Chapter 10

When I woke up in the morning, the bed was already empty. Blinking sleepily, I looked at the clock: 9 o'clock. Where on earth was Seiya at this time? I shuffled into the kitchen, and there he was, already sitting with a large cup of coffee.

"Good morning, my darling," he greeted me, giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. "Good morning. How long have you been awake?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"About an hour. I've already rented a car. We can pick it up right away. That is if you're ready at some point," he grinned at me mischievously. I must have looked terrible.

"Mh..." I grumbled and took a big sip of coffee from his cup. Ugh, it tasted awful. I always forget that he drinks his coffee black.

"Your exhibition doesn't start until 5 p.m. If we have a smooth drive, it'll take us about 5-6 hours. So, if we leave in an hour, we can even do something in Osaka before that." I shook my head to wake myself up properly.

"Okay, I'll hurry." I slowly went to the bathroom and took a long shower. Then I packed some things. Seiya's beautiful dress would look wonderful at the exhibition. I glanced into my bag. I had almost forgotten my phone. Message from Diamond. Open.

A room has already been reserved for you at the Hotel Golden Heaven, and I have left your card at the reception. Be punctual.

I swallowed. He had even reserved a room for me. With my luck, he probably booked the room next door. If Seiya comes along, I mustn't risk that. I quickly opened a hotel booking website and reserved another hotel as far away from the Golden Heaven as possible. Better safe than sorry.

Diamond replied:

Thank you, that's thoughtful of you. But I've already taken care of my own hotel. I'll pick up my card there. See you later.

I actually managed to get ready within an hour. Seiya had picked up the car in the meantime, and I brought our bags downstairs. He pulled up in a black sports car and grinned at me.

"This is a car, darling," he winked at me. The drive was very relaxed and fun. We talked a lot and sang along to several songs, off-key and out of tune. Well, at least I sang off-key and out of tune, but we both didn't care. After almost six hours of driving, we reached Osaka, and I directed Seiya straight to the hotel I had booked.

Completely exhausted from the car ride, I collapsed onto the large double bed.

"Darling, I reserved a table for us downstairs in the restaurant. I'm starving," Seiya said as he entered the room shortly after me.

Dreamily, I looked over at him and let out a sigh. "Yes, alright, I'll get changed. Then we can go eat, and then I have to go. I still need to pick up my entrance ticket from the Golden Heaven."

"Why is it stored there?" Seiya asked, slightly surprised.

"The client who invited me checked in there. To give me more flexibility, he left my ticket at the reception," I tried to sound calm. After all, it wasn't a lie. I just omitted a few things.

After dinner, Seiya insisted on driving me to the Golden Heaven and then to the exhibition. He parked in a side street and gave me an intense kiss before I got out. "Call me when you're done. I'll pick you up," he said, and I nodded once more.

My nervousness grew with every step I took. Luckily, Seiya hadn't tried to come with me. I was about to meet Diamond, and I was very curious about what he would tell me. I joined the line of waiting people, ticket in hand. As soon as I stepped through the door and handed over my jacket, he was already standing in front of me, offering me a glass of champagne. Even though I don't like this dry stuff at all, I took a sip.

"Nice to see you here," he said, his deep black eyes piercing into mine. I was like a junkie about to quit, and then someone placed his favorite drugs right in front of him. Stay calm, Usagi. You can do this. Try to sound relaxed.

"What choice did I have?" I replied.

"Come on, I've reserved a meeting room for us. Let's take care of the important matters first before we move on to the pleasant ones," he said, grinning at me mischievously. My body immediately responded to his innuendos. I followed him into a small, brightly decorated room. It had a sofa, a small table, and some chairs. I sat down on the sofa, crossed my legs, and looked at him expectantly. Diamond paced restlessly like a tiger.

"So, I'm waiting. What's the deal with your brother?"

His expression was firm, and I could tell he was searching for the right words.

"Usagi, it's a long story."

"I have time, no more secrets. Why do you keep warning me to be cautious?"

"Fine, if you insist." He leaned against the armrest of a chair and looked into my eyes. "It's been about six years now. Saphir had a girlfriend back then. Rina, she was truly enchanting. They had been together for several months, and he was madly in love with her. You know I can't stand all that emotional stuff, unlike Saphir. Rina and I happened to meet at an event... and the alcohol was flowing."

"You took her back with you and couldn't keep your hands off her," I finished his sentence, and he nodded.

"Yes, the next morning Saphir showed up at my apartment to pick up something. We had always had a good relationship until then. That's why he had a spare key to my place. When he found Rina naked in my bed, he went berserk. He screamed and destroyed a large part of my furniture before storming out of my apartment in a fit of rage. I had never seen him like that before." Diamond paused briefly and then resumed pacing back and forth.

"Does this reaction surprise you? But what does it have to do with me? I certainly won't get involved with your brother," I sensed there was more to the story.

"Rina wanted to follow him, she wanted to apologize to him. She ran after him, but he had already driven away. She grabbed one of the car keys, and the last thing she said to me was, 'That was a damn mistake, I love your brother, he needs to know.' Then she chased after him. But she never reached him. She had a fatal car accident on her way to him." Diamond paused briefly, his gaze fixed on me. "Saphir blames me for that accident. On the day of her funeral, he threatened me, saying I had taken away the most important thing from him, and that he would do the same to me someday."

I started to understand, and a shiver ran down my spine. So that's why he showed up at my workplace and asked me just that one question. "You mean he wants to kill me?" I whispered in disbelief, desperately hoping for a denial. Diamond took a deep breath. "I'm afraid so. Since that day, I haven't been involved with more than two or three girls. You're the first one with whom it became something longer. I had sincerely hoped that he would forget his resentment. That time would eventually lead him to see reason. But when you told me he was at your workplace, I realized something was wrong."

I jumped up. I needed to get out of here. I urgently needed fresh air. Before Diamond could react, I rushed past him. I hurried towards the large terrace. As I stepped outside, a cool breeze greeted me. Was this the right moment to end things with Diamond? Would Saphir leave me alone then? Or was Diamond the only one who could protect me from his brother? My mind was racing with thoughts. It couldn't all be true. How did I get myself into this? I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Usagi," he said, not saying anything more.

"Please, let me be. I need some time alone. I need to figure out what I want. If there's even a future for us." I couldn't bring myself to turn around. I felt a slight chill as he removed his hand from my shoulder. I hadn't really thought about those words. They just came out of me. I don't remember how long I stood there, gazing at the beautifully decorated garden, while continuing to ponder Diamond's words. Then my phone ringing snapped me back to reality. Still a bit dazed, I blinked at the display. Mamoru, of all people. I collected myself quickly.

"Yes?"

"Bunny, is everything okay with you? You haven't responded to any of my messages," he sounded relieved to hear my voice. Damn, I hadn't looked at my phone all day.

"Yes, everything's fine. I just had to go to Osaka. I'm currently at an exhibition here. It's really beautiful, you would definitely like it. Should I send you some pictures? I'm really sorry for not responding. I forgot to check my phone amidst all the chaos. Was there something important?"Mamoru suppressed a laugh. I could hear it clearly, and I could picture his mischievous grin.

"Oh, my Bunny. Always busy. I just wanted to let you know my flight details. I booked my return flight to Tokyo earlier. I'm counting the days until I'm back with you."I turned around slowly, and I was immediately frozen in shock once again.

"Mamoru, I'm also looking forward to you being back, but I have to go inside again. There's someone I urgently need to talk to... about a sculpture."

I panicked and hung the large exhibition hall, unmistakably, stood Seiya. How the hell did he manage to get in here? Just a few meters away from him was Diamond, observing a painting. My heart pounded wildly. Damn it all! If I go in there now, it's sure to explode. Nervously, I ran my hand through my hair. Seiya and Diamond don't know each other. As long as I don't go in, nothing will happen. I have to wait for the right moment when Diamond disappears into the back area again, and then quickly pick up Seiya and drive home with him. That could work. As I lifted my gaze again, Seiya's eyes met mine. Damn it, he saw me and headed straight towards me. Slowly, I tilted my head towards Diamond, who was watching me out of the corner of his eye. Damn it. What do I do now? Seiya was just a few steps away from the ! Perfect. I never thought I'd be so happy to see them. There were a few of them down in the outdoor area, taking pictures of the sculptures that were too big for the hall. Seiya stood right in front of me.

"Aren't you cold without a jacket, darling?" As he reached over my shoulder to touch me, I took a small step back but smiled at him. I turned my face away from the large window through which Diamond was watching me.

"Photographers, we're not alone," I whispered to Seiya, and he understood. Seiya leaned on the railing next to me with his forearms and had to suppress a grin.

"How did you get in here? You didn't have a ticket," I asked, still surprised by his appearance.

"I'm Seiya Kou. People love me. I can get anywhere," he winked at me.

If we were alone, I would have definitely punched him in the side. I had to hold myself together. The way we were standing here, to outsiders, we were just two people having a conversation at an exhibition, and it should stay that I visibly rolled my eyes.

"No, seriously, how did you get in?" I tried again.

"I told you, people love me. After I dropped you off, I took a walk, and when I came back here, a young woman recognized me. We chatted, and she asked if I was interested in art. She had a plus one on her ticket, but her companion canceled. She only wanted a selfie and an autograph in return," a wide grin adorned his face.

Only a star could have that much luck. I cast a quick glance over my shoulder. Diamond was now closer to the large window, still looking at me.

"You really have more luck than sense sometimes," I muttered to Seiya.

"Well, being a star has its advantages sometimes. Are you done with your work here?"No, I haven't even looked at the exhibition yet.

"Um... to be precise, I've only had conversations so far," I lied, sticking as close to the truth as , a young woman cleared her throat behind us. When we turned around, she held a glass of champagne out to Seiya.

"If I have such a famous companion, we should at least toast together," she chirped happily, completely ignoring me. She was pretty, about half a head taller than me, with long black hair. Seiya hesitantly took the glass from her. That was my chance to escape without leaving the exhibition with Seiya. I knew he would soon follow me.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone then." I gave Seiya a quick wink and disappeared inside. Phew. At the cloakroom, I retrieved my jacket, but as I turned around, there was Diamond standing in front of me again.

"Usagi, can we talk again? You mean something to me." Shit. That was exactly what I didn't want to hear right now.

"I know, but I need time to think about everything. You can't expect me to make a decision in twenty minutes at the doorstep. If I continue to see you, who knows what your brother will come up with. I heard the fear in your voice, and I still see it in your eyes."

He firmly grasped my wrist and pulled me along behind him. My libido danced with joy because it knew what was about to happen. The flicker in his eyes did not escape my notice. Behind the coat check, there was a small storage room. He locked the door behind us, pressed me firmly against the wall, and kissed me wildly and demandingly. I was a miserable addict, surrendering to my desires. After we were finished, I leaned against the wall, panting. This was our thing, uninhibited sex, and I would definitely miss it. Neither Seiya nor Mamoru would I ever persuade to a quick encounter in a storage room. I straightened my dress and tried to tame my hair. I placed my hand on Diamond's cheek.

"Give me time, I'll get in touch," I whispered to him, sealing our parting with a I closed the door behind me, leaving him alone, I felt a slight sadness, but on the other hand, a sense of relief.

"Darling, what were you doing there?" Seiya's amused voice suddenly sounded as I reached the coat check. Damn it.

"I... uh... I was looking for the restroom. But there was only a storage room," I quickly said and headed towards the exit. Seiya followed me at a distance. When we finally sat together in the car, a ton-weight lifted off my shoulders. That could have gone really wrong just now. It seemed that not only Seiya had more luck than sense at times, it applied to me as well. Then suddenly, my guilt kicked in. Seiya was almost perfect. How could I be weak again for Diamond despite all the circumstances?

I was such an idiot.