Chapter 27

Seiya rang an Tellu and Makoto's apartment to pick up Usagi. Makoto opened the door and greeted him, saying, "She's almost ready. Taiki could have thought about the family dinner a bit earlier. Tellu was quite wound up again. Come in."

Seiya waited impatiently in the hallway, glancing at his watch. "I don't want to rush you, but if we want to be on time, we need to leave soon," he called into the hallway.

The door opened, and Tellu stepped out, followed by Usagi. Usagi entered the room in a stunning, short black dress. The dress accentuated her petite figure, perfectly hugging her curves and ending just above her knees, highlighting her slender legs. The neckline showed just the right amount of skin, appearing both elegant and seductive. Golden accessories, from earrings to chic high heels, added sparkling accents that harmonized perfectly with the dark dress. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, with a few loose strands gently framing her shoulders. Black and gold – for the first time, Usagi presented herself in the Kou family colors.

This sight visibly left Seiya speechless.

Usagi beamed across her face and spun around once. "Do you take me like this?" she asked. Seiya shook himself out of his trance. "Yes, yes, of course. Shall we?" he said hastily, offering her his arm. Tellu brought her a long black coat, and then she hooked her arm with Seiya's and followed him out of the apartment. Seiya struggled with himself not to fall for her again and led her to his car.

During the drive, his hand rested on her thigh, and her hand held his tightly. However, neither of them spoke. What had happened in the past few hours must not be repeated. Both were aware of this, and the invisible wall they had felt at the wedding was starting to rebuild. Suddenly, Seiya steered the car into a small parking bay. Usagi looked at him, puzzled.

His hand brushed along her cheek, went to her neck, and pulled her close. His forehead rested briefly on hers; he inhaled her sweet scent with closed eyes, transporting himself back a few hours but refrained from bridging the few centimeters to her lips. Usagi couldn't bear this tense moment any longer. Tenderly, she placed her lips on his, and Seiya responded to the kiss, but much more hesitantly than before. Then he let his hand slide down. "We're almost there," he said with noticeable sadness in his voice and continued driving. This time, his hand was no longer with her but gripping the steering wheel firmly with both hands. Usagi had lowered her head and folded her hands in her lap. She knew exactly that it was as difficult for Seiya as it was for herself, but she knew they had to distance themselves from each other again. A melancholic silence filled the car as they approached their destination.

Just a few minutes later, he stopped the car again, in front of the Blackmoon. As expected, he opened the door for her, and they entered the brothel together. A scantily clad woman approached Seiya directly, with a wide grin on her face. "Mr. Kou, what a pleasure to see you again. It's been a while. Won't you come back with us later?" she asked, completely ignoring Usagi. Seiya clearly looked uncomfortable in this situation. He reached his arm out to Usagi and placed her skillfully at his side. "No, I'm sorry. Mrs. Kou and I just wanted to go to the conference room," Seiya explained. The woman's facial expression slightly changed. "Mrs. Kou, then... If that's the case... You know the way," she gritted her teeth and became noticeably more irritated.

Seiya put his arm around Usagi's waist and led her down the long corridor. However, Usagi suddenly felt a lump in her stomach. Even though no one had openly said it, she suspected that Seiya had frequented this lady more often, and she didn't like that at all. Of course, she knew she wasn't his first, but she didn't want to know who he had been with before, especially if it was a professional. Lost in thought, she let herself be led by Seiya to the conference room.

In the middle of the room stood a large conference table made of polished wood and shiny metal. On the table were state-of-the-art multimedia devices, including a large screen for presentations and video conferences. Someone was sitting in one of the chairs, and a woman with shoulder-length turquoise hair sat elegantly on their lap, so Usagi couldn't recognize who it was. She shyly looked up at Seiya, but he just grinned broadly before clearing his throat loudly.

"I think you two could take a break now. You're not alone anymore." "You're early; we still have ten minutes," suddenly Haruka's voice reached them, and Usagi tried to blink past the turquoise-haired woman. She got up and smiled friendly at them. "Ruka, you could be a bit more hospitable," she scolded and turned back to Seiya. "Nice to see you again... and who do we have here? This must be the new Mrs. Kou. Hello, I'm Michiru. Congratulations on the wedding. Please, have a seat. I'll bring you something to drink and some snacks," she continued singing.

Seiya sat grinning across from Haruka, and Usagi took a seat beside him. "So, when did she start receiving you again?" "Doesn't matter, don't be so curious all the time. A gentleman enjoys and remains silent," Haruka retorted. Seiya laughed. "For that, you'd have to be a man, Ruka, so spill the beans." Haruka rolled her eyes irritably. "We ran into each other last week." "Ran into each other, right."

But before Haruka could utter another sentence, the door swung open again, and Yaten stomped in with a grim expression on his face. The tension in the room became palpable, and Seiya couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.

"Uh... what's going on with you?" Seiya asked when he saw the frustration evident on his brother's face. "I was so close to getting answers from Zoisite, so close, and then Tai showed up. We were about to find out what Chiba was up to in America and who his mysterious wife is," Yaten exclaimed, his tone filled with frustration.

Seiya gave Yaten a puzzled look. "Which wife are you talking about? Chiba isn't married. We know that; he was planning to marry Minako just a few months ago. I doubt he found a new suitable partner to marry him out of the blue. Something like that takes preparation, and hardly anyone would be foolish enough to marry him out of nowhere."

The words echoed through the room, and discomfort spread. Usagi suddenly felt uneasy; her thoughts were swirling in her head. Her own rushed wedding to Taiki seemed to cast a shadow over the room. She looked down at her shoes with a heavy heart.

"As tactful as a stone, Seiya," Haruka praised him ironically, nodding towards Usagi.

"Dam... Damn, that wasn't meant that way. It was something completely different with you," Seiya searched for apologetic words.

Usagi pressed her lips together and nodded briefly. The turquoise-haired woman entered again and placed drinks on the table. "If you need anything else, let me know." "Hey, has Tai arrived yet? It's unusual for him to be late, especially when he called this meeting," Yaten asked, scrutinizing his watch. Michiru shook her head. "He wasn't downstairs at least."

The tension in the room continued to build as everyone impatiently awaited Taiki's arrival. Amidst the modern conference room of the Blackmoon, the men engaged in some small talk to break the silence. Haruka talked about the latest race cars, Yaten and Seiya discussed current business matters. Only Usagi tried not to join the conversations; she sorted through her thoughts, wondering why she was here.

After another half-hour delay, the door finally opened again, and Taiki entered the room. His serious gaze pierced the group, and he went straight to Usagi. "Thank you for coming. Your presence is very important to me." With a fleeting kiss on her cheek, he positioned himself next to her at the head of the table.

Suddenly, Taiki slammed his palms on the tabletop, and all attention focused on him. His words cut through the air. "There are urgent matters to discuss, and I expect everyone here to tell the truth now!" Rarely did Taiki speak with such an authoritarian voice to his brothers. Slowly, he sank into his chair, his eyes fixed on Yaten at that moment. "First, I want to know why Zoisite is in your basement."

"Because he knows more than he admits," Yaten replied dryly, leaning back with his feet casually on the table. "Yaten, a bit more precise!" Taiki demanded. Yaten folded his hands behind his head. "Well, it's a longer story... During my investigation, I noticed that Mamoru has been in America quite frequently lately, and Zoisite was there too. So, I intercepted him and made sure his plane disappeared. He's officially missing now. But that wasn't fast enough for me because that guy is a damn tough nut. So, I had Setsuna follow Chiba. Don't worry, no murder orders. She's working as a spy for me right now and found out that Mamoru probably has a woman, likely in America. But I haven't found out more yet because I wasn't allowed to continue my interrogation. But I feel that this whole thing has something to do with Mina. Trust me, my gut feeling has rarely deceived me. There's something fishy about the whole accident. Also, something caught my eye in her autopsy report that just doesn't add up. According to the report, her left arm was broken back then, but I know for sure it was the right one. The doctor who performed the autopsy back then has been missing for several weeks now. He quit abruptly, and he was gone. Taiki, there's more to this. I need answers finally. Maybe she's still out there somewhere and needs our help. That's why Zoisite is with me, and he won't leave until I have all the answers."

Taiki sighed and had to let Yaten's report sink in. Usagi swallowed hard at Yaten's words; too much information was pouring in at once. But evidently, her brother-in-law had abducted someone. Tensely, Taiki rubbed his temples. "So, it's still about Minako... Can't you let her rest in peace?"

"No, it's not just about Mina. Didn't you listen to me? I need to know who Chiba's wife is. Why is he keeping it a secret? Why did no one know he got married so suddenly?" Yaten's words lingered, and the restlessness in the room was palpable. "Yaten, let Mina finally rest. She's dead. You were at her funeral. You had the DNA test results in your hands... and as for Zoisite, this won't do! We have clear agreements with both the Chibas and the Tsukinos. Close allies are protected by the respective family. Imagine if he just grabbed Ruka; none of us would stay quiet either. So, what grand plan do you have to set him free? Do you really think he won't tell Mamoru about what you did to him?"

Yaten smirked. "I won't let him go. I'll dispose of him like the others. Dead men can't talk."

Usagi went pale; were they really talking about killing someone here? They couldn't be serious, or could they? Then she remembered her first encounter with Yaten; even then, he spoke of someone dying, and a shiver ran down her spine. Unable to say anything, she listened to the conversation.

"And you believe that Chiba will just accept it when his corpse is found someday? No, Yaten, that's not an option in this case... we need to come up with something else."

Haruka cleared her throat. "Uh, Tai... I understand you, but I'm afraid Yaten is right. I don't know what he has done to him, and no, I don't want to know the details, but regardless of where you let him go, he'll find a way back to Chiba, and then things will go haywire. If you don't want to finish him off completely, we can sedate him or something, but I don't see many more options here." Taiki looked over to Seiya. "Do you have an opinion on this?" "I think I'm for Ruka's suggestion. Strong sedation and then off to a clinic with some obscure diagnosis and a new identity. There's a good chance he won't be found there. He can vegetate away without being found dead, and he can't escape. Plus, we save on personnel costs since the clinic staff will handle the surveillance."

Taiki considered for a moment. Seiya's suggestion sounded plausible. But then the next problem revealed itself for Taiki, and the oppressive feeling in his chest returned. "Well, then Zoisite will be brought to a clinic soon, but that's also where the next problem lies. Our doctor quit today. I have to talk to her about some things anyway, but I can only reach her voicemail. Without a doctor, we can't place Zoisite anywhere."

Finally, Yaten took his feet off the table. "So, if you mean Dr. Mizuno, I've already found her," he threw into the discussion, and Taiki stared at him with wide eyes. "Where? Why didn't you call me?" "I didn't know it was urgent. You disappeared so quickly earlier. The good doctor has a room in the hotel at the airport. Her flight to Zurich is tomorrow morning at 11. One of my guys is keeping an eye on her so she doesn't disappear."

Taiki forced himself to remain outwardly calm, even though he was seething inside. Finally, he knew where Amy was, and now he was stuck in this meeting. Yes, he was aware that clarifying all these things was important, but now he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible so he could finally go to her.

"Next time, I'd like such information immediately. Anyway, I'll go to her afterward. Maybe I can convince her to withdraw her resignation. Then, hopefully, the Zoisite problem will be resolved too. Ruka, please look for an alternative doctor in the meantime... Okay, then let's move on to the last of my points." He lowered his gaze to his wife. "Serena has two siblings, Chibiusa and Shingo." "We know," Yaten, Seiya, and Haruka echoed unanimously.

Taiki just shook his head. "Am I really the last to find out about this?" Usagi shrank a bit in her chair, guiltily shrugging her shoulders.

"All right, so we know for now that the sister is in a province in West China, and her brother is probably being hidden somewhere by Father. Which leads me to the question, why did they split them up? After all, Serena did what was asked of her. So why do they still need leverage? Any ideas?" Taiki looked questioningly around the room.

Yaten lit a cigarette, blowing smoke rings into the air. "Well, not everything has been fulfilled yet, or is there already a bun in the oven? I wouldn't put it past Father to want to use them both to pressure her. You know him; he's never squeamish when it comes to enforcing his interests, and siblings are indeed a lucrative leverage."

Haruka and Seiya both looked at Usagi. She felt her heartbeat suddenly accelerate. She sought Seiya's gaze, and he nodded encouragingly. She understood what he was trying to convey. It was her turn now. For some reason, she felt that she could trust this group. Therefore, she forced the lump in her throat down and stood up. Finally, she closed her eyes and began.

"There's something else you should know. My birth name is Usagi Sasaki. My biological parents are Kenji Tsukino and Yumi Ikuko Chiba, and that's probably the reason why my siblings are additionally valuable in the eyes of our fathers. They know that I would do anything for them, that the two are my weak point... But also, my siblings are half Chibas," her voice remained composed. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and looked around.

Taiki stared at her in complete shock. He couldn't believe what she had just revealed. Yaten and Haruka seemed to be in a similar state. Only Seiya smiled at her and nodded, a sign that she had done well.

"She's a Chiba? And you knew that?" Yaten exclaimed, addressing Seiya once he had overcome his shock. "Yes," he replied calmly. "Usagi and I, we know each other from before, so she confided in me shortly after the engagement." Usagi tensed up, praying he wouldn't reveal more, and Seiya kept to the essentials, maintaining their connection.

Taiki sorted his thoughts for a moment. "Okay, now a lot makes sense. If your mother is who I think she is, then she was the original Chiba heiress. That means your siblings also have a claim to power, and if this fails with us, each of them still has leverage to claim the Chiba empire. That's why they split the children, and that's why a pregnancy is so important to them. They obviously want to dethrone the Chibas, and our child would be genetically capable of that, as it would unite all three major families." Taiki ran his hands through his hair. "This can't be true. Is there anything else I should know now?" he asked the group, and to his relief, everyone shook their heads. "Good, I will think about our next steps calmly. I suggest we meet here again tomorrow. By then, we'll at least know how things will proceed with Zoisite. Until then, stay away from him, Yaten." He paused and reached for Usagi's hand. "And I promise you, we'll find your siblings too. But no more secrets, especially not about important matters, agreed?"

Usagi's stomach tightened, but she managed to put a smile on her face and nodded. Taiki concluded the conference and stood up. He took Usagi's hand gently, interlocking his fingers with hers as a matter of course, and led her out of the conference room. As they left the room, Usagi couldn't help but cast a wistful glance over her shoulder back at Seiya.

Taiki felt her uncertainty and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Everything will be fine, Serena. We will find a way to handle this," he assured her as they left the building. "I will drive you home now and then visit Dr. Mizuno. When I'm back, I'd like to talk to you."

"Of course, I can imagine you have many questions. I'll wait for you," she replied.