Chapter 37

Amy sat in her new office, trying to get an overview. Taiki had spared no expense in setting up the rooms directly beneath his external office for her. This way, they could spend their breaks together, and at least during the day, they knew the other was nearby. Taiki also had a considerable number of employees, for whom Amy was now medically responsible. She was sorting through the files, carefully checking which employees she already knew from her work at Kakashi and which required a complete reevaluation. As she was engrossed in her work, the mailman knocked and handed her a stack of letters.

Her eyes quickly scanned the senders for anything important, but the only envelope that caught her attention was from the laboratory. A dull feeling settled in her as she stared at the letter, intensifying with every passing second she held it. She reached for the letter opener and extracted the test results from the envelope.

- Test results for Serena Kou. -

Her eyes hastily scanned the lines. Liver values normal, kidney values normal, thyroid normal, red and white blood cells also normal. Her tension began to ease as she read the satisfactory numbers. Tumor markers were also all clear, but then Amy froze.

The HCG value was significantly elevated. Almost hypnotically, Amy fixated on the number 625, and instantly, the two possible causes flashed before her mind's eye. Either Usagi had an ovarian tumor, or, more likely in this case, she was pregnant.

Amy closed her eyes for a moment, trying to organize the emotions welling up within her. Her heart raced, and her mind tried to comprehend the situation. "What if she's really pregnant?" Amy thought as reality seemed to blur around her. Taiki would become a father, and everything would change. Tears welled up in her eyes, and a slight panic took hold of her.

Resolutely, Amy got up, went to her shelf, and pulled out one of her heavy medical books. Emergency medicine and surgery—those were her specialties, maybe even intensive care. She had simply endured the mandatory gynecological hours back then. She needed something to find the HCG value table, then she meticulously ran her finger over the table. 625—that value was reached in a pregnancy when ovulation occurred 15-19 days ago.

She sank back into her office chair with wobbly legs, her eyes on the date: December 17. Her beloved Taiki had been married to her for 17 days, and it made sense. The numbers in front of her were clear. He would become a father, and this realization stabbed her heart again.

A hesitant knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Yes, come in," she called out, though her mind was still elsewhere. Taiki smiled, poking his head in while holding up a large paper bag. "Can I come in? I brought us something to eat."

Amy looked up, her eyes still slightly red from tears. She forced a smile, though the uncertainty in her gaze was unmistakable. "Of course, come in, Taiki." Taiki entered the office and placed the paper bag on the desk. "I thought a little lunch could do us both good." His smile was warm, but then he examined Amy more closely. "Is everything okay?" he asked with concern. "Have you been crying?"

Amy closed her eyes and pressed herself tightly into his arms. The warmth of his body was a temporary, albeit weak comfort. New tears gathered in her eyes, which she immediately wiped away. She knew she had to tell him, she knew that their time together was over now, but she wanted to feel him a moment longer.

Taiki held her shoulders and pushed her back slightly, actively seeking her gaze. "Darling, what's wrong? What's bothering you?" he asked again. With trembling fingers, she pulled the letter with the lab results closer and finally handed it to Taiki. The office seemed to narrow as Taiki studied the lab results. His forehead creased slightly, and his eyes underwent an intense thought process. Amy could see a hint of worry on his face, and she felt the tension between them build.

Taiki let the letter drop and looked up at Amy. She had meanwhile moved to the window, observing the gray sky. "Darling, I don't understand these values. Can you please explain to me what's upsetting you?" Taiki asked, taking a step towards her. However, Amy continued to stare out the window, unable to meet his gaze.

"The last value at the bottom under 'Miscellaneous'... That's the marker for pregnancy. Congratulations, you're going to be a father," a slight bitterness mixed into Amy's voice. As these words left her lips, she made a decision that would also change her life. She waited a moment to give herself time to control her emotions, then turned to Taiki, who looked at her incredulously with wide eyes.

A moment of silence hung in the air before Taiki stammered, "How... how is that possible?" Taiki stood there as Amy's words echoed in his head like an echo. He stared at the lab results, unable to grasp that he would become a father in a few months.

"I really don't think I need to explain this to you... But I'm afraid you'll have to find a new doctor. I'll accept the offer from Zurich after all. I can't have you both in front of my eyes all the time... It just doesn't work... And Taiki, please don't make it any harder for both of us. Don't try to stop me this time; it won't change anything. You're going to be a father, to her child!" Amy had so much more on her mind, things she wanted to get off her chest, but she was too hurt. Of course, she had been aware from the beginning that he would eventually have a child with her, but she hadn't expected this fact to catch up with her so quickly. It hit her out of nowhere. She left Taiki standing there and ran off.

An oppressive silence settled over the room like lead. The words had an almost paralyzing effect, and Taiki stood there, frozen. "Amy, wait!" he suddenly called out and rushed after her to the door, but she couldn't hear him anymore. She had already gone too far to be alone with her grief.

Taiki sank into a chair, his gaze fixed on the floor. He couldn't believe how a joyful message could simultaneously become a trial. Yes, he was looking forward to becoming a father, but was he really ready to let Amy go? His thoughts became more and more tumultuous. The room seemed to narrow as Taiki sat in his chair, plagued by doubts and torn between happiness and loss, and the pressure on his chest intensified.

He needed someone he could talk to, really talk to openly, and unfortunately, there was only one person who was fully aware of everything. His finger slid across the display until he dialed Yaten's number. The waiting time for an answer felt like an eternity, and his heart pounded in his chest.

"What's up?" Yaten finally answered on the other end of the line. Taiki swallowed hard before responding. "Yaten, can you come over?" "It's actually not a good time right now. Is it important?" he grumbled irritably. "Would I call you if it weren't important? Yaten, I suddenly realized that something happened." Yaten suddenly realized that something had happened. "Where are you? I'm coming over." "In the new external office. Thanks."

Taiki tightly clutched the note that Amy had given him and made his way upstairs to his office. It didn't take long for the silver-haired man to stride into his office. Initially, Yaten seemed slightly annoyed, but when he noticed that his brother was completely out of sorts, it piqued his curiosity.

"So, here I am. What's the matter?" Yaten asked casually, waiting for a reaction. Taiki shifted his gaze away from its fixed position and looked at his younger brother. "Serena is pregnant," he forced out.

For a moment, Yaten's facial features slipped away, and then his expression suddenly brightened. He patted the brunette approvingly on the shoulder. "My God, that it happened so quickly, no one expected that. One shot, one hit. Congratulations," he began, but then he noticed that Taiki didn't seem truly happy. "May I know why you look like you've seen seven days of rain? I mean, all contractual obligations are fulfilled now. If Kenji and Father are no longer able to make decisions, everything belongs to you. And this child even has a claim to Chiba's business."

Taiki's gaze wandered to the ground as he remained silent. Yaten could feel the tension almost tangibly. "It's more complicated than it seems," Taiki mumbled finally and sank into his chair. "Amy is gone. She told me and left. Amy is gone; she wants to take the job in Zurich... Zurich in Europe."

"Oh," Yaten managed to say at first, but then something occurred to him. "By the way, have you talked to Seiya today?" "No, why? I left early this morning; he was probably still asleep... Why should Seiya have anything to do with this now?" "Oh, I just thought... After all, he's with Serena today... Does she already know about her condition?" Yaten continued to inquire inconspicuously.

Taiki just shook his head dejectedly. "No, only the two of us and Amy. Yaten, can you send someone to follow her to Zurich? Just so that I know she's doing well there and nothing happens to her?" Yaten's mouth corners shot up. "More like so you know where to find her if you can't bear it without her anymore," he dryly remarked, scrolling through his phone. "I think we can manage that... I'll send the order right away..." But then Yaten paused. Taiki noticed the frozen expression in Yaten's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Damn it... Everything always comes at once. Can you handle it? I... I have to go. Now," he said, rushing out of the office and out of the building to his car. While still running, he opened the email he had just received from Setsuna. The subject read only "Mrs. Chiba," and there was an attachment. His stomach churned as he opened the picture. He had a faint hope of recognizing the woman in the picture. However, it was something different than he had expected.

The picture clearly showed Mamoru Chiba, arm in arm with a woman, strolling through a bustling shopping street. Yaten zoomed in a bit to get a closer look at the woman. She had a slender figure with long legs, wore a long black coat, and a striking red hat. Clearly, she presented herself in Chiba colors. Unfortunately, she was only seen from behind, which frustrated Yaten immensely. Shoulder-length light brown hair was all he could discern. But that didn't help him at all. How many women in America had shoulder-length brown hair and a slender figure? More than enough.

Yaten's fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as his gaze remained on the picture. What was this mysterious Mrs. Chiba hiding, what secret? Yaten hated not figuring something out. Something about this picture just wouldn't let him go, and he zoomed in again, but he couldn't get it.

He started the engine and dialed Setsuna's number via the hands-free system. While it rang, he drove in the direction of the tower. Finally, the ringing stopped, and he heard a rustling. "Are you serious about this picture?" he snorted at her. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't get any closer. She is really keen on hiding her face even in the largest crowds. Mostly, it is masked by a scarf, and she also wears large sunglasses," Setsuna began to explain. "Suna! You're demanding a fortune, and I'm getting impatient. Either you deliver something soon, or we both will have problems! Have you at least thought of a plan?" Yaten hissed into the phone. "As I said, I'm working on it, but I can't perform miracles. Rein in your temper; after all, you're talking to a lady here! Chiba will coincidentally meet Hana in the next few days, and she will then invite him. After all, I've encountered him several times in Tokyo as Hana. Trust me, the plan will work." "With a lady? You can't mean yourself, or since when are ladies responsible for killing people... Don't mess it up. I want usable results by Christmas Eve, or at least a picture with which we can clearly identify her." Setsuna sighed in frustration. "If I were allowed to take her out, you would already have results. Is there anything else, or can I continue working now?" "I think that's all," muttered Yaten unhappily.

He steered the car into the underground garage, parked, and opened the picture again. Patience had clearly never been his strength, and right now it was at an end again. He needed to advance his investigation finally, but how? Then an idea suddenly revealed itself to him, and his sister-in-law could be of great use to him in this regard. She could surely establish a connection to Rei and then find out for him, behind the scenes, who was with Mamoru in the picture. And tonight would even offer the perfect opportunity for that. After all, one of those women's meetings was scheduled, which Rei regularly attended - he knew that from a reliable source. A better chance wouldn't present itself to get Usagi close to Rei. He needed a Plan B in case Setsuna failed. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. The decision had been made; now he just had to talk to his sister-in-law about it. So far, he hadn't had much to do with her, but he suspected he already knew her weaknesses and was ready to exploit them if necessary. He entered the elevator and went upstairs. Before the door, he paused for a moment, reconsidering his plan, then knocked loudly and opened the door.

When the knocking sounded, Usagi panickedly slipped out of Seiya's arms. By now, she had calmed down a bit, but everything still seemed so unreal, and then Yaten suddenly stood before them, bursting into this wonderful moment. Yaten's eyes moved from Seiya to Usagi and back. Both looked distinctly caught. His fingers closed around the bridge of his nose, and he snorted tensely. He directed his penetrating gaze at his older brother.