother…
"Maybe a wedding is going to get you and your father back together," she said, her hand slowly following a strand of his brunet hair.
It took less than a moment for Kanata to realize what she meant. He smiled as he realized that there was a fair chance for that. If only his dad would talk to Miyu for even a few minutes, he'd realize what he's missing here.
After another minute to staring into each other, Kanata said almost bluntly, "I don't wanna sleep on the couch…"
Miyu looked puzzled for a moment and then the next said, "I think there are three other Master-Bedrooms in this huge house of yours…"
"You don't want the servants to think we are having a fight," Kanata replied, a smirk threatening to make its debut and his hand finding hers which was now busy playing with a strand of his hair.
Miyu smiled as well and said lightly, "I think Mr. Saionji it would be better if you took another room today…"
Kanata stared into her eyes, hoping she would crack but she remained solid. Sighing lightly, he let go of her hand which landing lightly on the bed. Her smile faded a little at the sight of him probably giving up.
"Fine…" he said, raising his arms in defeat, "I'll find myself another room…"
Miyu's smile looked a little stiff now but she didn't say anything.
He got to his feet but almost at once sat back down and turned to her with a serious look in his eyes.
"By the way," he said seriously, "the kiss in the photograph…"
Miyu looked away lightly.
"I didn't kiss her," Kanata said at once, wishing there was way to tell this without inclining the fact that he hadn't actually refused it either.
Miyu nodded knowingly.
"Yea…" said Kanata more to himself than to her, obviously spoiling every chance he had had in staying in the bedroom with her, "and…"
Miyu looked at him, wondering what else he was going to say.
Kanata looked directly into those electrifying emerald orbs of hers and said taking a short breath, "that vermin was wrong… there's absolutely nothing wrong with you Miyu…"
Miyu realized that Kanata was talking about Mizuki's outburst on how it was probably Miyu's fault why the guys in her life always tend to stray away from her.
"Any guy would be lucky to have you," said Kanata.
Miyu smiled and said, "That's a little cliché, don't you think…? I expect something more original from you Mr. Saionji"
Kanata looked a little taken aback at her response but regaining his composure, gave her one of his rare but very effective smiles as he said, leaning towards her, "how about this…"
He kissed her softly and whispered on her lips, "I believe I have made the most inexcusable crime known to guys in this world by grasping you away all to myself…"
Miyu's smile widened as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him gently on his lips.
In between the kisses that were starting to get more heated and rapid, Kanata asked, "Do you still want me to go to a different room?"
Miyu gave him another smile.
End Chapter 16
A/N: Okay… I'm seriously not sure how this chapter turned out this way… it was all too sudden. Hope you enjoyed it though… Please review… :)
"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread"
