Chapter 8
Earlier in the evening.
Seiya leaned against the window of his office, losing himself in the colors of the sunset over the ocean. The event at the Tsukino residence was already in full swing, but his interest in his brother's fiancée was minimal. Why bother meeting her tonight? After all, Taiki would marry her, and nothing could change that.
Instead, his thoughts revolved around Usagi, the girl from the streets with her radiant blue eyes. A significant part of the afternoon had been spent searching for her on the streets of Tokyo, but without success. It was as if she had vanished off the face of the earth.
When the door to his office suddenly opened, he turned around in surprise to see who would visit him at this late hour. When he recognized his visitor, his expression brightened slightly.
"Haruka, what are you doing here?" he asked, and a woman with short, sandy-blonde hair casually took a seat on his sofa. At first glance, her appearance could suggest she might be a man, but she had been Seiya's best friend since childhood.
"Picking you up," she said, grinning.
Seiya, who was still standing by the window, gazing at the sunset spectacle, didn't move. "Did Taiki send you?" The assumption was likely, as his brother had repeatedly emphasized the importance of his presence at the event in recent days. Seiya, however, had hoped to get around it.
"Yes, and to be honest, I'm quite curious about where Kenji suddenly conjured up this daughter. Don't you want to know who she is? With Minako, we didn't have to worry about her poking her nose into our affairs, but this one is a complete stranger."
Seiya snorted in annoyance. He knew Haruka wouldn't let up until he was in her car. "Fine, let's go and check out the girl. But just for a drink; I have other important matters to attend to."
"Oh, is it about the woman you met?" Haruka probed further as she got up and opened the door invitingly.
Seiya sighed and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. "How do you know about her?"
"Yaten," Haruka answered with a grin. "Tell me about her. What's she like? When do I get to meet her?" she asked curiously on their way to the car.
Seiya took the passenger seat. "You probably won't meet her because she disappeared."
"Oh, that explains your mood. I think this is your new record for scaring off a woman. What did you do this time?" Haruka laughed and started the engine.
"Surprisingly, nothing. That's the problem. She comes from difficult circumstances, and I wanted to support her. But before I could make her the offer, she had already vanished, and no one has seen her since."
"Why don't you ask Yaten to use his connections to find her? He'll probably locate her in no time."
Seiya waved it off. "I'll find her without his help. Yaten is too curious. As long as I don't know what happened and whether there's a future between us, I don't want to involve him. You know him – he'll either find a hundred reasons for a wedding or a thousand reasons to break it off immediately, with the latter being much more likely. I just wanted to get to know her first and see what develops. She was somehow different from the others, you know?"
Haruka gave him a sidelong glance. "Oh man, you've really fallen for her."
"That doesn't help me if I don't know where she is. So, can we please change the subject? I've been thinking about it all day and could really use a distraction. What do we know about Taiki's fiancée?"
"Nothing. Just that her name is Serena Tsukino. Yaten was beside himself since no one has ever heard of her before, but the paternity test was conclusive. She is Kenji's biological daughter."
"Weird... Why did he hide her all this time? If even Yaten couldn't find out anything about her, it must have cost him a lot to keep her so isolated. In our circles, such things usually spread like wildfire, and the illegitimate daughter of a high-ranking member... someone should have noticed. Do we know who her mother is?"
"No, I told you, we know absolutely nothing about her."
Seiya frowned. "Is Yaten already here? Are we picking him up, or were you just tasked with escorting me?"
"He's still in an interrogation or something... He just said he might come later; I couldn't hear him well because of the screams in the background. Again, something about Minako... But I don't think he's here yet; his car is nowhere to be found," she said, parking her sports car next to Taiki's.
The two entered the villa and were promptly led into the grand salon, where the festivities were already in full swing. They grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the trays, and Kenji approached them to greet his guests.
"Hello, Haruka. Seiya, good that you made it. How's everything at the harbor? I heard about the incidents in the last few days."
"Oh, as if they would ever find anything. They only find what I let them find. You know we have everything under control. By the way, your delivery arrived this morning and can be picked up in the next few days," Seiya winked at him, scanning the guests briefly.
Kenji laughed contentedly. "That's very good. All intact, I hope?"
"Of course. Have you ever expected anything else? But where's my brother? I haven't seen him yet," Seiya asked, searching the room again with his eyes, but Taiki was still nowhere to be seen.
"He wanted to take a stroll through the garden with Serena to get to know her a bit. We waited for the official introduction until everyone is present, and only Yaten seems to be missing, if I see it correctly. Your father sends his apologies; you know how business is."
Seiya had already expected that his father wouldn't come. He didn't care who the woman Taiki was marrying was, as long as she had Tsukino blood in her, and he had had the proof of that in his hands since yesterday. "Yaten also has some business to attend to. You don't need to wait for him; it will probably take a while."
Suddenly, Seiya froze. His gaze randomly swept to the door, and at first, he only noticed her from the corner of his eye, but when he looked closer, he was sure. His brother Taiki was coming straight towards him, and the woman wearing his jacket and hooked on his arm was Usagi. There was no doubt in his mind. Especially when her eyes widened in shock as they met his.
Taiki extended his hand to Seiya, bringing him back to reality. "Seiya, glad you finally made it. May I introduce you to Serena? Serena, this is one of my brothers, Seiya, and Haruka, a good friend of the family," Taiki introduced them all.
Overwhelmed by the whole situation, Seiya automatically reached out his hand, which Usagi hesitantly took. A storm of emotions raged within her. She was happy to see Seiya again but also uncertain about how to explain everything to him. Moreover, she hoped he would just play along. His gaze was intense, and even the touch of his hand produced a pleasant tingling in her stomach.
It took what felt like an eternity before he finally said something. "Nice to meet you, Serena." Usagi couldn't ignore the undertone in his voice when he pronounced her name, but fortunately, it seemed unnoticed by everyone else. He knew exactly who she was. At least, when their eyes met, she was sure.
Taiki then extended his hand to Haruka, who greeted him warmly. Usagi still felt Seiya's eyes on her, his gaze practically sparkling when Kenji asked about the official part of the engagement party.
"Well, I have no objections. Serena seems to be a well-behaved young lady, and I think we will get along well," Taiki began, looking at her. "Or what do you think?"
Usagi forced herself to tear her gaze away from Seiya and looked shyly at Taiki. Although turmoil roared inside her, and she wanted to distance herself from this moment, she couldn't help but think of Chibiusa and Shingo. They were the most important things in her life, and she couldn't allow them to end up on the streets again, even if it meant putting her own happiness aside. So, she forced herself to smile and nodded. "Yes, I think so too," she said, avoiding looking at Seiya again.
Seiya lingered for a moment, but he had heard enough. Once he was sure that no one was paying attention to him, he turned around and hurried to the door with quick steps. Haruka, however, didn't miss this, and she stuck to her friend's heels. She grabbed his wrist just before reaching the salon door and pulled him back. "What was that just now, and where are you suddenly going?" she whispered, looking puzzled at him. It was clear to her that he had no desire for this event, but why did her best friend suddenly seem in such a hurry?
"Nothing, I just forgot an important appointment, and I still need to contact the Chibas. It was their delivery the police were after, and I also need information from Yaten. We've met Serena now. Can we get back to more important matters?" Seiya's voice sounded tense, and Haruka could see the confusion in his eyes.
She tried to understand what was happening, but she couldn't fully comprehend Seiya's actions. Before she could respond, Kenji started ringing his glass, and the attention of all guests turned to the center of the room.
"Dear friends, esteemed guests, I sincerely thank you for your numerous participation tonight. It's not an easy task for me to stand here before you, after the challenging weeks we've had. The loss of my daughter, Minako, has left a painful void in our lives that will accompany us for a long time. But as life goes on, even if sometimes we feel it should stand still.
As a father, I have the responsibility to provide for my family and the future of the Tsukino family. For some time, a connection between the Tsukino family and the Kou family was planned, which should strengthen our reputation and influence. However, these plans were in limbo after Minako's tragic demise, and I faced the challenge of finding a solution.
Therefore, I am deeply grateful and relieved to introduce to you today my second daughter, Serena, as the heiress of the Tsukino family. She has decided to take up her legacy and has agreed to follow in Minako's footsteps. She is ready to take responsibility for our family. This is truly no easy task, and I am proud of her decision.
And so, I am pleased to invite you all to the official engagement party of Serena Tsukino and Taiki Kou next week. This union will bring our families even closer together and form a strong foundation for the future. May love and happiness always be present in their shared journey.
Once again, thank you for your support and sympathy. May this evening be the beginning of a promising future."
Usagi held her breath throughout his speech as her father's words hovered over the crowd. Her future was sealed in this moment, and she was just a pawn in this chess game. This marriage wasn't about love or feelings but about strengthening the influence of both families, and for her, it was about the future of her siblings.
Gently, Taiki's fingers closed around hers, and Usagi didn't know what he had in mind as he led her to the improvised dance floor. He took her hand in his, lifting it slightly, while his other hand skillfully rested on her hip. Then she realized what he intended. Taiki wanted to dance with her.
"I can't dance," she whispered in panic as the music started, enveloping them.
Taiki just looked at her and smiled gently. "Just let go and let me lead. You'll see, it's not that difficult."
Seiya cast one last glance over his shoulder, observing Taiki sweeping Usagi across the dance floor, and an unexpected anger welled up within him. To avoid doing something impulsive, he continued his way outside, closely followed by Haruka.
"You really want to bail now?" she asked seriously.
"Yes, are you driving me to Yaten, or should I call a driver?" Seiya replied.
Haruka rolled her eyes and unlocked her car. She knew she wouldn't get much out of him in his current state, but she hoped he would confide in her soon.
"But I'm not going in. Who knows what Yaten is up to down there. The last time I interrupted him, I'm still catching flak for it," Haruka laughed as she stopped in front of a small building outside Tokyo.
Seiya chuckled. "All right, then see you in a few days," he said, bidding farewell to Haruka and entering the unassuming house with Yaten's white sports car in the driveway. His path led him straight to the basement. Only after unlocking the heavy metal door at the end of the corridor did muffled screams reach him. Yaten was still at work.
Following the screams, he opened another large door into Yaten's favored interrogation room. The room was black-tiled, a stark contrast to the white walls. On the wall opposite the door hung a considerable amount of tools, from small pliers to large saws, and on the right side, a large shelf displayed all sorts of poisons and tinctures of which Seiya had no idea. In the center of the room stood a large silver metal table, on which a man was bound with wide leather straps. Yaten sat calmly beside him, pulling on his cigarette. His gaze lifted when he spotted Seiya leaning against the door frame.
"Seiya, did something happen?" he asked through the screams of his victim.
Seiya shook his head and sat down in the small chair next to the door.
"No, I just wanted to see what you're up to. After all, you weren't with the Tsukinos. I thought Serena might interest you."
Yaten reached for a syringe on a small table next to him and injected its contents into the veins of the bound man.
"You're lucky my brother is here now. We'll continue our conversation tomorrow. This was just a taste of what I'm capable of. Believe me, you'll tell me what you know about the accident," he hissed into the man's ear, and his screams gradually subsided.
Then he straightened up. "But you also know that the other matter is a priority for me right now," Yaten growled as he extinguished his cigarette. In the meantime, he analyzed Seiya's facial expressions and gestures. "I know you're hiding something from me, Seiya. I can sense it, but I won't pry any further if you don't ask me questions tonight," Yaten said, waiting for his brother's nod. "Come on, let's go home. I need something strong and a shower. That wouldn't hurt you either, judging by your appearance," Yaten continued, and it was exactly what Seiya needed right now – the company of his brother without discussing or worrying about anything.