Chapter 26

Taiki turned onto the highway and once again selected redial. The phone rang repeatedly until the voicemail message played, a message he had heard countless times today: "Hello, this is the line of Dr. Amy Mizuno. I'm currently unable to answer the phone, but I'll get back to you promptly if you leave your name and phone number."

A deep sigh escaped him. "Amy, damn it. I've been trying to reach you all day. Please let's talk. You're important to me, and I don't want to lose you. What happened this morning should never have occurred. Where are you? I've been to your apartment and the clinic without finding you. Please, get in touch. I love you."

The desperation in Taiki's voice was unmistakable, and he nervously drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. For over two hours, he had been driving aimlessly through Tokyo, and a dark foreboding settled over his thoughts. The sun was already setting, and he knew he didn't have much time left; his wife would soon expect his return. He then dialed Yaten's number, only to land directly on voicemail without a prior ringtone. This could only mean one thing. He turned the car around, changing his destination.

Soon, he reached the small house on the outskirts of Tokyo, feeling a hint of relief that at least this theory held up. Since Yaten was also unreachable, there was only one place where his brother could be – the basement. Reception was often poor down there. It was rare for him to visit Yaten in this place, but he saw no other way. He needed his brother's help both in finding Amy and locating the siblings.

With a soft click, the car door closed, and he made his way inside. When he opened the door and called for Yaten, there was no response. He descended the stairs. As soon as he opened the heavy metal door, tortured screams reached him. Slowly, he followed the cries and cautiously pushed the door open.

Yaten sat with his back to him. In front of him, bound to the table, lay someone, and Taiki saw a small pool of blood on the floor. Only on a second glance did he recognize who was bound to Yaten's table.

Shock widened his eyes, and with two long strides, he stood behind his brother, gripping Yaten's hand that tightly held a scalpel. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you even know who you're holding captive here?" he exclaimed in horror. However, Yaten only laughed scornfully, his venom-green eyes still fixed on Zoisite.

"Oh yes, I know very well. And our dear Zoisite was just about ready to talk to us. Am I right, my dear? So, I hate to repeat myself, but who is the wife of Mamoru Chiba?"

Taiki looked somewhat overwhelmed from Yaten to Zoisite, who grimaced in pain, biting his teeth together. A bit of blood seeped from a cut on his forearm, but it didn't look threatening. "Yaten, I need to know what's going on right now! Why is one of Chiba's associates down here? This violates one of the agreements! Can you even imagine the problems we'll face if this comes out? And what woman are you talking about?"

Yaten snorted annoyed. "Wait upstairs and give me a few minutes. I need to prepare something for the next round down here. Besides, he still needs an antibiotic... imagine if something gets infected here. After all, we've been playing with his nerve endings."

Taiki ran his hands through his hair in disbelief. "Spare me the details, please. I'll give you five minutes. Start thinking of a damn good excuse for all this," he added, pointing at Zoisite, who bore evident injuries.

Shaking his head, Taiki made his way upstairs and brewed a strong coffee. His inner self felt like a boiling volcano. He didn't know what was going on here, even though his brothers usually told him important things. Something had happened here recently that had completely passed him by. His phone vibrated briefly, and as he let it slide out of his pocket, he paused for a moment. A message from Amy.

I don't think I can take this anymore. I can hardly bear the thought of what you probably did with her last night, and even less of what you will do with her. I submitted my resignation earlier. Don't look for me; I will leave Japan for some time. Amy.

Barely skimming through the message, he tried calling her again. But this time, her phone was off. "Amy, you can't be serious. You know the whole situation. Please, at least give me another chance to see you..." his voice trailed off, and he hung up. The cup in his hands suddenly felt much too heavy and fell to the floor. He could all too well imagine how she must feel. How hurt she had been was clearly written on her face this morning. A feeling of emptiness spread through him; losing Amy felt like the beginning of a dark nightmare to which he was helplessly exposed.

"Which Amy?" suddenly Yaten's voice sounded behind him. Taiki turned on his heel and looked at his brother, who casually went to the sink to wash the blood off his hands.

"Amy Mizuno," Taiki said tersely and sank into a chair. His eyes kept going back to her words, clear farewell words.

Curious, Yaten stretched his head around Taiki to get a better look. "Why do you want to see the doctor?"

"Yaten, this is something private. I want you to find her. She resigned this morning, and she wants to go abroad. I can't tell you more. And hurry, it's important."

Yaten rolled his eyes, sent two messages to his men, and sat down across from Taiki. "The search for her is underway. If she's still in Tokyo, it won't take more than a few hours until we have her."

"Thank you," murmured Taiki, and then he remembered the second reason he had come. "Oh, there's something else. Serena has two siblings, Chibiusa and Shingo. You need to find them too. Kenji and Father are using the two as leverage."

Not particularly interested, Yaten took out his cigarette pack, lit a cigarette, and enjoyed a drag. "I'm already on it. The sister is in China, some province in the west. I expect more detailed information in the next few days. As for the brother, that will be more challenging."

Taiki stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean you're already looking for her siblings? Is there something else I should know? Since when have you been doing so much behind my back... You know what, forget the question; I'd rather not know."

"Seiya asked me shortly after your engagement party to find the two. I thought you were also informed. After all, it was about your fiancée. So if you have any questions about it, please contact Seiya and don't take your bad mood out on me. Like I said, we've almost located the sister, but the brother is a tough nut. Kenji seems to have made every effort to hide him. I haven't found anything on him yet."

Taiki grasped the letter in his pocket. Slowly, he pulled it out, and he began to realize why Yaten couldn't find Shingo. He pushed the envelope toward Yaten. "Because you're looking in the wrong places. Father gave her this letter at the wedding. Father, not Kenji."

The silver-haired man skimmed through the few lines. "Let me make a quick phone call. This letter opens up completely new directions for the search."

Taiki just nodded, and Yaten disappeared into the kitchen. Mild headaches began to gnaw at him, and Taiki rubbed his throbbing temple. Was everyone in his family currently losing it? Seiya was having his wife's siblings searched for. Yaten kidnapped a loyal follower of Chiba and tortured him in his basement to get answers. His father, who often had malicious plans anyway, had some plans involving Kenji, which he still had to figure out.

He had had enough of these secrets. Everyone seemed to be cooking their own soup. The family business wouldn't last much longer if this continued. If things kept going this way, it wouldn't be long before everything fell apart. That was clear to him. They needed a clarifying conversation, all together, to focus on the important matters. He rose abruptly and waited at the kitchen door until Yaten finished his conversation.

"Yaten, we'll meet in two hours in the large conference room at Blackmoon. I have something to take care of. I want you to inform Seiya and Haruka about the meeting. They should stop by the tower and bring Serena... and Yaten, no torture on Zoisite until we're done with the talks," with these emphatic words, he closed the door behind him.

Usagi still lay in Seiya's arms, and neither of them dared to move from the bed, afraid that this dream they had just experienced would come to an end. His hands gently stroked her naked back, and she lovingly smiled up at him. This moment belonged to them alone, and Usagi knew that she would carry every second of it forever in her heart.

Suddenly, a shrill ringing broke the silence, and Seiya sighed in annoyance. "That's Yaten, I'm sorry..."

Usagi slid a bit away from Seiya and nodded understandingly.

"What's up?" grumbled Seiya into the receiver.

"Feeling better?" Yaten inquired first.

Seiya looked over at Usagi and smiled. "Yes, I feel reborn. So, why are you calling?"

"Are you still with Ruka?"

"No, at home. Why?"

"Taiki has called a conference in two hours at Blackmoon. You're supposed to bring Serena and Ruka... brace yourself. Tai seemed damn angry when he stormed out of here just now."

Seiya blinked at the clock; when the codeword Blackmoon was mentioned, he tensed. "Do you know what happened? Is it urgent?" he asked. He was aware that Usagi would soon leave him, that she was Taiki's wife, but he didn't want to let this moment pass just yet. He wanted to feel her closeness a little longer, although he already sensed that it might not be possible.

"I'm afraid so... he saw Zoisite and wasn't thrilled that he's my guest. Also, it's about Serena's siblings... and strangely enough, he wants me to look for the doctor."

Seiya ran his hand through his hair. "Alright. I'll pick up Serena, and we'll head to Blackmoon."

"Don't forget to call Ruka. I won't have time. I've got something to do now, too. See you there."

Seiya hung up without a word and turned his attention to Usagi. "Well, darling, I'm afraid we have to get up. Crisis summit at Blackmoon, my brother's calling, and we need to jump."

"What kind of crisis summit, and what is Blackmoon?" she asked, slightly unsettled.

"Blackmoon is an upscale brothel we've acquired for show. The upper floors house offices and conference rooms for special meetings. The whole building is managed by Haruka's ex-girlfriend. Father had bugs installed here, partly in our outer offices too. He's just a control freak. As if we wouldn't notice... Well, Blackmoon is a place where we can meet to discuss everything openly without others finding out. Just remember for the future: When Blackmoon comes up, something important has happened," explained Seiya as he got up and grabbed a fresh shirt from the closet.

"Then I'll probably stop by Tellu's place again and get some proper clothes. Will you pick me up then?" she asked, slipping into her sweater.

Seiya wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, and gave her an intense kiss. "It was so wonderful with you... Do you know that you take away every clear thought from me?"

A mischievous smile played on Usagi's lips, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "See you in a bit."

Seiya watched her wistfully as she closed the door behind her. His plan to distance himself from her had worked out brilliantly, he praised himself ironically. Once again, he found himself at a point where he didn't know what to do next.

Lost in thought, he got ready and then reached for his phone to inform Haruka. It rang for what felt like an eternity before she answered.

"Seiya? I told you I have an appointment," grumbled Haruka, and then he heard someone giggling in the background.

"You've had enough fun. Taiki has called for a crisis summit in an hour at Blackmoon," Seiya relayed the information.

"Yeah, then I'll wait for you here..." Haruka replied.

"You're at Blackmoon? I thought the Queen of the Night dumped you a few months ago," Seiya inquired curiously, still vividly recalling the images of Haruka when she had told him about the breakup.

"Well, apparently, she can't do without me after all. She just had to realize that first," Haruka replied, self-assured.

The woman's voice in the background said something that Seiya didn't quite understand, followed by a brief "Ouch" from Haruka. That made Seiya smile faintly; he had suspected that it wasn't a permanent separation and was happy for his friend.

"Alright... then you can prepare everything upstairs. I'll pick up Usagi, and then we'll come."