Chapter 32

The next morning, I woke up alone in the large bed. There was no sign of Diamond anywhere. I could still hardly believe it—I was actually in the Philippines, and I had managed to have a conversation with Diamond about ending whatever it was we had going on here. So, he had agreed to distance himself from me once I was back in Tokyo, but what did that really mean? How many times had we reached the point of saying "one last time," only for it to happen all over again? No, this time I had to follow through. Seiya wouldn't forgive me again.

Seiya. My heart skipped a beat as I thought of him. Once I was back, I belonged to him completely. I decided to focus on the good things.

My phone was on the nightstand next to me, and I reached for it.

Hey Seiya, I'm currently on a business trip. Once I'm back, I'd love to see you. I hope you're doing well. Your darling

It only took a few minutes, and my phone rang. Seiya was calling.

"Yeah?"

"Darling, where are you?"

"In the Philippines... A client needed consultation, and Sato couldn't go."

"When will you be back?"

"Tomorrow or the day after, hopefully it'll be decided today." An exhausted sigh could be heard. "So now you're lounging on the beach while I work and sit at home." Was he trying to make a joke? A smile formed on my lips.

"Yeah, now you know how it feels. I can even send you a picture of the beach, just like you used to do."

"Do that. I don't want to keep you, but I have to go to the studio... See you soon, my darling." "See you soon, Seiya. I love you." He had still been a bit cool and distant, but I think we were on the right track.

Now I could finally explore this place. Yesterday, I hadn't really had the chance. It was truly a magnificent villa, with luxury in every corner. I wouldn't have expected anything less from Diamond. After all, I had seen both his apartment and his father's villa. The white marble floor extended throughout the house, emanating a pleasant coolness.

A splendid breakfast was arranged on a small table in the kitchen, but only one plate stood there alone. I delicately plucked a grape with two fingers and popped it into my mouth.

"You can sit down; this is your breakfast," a female voice suddenly sounded behind me, causing me to turn around. An older woman with gray hair and glasses stood before me with a friendly smile.

"I'm Maria, the housekeeper."

"Usagi Tsukino," I said, extending my hand to her. I was a bit overwhelmed by the situation. I had really thought we would be alone here. The blush crept onto my face at the thought of what we had done here yesterday. She couldn't have missed that, not in a million years. Diamond could have mentioned that there were still employees roaming around. I slowly took a seat at the table.

"Have you seen Mr. Prince?" I asked her.

Maria handed me a basket of bread. "He left early for a meeting. He said he would be back by noon. Do you need anything else?"

I shook my head. Maria nodded at me and left me here alone. So, I had a few hours to myself, undisturbed in this paradise.

My cast was still slightly damp from the little pool adventure, so I decided to lay in the sun, hoping it would dry quickly. I slipped into my bikini and positioned myself by the pool, facing the beach just a few steps below. Putting on my best smile, I sent Seiya a selfie.

In the hallway outside the bedroom, there was a massive bookshelf. I had taken a book from it and brought it outside, immersing myself in its pages. It was an exciting romance novel that I could hardly put down until a shadow suddenly cast over my book. When I looked up, his dark eyes met mine. He was back from his appointment.

"I like the view," he said, with a slight twitch of his lips. Nothing he hadn't seen at least 100 times before.

"Oh, so you're back," I remarked coolly, ignoring his innuendos and attempting to continue reading. However, Diamond immediately snatched the book from my hand, flipped it to see the title, and set it aside.

"Hey, what's that for? I'm busy, give it back."

"You don't have time for that now. Put on something decent," he whispered.

"Define 'decent'," I provocatively asked, knowing exactly the kind of clothing he preferred on me. A mischievous grin grew wider on his face.

"You can wear something like that later when we're alone. After all, you're here to work too. We're leaving in 20 minutes. I think that should be enough time for you to get ready."

Was he kidding me now? I sighed in annoyance. "And where are we going? May I know that, perhaps?" I couldn't help but infuse my voice with irritation.

"To a business dinner. My business partner insisted on having a joint meal, and he's bringing his wife along so she doesn't get bored... and since you have nothing better to do at the moment... so 20 minutes." He leaned down toward me and planted a kiss on my cheek. I stared at him briefly, perplexed.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I do have something to do! The book was damn exciting!" I shouted after him.

"20 minutes, Usagi, or I'll carry you to the car in your bikini!" he called back over his shoulder.

Unfortunately, I knew that wasn't an empty threat, so I pulled myself together. I threw on a stylish light blue summer dress, fixed my hair, and applied subtle makeup. As I slipped into my high heels, he already opened the door.

"Ready?"

"As good as. Do I need to bring anything?"

"No." Wow, he was really talkative today. Just like yesterday, he was driving himself today. The streets here were much emptier than in Tokyo. Driving there could often be a nightmare. Throughout the journey, there was silence for nearly an hour. I noticed him glancing at me occasionally, but I said nothing.

He eventually parked at a nice little restaurant. Being a gentleman, he opened the car door for me. Yes, he could display his manners outwardly. He extended his arm, and I hooked mine through it.

"Relax, Usagi, you're so tense."

"Have you ever walked on sandy ground in high heels? It's not that easy! And once again, you've made decisions without asking me!" I hissed back. That damn poker face.

He headed towards a table where a young woman with fiery red hair was sitting. He let go of me and warmly embraced her.

"Kaori, nice to see you. Where did you leave Kunzite?" he greeted the woman. He sounded very familiar with her.

"Diamond, yes, it's been too long. He should be here any moment now. And who do you have with you?" she asked curiously, peering over at me. Hesitantly, I took a step closer.

"Kaori, may I introduce you to Usagi."

There was no further title for me, neither his companion or a friend or anything else. He simply called me by my first name. This Kaori examined me closely before standing up and extending her hand with a friendly smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Usagi. Please, have a seat."

Somehow, I felt internally tense, but I didn't know why. It was just a business dinner, like the ones I often had for work. However, when Kunzite, Kaori's husband, approached the table, it completely threw me off. He had the same dominant presence as Diamond, a similar hair color, and the same dark eyes. It couldn't be a coincidence. However, Kunzite had long hair and was wearing a suit in this heat. Diamond had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to better endure the heat. My gaze darted back and forth between the two men. Something was strange here.

During the meal, we discussed the usual small talk topics that come up at any business dinner: the weather, vacation destinations, and even some politics. Nothing out of the ordinary. After the main course, the men left us at the table to discuss business matters. They positioned themselves on the veranda. I watched them, as we had a clear view from our table. Kaori followed my gaze as well.

"It's astounding how similar the two cousins are, isn't it?" Kaori suddenly said, laughing.

What had she just said? Cousins? He had said a business partner. It took a great deal of self-control not to break into dismay. Diamond! I had to stay calm, at least while we were here. I would confront him later.

"Uh... yes," I stammered.

"I'm glad for Diamond that he's finally found a woman who knows how to handle him. You're the first one he's introduced to us, and honestly, after everything that happened in the past, I didn't expect it anymore."

Wait, so she thought I was his significant other. I decided to leave it at that. Diamond should explain it to his family himself... The past could only mean one thing. A slight shiver ran down my spine at the thought of her.

"You mean because of Rina?" I whispered, waiting for confirmation.

Kaori nodded. "So, you do know about her."

"Unfortunately... Saphir... Well..."

"What about Saphir? You can speak openly, we're among ourselves."

I was unsure if I could really tell her everything. I searched her gaze, and her eyes met mine warmly and kindly. "... Well... Saphir isn't exactly thrilled that Diamond is seeing me... He tampered with the brakes of my car..."

Kaori's eyes widened. "That can't be true. So, he still holds a grudge against his brother?" Her gaze now lingered on my cast.

"Yes, luckily I only got a broken arm from it, but since then..."

She moved closer to me. "You poor thing, I really hope Diamond sets Saphir straight soon. The two of them are so different. I often thought that Diamond and Kunzite were brothers and Saphir was just a very, very distant cousin." She laughed briefly at what she said.

"Why?"

"Have you seen the two world rulers? Everything has to dance to their tune immediately, patience is absolutely not their strong suit, and they're both very... special. Yes, I think special is a good word for it. Saphir, on the other hand... He's more of the quiet type, patient, and unfortunately, very resentful... You never know what he's up to. Still waters run deep."

"You seem to know them all very well. How long have you been together, if I may ask?"

Kaori waved it off. "I've known the three of them since childhood. We more or less grew up together... I've been with Kunzite since my youth. Believe me, it's sometimes not easy..."

"Yes, I can imagine." And I could, if he was only half as stubborn as Diamond... Oh dear.

"But once they give their hearts, it's sincere. They would do anything to make their ladies happy. Believe me, truly anything." With a dreamy look, she glanced over at the two of them. They were still on the veranda, facing away from us, but you could tell they were having a heated discussion.

What had she just said? Once they give their hearts? I swallowed. Had the emotionally clueless Diamond Prince fallen in love with me? Was that what she was trying to tell me? No, that couldn't be. I would have noticed, wouldn't I?

Kaori seemed to notice my confusion and gently placed her hand on mine. "Don't worry, Usagi. Both of them often do impulsive things or make simple, straightforward things suddenly complicated. You just can't always take them as seriously as they would like. They both need someone who stands up to them."

I stared at her with wide eyes, unable to find an appropriate response. It was too much for me. I was still trying to sort through all the information and make sense of his behavior. In vain. If he did have feelings for me, why didn't it bother him when he found out about Seiya and Mamoru? Why would he agree to keep his distance from me once I was back in Tokyo? No. If he truly had feelings for me, he would have reacted differently.

The men eventually returned to the table, and I tried to hide my tumultuous emotions... We continued with the usual topics we had at the beginning of the meal. For the remainder of the evening, there were no further hints of Diamond's feelings for me. It was amusing to see how Kaori interacted with the two of them. It was a completely new side of Diamond that I hadn't seen before. In her presence, he was noticeably more relaxed than usual. Then her insinuations came back to me... Why had he brought me here? Was it really just so he could conduct business in peace, or did he deliberately want me to meet them?