Chapter 52
Usagi's hand pressed heavily on the doorknob of Kenji's office. Her gaze nervously swept through the corridor, while Makoto gave her an encouraging smile. This was the point of no return. Without knocking, she pushed open the heavy door, immediately capturing her father's attention.
"Serena, what an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?" Kenji's voice sounded with feigned friendliness. He gestured invitingly to the chair opposite him. With a queasy feeling, she took a seat, inwardly wishing she had stayed standing. She turned her head to Makoto, who stood by the door, keeping her vigilant eyes on her.
"Send her out. I won't harm you, after all, you're my daughter. I expect you to speak to me alone if you have something to say," Kenji said distantly, his gaze assessing Makoto.
Despite the gnawing discomfort in her stomach, she was determined to face Kenji alone. "It's okay. Wait outside the door. It won't take long," she tried to reassure her companion.
As the door closed behind Makoto, Usagi flinched instantly. "Well, you want to talk to me. About what?" Kenji asked with an impenetrable expression.
"I have fulfilled all your contract terms. Therefore, I want to see my sister," Usagi presented her demands more confidently than she had thought.
Kenji's mouth twitched suspiciously upward, and he adjusted his glasses. Unnoticed by Usagi, he pressed a small, inconspicuous button on his desk. "So, this is what you want..." he said, intertwining his fingers. Finally, Usagi gathered her courage.
"Yes, you promised that if I fulfilled all the conditions, I could see her," Usagi insisted on her right.
"So, you're pregnant?" Kenji asked skeptically.
"That's right. Kakashi already knows, and the press release will go out in a few weeks."
Something flickered suspiciously in Kenji's eyes, and he stood up. Slowly, he circled his daughter like a predator. But this time, Usagi felt that it wasn't just about control but about a hidden darkness deeply rooted in the family history.
"I never expected you to be useful to me so quickly." With deliberate steps, he walked to the fireplace. Usagi couldn't exactly see what he was doing, as her back was turned to him. But in the next few seconds, events unfolded rapidly. A hidden door in the bookshelf opened. Two men burst in and grabbed Usagi before she could react or scream. The last thing she felt was a cloth over her face, and then an overwhelming fatigue took over.
Restless, Makoto paced back and forth in front of the door. Something was wrong. It was taking far too long. Besides, she knew the old Tsukino – he was never the calmest.
Minutes passed like hours, and Makoto's worries grew with each moment. Her instinct told her that something sinister lurked behind that closed door. Suddenly, an ominous feeling shot through her, and without hesitation, she flung the door open.
The sight that greeted her took her breath away. Usagi was gone. Kenji sat alone behind his large desk, grinning slyly at her.
"Oh, so you're still here. Then you can take this to your boss. Serena will demand an immediate divorce from Taiki Kou. All the details are in the letter."
Panic seized the brunette. "Where is she?"
"On her way to a secure location," Kenji said without looking up. Makoto slammed her hands on his desk. "What have you done to her? Where is she? Tell me right now where Serena is!" Makoto hissed at him. But the older man had only a tired smile for her. "As I said, at a secure location, and now I ask you to leave. Your services are no longer needed." Kenji pressed another button, and Rubeus entered the office shortly after.
"Rubeus, show our dear Makoto the way out, but be careful; we wouldn't want any trouble, would we?" Kenji spoke with a threatening ease as Rubeus nodded and approached Makoto. Makoto was roughly grabbed by the arm, and Rubeus led her out of the room. Her thoughts raced. She had to find Serena before something bad happened. The hallway seemed endless, and Makoto struggled in vain against Rubeus's firm grip.
Tellu still sat in the reception hall, watching intently as Makoto was led out.
Her hand trembled as she started the car's engine and drove to the main gate. The magnitude of what had just happened overwhelmed her. But then she gathered her last strength and reached for her phone. With trembling fingers, she dialed Taiki's number.
"Taiki, you have to listen to me! Kenji did it; I have no idea how, but he somehow managed it. He kidnapped Serena."
A heavy silence hung in the air. "Where are you?" Taiki asked with a cutting tone.
"At the estate's gate. I still don't know how he got her out of the office without me noticing. I was standing right in front of the door the whole time... His office only has that one door," Makoto stammered.
"Stay there, preferably somewhere hidden, and keep an eye on the estate. We're on our way!"
Taiki ended the call. His pulse raced. While on the way to the car, he quickly opened the group chat.
RED ALERT! All available staff, including Yaten's emergency teams, should head to the Tsukino Mansion immediately. Kenji has kidnapped Serena. Taiki.
It only took seconds before his phone rang. Seiya. Taiki answered the call and quickly put the car in gear to drive.
"What does this mean, he kidnapped Serena? What is she even doing with him?" his brother shouted at him.
Taiki's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white. "We were at the doctor earlier. Everything is fine. Then we thought we should tell Kenji soon... Seiya, I have no idea what happened. But we will get her out of there, I promise you."
"Why was she alone with him?" Seiya continued to snarl.
"Because she asked to be. I'm not her guardian, Seiya. If she feels capable of handling something like this, I wanted to support her. Are you on your way too?"
"I'm right behind you. Step on it, or we'll never get there."
Taiki raised his gaze and indeed saw Seiya's black car behind him, already flashing its lights impatiently. Both brothers revved their engines once more and sped off. Soon they screeched to a halt in front of Kenji's estate, positioning their cars in a way that no one could leave the premises with a vehicle. Makoto rushed toward them.
"Kenji's letter, he rambled about Usagi filing for an immediate divorce."
Taiki scrutinized the envelope skeptically, sensing something ominous. As he looked at the pictures in his hand, he swallowed hard. They were pictures of him and Amy, all with dates and times, the latest taken the day after the wedding in the hotel lobby. Kenji's plan unfolded before Taiki's eyes.
Request for immediate divorce of the marriage between Serena Kou and Taiki Kou due to violation of the marriage contract, Taiki quickly scanned the first lines of the letter.
"That bastard. He planned this from the beginning. That's why this fidelity clause."
"What did he plan?" Seiya asked, his frustration almost turning into anger.
"I'll explain it to you when we have her back. Makoto, is it possible that Serena is still on the estate?" Taiki asked, and the brunette nodded.
"It's possible. She was alone with him for about 15 minutes. That would allow for her to be taken away, but since I've been here, no car has passed by me," Makoto informed him.
Loud honking drew the attention of the three. Yaten also parked diagonally on the small street in front of the others, and behind him, at least ten more vehicles came to a stop.
"Sorry for being a bit late, but I thought a little reinforcement wouldn't hurt, especially when dealing with the Tsukinos. The second team needs some more time, but I think we can go in already. Haruka will take care of surrounding the area with some others," Yaten explained.
Taiki nodded resolutely and took the lead. His brothers followed closely behind, and Makoto joined Yaten's men in the second row. The tension in the group was palpable, and the thought of Kenji's ruthless plans drove Taiki and his brothers to free Usagi at any cost.
Although he was internally stirred up, Taiki knew exactly what to do. He pushed the door open and looked at the green-haired woman.
"Where is Serena?" he asked, approaching Tellu threateningly. A slight panic ran through her as Taiki gripped her wrist and pushed her back towards Yaten. "Take care of her." Then he turned to Seiya, Makoto, and Yaten's rapid-response team. "Fan out, search every room. We won't leave here again until my wife is by my side."
Taiki let his jacket fall onto the chair and rolled up his sleeves. The noise generated by Yaten's men wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
Seiya rushed upstairs with a few quick strides to check their former room. Makoto took the other corridor, while Yaten, grinning, twisted Tellu's arm behind her back and led her outside. Indeed, Taiki's suspicion was correct.
After a few minutes, Kenji stormed angrily towards them. His gaze fell on Taiki, who paced restlessly and gave brief orders.
"Taiki Kou, what do you think you're doing invading this place? There will be consequences!" Kenji shouted, gesturing to his men who gathered around him.
Taiki coldly laughed. "The only consequence will be that you will lose Serena and also your unborn grandchild forever. Tell me right now where you're hiding my wife, old man, or I'll call the police," he hissed at his father-in-law.
The atmosphere in the room was like charged dynamite, every moment threatening to explode. Taiki stood before Kenji like a storm, ready to tear everything down. Even though he didn't love Usagi, he was still responsible for her and had come to appreciate her as a friend.
"Haven't you received my letter? Serena will file for divorce, and then you'll never see her again. The Kou family can also part with all their possessions. I hope you have a nice shack somewhere where you can stay."
Even though Taiki wanted to jump at him, he remained outwardly calm. "I would like to hear that from Serena herself. Besides, most of these pictures were taken long before the marriage, and therefore, they are irrelevant."
"I'm sorry, that won't be possible. She has already left to avoid seeing you. So, call off your people, or I'll call the police because you've invaded here."
The two locked eyes in an unrelenting showdown, but Taiki had no intention of leaving without his wife. By now, the reinforcements had arrived and hurried past them.
"Kou, I warn you. This is my final warning. Call your people back."
However, Taiki settled into the chair, crossed his legs, and looked at Kenji. "Go ahead, do it. Call the police. I'm curious to see who they'll believe more. The loving husband worried about his pregnant wife or the father who's already on the police's watchlist," Taiki deliberately provoked him.
Kenji's face hardened, and a storm of emotions raged in his eyes.
Seiya's footsteps echoed through the hallways of the familiar villa, every moment precious, time working against him. Memories of past days fueled his determination. Seiya's steps reverberated through the long corridors as he systematically searched room after room. He had already covered the upper floor, and most rooms on the ground floor had been checked.
His heartbeat quickened as he approached the stairs leading to the cellar vaults. The red hair he had noticed from the corner of his eye could only belong to Rubeus, of that he was certain. He signaled one of his men to follow him as he descended the steps. The cold breath of the cellar enveloped him as he moved through the dimly lit corridors. If Rubeus was down here, there was a good chance he had Usagi with him.
Meanwhile, Yaten dragged Tellu to his car. Once they had left the main building, she tried to free herself, resisting with hands and feet. She wildly swung at him, but Yaten remained unfazed. Desperate, she bit into his upper arm when he gave her a shove, landing her in the trunk of his car.
Yaten rubbed the slightly sore spot. "Oh, the kitty has claws. No matter, I'll probably have them pulled out soon. Look forward to a few adventurous days with me," he winked at her.
Tellu, on the other hand, didn't know what to do and tried to spit at him. Yaten, however, simply closed the hatch of the small trunk and locked the car. Then he made his way back inside.
As soon as he set foot through the large door, he could hardly believe his eyes. Taiki had Kenji by the collar, pressing him against the wall. The older man audibly struggled for breath. All his employees had dispersed, and the old man was left alone.
It would be too easy to get rid of him once and for all now, Yaten thought for a second, his hand already resting on his weapon. Then a loud bang filled the air.
It was undeniably the shot of a pistol echoing from some distance away.