Chapter 40

Yaten parked his car right in front of the check-in terminal, without giving a thought to the no-parking zone. The cool December wind whipped around him as he locked his car. The neon lights of the airport cast bright reflections on the asphalt as he navigated through the crowd. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. "Have to do everything myself," he muttered annoyed.

His gaze swept through the bustling airport hall until it lingered on the huge departure board. His destination was quickly identified: The baggage drop-off for the flight would end in a few minutes. With deliberate steps, he strolled through the crowd until he reached the check-in counter. There she stood, amidst a heated discussion. An amused smile played on Yaten's lips as he observed the scene from a safe distance.

"No, you don't understand me. I didn't cancel the flight. Here's the booking confirmation. I depend on this flight; I have to get to Switzerland today. My new job there starts after Christmas," the doctor explained, visibly upset. "I'm sorry, Dr. Mizuno, but our system shows that you canceled the flight an hour ago. Since the plane was already overbooked, I don't see any possibility of granting you a seat. You must understand that especially at this time before the holidays, it's always busy. The next available flight I could offer you to Zurich would be on the 29th of December," the man across from her tried to placate her.

As the dispute escalated, Yaten could observe how frustration manifested on Amy's face. Yaten thought for a moment and then decided to intervene. Still grinning, he took a few steps towards her and cleared his throat. Amy's head snapped to the side, her eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Kou? What... What are you doing at the airport?" she stammered. "Let's drop the formal 'Sie.' I'm here to pick you up. First, it's not good to make hasty snap decisions, and second, one should spend the holidays with loved ones," he explained his presence, casually reaching for Amy's suitcase.

Amy hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Did you cancel my flight?" Yaten shrugged in response. "Maybe, but it's irrelevant now. What's more important is that we talk, and you don't make a hasty decision that could throw everything into chaos here." "If Taiki sent you, tell him everything has been said. I won't come back," Amy replied resolutely. "No. Taiki didn't send me, but I'm well aware of everything. I won't stand by and watch my brothers run into misery. So, if you would be so kind as to follow me... then I'll explain everything to you," Yaten whispered, his tone becoming sharper, and he made an inviting gesture towards the exit.

Amy hesitated briefly, but the silver-blond had already gone through the exit door with her suitcase, without turning back to her.

Meanwhile, Seiya reached the harbor. Some of his employees greeted him respectfully, and he nodded as he passed by. Even as he passed through the large gate of the warehouse, an irate male voice reached his ears, a voice he would recognize anywhere. Kenji Tsukino. A name that, for Seiya at the moment, meant both trouble and a hint of triumph.

Satisfied, Seiya grinned, thinking about Kenji's drug shipment, worth about 13 million yen, now lying at the bottom of the Pacific. He gladly gave the order to sink everything, even if he would have preferred to avoid the reason behind it. The power demonstration game had started anew. Following the sounds of the arguing men, Seiya went deeper into the warehouse. His foreman stood calmly facing Kenji, explaining calmly that he could only spend what had actually arrived. No goods for Tsukino had been unloaded throughout the day.

Kenji snorted in frustration. "Then have your men check the ships again. This can't be!"

At that moment, Seiya intervened, calmly but with an unmistakable undertone: "That's not necessary, Kenji. Everything is in order. I think you'll remember our last conversation. I told you what would happen to your deliveries if you get too close to Serena, and I have no qualms about sending another of your deliveries to join the first."

Within seconds, Kenji's face turned a shade of purple. "You'll pay for this, Seiya! I expect compensation for the damage done," he shouted. The tension between the two men escalated.

"Or what? Go to the police and tell them I sunk your coke? Kenji, you should be glad I limited it to your drugs, and you can continue with your other businesses. I'll tell you one last time: Leave Serena alone."

Kenji's glares practically sparked. "This will have consequences, kid," he hissed and stormed past Seiya in a rage.

After Kenji's furious departure, Seiya lingered briefly in the warehouse. He sighed and turned to his foreman. "Give me an overview of the situation." The foreman turned to his boss and began to explain, "Seiya, we've done everything according to plan. The delivery for Tsukino has been sunk in the ocean, at least partially. The withheld quantities are stored in the depot. Even if he wanted to, Tsukino can't prove anything against us. Everything else went unspectacularly today." Seiya nodded but couldn't shake off the internal tension. He knew Kenji wouldn't give up so easily. "Very well. I'll be working upstairs for a while. If anything happens, report immediately." With these words, Seiya disappeared into his office. Seiya's thoughts raced.

Then he reached for his phone. He knew he had to inform the others about the events with Kenji in the warehouse. He opened the group chat and took a deep breath.

There will probably be trouble with Kenji. Seiya

Why? Taiki

Because of the delivery? Yaten

What have you done now? Haruka

He might not have found it cool that his delivery is now swimming with the fish... Seiya

o.O Haruka

Are you insane? Taiki

I would have loved to see his face xD Yaten

Do you even realize what this could trigger? Have you thought even an inch beyond your nose? We need to keep a low profile towards Father and also Kenji until our plan takes sensible shapes! Taiki

Tai, always breathe easy. You know he always takes himself more seriously than he actually is. It'll be fine ;-) Haruka

Yeah, I see it that way too. Or do you want a meeting at Blackmoon? Seiya

No time. Yaten

You guys will put me in the grave with these thoughtless actions one day. No, I'd rather stay home. Serena should hopefully be back soon. Taiki

I'm in the car now. Will read everything at home in peace. See you soon. Usagi

Serena, could you find out anything? Yaten

Yaten, we'll talk in the coming days. I'm really tired now. Usagi

Usagi slid her phone back into her handbag. Thoughtfully, she gazed out of the window, observing the passing houses. Makoto skillfully navigated the car through the nocturnal streets, the gentle hum of the engine accompanying the silence in the car. Usagi leaned relaxed against the passenger door, her thoughts revolving around everything that had happened today. Reflectively, she placed her hand on her stomach; it still felt unreal to her that a new life was currently developing inside.

Eventually, they reached the tower, and Makoto parked the car in its spot. "Do you want me to take you upstairs?" Makoto asked, but Usagi shook her head. "No, not necessary. I'm so tired that I might fall asleep standing anyway," Usagi mumbled, pressing the buttons in the elevator. In the living room, Taiki sat on the sofa, the TV running in the background, displaying news on the screen. When he noticed Usagi, he stood up with a smile. "Welcome home, my love. How was your evening?" Taiki asked kindly.

Usagi sighed lightly, feeling the exhaustion in her legs after the eventful day. "It was interesting, but also tiring. I'm glad to be back home," she said, slipping out of her shoes. Taiki nodded understandingly. "Come, have a seat." Usagi yawned, realizing how tired she actually was. "Sorry, Taiki. The day took more out of me than I thought." "No problem, Serena. I understand; you look completely exhausted. Do you maybe want to lie down already?" Taiki suggested. Usagi nodded gratefully. "Yes, that would be nice. But before I do that, could you help me out of this dress? I'm afraid I can't manage it alone." With that, Usagi turned around so Taiki could access the zipper.

The next morning, the bed was already empty when Usagi woke up. She changed into comfortable clothing and headed to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

"Good morning to you too, sister-in-law," suddenly Yaten's voice echoed. Usagi nearly jumped out of her skin, as she didn't expect visitors at this time. "Yaten...good heavens...what are you doing here?" she asked the visitor. "Since I'm your watchdog this morning, I thought I'd come up directly, and we can talk quietly about last night," he explained his presence.

Usagi blinked at the clock and then back at the silver-haired man on her sofa. A certain restlessness crept over her. What should she tell him now? She didn't even know for sure with whom she had spoken last night, and Minako was like a red flag for Yaten, she had gathered that much, even though she didn't know exactly why.

"Uh... okay... if it's okay with you, I'd like to eat something first. I'm terribly hungry," Usagi tried to evade him, and she already opened the refrigerator. Yaten observed her for a moment, as if he could read her thoughts. Then he nodded curtly. "Of course, don't let me disturb you while doing that." Usagi grabbed the bottle of milk from the fridge and placed a pack of cornflakes on the table.

She tried to keep the conversation light and casual. Initially, she began to report on the charity event, how well her project had started, the many interested questions she had received. However, Yaten seemed uninterested, drumming his fingers on the table. After a while, he interrupted her without beating around the bush and asked, "Did you meet Rei? Could you find out anything?" Usagi's tension increased. "Yes... I met Rei Chiba yesterday," she began hesitantly, and instantly she had her brother-in-law's full attention.

"I'll tell you what we talked about in a moment. But Yaten, may I please ask you a question first?" Usagi asked somewhat uncertainly. Yaten's gaze became more intrigued. "Sure. What do you want to know?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Usagi took another deep breath. She had no idea how he would react, but she needed answers. She had to understand the entire context so that she could make the right decisions. "How was it back then with Minako and you? I've heard that you were once a couple, but why is it so important for you to solve the mystery of her death?" she asked him.

It didn't happen often, but Yaten seemed taken aback. His face suddenly mirrored horror because he hadn't expected such a question. He stood up and walked restlessly back and forth, feverishly considering how to start. Talking about his feelings was not really his thing. "Phew, Serena, that's a long story... Minako was my first big love back then, and if we're honest, certain feelings for such a person will always be there," Yaten began, letting his words sink in. "She just completed me, in every way. Even after we broke up, she was still my best friend – besides my brothers, the most important person in my life."

Usagi looked at him empathetically; she could exactly understand what he was trying to convey. "But why is it so important for you to solve the mystery of her death?"

A thoughtful pause followed as Yaten positioned himself by the window. Staring into space seemed like a journey into the past. "She called me that evening, you know... the night before it happened. She said she felt like she was being followed, and I just made a stupid joke, didn't take her seriously at that moment... We even talked right before the accident; she had just had another argument with Kenji... but I was heavily involved in business and just said I would call her back later, and then it suddenly was too late."

Usagi couldn't see Yaten's face, but his voice suddenly sounded so different than usual. The usual arrogance gave way to sadness and contemplation.

"At least, that's what I thought. But now I'm not so sure anymore. There's actually a possibility that Mina is still alive. Somewhere out there... and maybe she needs our help. That's why I can't move on yet. I need to know what happened to her, that she's not really out there somewhere waiting for help... I owe her that."

Usagi could clearly hear the self-doubt and accusations Yaten was making against himself.

"Why do you think she might still be alive?" Usagi asked, eager to hear his explanations. "First, it was just a feeling. But there were many little things that didn't quite add up. The first thing that made me suspicious was that there were no skid marks on the asphalt... then she wasn't laid out, no one was allowed to say goodbye... I also noticed a mistake in her autopsy report, and the responsible doctor has been missing since then... At first, I thought Kenji might have something to do with her disappearance, but that seemed a bit far-fetched to me. After all, she was supposed to secure the continuation of his bloodline, and the wedding with Tai was a done deal. He would have only shot himself in the foot with that... and then I noticed that Mamoru spends conspicuously much time in America. But only since Minako's official burial, no one knew so far what he was doing there... By chance, I found out that he got married there, but his wife also seems to be able to hide well. None of my people could find out who this mysterious Mrs. Chiba is..."

Usagi swallowed. "I think you've already answered that question, haven't you?" Yaten's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" "I can't say it with 100% certainty, but I suspect that Minako could be his wife. Rei guided me to a meeting room later in the evening. There, she handed me a phone, and I spoke to Mrs. Chiba. However, since I don't know Minako's voice, I'm not sure if it was her. Mrs. Chiba will arrive in Tokyo soon and wants to meet me then," explained Usagi.

Yaten still looked completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, he took out his phone, began scrolling apathetically, and presented Usagi with a video shortly after. It was a video of Minako and him, fooling around by a lake.

The voice of Minako that echoed through the video reached Usagi's ears, and a shiver ran down her spine. Her heart raced as she heard the timbre of that voice. All she managed was a nod, and she whispered as the video ended, "That's her. That's the voice of the woman I spoke to."