A/N:

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you Miyanoai. I am so blessed to have such a supportive and funny beta. Who shares my fear of roller coasters, so that is a huge plus.

Secondly, this chapter is dedicated to the phenomenally talented Delmire. We had someone try to start some drama, and just to be clear, that is unacceptable. Posting on this site takes courage, because when you do, you're putting a part of yourself out there to be judged. Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, because we can all improve our craft. Cruelness is intolerable, and tearing someone down because you can is bullying. Likewise, stories will vary in details but there will always be similarities. We're writing about the same two characters. It's only natural for us to all share a general sense of who they are and how they're lives would be.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is all about the set up, because shit's gonna fly in the next one.

***Hurt***

Chapter Four: In the End

There was a media circus on the steps of Sion. The tall glass building loomed over the southside of Shinjuku, and though it was one of the newer buildings in the area, it was still an infamous business. Give it another decade, and it would be a landmark. Hisana was determined to make it as famous at the Sky Tree.

"Asami-sama," Kirishima had been quiet most of the car ride, giving her plenty of time to look over the pertinent reports for the day, only speaking to answer her questions. She was going to hit the ground running, and that meant meetings. Lots of meetings. Daddy had only been out of the business for two days, so she could not see how it could have all fallen to shambles, but she was prepared for the worst. "Would you like to use the underground entrance?"

Hisana looked out the window. The faceless throng milled about, lights flashing even though nothing interesting had happened. Ever since Mom's picture had earned him a hefty sum, they were eager for more. Bottom feeders, the lot of them, but she was not about to cower on her first day. "No need," she tried to keep her voice light. "My hair looks good today."

Suoh coughed to cover up a chuckle. Kirishima shook his head and Hisana smirked. "I wasn't trying to be funny," but she too giggled. The BMW slowly rolled to a stop, the brakes as silent as the gathered crowd. No one coughed or dared to breathe as Kirishima stepped out of the car. He too was dressed to the nines today in a dark gray suit and his curly hair slicked back. They all looked their best. It was about more than making an impression, it was a declaration to the world that they were still strong, that the regime was as firm as ever.

It happened in slow motion, like a scene from a movie. The CFO was opening the door as a small foot and a slim ankle stepped onto the rough cement. Suoh was already on the other side of the limo, hand extended like a gentleman, helping her stand. They were laying the drama on thick, but the media lapped it up, shouting questions and snapping pictures. Hisana walked between them, head high and shoulders squared. Her mink coat swallowed her, making her look more like a movie star than a businesswoman, but Hisana did not mind. Her coat was both cute and warm, and if the men saw her as vapid, well that was to her advantage.

The two doormen had never officially met Hisana before, but they bowed low as they pulled the doors open. A security team ran out, pushing back the media who shoved forward. A lucky few might make it into the building for an interview if they were quick about it. No one did, though. Heads turned and a hush fell over the atrium as employees watched her walk to the elevator. All these people who now worked for her were sizing her up.

A brave man stepped forward. "Good morning, Asami-san," he bowed at the waist.

Turning her head while pressing the elevator button, Hisana dipped her chin. "Good morning." The doors slid open with a chime, and she gestured inside the lift. "Are you going up?"

The brave man flushed. "I'll take the text one," he stumbled over his words. "Th-thank you for the offer."

"Suit yourself," Hisana walked into the elevator, Kirishima and Suoh on her heels.

"That was cruel," Suoh remarked blandly as they faced forward. "You shouldn't tease them like that,"

Hisana smiled and bit the end of her tongue. "I can do it one better," she told him. "What was his name?"

"His badge said Fujimoto," the ever observant secretary responded.

"Don't look so scared, Fujimoto," Hisana said loudly as the doors slowly began to shut. The underling looked up at her, his mouth dropping. Behind her, Suoh chuckled as she cooed. "I don't bite."

The last thing she saw was his dark eyes bulging out of their sockets, his face sanguine. Thankfully, the elevator doors shut at last because her stomach was hurting from the effort it took to stifle her laughs.

***Hurt***

Akihito paced laps around the condo, doing his best to stay calm. His editor kept calling him, and though he wanted to turn the blasted thing off, he was waiting on a call from Reiko-sensei. It was too important to risk missing, so he suffered through Iwata's countless calls. He knew what the man wanted anyway. Hisana was holding a press conference at ten-thirty that morning, and the paper needed a representative. Since Akihito had broken the story, Iwata was offering him first dibs. He needed to answer his phone, to the man he was going so Mitari could not, but he did not want to spend an hour listening to Iwata's rambling.

With a sigh, he finally took the call. Not that he was actually going to go the press conference. He had helped her prep the speech, and had written an article based off it. He only had to wait until the conference had ended to submit it. Funny how three days ago, he had been worried about getting his next big scoop. Now, he would trade everything in the world for it all to be a dream.

***Hurt***

The men in her father's employ––no, her employ––watched her closely. Hisana knew that it they were judging her every move, discerning if she was her father, or if they could take advantage of her while he was under. She had to be impeccable if she wanted to keep everything from falling apart. Sion was on the brink of collapse, and what she did today would determine if the lieutenants stayed loyal to the family, or if they broke free to start their own organizations.

"What is the first item on the agenda?" Hisana asked as the elevator doors slid open to the grand foyer before Asami's office. His office, Kirishima and Suoh's, took up the entire floor. There was also a reception area, with Iseri-san's desk on one side. It was massive, an architectural feat. No one needed this much space, but her daddy got it because he could.

"Yours or your fathers?" Kirishima asked while Iseri stood to help her out of her coat. Poor Suoh was left to carry her large purse. It was a black and white modern print Birkin, with Tiffany's blue handles. She had wanted one that was all that signature blue, but it really did not go with much else she owned. Hisana settled on having custom made straps for her bag, and loved it.

"How different are they?" Hisana smiled in thanks as Iseri. She had spent hours in this office during her childhood. She watched her father's fledgling company grow into the mammoth corporation that dominated Japan. The grandiosity of Sion was staggering, but she had grown so used to it that Hisana barely noticed her heels clacking on the marble floors as Kirishima and Suoh followed her from the elevator.

"Your father had several meetings planned. There was marketing budget that he needed to approve, several pitches involving his diversification of the nuclear funds to renewable energy. Also, he had an arms deal to negotiate with the Sicilians."

"And what about my schedule?"

"You need to meet with the board, as well as the lieutenants," Kirishima did not try to sugar coat it. Her power was tenuous, even with Asami's main men backing back her. "Once they buy into you, Japan will be fairly secure. You might have uprising with the smaller syndicates, but nothing that should destroy the company unless you let it get out of hand." That was a warning to not be vain. Anyone could die. Her father, struggling to breathe though oxygen was pumped steadily into him, was proof of that.

"There is also your press conference at ten-thirty. It will reassure the public that even though you are a new face, you are capable of running the corporation. Much of the city is employed by you, directly and indirectly, so it is imperative to keep the public at ease. You still need them to spend their money."

That made sense. "And after that? The arms deal?"

Kirishima chuckled as Suoh shook his head. Of course Hisana would be eager to dive into the underworld. It was volatile, and that would be where she would have to concentrate her power display. "If you wish. The police also have requested an interview for today. They want to talk about any enemies Asami-sama might have."

Hisana turned around, an eyebrow arched. "Do they know him?" she asked incredulously. "Besides, I thought they already talked to you and Suoh. You were the ones there."

"They did," the big guy confirmed.

"They seem to think that we're not the most reliable of sources concerning him," Kirishima chuckled lightly. Hisana rolled her eyes. They spent every day with her dad. Sometimes, she thought her uncles knew him better than she or Mom did.

"Oh wow," Hisana floundered to a stop, her tall heels sliding slightly on the polished marble floors. "That's new."

Kirishima and Suoh were just as stunned. Asami-sama's office had been stuffed to the brim with flowers. Bright, gay colors filled the room, as hundred different scents mixed together in a perfume that was too potently saccharine to smell. There was a walkway around the room, giving access to the different points of the office, but the flowers were so prominent that anywhere she looked, Hisana saw them. On the coffee table was a huge stack of cards, most of them unopened. There was an assortment of gifts as well, from well wishers or people who wanted to get on her good side, the heiress wasn't sure.

"They started coming yesterday," Iseri said from behind them. They all turned to look at the middle-aged woman with slicked back gray hair, exposing her angular face. "When I realized what they were, I had them put in his––your office," she stumbled over her words.

"Thanks, I guess," Hisana looked helplessly at the myriad of color in the normally stark office.

"I hadn't expected this," the CFO admitted.

Suoh shrugged. "None of us did."

"I guess," Hisana looked at Iseri as she pointed into the office. "Can you catalogue everything, and start on the thank you notes?" It would be rude to snub Tokyo's elite, when they had reached out to her in such an unanticipated way.

"Of course, Asami-sama," Iseri bowed, taking her cues from Kirishima and Suoh.

"Thanks," the girl braced herself before walking purposefully into the room. "Let's get some windows open in here!" She gingerly walked towards the one by the water cooler. "It stinks!"

The elevator doors chimed as they opened. She heard a squeaky voice of a teen delivery boy. "Flowers for Asami Hisana," he told Iseri loudly. "From a Hashimoto Toshiro."

Her shoulders slumped. Damn, it was going to be a long day.

***Hurt***

His phone ringing loudly pulled Akihito from his stupor. He had been sitting by Ryu's bed, editing his current article. It had to be perfect. Tokyo's news outlets were going to look for chinks in Sion's armor, so it was up to Akihito to put a positive spin on everything. "Takaba speaking," he answered a number that he did not recognize. It was probably a smaller newspaper, wanting a discount for Hisana's picture. They argued that they were too poor to pay such a renown photographer, stroking his ego before asking for the price cut.

"This is Takaba Akihito? The photographer?" a woman's susurrus voice answered him.

Akihito groaned internally as he collapsed into his chair. He didn't want to talk about the stupid picture anymore, or tell how he had gotten his "inside source". He never would give a lead anyway, but now he just wanted to wait for Reiko-sensei with some peace and quiet! "This is he," he answered, trying to sound polite.

"This is Asami Etsuko, Ryuichi's mother."

His heart stopped. Asami Etsuko. Ryu's mother. He knew that his lover had to have a mother, and that she was alive somewhere in the remote recesses of Japan, but in his mind, she was an intangible spirit. The woman on the line had a strong, warm voice. It was nearly the same voice as Hisana. And she was talking to him. Holy fuck, Ryu's mother had called his phone and he had not even introduced the fixer to his parents!

Not good. Not good at all.

"Hello? Takaba?" Asami Etsuko's voice resonated over the line.

"Yes, I'm sorry," he hastily apologized. "I thought––" he stopped short. Maybe this woman did not know he was Ryu's lover. She might have thought he was the just the journalist who broke the story and was going to threaten him away from the family. That was a very Asami thing to do. Or, she might not even be Asami Etsuko, he reasoned. It could be someone looking for an inside scoop on the family. Even worse, a fellow syndicate trying to get an edge of the ill man.

"I'm sure," Etsuko replied dismissively. She had many of the same tonal fluctuations as his lover did, that was certain. "I am calling you, because of a certain newspaper article that I read. Imagine my shock when I opened my paper this morning to see my granddaughter's birth exposed, and my son slandered. Worst of all, he was poisoned, and no one thought to inform me."

"Ma'am, I––"

"I tried to call Hisana this morning, several times in fact. And each time, a woman named Iseri-san said that she was in meetings before and after her press conference at ten-thirty. Thankfully, Ryuichi's man––Kirishima is his name, I believe––gave me your number. The photographer who wrote that awful story."

"I don't know what you know about your son, Asami-san," Akihito tried to stay diplomatic. "But I am close with him, and Hisana."

"Don't play coy. It isn't becoming," the woman told him crisply. "Kirishima told me everything. You're the lover that he has had stashed away for almost two years now. I had heard of you, but I assumed that you were a woman."

Akihito's heart dropped. Great, the Asami matriarch already did not like him. He had never imagined speaking to the woman, but he would have hoped that it would go better than this! "Uhh…" he would have given anything to be more articulate, too. First impressions only happened once, and Akihito was pretty sure that he was backsliding on the 'Awesome-Guy-Who-Is-Dating-Asami-Ryuichi' scale.

"I'm sure it's better this way," Etsuko kept talking. Now he knew where Hisana picked up that mannerism. "At least he can't knock you up like he did that whore."

"Yeah," his voice, and agreement, was weak. But he was taken aback by her bluntness. The photographer also hoped that she was talking about Kokoro, and not another baby mama. His nerves couldn't handle any more of the Asami family suddenly popping up. It made sense that Ryu had family, though it had never even entered the scope of Akihito's imagination.

"Speak up when you talk, Takaba. I can barely hear you. It's like you're grunting monosyllabically," Etsuko told him.

Well, it sounded like that because he could barely think, let alone enunciate. Akihito was not stupid enough to point that out. "Sorry," he opted for that instead.

"You're still doing it," Etsuko admonished him with the practiced experience of a mother and grandmother. "Stop it. I need you to tell me, in great detail, how my son is doing. What happened to him? Do I need to come to Tokyo?"

Takaba Akihito, fearless in the face of danger, settled back into his chair to talk to the closest thing that he would get to a mother-in-law, as he waited for Reiko-sensei to show up and save him. At least, Asami Etsuko's impression of him could not get any worse.

***Hurt***

The crowd did not make a sound as she delivered her speech. It was a good one, about how family was important, how blood bonds and honor had formed Japan. She reassured every employee that Sion was in good hands until her father returned. It was generic, and expected, more like a speech written for a collegiate class. Kirishima could have written one exponentially better in his sleep, but the words seemed meaningless as the crowd lapped it up. Hisana had the makings of a master orator, playing to the crowd with her big eyes and sweet face. Barely ten minutes of in, Kirishima's shoulders relaxed. Japan and the booming market had bough into her; Sion would still thrive.

After the speech, Hisana answered a few questions and smiled obligingly for the cameras. Kirishima was proud. He did not see how her hands shook, or felt her heart race beneath her bony chest as she struggled to keep her composure. She had thrown up before the press conference, but had sworn Suoh to secrecy. He only knew because he held her back as she wretched.

"Hello, Gentleman," Hisana smiled brightly when she walked into the conference room minutes after the press conference. Fourteen men stood, hands by their sides, as she entered. These were her father's lieutenants, the man who he trusted to run the various outposts of the corporation. They handled the day to day aspects of the company, and carried out any special orders he had. Oftentimes, Asami Ryuichi was not onsite for drug deals or arms exchanges, keeping enough distance for plausible deniability. They oversaw shipment arrivals as well, cataloguing the merchandise, and distributing it within their districts. It was through the men that Asami Ryuichi kept a tight fisted hold on Japan, and he rewarded them handsomely for it. However, should they betray him, no matter what, the price was always too steep to pay.

They all bowed in respect but she could see it in their eyes: they had been prepared for anything, but not Hisana. They wavering faith had been somewhat reassured by her easy manipulation of the crowd at the press conference, but they were not sure she was capable of running the massive underworld circuit. She was a gracious host, gesturing for them to sit as she did. "Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I know some of you had long trips to make." She paid for the planes to ferry them down here, after all.

The men shifted, unsure if they were to respond to her. Asami-sama was taciturn, not keen on exchanging pleasantries. He also never thanked them for their attendance. It was mandatory, and if he issued on order, it was to be obeyed with haste. One man, in his mid fifties was brave enough to answer. "It was our pleasure to come, Asami-sama," he bowed his head again.

Hisana leaned back in her chair, fingertips touching. "I remember you. Osada Kaito, right? Your youngest son is a few years older than I am."

The kindly man flushed, pleased that she remembered him after so many years had passed. "Your head barely reached your father's hip the last time I saw you," he reminded her. "You were seven? And the most eloquent child I had ever met."

"I think your son was shorter than I was," Hisana said with a laugh. Osada Kaito was one of the first men that her father had trusted with power. He ran Osaka, and they had made the trip to see the shipyard before vacationing on the black beaches.

Osada nodded his head. "Taiyuka has grown. He's a head and shoulders above you, now."

She pouted prettily. "I always liked being taller than someone," she admitted. Levity vanishing from her voice, she looked at every man seated at the table, still a gracious hostess. "I haven't introduced myself yet, but I am sure that you already know me. Many of you watched my speech from the mezzanine. My name is Asami Hisana, and until my father recovers, I will be working alongside you to keep Sion strong."

"What do you know about business?" a man in a bright white suit demanded. "You are a child."

"Quite a bit, actually," Hisana batted her eyes. "I know that you are the lieutenant in charge of Miyazaki and Kagoshima, though you want to head Kochi or Ehime after we divide the district. I know quite a bit about you personally, Enomoto Shin. I can assure you, at least while I'm here," Hisana pressed a manicured hand to her protuberant collarbones. "It won't happen. You're barely breaking even now. And I know that you are not stealing or tying to screw me over. Kirishima has already looked into it," she tossed her hair over her should as she indicated to the CFO sitting to her right.

"Which means that it is bad management. Don't look so surprised, Enomoto. You already knew that," she told the gobsmacked man. "Daddy puts it all on the table during the meetings. Probably in the interest of mutual accountability. Everybody knows everyone else's business, right?" Hisana simper echoed a cat's, after it had gorged itself on milk. "So gentlemen, in the interest of accountability, I want a report of how business is going for each of you. "

Leaning back comfortably in her chair, she continued. "Let's see who has the balls to lie to me."

***Hurt***

The doorbell rang. Akihito stood up, phone still pressed to his ear. He was so used to Ueda that he did not even release that the faithful man had fallen in step protectively behind him. Etsuko was still talking. They had watched Hisana's televised speech together, and discussed private Asami family secrets. The woman was under the impression that he married Ryu, and he had not found an opening to correct her. She also forcefully demanded that Akihito call her by her first name. "We're family, now. I now how stubborn my son is, and if he has decided to keep you close, I can't change his mind. And Hisana is fond of you. Apparently she calls you some sort of English endearment. Mom, I believe"

"Etsuko––"he cut her off. "Someone's at the door."

The woman gasped. "The doctor?"

His face was grim as Akihito peeked through the peephole. "Yeah. I need to go."

"Of course. Of course. You've got my number? Call me as soon as he leaves. I want to know everything."

"I will," the photographer promised. Hanging up, he pulled the door open. His eardrum ached from the constant barrage of Asami Etsuko's voice. "Hello, Reiko-sensei," he greeted the aging man.

"Takaba-san," the doctor nodded his head. "It's a good day," he smiled.

Akihito could not agree more.

***Hurt***

Kirishima stood at the door, reports in his hand. The young woman had a stack of budget cuts in front of her, but instead stared at the thousand of flower petals that spilled out of the office. Hisana had known that her father had an astounding amount of work to do each day. It came with running a multibillion yen company that had diversified into too many accounts to count. He trusted the chain of command that trickled down through the company to accomplish their work, knowing that there would be hell to pay if they did not. Kirishima also shouldered a great deal of the burden, but her workaholic father like to double check everything.

"Asami-sama," the CFO gently announced his presence. He seemed to be the only person without the least bit concern that she could do this. Suoh and Iseri had known her most of her life, and though they trusted her, still had some reservation about it. Kirishima, bless his soul, had accepted the shift in power without batting an eye, which forced the rest of the organization to. "I have the lists of the workers from the gala."

Her eyes hardened, but she did not stop staring at the flowers. There were bight colors and cloying scents. The lilies mourned a man that was not yet dead while the peonies were a cheery prayer that he recovered. There were too many to count: friends of her father, business partners, people trying to get on her good side and make a good impression. One flower stood out from all the rest, simply because it was so small as it sat on the edge of her desk. Most men sent large bouquets with organza ribbons and sweet notes. A lone rose stood proud in a crystal vase with no ornamentation, it was a deep burgundy, darker than the color of blood. The only thing on the card was the letter 'M'.

"We looked into anyone who had anything to do with the gala," he informed her. "Wait staff, coat checks, cooks, security. They all came back clean except for Hama Keiko, a twenty-two year old senior at the University of Tokyo. Hama had worked private events throughout her collegiate career to subsidize her finances."

"Had?" Hisana arched an eyebrow. That was past tense, which only meant one thing.

"Had," Kirishima confirmed. "Hama reported missing last Wednesday by her sister. Her body was found yesterday morning."

The silence was deafening Hisana absorbed the information. Kirishima waited patiently for her to speak. After nearly five minutes, she sighed. "What are you thinking? Did she poison my father and was then murdered by whomever hired her? Or was she killed and replaced by an assassin?"

Kirishima placed the briefings on her desk. "I can only speculate. Hama was consummate professional at events like these. It is why she was a perfect candidate for Saturday night. Her background was thoroughly investigated, and came back clean. I personally think that she was replaced, but I can't prove it."

Hisana breathed in loudly through her nose. "That was what I was thinking. It is a better way for this bastard to cover his tracks, and it's less messy. It also means we're at another dead end."

"I have the list of people who recently purchased pavulon. It is a small list, because the drug is so heavily regulated. We're cross checking it with all tetrodotoxin buyers. Fugu and otherwise. That could turn up something."

Hisana wasn't so sure. If she was making a cocktail like that, she would have to unrelated people make the buy. That way, no one could tie them together if they investigated it, like they were doing now. She had a feeling that whoever had tried to murder her daddy was smart. It took brains over guts to hurt a man like Asami Ryuichi.

"Is here anything else you need from me?" Kirishima asked.

Hisana knew that her father rarely kept the CFO in the room while he worked. Kirishima had his own job to do, and him hovering meant that work did not get done. It was much more efficient for him to be out of the room, but it comforted her to have him by her side. He knew it too, and she did not want him to see her as weak. "That will be all. Thank you, Kirishima."

He bowed low. "As always, Asami-sama, it is my pleasure." And he truly meant it.

***Hurt***

"Any moment now," Reiko-sensei pulled the needle out of Ryu's IV.

Akihito leaned in close to his lover, his fingers tentatively touching the man's cheek. "Ryu?" he whispered. "Can you hear me? It's Akihito."

The crime lord shifted, and the doctor immediately saw it. "Keep talking," he instructed the photographer. "He is responding to your voice."

Akihito gulped. Wetting his lips, he brushed Ryu's bangs back. "Please, wake up. I'm here, waiting for you. Hisana's waiting. We love you, so much. Come back to us, Ryu."

Asami's forehead crinkled, his eyebrows drawing together as if he could hear his photographer call to him. HIs eyelids moved as his dark eyes flitted back and father beneath the sealed lids. And then his cheeks contracted, willing his eyes to open.

"Come on, Ryu," urged Akihito. "Open your eyes. You can do it. C'mon, wake up."

***Hurt***

Hisana hung up the phone, having just ended negotiations with the Sicilians. Kirishima and Suoh sat across from her, on another couch. They had coached her through the process, writing notes and helpful tidbits. She was too slow to threaten, too quick to laugh, but the frigidity in her thin voice chilled Suoh to his bones. Her casual way of speaking was almost more threatening that Asami's iron tones and brisk words.

The red rose had been moved from the desk to the coffee table before the meeting. When she got bored with the Sicilian's chatter, she would stare at it. Beside it, on the ground because it was too large, was the bouquet the Kihara had sent her. It was full tulips, which were her favorite flower, and little poems that made her smile. It was thoughtful, and Kirishima was begrudgingly impressed that her suitor knew her so well. Still, they did not seem to capture her gaze like Al Madani's rose.

"It was not your father's intent to keep him out of your life," the secretary broke the silence. "He fought for him."

Gold eyes flicked up to look at him through dark lashes. "We both know that if Daddy really wanted Mahdi here, he'd be here," Hisana traced her fingers over the gossamer petals. "Not surprisingly, he's still in Abu Dhabi." She was unsurprised that Kirishima finally broached the subject of Mahdi. He had spoken frankly with Asami several times about Akihito, so he would feel at ease talking about her ex so casually.

Kirishima steeled himself. He had been preparing to say the words all morning, even though he thought it was a terrible idea. "You could always send someone to fetch him." Asami was relentless when Takaba had been taken from him, and stopped at nothing to get the boy back. The family was intemperate and voracious. Now that she had the power to get Mahdi Al Madani back, Kirishima believe she would, even if it meant starting a war with the Emirates.

She finally turned around to look at him. "Would you do it? Would Suoh? If I gave the order, would you send a team to go get him?"

His answer was immediate. "It would be against my better judgement, but yes, I would."

The corner of her mouth quirked into a malicious smirk. "Good," her eyes glinted in triumph. She stroked the rose one last time, relishing in the softness. A sudden twist of her hand and it crumpled, crushed in her fist. Petals flutter to the floor like tears as Hisana pushed herself off the settee and walked to the door.

"Let's go pay Sakazaki a visit," she told both a stunned Suoh and Kirishima, who struggled to stand after the sudden aggression. "He wanted Daddy to be paranoid, and I want to know why. And Kirishima?" She paused for a moment while the secretary got her coat off the rack. "Don't give me that look again. I'm like my father in a lot of ways, but I'll never be led around by the balls like him."

Kirishima flushed. He was used to such frankness from Akihito, but Asami spoke with more finesse. "Yes, Asami-sama," he promised. He exchanged a glance with Suoh over her head. Maybe they had misjudged her feelings for the Al Madani boy. Or worse, she was willing to forget them for the sake of Sion. If so, Hisana would truly be like her father before he met Takaba: emotionally unattached and willing to do whatever was necessary to stay at the top.

Hisana smiled privately. On the whole, the day was going much better than expected. Now, she just had to get to Sakazaki, and find out what the man knew. Then, she would kill him.

***Hurt***

A/N:

Yup, shit is coming in honor of Fanfic3112, who likes revenge. And for everyone who wants gore, violence, and retribution, the next chapter is for you, too. Even though it wasn't Sakazaki who ordered the hit on Asami. He just chose a bad time to make a move against the Asami family, and against Akihito.

And BTW, I've got another chapter of HB going. I'll publish it before the end of AIP? In case anyone was wondering