Chapter 10

Usagi didn't know where Taiki was taking her, but gradually the area he was driving into became familiar. When he finally turned into the underground parking of a high-rise building, she held her breath. This was undoubtedly the building where she had cooked for Seiya just a few days ago. Panic gripped her. What was he doing here? Why was he bringing her to Seiya now?

Taiki parked the car, walked around to open her door, and extended his hand. "Welcome to the Kou Tower. I thought it might be helpful if I showed you around here. I'd like us to live here for a while. Conveniently, my office is also in this building, it's centrally located, and the living spaces are spacious," Taiki began explaining as he led Usagi to the elevator.

"In the lower floors, the employees with special functions have their apartments. Of course, there will be space for Mimete and Tellu as well. My office is on the 25th floor, and my brothers have their apartments in this building too, Yaten on the 29th floor, and Seiya on the 30th floor. Our apartment will be on the top. But currently, I occupy the 33rd floor. The apartment on the 35th floor is a bit larger and has a small rooftop terrace. You can take your time and decorate it according to your taste if you'd like. I'll show it to you, but later. Let's go to my current place first," he continued, pressing the button for the 35th floor.

However, Usagi's gaze was fixated on another floor - the 30th floor, Seiya's apartment. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She knew that this apartment Taiki was showing her was meant to be a fresh start in her life. But her thoughts kept returning to Seiya, to that morning, and the strange encounter that left her unsettled, to their first kiss.

While Taiki continued politely explaining everything related to their new life situation, Usagi couldn't stop wondering what had happened between her and Seiya that morning. Why had he kissed her? Why had he acted that way?

The elevator finally stopped, and the doors opened on the 35th floor. Taiki led Usagi into the apartment, which might soon be called home. It was a beautiful, spacious place with large windows and an impressive view of the city. Now she understood why this apartment was bigger; there was another floor added with a staircase.

"As you can see, there's plenty of space here, and you're completely free in terms of design. I hope you like the apartment. But if not, we can surely find another one. We do own several more properties in Tokyo," he said, and Usagi's eyes explored the large, bright rooms.

"It's stunning," she murmured, following Taiki through the rest of the apartment. It was really hard for her to grasp that she was supposed to live here, together with Taiki, just a few floors above Seiya.

His words still echoed in her head. "This is going to be damn hard for us; don't let me weaken again, sweetheart." And thinking about it, he was right. It wouldn't be easy, especially not if they lived in the same building.

"Serena?" Taiki asked, but Usagi was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't respond immediately to her new name. "Serena? Are you okay?" he tried again.

"Yes, I... I was just lost in thought. What did you say?" Taiki smiled at her. "I asked if we should go downstairs to my apartment. We can talk there." "Yes, of course."

Taiki led her back to the elevator and pressed the button for the 33rd floor. As they descended in the elevator, Usagi tried to organize her thoughts and prepare for the conversation with Taiki.

Upon entering the apartment, Usagi immediately noticed the open living and dining area, reminiscent of Seiya's apartment. The rooms seemed to have the same layout, and she couldn't help but notice the parallels between the two living spaces. A large flat-screen TV hung on the wall, facing a modern leather couch in dark brown, inviting one to sit comfortably. The living room was minimalist, lacking any decoration. The color scheme was predominantly white and dark brown, giving the room a certain sterility.

The open kitchen seamlessly connected to the living area. It was modern and well-equipped, featuring a large kitchen island. Everything appeared flawless and almost unused. Usagi could hardly imagine anyone actually cooking in this perfectly pristine kitchen.

The dining area consisted of a large dining table with inviting chairs, also in dark wood. Large panoramic windows framed the dining space, offering Usagi a breathtaking view of the city. However, like the rest of the apartment, it lacked personal touches or decorations. The entire place seemed designed more for business meetings and representative purposes than for a cozy, personal home.

Usagi couldn't help but wonder if Taiki's life was as sterile and impersonal as this apartment.

"Have a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?" Taiki asked, gesturing towards the couch.

"Yes, water, please," Usagi replied, settling on the sofa.

Taiki briefly disappeared into the kitchen and returned shortly with a bottle of water and two glasses. He poured water into both glasses and sat next to her.

"Where did you grow up?" he asked, taking a sip of water.

"Actually here in Tokyo, with my mother and her husband," she answered, avoiding revealing too many details.

"And you didn't know that Kenji is your biological father?"

Usagi shook her head. "No, I only knew that Shin wasn't my father. Who he was, my mother kept to herself until the end."

Taiki chuckled briefly. "Perhaps it was for the best."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, puzzled.

Taiki thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, let's say Minako didn't always have an easy time with him."

"You... you knew my sister..." Usagi unintentionally pondered aloud.

"Of course, our families have been friends for generations. That's why it was so surprising to all of us when Kenji claimed he had another daughter. No one knew of your existence."

Many questions still burned within Taiki, but he didn't want to press too hard, knowing Usagi always evaded discussions about her past. He decided to gather information gradually and patiently; the pieces would eventually come together. Then something occurred to him. He stood up, opened the top drawer of a dresser, took something out, and sat back down next to Usagi.

"Please give me your left hand," he instructed. Usagi wasn't sure what he was up to, but she complied. With a skillful movement, Taiki slid a ring onto her finger. The ring was delicately golden with swirling vines that cradled a large black diamond in the center. Usagi immediately recognized the Kou colors – gold and black.

"Do you like it? This engagement ring has been in our family for generations," Taiki explained with a proud smile.

With wide eyes, Usagi admired the gem on her finger, which was undoubtedly worth a small fortune. She was utterly speechless. She had never owned anything of such value.

Before she could respond to Taiki, however, his apartment door swung open with force, slamming loudly against the wall. A young man with silver-blond, long hair stormed in with an angry expression.

"Who does he think he is?! I've tried everything to get information out of him, but no, the guy prefers death over opening his mouth. Now I'm back to... Oh, you have visitors," he stopped his tirade when he noticed Usagi.

Taiki stood up and gave his brother a reproachful look. His fiancée wasn't supposed to be involved in all these business matters, that was the agreement between the brothers. Now he just hoped she wouldn't inquire further.

"Yaten, it's nice to see you too. Let me introduce you to Serena Tsukino, my fiancée. By the way, we missed you at the celebrations at the Tsukino estate yesterday," Taiki said, hoping to steer the conversation away from the potentially sensitive topic.

Yaten stared at Usagi in disbelief, as if in a trance, and eventually extended his hand. "She looks almost like her," he whispered to Taiki, who nodded in agreement.

Finally gathering himself, Yaten addressed Usagi. "Nice to meet you, Serena."

Usagi was somewhat surprised by Yaten's sudden appearance, but she shook his hand. "The pleasure is all mine."

"Tai, I can see you have company, but I really need to talk to you privately. It's important, and much depends on it," Yaten said urgently, tearing his gaze reluctantly away from Usagi. The way he looked at her sent shivers down Usagi's spine, and she was relieved when those emerald-green eyes turned away from her.

Taiki reached under the table and handed Usagi some catalogs. "You can start looking for furniture or anything for the apartment upstairs. Just mark the things you like. I'll be right back; it hopefully won't take long."

Taiki followed his brother into one of the back rooms, and Usagi stared after them. Why had Yaten stared at her so strangely? And what was he talking about? Did someone really just die? Or was he exaggerating to express his situation?

To distract herself, Usagi opened one of the catalogs, and as soon as she saw the prices on the first page, she swallowed hard. Those were exorbitant sums demanded for furniture. The price alone for a bed here could have provided her with carefree living for over a year when she was on the street. She flipped through the catalog, but the prices remained similarly high. Was Taiki serious about having her furnish the entire apartment from these catalogs? It would surely financially ruin him.

"It was a damn accident, stop obsessing over it," suddenly Taiki's voice boomed loudly through the apartment.

"No, I know it wasn't an accident, and I won't rest until I find out who is responsible for her death. Whether you help me or not! I will uncover the truth," Yaten yelled back.

Usagi didn't intend to eavesdrop, but their argument was so loud that she couldn't help but catch snippets of the conversation. She held her breath, and a feeling crept over her that this discussion was about her sister.

"Come to your senses! How many was it now, accidentally gone during your interrogations?" Taiki continued.

"It doesn't matter. He knew something, and he wouldn't tell me. Trust me, there's more to it."

The yelling suddenly ceased, and the words of the two men became just audible murmurs. Minutes passed, and Usagi listened in the silence, hoping to catch more. However, the two men had significantly lowered their volume. Suddenly, the door opened, and Yaten stomped past Usagi. At the apartment door, he turned around and regarded her with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Take good care of her, Tai, don't let her be the next. My gut feeling rarely deceives me," he warned his brother, and then the door slammed shut behind him.

An uncomfortable shiver ran down Usagi's body. What did he mean by that? The next. Taiki rubbed his temples vigorously and then looked into his fiancée's shocked face.

"How much did you overhear?" he asked eventually, sighing loudly. Usagi swallowed, and her mother's warning suddenly resurfaced. It seemed not only her father was dangerous. Her future brother-in-law was evidently no angel either.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you weren't exactly quiet," she mumbled shyly.

"Alright, then I'll try to explain the circumstances a bit... Yaten and your sister Minako were a couple for a long time, of course, without your father knowing, Kenji would probably have lost it. Eventually, they broke up but remained close friends. When it was announced that Minako was to be married, my father approached Kenji, and also Mamoru Chiba, head of the Chiba family, approached him. Kenji decided that the connection to our family would be better and began negotiating the marriage contract with my father. Naturally, it felt a bit odd to me to marry my brother's ex-girlfriend, but there was little room for maneuver, and Yaten also thought it was better for her to be by my side than by Chiba's. Well... Just a few days before the engagement between Minako and me was officially announced, she had that accident, and since Yaten learned about her death, he firmly believes it wasn't an accident. He thinks your sister was murdered. He has been searching for information to prove his suspicion. That's why he was here. He hit another dead end and wanted to vent his frustration. I really hope he soon realizes that he's getting carried away with something."

Usagi's throat felt constricted. "Murdered? But why? Do you think there might be something to it?"

Taiki reassuringly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Kenji had everything thoroughly examined. There's absolutely nothing indicating murder. It was an accident, as confirmed by several experts. Nothing will happen to you. Yaten just needs an outlet to cope with his grief."

"But why does he think that? I mean, you don't just make something like that up."

"Yaten... well, let's say he has many sources, and one of them led him to this conclusion. He'll surely realize soon that he's on the wrong track. As I said, nothing will happen to you. But let's change the subject. Have you found any furniture you like?"

Usagi swallowed and shook her head slightly. "They're all so expensive," she murmured quietly. Taiki sank down next to her on the couch and took her hands.

"Just choose what you like. You really don't have to worry about money. You come from different circumstances. It might be an adjustment for you at first, but don't look at the prices, just focus on the aesthetics."

Feeling slightly caught, Usagi lowered her gaze; she still hoped he hadn't learned about her life on the streets. Taiki handed her a pen. "Just mark what you like for now, and then we'll decide together what to take. We don't have to rush. The space down here is enough for both of us until everything upstairs is ready."

"When... when is the wedding actually? No one has told me anything yet, except for the engagement party next week."

"If I understood our fathers correctly, as soon as possible. Estimate about 2-3 weeks. Some time for planning is still needed, but definitely before Christmas."

Usagi's stomach started fluttering nervously. So, she was going to get married in two to three weeks? Originally, she thought she had more time.

"Would it be alright with you if I took you back to the estate for now? I'd like to check on Yaten again, to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish," Taiki asked after a while. Yaten's words were still present in Usagi's mind, but she didn't dare to ask if it was just an exaggerated remark or if he had actually killed someone. So, she nodded and was relieved to be alone again soon to process this strange encounter.