Disclaimer : VF belongs to its author

Warning : Violence

Chapter 13. The Unstoppable Lady Boss

Part 1. Choices

4.14 PM, around 10 hours before Akihito met Emi

"Arata, wait!"

Kou tried his best to catch up with Arata, but his friend didn't slow down at all. "Hey! I said, wait for me!" He finally managed to grab Arata's arm and bring the angry man into a stop. Arata turned around in irritation and Kou couldn't help but to flinch at the fury he saw in his friend's eyes.

"What, Kou?" Arata snapped.

They were both standing outside an abandoned manufacturing complex, around an hour drive outside the city. The complex was huge but it was totally empty. No one would hear his voice even if Kou screamed at the top of his lungs. Their phones didn't get any coverage here. It wasn't possible to call anyone if anything went wrong. Kou didn't think that it was wise for the two of them to walk into one of the building just because a text message that Arata received less than two hours ago.

Kou leaned towards his friend to catch his breath. He could understand his friend's need to get here as fast as possible. He truly did. But he still believed that they should go back to the city to get more friends before they entered the building. It would be better if they could ask the police to come. But Arata refused to involve the police, afraid that Mariko's kidnaper would somehow know that they didn't follow his order and hurt Mariko.

"Let's...," Kou tried to breath more air into his lungs as fast as possible. "Let's get back and get more people with us before we go there. No one would notice if something happened to us here. At least, someone else can stand here and report to the police if -"

"My sister needed me, Kou! I don't have time to waste! If you are too afraid to go there, just go home!"

Kou took another deep breath before he tried to argue one more time, "Listen to me, Arata! I just want us to be careful, okay? You are in panic. You don't think. Now, you need to calm down. Let's get a few more people-"

"Who?"

The flat question stopped Kou's reasoning. "Who what?"

'Great, I am so nervous, I can't even form a more comprehensible sentence. What a great preparation we had before we jumped into danger!' Kou thought bitterly.

"Who will come? The only friends I had were those people from the office. And they didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore after I was fired. I doubt they would come here even if I asked them to. Takato was on vacation with his family. And the text message clearly told us not to bring the police."

Well, this was the difficult part.

"Umm, I know someone, " Kou explained carefully. "He could help us. But I really, really, need to call him first. Let's drive to a place where we can get signal so I can make a phone call."

"Who is this guy? I couldn't trust just anyone. What if he called the police and jeopardizes everything? Mariko's life is in danger here."

Kou started fidgeting. How could he explain to Arata that the person he wanted to call was Akihito? Akihito would know what to do. His best friend was made to survive danger. Kou? He didn't even know how to escape when someone robbed his wallet and beat him into a pulp on his way home a few years ago.

"I can't tell you, Arata, but you have to trust me," he tried to calm his friend down. "My friend knows some people who can help us."

"Who. Is. He?" Arata let out each word through his gritted teeth.

Arata looked at Kou suspiciously and Kou couldn't blame him. Arata just received a short text message with Mariko's photo attached. The message was a typical threat that Kou often heard in any action movie. Basically it told Arata to come here if he wanted to get his sister back otherwise this person wouldn't guarantee what would happen to his sister. Kou wouldn't believe that message if not for the photo that was attached with the message. The photo was horrible and Kou vomited right after he took a look at that photo. He couldn't imagine what Arata felt and he understood why his friend couldn't trust anyone by now. Not even Kou.

Shit. This is the worst case ever.

"It is Akihito," Kou answered as calm as he could. He didn't want to anger Arata more than he already had. "Let me call Akihito. He will know what to do. Please, Arata. You have to trust me."

His answer rendered Arata speechless. Obviously, his friend didn't expect that name.

"Akihito was gone, Kou. You said that you couldn't contact him for months. No one could contact him."

"He was. But he contacted me two days ago. He was on a photography project in South East Asia or something. You know how he is," Kou tried to lighten the mood. This was not the time to explain about Akihito's lover and all. "Jobs come and he will fly there immediately. Akihito will know what to do, Arata. He was... You know that he worked as a crime photographer before, right? He knows these kinds of thing, how to handle it, the right people to contact and so on. It is in his blood. We? We know nothing."

"He's back and he doesn't call me." Arata looked lost and Kou didn't have the heart to break his friend's heart into more pieces.

"He is worried about you," Kou replied diplomatically while petting his friend's arm. "He asked me about you and he wanted to offer his help to find Mariko. Let's call him, Arata. He can help us."

For a short moment, Kou thought that he managed to persuade Arata to postpone his crazy plan to go into that building without preparation. His friend opened his mouth as if he wanted to agree. But then Arata's face turned harder and his friend shook his head bitterly.

"No. I wouldn't ask for his help," Arata replied in a sour tone.

Good god, have mercy on me. Why does Arata have to be stubborn about this now of all the time?

"Come on, man! Don't be ridiculous. We can't handle this alone," Kou argued.

"He wanted to be out of my life! He made his choice, Kou! I made mine! I am not going to ask for his help!" Arata shouted in anger. "Now, you made yours. Are you coming or not?"

What else could he say? He couldn't let Arata walking into danger alone. Kou let out a long sigh as he replied, "Of course I am coming with you."

5.44 PM, around 8 hours before Akihito met Emi

Kirishima sipped his coffee slowly as he watched the boy moving around the kitchen. Takaba-sama looked tired. He was sure the boy must be very angry at Asami-sama until he couldn't sleep. But Suoh was right. At least, Takaba-sama didn't run away like he usually did. Kirishima could only hope that he somehow managed to soften the boy's heart to forgive his boss. If the boy couldn't learn anything from Kirishima's experience with his sister, there would be nothing more he could do to change the boy's mind.

"How is he?" The soft voice pulled Kirishima back from his own thought.

"Asami-sama is well," he answered absentmindedly.

The boy laughed resentfully. "I am so angry at him these last two days that I can't think of anything else. And he isn't affected at all."

Oh. He gave the wrong answer, did he not? "Well, now that I think about it, Asami-sama looked distracted and he made mistakes in his works," he quickly fixed his answer.

Takaba-sama chuckled dryly, knowing his obvious attempt to save his boss' ass from the boy's anger. "Ryu doesn't make mistake in his works. Ever. But you will do anything for him, even lying, won't you, Kirishima?"

He shrugged. There was no use to pretend anymore. "I will but I didn't lie to you when I told you about my sister."

The boy didn't say anything to that.

"Asami-sama can be very difficult to understand. But he is a good person in his own way. Whatever he did, he did it for you. I know it is hard for you to believe at the moment. I..."

Shit. What was he doing now, trying to defend Asami-sama in front of his boss' lover? Didn't he tell Haruka to stay away from this affair? Why can't he do the same?

The boy's easy laugh stopped his remorse. For the first time that evening, Takaba-sama didn't sound so bitter.

"No one will devote his or her life so willingly to a person who is bad, Kirishima. But Ryu has at least two persons who will die for him willingly. I believe that he can't be all that bad to be able to gain Suoh's and your trust. Don't worry. I love him way too much to hate him forever. But I need more time to calm down, okay?"

Too speechless to answer, Kirishima merely nodded.

"And stop ringing the bell, you jerk. Use your own key!"

Shaking his head, he explained, "I can't. Asami-sama told us to respect your space for now and-"

"Yeah. Yeah. And you will do whatever he said exactly to the last letter."

"He also told me to tell you that he will have a business trip for a few days. He will leave in a few hours but he will be back soon. He wanted me to remind you that you can always call him anytime. Anytime, he said. Of course, you can also call me if you prefer. But I need to strongly emphasize that when he said anytime it meant that you-"

"Fine. Fine. I got what he meant. He wanted me to call him as soon as I calm down. Actually, It will be easier for both of us if he just come and tell me himself. Nevermind. I promise I will do it, okay? Now, get out!" The smile softened the harsh words. "I am so tired. I want to clean the house a bit then go to sleep."

He was at the door when the boy called him softly, "Kirishima?"

He stopped and turned around.

"Thank you. You are a good friend."

The simple appreciation was enough for him. Kirishima felt something intangible choking his throat and he couldn't say anything without sounding like he was going to cry. So he bowed low in respect to Asami Ryuichi's partner and left the penthouse without another words.

8.12 PM, around 6 hours before Akihito met Emi

"Urghh," Kou grumbled while rubbing the back of his head.

What was going on? He was lying on a hard, cold concrete floor. His head hurt like hell. And his entire body ached.

Kou remembered walking behind Arata into a building, one that was specified in the text message. It was so quiet inside that he could hear the sound of cockroaches and rats scattering away from them. The air was damp and the foul smell of urine and something rotten instantly invaded his nerves. He moved carefully, trying as much as he could to not touching anything that looked suspiciously disgusting.

Then everything went blank.

"Kou. Kou. Are you okay?" Arata's voice sounded far and worried. Where was he?

"Arata?" He tried to talk but his own voice was rasp and hoarse. "What happened?"

"You were hit. Don't you remember?" Arata whispered in concern.

Hit? By who...?

The image of Arata's sister, unconscious and chained into a column in the middle of the vast empty warehouse, came to Kou. He recalled seeing Arata run to his sister. Then...nothing. He couldn't remember a thing.

"Ah, you finally woke up. Kou, isn't it? Arata told me your name. In fact, he told me everything. He is such a nice guy, isn't he?"

Slowly, Kou's eyes adjusted to the dimmed lighting. He could see Arata sitting on the floor, holding the unconscious Mariko tightly in his arms as if to protect her from any harm. Another person sat on a chair beside him, stroking his friend's hair gently.

Blinking, he asked, "Who are you? You looked like Akihito, but you are not him."

The laugh was girly and sweet. It turned Kou's stomach until he felt like puking. Well, Kou had never like candies and sweets since he was young. So, he believed it was understandable that this girl's way-too-sweet voice freaked him out instead of calming him down.

When he tried to bring himself up so he could face whoever this person was with more dignity, he realized that his ankles were chained to another column, separating him a few meters away from his friends. He yanked it and his heart sank. The chain was solid steel. There was no way he could get out of it without proper tools.

"Finally, someone who can differentiate me from that boy. You are the first, you know," the compliment brought his attention back to the girl sitting on the chair.

Ignoring that stupid chain for now, Kou snorted. "Akihito and I have known each other since we were in elementary school. Even if I want to, I won't be able to mistaken someone else for him. Who on earth are you? Why am I chained to this stupid thing?"

Kou couldn't miss the way Arata flinched at his rude tone. Whatever happened while he was unconscious, it made his friend afraid of this girl. Arata didn't even dare to get away from her casual-but-not-too-casual touches. Kou noticed dark bruise below Arata's left eye and a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.

"I told Arata to come here alone. But now that you were here uninvited, Kou, I need to do something about it, don't I?"

Arata closed his eyes and held his sister closer. "Please, Emi-san. Release us. Please. I don't understand why you have to hurt my sister. But we have nothing to do with Akihito. I won't say a word about this incident to anyone, I promise."

Arata's desperate request froze Kou on his spot. "What? Arata, are you crazy?! This bitch hurt your sister! Look at Mariko! Look at all the injuries on her body! And you said you wouldn't say a word about this incident as long as she released us? We should report this to the police! We must seek justice-"

"Shut up, Kou! I am trying to save our ass here! These people have guns!"

"I don't care even if they have-"

The blow hit Kou harder than anything in his life. He fell to the ground face first, and accidently bit the inside of his mouth. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Instinctively, he tried to crawl away from his invisible torturer. He didn't even move far before he received another kick in his stomach. Then another kick. And another. Until he started gasping for air and puking into the floor.

From somewhere, he could hear Arata sobbing while begging to the bitch, "Please. Emi-san, please. Tell your man to stop. I beg you." Kou couldn't see Arata as pain blurred his vision. But he knew from his friend's voice that Arata was near breaking down from all the pressure.

He wanted to tell Arata to stop. This kind of people was just like Kou's brothers. They loved to see people being miserable. They thought they were powerful when they could make someone crying in pain. Showing weakness to these people wouldn't do any good. But a foot in an army boot kicked him again. It was in his leg this time and it stopped whatever he wanted to say to Arata. Kou couldn't stop the pained howl as he held his probably broken knee close.

"I will do anything you say! Just let us go... Please!" Arata cried.

The beatings suddenly stopped. But it didn't make Kou feeling better. Something worse was coming. He didn't know what yet. It was just gut feelings.

"You are such a good boy, Arata, offering your kind assistance so readily like that," Emi complimented his friend in that sick angelic tone. "Indeed, I need your help. It is a very simple task. I need you helping me to bring Akihito here. And as soon as it is done, I will release you and your sister."

"And Kou! Please, Emi-san. We will help you. We will do whatever you want. Just release all of us, please."

Kou didn't care even if these guys, whoever they were, wanted to kick and punch him to death. He shouted as loud as he could.

"And let this bitch hurting Akihito?! You must be crazy, Arata!"

"Kou!"

"She is going to hurt my best friend, Arata!"

"Mariko is going to die! She needs doctor, Kou! Or she will bleed to death. Please. Please. I have to save her." Arata was practically in tears asking for his help.

And damn, Kou wanted to help the man he secretly loved. But not by sacrificing Akihito. And if they gave Akihito to this crazy girl, then what? His instinct told him that these people wouldn't let them go in the end. And his instinct saved Kou numerous times from his brothers' extreme bullying. In fact, it was his instinct and Akihito that saved him in the past. He had lost count already how many times Akihito came to his rescue while Kou could only tremble in fear at his own brothers.

"I won't help you," he affirmed his decision. "I am so sorry, Arata."

Arata made his choice to save his sister. And Kou made his: It was his turn to save his best friend.

Part 2. Asami Ryuichi's Whores

13.36 PM, less than an hour before Akihito met Emi

Arata sat inside the parked sedan. There were three other people with him. Emi and another man sat at both his sides, preventing him from jumping out of the car and crying for help. A giant sat in the driver seat.

Something nagged his mind when he looked at the man and woman at his sides. Emi looked exactly like Akihito that he couldn't differentiate them in a glance. The man to his left was taller and more muscular than his boyfriend, but that man also had the same light brown hair and hazelnut color eyes as Akihito. If someone told Arata that this man was Akihito's brother or cousin, he would believe it.

Who were these people? What was their relationship with Akihito?

They were all waiting outside a tall condominium building located in one of the most exclusive area in Tokyo. Only the rich and famous could have an apartment here. Arata remembered the day he teased Akihito as they passed exactly the same building long time ago. He told his lover that if he worked hard enough, they would also live here one day.

Usually his boyfriend would make supportive comments at his dream about the future. But that day, Akihito's smile fell and his lover looked away while whispering softly, "We have everything that we need already, Arata. I don't ask for a penthouse in one of the most expensive condominium in Tokyo to be happy. Just give me a bit more of your time."

Arata didn't understand what Akihito was saying. He thought that Akihito was angry because he got busier by that time. In his defense, he did it for their future together. But he understood a bit more now after Akihito was gone. At one point in their relationship, Arata had put his work before Akihito. He forgot the last time he took his time to pamper Akihito. Sex became a luxury they couldn't afford. 'I love you' was a sentence that he said in a hurry before he went to work or right before he fell asleep. He couldn't even remember how many dinner appointments and dates that he cancelled for the sake of working for their future.

Tonight, sitting outside the same building where he made a joke with Akihito, knowing that he was going to put the person he loved in danger, Arata felt like he wanted to cry. But what else could he do? He had to save his sister. His family was his priority. Always. Surely, Akihito would understand.

A black limo exited the condo's underground parking entrance. The windows were tinted so Arata couldn't see who was inside the car. But from the way Emi and the man beside him leaned forward, staring at the car with recognition in their faces, Arata knew that they were actually waiting for that limo to leave the building.

"He left already," the man mumbled.

"Well, it is now or never," Emi said cheerfully. "Are you ready, Takumi? Wear your jacket. We need you to look as similar as possible with the boy."

"I know. You don't have to keep repeating it. Just remember your promise," the man called Takumi replied. "You do your part of the deal. And I will do mine."

"I will. Don't worry," Emi confirmed serenely.

Arata tried to follow their conversation but failed. They both stared at him now, one with a sweet smile and another with a pair of bitter eyes.

"Now, now, Arata dear. I want you to go with Takumi and follow his lead. Both of you will distract the guards. They will see Takumi as your boyfriend and they will try to catch you both. You are going to need to run. Run as fast as you can, Arata. Those people won't kill Takumi. He belongs to their boss. They won't dare to touch even his hair. But they will shoot you without second thought. So, run. Don't stop. Don't look back. Get into the car Goro left you at the end of the road. Those guards will go after the two of you and you will lead them to a place far away from here. Your job is simple, isn't it?"

"Sh...shoot?" Arata asked in fear. "Who...who are these people you are talking about? How can you get Akihito by doing this? I...I don't understand."

"Oh, don't worry. I will get Akihito. Your boyfriend lives in that building we were looking at for hours," she pointed the condominium in front of them. "I just need Asami-sama's guards to be away from here for an hour. Even less than that will be enough."

"That condo? Asami-sama's guards? What...Why does Asami-sama have anything to do with this?"

Arata was confused. But Emi and Takumi just looked at him coldly. Arata didn't like the mocking pity he saw in Takumi's eyes. Nor does he like the fake sympathy in Emi's face.

Takumi sneered, "Oh, my. You truly don't know anything, do you? What an ignorant man. I pity your Akihito to have a boyfriend like you. Do you know that Asami Ryuichi has a collection of light brown hair whores? He collects them like another man collects postage stamps. He gives his whores luxurious condo, generous amount of money, expensive clothes...anything they will ever want as long as he can sleep with them."

"Whores? Light brown...hair?"

"And hazelnut eyes," Takumi shrugged. "As far as we know, your Akihito is one of his whores. From the number of guards here, I believe that your boyfriend is actually Asami's favorite. It made me curious. How much did Asami Ryuichi pay for your boyfriend that he keeps this Akihito as if he is guarding a rare and precious jewel from thieves?"

Arata felt his blood turned cold. "Pay...what do you mean...?"

"Asami Ryuichi paid a lot of money for every whore in his collection. Your boyfriend must have a price as well."

"I don't know about Asami Ryuichi. But Akihito is not a person like that!" Arata finally found his voice back. Akihito was not a greedy person. He was sure that Akihito would never become anyone's whore for money.

"We have everything that we need already, Arata. I don't need a penthouse in one of the most expensive condominium in Tokyo to be happy. Just give me a bit more of your time."

Emi laughed at his shock. "I dig a bit about you, Takagi Arata. Out of nowhere, a person like Asami Ryuichi asked your pitiful company to handle his business. He even asked you, an inexperienced business consultant, to take care of the project personally. Have you ever wondered why?"

"What will happen if you give up those projects?" Akihito asked him that day.

He thought Akihito was pouting because he rarely got time for the two of them lately. Asami-sama's projects were an once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even his boss couldn't believe that Asami Ryuichi would work with their company. It was Arata's opportunity to climb the success ladder. "Oh Aki, I am very sorry to leave you alone for a long time. But we both know I can't lose these projects. It is a big opportunity for the company. Ruining this opportunity is a direct ticket to lose my job. And with my family situation, I can't afford to lose my job," he told Akihito.

"I can help to support your family. My income from freelancing is doing very well lately," Akihito argued. He remembered thinking how weird it was that Akihito suddenly interfered with his work. His boyfriend was always supportive before.

He let out a long sigh because he started to feel angry at Akihito's neediness. Why couldn't Akihito be more understanding? "Aki, I can't burden you with my family issue. Besides, your freelancing job is not that stable as well. Please, Aki, I have never complained about your job before. No matter how far you go or how long you leave. I know that it is your dream, your passion. Could I ask you to do the same for me?"

"Liars! Asami-sama knew my capability! That was why he picked our company to take care of his business!" he screamed at the two persons in front of him.

Takumi's scorning face told Arata that the man was sick of his denial. Arata looked back at the man defiantly, silently daring him to provide proofs.

Emi laughed. "Asami-sama is a man with strong sexual appetite. Don't tell me you have never seen any suspicious mark in your boyfriend's body?"

"Asami-sama sealed the deal with my company last night. He said he was suddenly convinced that my company and I could improve his business. My boss was so ecstatic when I informed him. I swear he mentioned 'promotion' at least 4 times to me. Now I am leaving to Europe for a few weeks to handle one of Asami-sama's businesses there. I leave a note with my hotel details and phone number that you can contact," he told Akihito excitedly. He still couldn't believe that he managed to reach success this early.

"A few weeks? But we have dinner with your family this Saturday," Akihito told him, worried. His boyfriend's reaction disappointed him. Akihito didn't look happy. Instead, his boyfriend looked strange. He could see fear in those hazelnut eyes. Arata didn't understand. He was hoping for more enthusiasm. Couldn't Akihito see what a great opportunity this was?

"I know," he replied while putting butterfly kisses along his boyfriend's jaw, enjoying the taste of Akihito's skin on his tongue. But Akihito pushed him away. Akihito's eyes looked at anything but him. Arata didn't miss the way his lover's hand moved unconsciously to cover a spot just below Akihito's jaw. He was sure Akihito didn't even realize his own strange behavior. But in his euphoria, Arata dismissed the foreboding feeling he felt, choosing to believe that Akihito reacted oddly because his boyfriend was angry at his sudden business trip.

Arata gritted his teeth. Even if there were more marks on Akihito, he wouldn't know. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his boyfriend naked.

Akihito grew distant after Arata's first business trip for Asami-sama. Akihito rarely caressed or hugged him anymore. And when he did, Arata noticed a hint of fear in his lover's attitude. They did sex even less because of that. And after a few months trying to coax his boyfriend into the right mood and failing miserably, he just stopped trying. It was not like Arata had time for sex anyway. So, he didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he took it as blessing in disguise. This way, he could spend more time with his work.

"I heard the same freaky ringtone that you set for Kou and Takato last night during my meeting with Asami-sama. I almost laughed aloud when I heard it because I instantly remembered Kou's story. Lucky, I could stop before I embarrassed myself in front of Asami-sama," he told Akihito cheerfully. Akihito gave him a sad grin that morning. His lover didn't say anything.

That ringtone. Akihito was there. Hidden somewhere in Asami Ryuichi's office.

Memory flooded him and now it all perfectly made sense. All those business trips that he had to do for days, even weeks.

But, Akihito and Asami Ryuichi? When did they get close to each other? How come he didn't notice it?

"There is nothing to worry, Takagi-san. I have nothing against such a," Asami-sama's gaze lingered on his boyfriend before the powerful man continued, "-inclination. In fact, I can somehow understand it."

Asami-sama didn't flirt with his boyfriend, did he? Arata felt a bit uncomfortable with Asami-sama's polite smile. Asami-sama looked at his boyfriend like a raptor looking at its prey. He saw that Akihito's eyes also widened in shock and the boy fidgeted nervously, glancing at Arata with a pair of worried eyes. His boyfriend's face was heated until the skin turned into such a pretty shade of pink, something that he didn't know Akihito could do. Akihito had never blushed that strongly in front of him.

What else did he not know about Akihito?

Now, he looked at the man and woman in front of him. At their light brown hair and their hazelnut eyes. At their eerie similarities with Akihito. And understanding dawned on him.

"Are you both...," he didn't know how to finish his question without losing his control. Anger coiled in his stomach, pushing its way out of him. He didn't know whom he was angry with. Did he feel angry with Asami Ryuichi who bought his boyfriend's body just because he could? At the world where such thing could happen without anyone cared? At Akihito who let it happened to him? Or at himself who didn't notice how his hunger for success had made him blind of his boyfriend's betrayal?

"Are we both what? Asami Ryuichi's whores?" Takumi snickered, finishing his sentence bitterly. "Yes, we are. Just like your Akihito. Asami Ryuichi bought us like he bought cattle. He examined our body and if he liked it, he paid any price we asked so he could rape us anytime he wanted."

Emi snorted. "Oh please, Takumi. You made Asami-sama looked so evil. I actually enjoy our master's attention."

Takumi snickered at Emi while continuing his explanation, "Obviously, some whores love to be treated like cattle. It was unfortunate for your Akihito to become the favorite. Emi here doesn't like competition."

Part 3. Anything and Everything

2.04AM, 12 minutes after Akihito met Emi

"It is a nice house you have here," the woman said while holding Naoyuki in her arms.

She has taken her time exploring my house and I had to grit his teeth every time she touched my furniture or decorations, making cynical comments here and there. Trying to ignore her, I focus all my thought at the tea that I prepare. Maybe I shouldn't throw Asami's whiskey away. I definitely need something strong to drink now.

"Is this the main bedroom?" She asked from another room but I still could hear her clearly.

The question froze me for a second before I started running to stop her from doing...well, I don't know what she can do. But our bedroom is where most of our private moments happened. I don't like the idea of letting her into it.

"What are you doing barging into our bedroom like that?!" I yelled at her.

I find Emi staring at the photographs hanging on the bedroom wall.

"It is him," she whispered softly.

"Yes, it is," I grumbled.

I took those photos years ago. Asami came home one night, looking unusually tired after a few business deals that didn't go his way. Nothing to worry about, he told me shortly. But he was so cranky that I decided to pamper him; serving his favorite dishes for dinner, preparing a hot tub so he could relax, and massaging his stiff muscles until he fell asleep.

In our early days, Asami didn't sleep with me. We would have sex, then he would take a shower and leave. But at one point, it changed. I realized how much this simple act showed his trust to me. Stroking his silky hair gently, love filled every inch of my body and the idea just popped into my mind.

A few days later, I hanged the photos I took that night on our bedroom wall. Each photo only showed a part of his face, his sexy lips that curved into a subtle smile, his strong jaw that finally relaxed after a lot of pampering, and his closed eyes that made me missed his golden orbs. I expected him to scowl at me because I managed to immortalize Asami Ryuichi's unguarded face. These photos might be the only ones on earth that exposed Asami in his most vulnerable state. To my disappointment, Asami didn't say anything while watching me putting those photographs on our wall.

"He sleeps with you," she brought me back to the present.

I grimaced, "And with you as well, I believe."

She keeps her gaze on the photographs. "No, he doesn't," her voice sounded broken and lost.

"I am sorry?"

I don't understand. We both know Asami slept with her. The baby who is struggling to get away from her arms is the proof of that painful fact. If Nao can't prove enough, another proof is currently sleeping in the children room.

For some unknown reasons, Nao doesn't really like the idea of being with his own mother. He makes those protesting baby noises while wriggling to get away. Emi holds so tightly to keep him still. Looking at her stiff back, I started to worry that she would somehow strangle the child.

She is the mother, Akihito, I reminded myself. She must know what she is doing.

The woman in front of me stayed very still, facing away from me as she explained coldly, "Asami-sama had never slept with me. He took what he wanted and then he left. He didn't stay over. Not even once."

Oh, she meant 'literally sleep'.

Well, I don't know what to say. Should I say, 'Oh don't worry. He did that to me as well in the beginning'? I would rather die than acting as if we were two women happily sharing the same man.

"Why?" she asked softly.

I almost laugh. How could I know why Asami decided not to sleep with her? I couldn't even understand what was in Asami's stupid mind. If I could, I wouldn't be so miserable these few days. One minute the man declared his love to me, the next he told me that I needed to take care of this woman's children for the rest of my life.

Asami is a selfish bastard. He does what he wants and he makes damn sure that he gets what he wants. It doesn't matter how much he needs to sacrifice in the process. It is surprising that the woman doesn't understand that side of Asami by now.

"Unfortunately, you need to ask him yourself because I doubt anyone but Asami know why," I replied sourly.

"Liar!" She shouted, making me jump.

Emi finally turned around and I was actually shock to see the fury in her face. I am angry, too. But just like I won't blame her for any of this, I believe she can't blame me too. I didn't even know her existence until a few days ago. If anyone is at fault, it is Asami. How could that bastard put us in this situation?

Her body is shaking uncontrollably in anger, her eyes accusing me for a crime that I am not sure I understand (I couldn't control what Asami did or didn't do!), and unconsciously, she tightens her grip on Nao. The baby starts to cry in discomfort and I fight the surprising urge to forcefully take Nao from her.

"Emi-san, you are hurting Nao," I reminded her, struggling to keep my voice even as Nao's cry got louder. "Let's take a seat and calm ourselves, shall we? We better check on Rikiya as well."

I don't like the sound Nao is making by now. But Emi ignores my request. Her grip is still hurting Nao and I begin to seriously worry. She stands as rigid as a statue. The smile that made her looking like an angel is gone, replaced by a thin line full of hatred. She glares at me with her hazelnut eyes, reminding me of my own eyes in the most bizarre way. For a few seconds, I am thinking how weird it feels to be in a staring contest with someone who looks exactly like me.

"Emi-san, please give Nao to me," I tried again in a soothing tone.

Slowly, raising my hands in a surrender gesture, I take a step forward. I don't want to push her into doing something that may hurt Nao even more. I am stronger than her. But as long as she has Nao, I don't dare to do anything rush. Emi doesn't move. I raise my foot to take another step and she crushes Nao even tighter. I freeze instantly when Nao howls in pain, pushing desperately with his tiny fists to get away from her.

From the children room, Rikiya started to cry as well. Hearing his brother's cry must have made him scared. Panic grows in me and I am thinking of calling Kirishima or Suoh or even Asami for help. I don't care about my pride anymore. There is a phone in the bathroom. I can tell her that I need to pee or something while calling one of them discreetly. I glance towards the bathroom door, calculating my chance to do that without putting Nao in harm.

But Emi's next move makes me reconsidering my plan.

"Shut up," she told Nao, slapping his cheek roughly. Her voice was icy and flat.

Fuck you, Asami. What kind of a woman did you sleep with? Couldn't you choose someone more normal? Why does everything about you have to be full of madness?

There is no way I am going to leave Nao alone with this crazy bitch. Silently, I am praying that Nao will somehow calm down. I don't want him pushing her to do anything more dangerous. But Nao starts to scream at the top of his lungs.

Oh no, no, Nao dear. Please. Don't do that. Not now. Calm down, baby. Come on. I beg you.

The noise clearly annoys Emi. She covers Nao's mouth and nose with her hand. The room suddenly becomes way too quiet for me. In horror, I watch Nao struggling to take his next breath behind her palm.

"Emi-san, please," I begged her. "Let him go. I...I can understand that you are angry. But-"

She doesn't move.

"Listen, if you want to hurt someone, do it to me. Nao is just a baby. Please. Let him go. I will do anything you want," I quickly tried another way to approach her.

She tilted her head while listening to me. I hold my breath, hoping that I managed to persuade her to release my baby. Then slowly, way too slow in my opinion, she removes her hand from Nao's face. I release a relief breath the moment Nao's cry echoing in the entire penthouse.

"Thank you, Emi-san," I plastered a forced smile in my face. "Now, let's get Nao into bed. After that, I will listen to whatever you want to say. Okay?"

I decided to just follow what she wants for now. As long as Nao is safe, I can always run away from her later.

"No." Her answer was instant and short.

"You promised-"

"I didn't promise you anything," she said placidly. "We are not bargaining here, Akihito. You are going to go with me. Voluntary. I am taking Nao with me and if you want to keep him alive, you better do what I told you to do. Now, you are going to write Asami-sama a letter. Tell him that you decided to leave with Takagi Arata. You will also tell him that you are bringing Nao with you. Rikiya is the first born, anyway. One heir should be enough for Asami-sama, don't you think? I don't care about Nao. If Asami-sama wants, I can give him more sons or daughters after you are gone. "

"Asami won't believe such story," I tried to argue with her.

"Then you better write it in such a way that he will believe it," she replied calmly while playing with Nao's right arm. Staring at me straight in the eyes, she slowly moves that little arm into the wrong angle.

"Emi-san, you...you are his mother. I am sure you won't hurt him," my voice was stuttering in panic. I wanted to believe my own statement. But my instinct told me that she didn't give me an empty threat.

My heart races so fast in my chest and sweats stream down on my back. Putting myself in danger is something that I am accustomed to. But putting a child -Asami's child, my child- in danger is something completely different. I can feel my hands shaking in fear. I tighten them into fists to stop the tremor. It doesn't work. But the pain I feel from my nails digging into the tender skin in my palm keeps me focused. Right now, I need to stay calm for Nao.

"Oh, I won't hurt him?" She asked with a small smile, smelling my fear like a predator smelling blood.

Right in front of my terrified eyes, she pushed Nao's arm further. The scream Nao made as she tried to break his own son's arm is something that I will never forget in my life. The only thing that beats Nao's loud shrieking is my own scream, crying and begging and promising her anything she wants if only she will stop. Even if anything means giving up my everything.