Chapter 65
Yaten glanced at his watch. Just two more hours, and he had to pick up his brothers and their entourage from the airport. The honeymoon was over, and he couldn't manage to join them afterward. There was much to discuss with Setsuna, but those matters would have to wait until she was back in Tokyo; they were clearly not suitable for a phone call.
At least he had successfully managed to make Mimete and Tellu disappear from Tokyo, and fortunately, Haruka seemed satisfied with minimal information. However, Kenji had been unusually quiet in the past few days, and Yaten had a gut feeling that the old man was definitely planning something. Since Taiki had published the pictures of their honeymoon, Yaten had to abandon his divorce plans, especially since neither Usagi nor Taiki had given their signatures or consent. The two were determined to hold onto their marriage, even if it existed only on paper.
However, Yaten was initially surprised by the pictures of Seiya and Amy. At first, he thought it was a mistake, but in an extensive phone call, Taiki explained his plan. Yaten was somewhat skeptical but agreed with his older brother; this way, outsiders would see a cohesive picture, and Amy's presence could be plausibly explained.
The silver-haired man snorted and turned his attention back to the large pile of jumbled papers. He was still diligently going through Mimete's documents. He couldn't afford to overlook anything. He had been at this task for five days and was making slow progress. This occupation served more or less as a distraction to pass the time. So far, there were no significant findings from the Chibas or Chibiusa that led him forward. His computer made a brief noise, and he raised his head to the screen. A new email had arrived. One of the men observing the Chiba estate had sent him a report.
Subject: Chiba Family
Hello, Mr. Kou, as requested, notification of the arrival at the Chiba residence. Hiroshi Chiba arrived this morning with his daughter Rei, still without any noteworthy incidents. About half an hour ago, another vehicle arrived, unmistakably Mamoru Chiba and a female companion, for whom we currently have no further information. It is suspected that she is his wife. I will inform you of any additional information as soon as we have it. X
His eyes scanned the lines multiple times, and a dull pang suddenly pierced his heart. Minako. The thought of her shot through his mind like a lightning bolt. Like on autopilot, he grabbed his car keys and ran, not knowing what awaited him. The idea that she was so close drove him to finally leave behind the inactivity.
Arriving at the car, he sat behind the wheel without further thought and drove off. Although he rarely took the route to the Chiba estate, he found it effortlessly. The closer he got to the impressive house, the more nervous he became. His thoughts constantly revolved around how to start the conversation with Mamoru, but he discarded every consideration upon reconsideration.
A sudden thought flickered – ask directly about Mrs. Chiba. However, the uncertainty whether Minako would reveal herself to him permeated his thoughts. He hadn't seen her in five months, and if she was indeed in the villa, she could have at least given him a sign. At least a sign that she was okay. A mix of desperation and anger mingled in his feelings, and he forced himself to think of something else. But the concern for Minako overshadowed everything, and his heart pounded restlessly.
The large iron gate to the property was open, no checks, no guards. Yaten's eyes scanned the area routinely. Only the usual staff he had suspected were in sight, and one of his men, whom he had infiltrated as a gardener.
Carefully, he got out and urged himself to remain calm as he headed for the front door. He was surprised to find that his palms were sweaty – something that never happened. For a moment, he just stood in front of the door, observing the ornate decorations that highlighted the frame. A nagging feeling of unease ran through him, a faint doubt that cast a shadow over his determination. But it was too late to turn back. The silver-haired man gathered his courage and pressed the doorbell.
It didn't take long, and one of the maids opened the door with a friendly smile. "Good day. What can I do for you?" she greeted the guest politely. "I... I heard that Mr. Mamoru Chiba is back. Tell him that I urgently need to speak to him and his wife," Yaten said automatically. The employee nodded. "Of course, would you like to wait in the small salon? Down this hall and then the second door on the right." Yaten was already turning to leave when the woman stopped him again. "Please forgive me, but whom should I announce?" "Kou," he replied curtly and followed her directions to the room. Only now did he realize how little he actually knew about the Chiba estate. Once he was done here, he urgently wanted to familiarize himself with the building plans. After all, they had given him a significant advantage with Kenji.
The Chiba family sat together over a cup of coffee, discussing events and upcoming gatherings. Hiroshi stood by the window, his gaze thoughtful as he only half-listened to his children's conversations.
"Yes, exactly, the meeting of wealthy women is the day after tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it, especially Serena Kou's project with the homeless sounds promising. But are you sure you want to accompany me?" Rei asked her sister-in-law with some concern. However, the latter seemed determined and nodded. "Yes, I can't postpone this any longer. I need to clarify some things."
"Well, I don't know what to make of all this. First, you ask us for protection, then you marry my son in America overnight and hide there for almost half a year, and now you want to put yourself on display for the others? What's the whole theater about?" Hiroshi interjected, turning to his family and scrutinizing everyone closely. He still wasn't sure what to make of the sudden addition to the family in the form of his daughter-in-law. When his son informed him about the wedding, he already suspected that it wouldn't be without consequences.
"Father, you know exactly what happened back then and that she had no other choice. She knows what she's doing," Mamoru remarked dryly, sipping his coffee and continuing to read his newspaper.
The atmosphere was noticeably tense, and Rei hastily tried to change the subject. "By the way, just before New Year's Eve, Kakashi Kou was here asking for you, Father. He said you should contact him as soon as you're back. It seems to be about some old issues resurfacing or something," she mentioned, not having a better topic in mind. Hiroshi's expression darkened even more suddenly, but before he could respond, there was a knock on the door.
The maid hesitated as she peeked in and said, "Excuse the interruption, but a Mr. Kou has just arrived and wishes to speak with you and your wife, Mr. Chiba. He said it's important." She directed her words to Mamoru. His forehead wrinkled deeply as he skeptically asked, "Which one? There are more than enough of them." The maid thought for a moment before responding, "Um... forgive me, he didn't provide a first name, and since I'm still new, I'm not very familiar with the names yet. But he wasn't much taller than me and had long silver hair tied in a ponytail," attempting to describe Yaten.
Mamoru immediately knew who she was talking about, and his attention shifted to his wife. "Do you want to come with me?" he cautiously inquired, as he couldn't interpret her expression. "No. I'm not ready yet. I know that if I stay in Tokyo again, I will eventually run into him, and I am aware that he will find out everything then, as we can't hide it much longer anyway. But not today, please. I'm still exhausted from the trip, and I need more preparation for that," she said, but the uncertainty in her voice was evident. Mamoru nodded and stood up. "Alright, then I'll go and hear what the impulsive hothead wants from me and excuse you. You don't need to justify yourself to me; we've already talked about it. It's your right to decide who you want to talk to and who you don't."
Mamoru entered the small salon shortly after. The silver-haired man had casually settled into one of the chairs and was eagerly watching the door. Of course, Mamoru had used the brief moment to cleverly place one of his devices in the room. Unfortunately, it was only part of his emergency equipment, but it was better than nothing. At least for the next 48 hours, he could find out what was being discussed in the room. Especially if Mamoru voluntarily didn't provide any answers, it increased his chances of learning something if luck was on his side.
"Yaten Kou. What an unexpected visit. What can I do for you?" Mamoru said, making an effort to appear professional, even though he would have preferred to show his unwelcome guest the door. Yaten had an arrogant grin on his face. "Chiba, good to see you back in the country. I heard you got married and thought it would be a good opportunity to finally meet your wife... after all, you did apply for Minako back then and got rejected. So, where is she?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. The long flight was exhausting for her; she has already retired. But I'm sure she'll run into you sooner or later... If that's all..." Mamoru tried to dismiss Yaten directly, gesturing towards the door, but the latter had no intention of getting up.
"Not quite yet; you won't get rid of me so quickly. How did you find a wife so fast? Or is it possible that she is, in fact, Minako?" Yaten asked sharply, and as soon as he voiced the question, he was sure it hit the mark because Mamoru suddenly tensed. Denying it was futile here.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Minako is dead; we both attended her funeral," the black-haired man hissed, clearly more annoyed.
Yaten, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at this statement. "Can we agree not to lie to each other? We've been doing it for the past five months, and it's getting boring. I know she's alive, and I know she married you. You don't need to deny it. Even if she dyed her hair and always made sure her face wasn't fully visible, I have clear evidence that she is still alive. I just don't know why she faked her death and then married you of all people."
Chiba raised a skeptical eyebrow and scrutinized his guest. "If you're so sure your theory is correct, you'll surely spin an answer for the remaining questions. As I said, my wife is exhausted from the journey. If you would excuse me now," Mamoru said dryly, heading for the door. However, Yaten jumped up and barricaded it clumsily with his foot.
"No, I'm sorry, but I won't excuse you. Didn't you listen to me? I want answers," Yaten hissed back, his eyes challenging the black-haired man.
Mamoru, however, pushed the considerably smaller man aside unimpressed. His hand rested on the door handle as he looked at his unwanted guest again. "That has often been your problem. That you never really listened, and I won't go into it any further. What do you mean by that?" Yaten inquired, suddenly becoming attentive. However, Mamoru still had no increased interest in providing Yaten with answers and opened the door. "You can probably figure that out. I wish you a pleasant day. You'll find your way out on your own." With these words, he left the small salon.
Yaten stormed after him into the hallway. "Chiba, not so fast. I'm not done yet," he shouted down the corridor, but Mamoru paid him no attention and continued on his way.
Yaten was about to launch into another tirade when suddenly the clicking of women's shoes echoed through the air. He was frozen in place. The footsteps were undeniably approaching them and stopped behind him. Nervousness suddenly overcame him, and a slight euphoria spread within him as the thought occurred that it might be Minako. When the steps ceased, he glanced over his shoulder and was disappointed to find that the woman was only Rei.
"Can I help you? You're damn loud," she asked the two men, but her brother had already waved her off over his shoulder. "No, we've sorted everything out. Yaten was just leaving. Please show him the door," he called to her without turning around.
Rei watched her brother as he disappeared behind another door, shook her head, and silently accompanied Yaten to the door.
The silver-blond man left the building grumbling and got into his car. He pounded his fists on the steering wheel. He knew for sure that Minako was in that house. It was as if he had sensed her presence, yet she refused to talk to him. What did Mamoru mean by saying he never listened properly? The whole situation raised more questions than answers. Yaten had never had much interaction with Chiba himself, so the implication could only refer to Minako. But what was he trying to tell him?
His gaze wandered over the dashboard, suddenly fixating on the clock. Damn, he had almost forgotten. He had to get to the airport. He quickly glanced at his phone. Three missed calls from Haruka.
Yaten, I'm already at the airport. Where are you? Haruka.
Yaten, damn it, where are you again! I can't fit everyone in my car. Haruka.
On my way. Something important came up. See you soon. Yaten.
He gave the building one last look before putting the car in gear and driving away.