Chapter 56

"So, what problems are we talking about here?" With these words, Yaten re-entered the small wooden hut he had left only a few hours ago. To his surprise, Mimete sat at the table with a bandage around her head, giving him a provocative grin.

"Nice of you to make time. Well, call this less of a problem and more of a negotiation attempt. As I've heard, you've got someone dear to me in your hands, and I'd be willing to make an exchange."

Yaten became alert. His brief glance signaled his team outside to wait as he focused his attention on the blonde woman. "What kind of exchange are you thinking of?" he asked, circling her suspiciously.

Mimete, however, remained impassive. "I get Tellu back and a way to escape Tokyo with her, without Kenji or Chiba being able to find us. In return, I'll tell you what I know."

Yaten lit a cigarette, took a seat on the available chair, letting Mimete's words sink in for a moment. "And what do you think you can offer me in terms of information that would be worth letting go of an informant like her?"

"I think quite a bit. For instance, I could tell you the whereabouts of the little brat you've been searching for weeks," Mimete offered.

Yaten tensed slightly; she was talking about Chibiusa. That was interesting, but there was something else on his mind at the moment. "What about Serena? That's what I'm more interested in."

Annoyed, Mimete jumped up and pointed at her head. "Does this look like I know what she's been up to after she caught me? Who could have guessed that this..."

"Watch what you're saying. She happens to be my sister-in-law," Yaten interjected, but Mimete seemed unfazed.

"If we're being honest, she won't be for much longer, and we both know it. So, don't inflate yourself here," she retorted.

Yaten realized that Mimete was in a favorable state for him to extract information. So, he played dumb. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, stop pretending. You've practically lost, Kous. As if Serena would willingly return to you or to Kenji. Kenji didn't want to listen to us and be kinder to her, and she was sold to you guys like cattle."

Yaten refrained from smiling. Mimete knew nothing about Usagi's relationship with Seiya; that was a relief. "Who says she doesn't love my brother?" he provocatively replied, and Mimete immediately took the bait.

"I doubt that. Even though Taiki is always courteous, her siblings will always come first for her, and that's why Kenji will win. She'll come back here."

"Unless you tell us where to find the sister, which brings me back to the question of what you gain from this. Why do you want the green-haired witch back, and why do you want to betray Kenji?"

Mimete rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Because she's my partner. That's why I won't allow her to remain in your clutches. So, what's it going to be? Will you accept my offer? I managed to divert enough of Kenji's money to provide a comfortable life for Tellu and me. I'm fed up with all of Tsukino's intrigues, and then he wants to appoint Rubeus, that good-for-nothing, as his successor, even though I organize everything for him, just because he's a man. Pah..."

This confession momentarily caused even Yaten's features to falter, but he regained his composure. "So, you and the stylist... that certainly explains a lot. However, I wonder how reliable your information will be. After all, you've sworn loyalty to Kenji and are now offering to betray him for me. Who guarantees that you won't stab me in the back at the first opportunity?"

With a snap of his fingers, Yaten extinguished his cigarette in the embers of the fireplace. "This is getting us nowhere. I'm afraid you'll have to trust me now," dryly remarked Mimete.

The silver-haired man raised his eyebrows. "Oh, do I? I believe I can just have some fun with Tellu. Sooner or later, she'll sing. Believe me, the fear in her eyes was truly invigorating, even though I haven't done much yet... and in this case, I have the information I need and a leverage. So..."

Suddenly, Mimete grabbed him by the collar, her face foaming with anger and inches away from Yaten's. "Don't you dare harm her in any way. Otherwise, I will..."

Yaten's mouth curled upward. "Otherwise, I will what?" he teased, and in the same second, he sealed her lips with his, if only for a few moments. Then, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "What... What was that?" stammered Mimete, trying to comprehend what Yaten had just done. She stumbled back in perplexity. She had never expected such a reaction from him.

"I don't know, I felt like it. I'll gladly pass your kiss on to her. So, if you'd excuse me now. I still have an interrogation to conduct, and since you can't offer me anything lucrative, I'll pass for now." Yaten rose casually and winked at her, displaying no sense of urgency in his movements. "Feel free to contact me if you come up with a better offer, but I wouldn't wait too long if I were you, because I work quickly and thoroughly. I think you understand what I mean."

With these words, he left the hut, leaving behind the crackling tension like an electrically charged breath. The atmosphere in the small hut seemed to have become even denser, while Mimete feverishly pondered what else she could offer Yaten.

Taiki stood by the window, pensively sipping his coffee. The unfolding events were an absolute catastrophe. Kenji was threatening with divorce, but upon closer examination of the recent pictures, it seemed ludicrous. They merely showed him and Amy together in a hotel lobby, and events before the wedding seemed irrelevant. However, this development likely disrupted Yaten's crafted plans. Taiki's father would certainly not accept Amy back as a doctor if he feared losing everything. To add to the mountain of problems, his wife had disappeared—his pregnant wife, whom he needed by his side to contest the divorce.

He took another sip of his coffee, his gaze fixed on the vast horizon, and then felt two arms wrapping around his waist from behind. Amy's familiar scent filled his nostrils, and he sensed her head resting against his shoulder blades. Gently, he placed a hand on hers. "You're overthinking again. Have you even slept?" Amy asked. Taiki turned around and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Not much, but thankfully there's coffee. Everything is just converging right now, and I need to find a solution. The others are relying on me."

Amy took the cup from his hand and placed it on the table. "But they won't be able to rely on you much longer if you end up in a clinic soon. Darling, you need some rest. At least lie down for an hour or two. I'll keep an eye on your phone, and if anything happens, I'll wake you up." Taiki shook his head. "No, not now. I still need to call Yaten and the search teams and then check on Seiya." "I can take care of Seiya; you're not going to change his bandages, are you?" Amy insisted, pushing him onto a chair. "I'll be right back, and you can at least rest a bit."

Amy left, leaving Taiki sitting there, exhausted. He ran his fingers through his hair, and at that moment, his phone began to ring. Father. Taiki sighed. "What is it, Father?" "What is it? I should be asking you that! What the hell happened yesterday? Are you all out of your minds to storm the Tsukino estate?! I expect you in half an hour with a detailed report!" his father's voice thundered at him. Kakashi didn't wait for his son's response and hung up directly.

Taiki tightened his grip on his phone; he had anticipated this call. Now, he needed to figure out how much his father already knew. Was Kenji already there? Probably not; Kenji would be busy fortifying the villa's security. Sneaking in as they did yesterday wouldn't be possible anymore.

Pondering, he headed to the bedroom to dress appropriately. If he was heading for the gallows, he wanted to make a reasonable impression. He was in the midst of writing a short note for Amy when she walked back in through the door. "You're already back? Didn't Seiya let you tend to his wound?" "He definitely would if he were here... speaking of which, where do you intend to go?" "To the big boss, give an account for yesterday. I hope Mother is still at home; he's at least a bit more bearable with her around. Maybe he'll spare my neck for now... But where's Seiya? It's still early..." Amy raised her hands. "No idea. The apartment was empty when I came downstairs. No sign of him or Haruka." Taiki tensed, and Amy reassuringly placed a hand on his chest. "Nothing must have happened. They're probably still searching for Serena. You know him. I'll call you as soon as they're back, okay?" Taiki nodded gratefully and gave her a quick kiss. "Thanks. You're the best. Now, wish me luck for my talk with Father, better than yesterday." "I hope so," said Amy, and then Taiki set out.

Haruka, by now, had donned an inconspicuous black coat, pulling the hood deep over her face, and silently followed Naru through the secluded alleys of Tokyo. For over an hour, she trailed Naru like a shadow, eager to see if they would indeed encounter Usagi soon. The surroundings became increasingly desolate, and Haruka was relieved to be armed in this unfamiliar and potentially dangerous territory. Naru had consistently rejected Haruka's suggestion to take the car, and now Haruka understood why – here in the slums, they would have stood out like a sore thumb.

Peeking out from under her hood, Haruka surveyed the dismal conditions of the slums. People of all ages, from children to the elderly, lived here in tattered garments, their harsh living conditions etched on their faces.

Naru suddenly stopped, and Haruka lifted her gaze. It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off her when she recognized Usagi. Even though Usagi had wrapped herself in a cloak, Haruka could identify her by her posture. When a blonde lock strayed out from the cloak, Haruka was certain. The girl sitting in the dirt ahead was unmistakably Usagi. Haruka ran towards her and dropped to her knees right beside her. With a smooth yet firm motion, she pulled Usagi into her arms. "Never, ever do something like that again," Haruka whispered into Usagi's ear.

Instinctively, Usagi clung to Haruka and began to sob. Everything still felt so unreal. Minutes passed like hours, and it took Usagi quite a while before her mouth could form words. "Where is he?" Haruka continued to stroke her back. "At the harbor, planning your escape from Tokyo. He's fine, barely got a scratch yesterday. But how are you? Has someone hurt you?" Usagi finally wiped away her tears. "It's... it's okay. But getting out of Tokyo sounds really good right now." Haruka rose to her feet and offered Usagi a hand. "Then come on, Princess. We have a good way to go." With a graceful swing, she pulled Usagi up. Then, she turned to Naru.

"Thank you for everything you've done for her," Haruka began and pulled something small from her jacket pocket. She delicately placed the small silver key in Naru's hand. "Seiya wanted me to give this to you in case of success. It belongs to a small furnished one-room apartment on the outskirts of the city. It's nothing grand, but the apartment is meant to be yours. Once everything calms down, it will be transferred to you as the owner."

Completely overwhelmed, Naru stared from the small key to Haruka and then to Usagi, who smiled encouragingly. "When? How?" Naru stuttered, her emotions overwhelming her. "You can move in right away; here is the exact address. But I'm afraid we don't have time to lose now. Someone will contact you, and thank you very much for your support." Usagi pulled Naru into a heartfelt embrace. "Thank you so much. You deserve this; take it. This way, at least, you'll have a warm and safe place," she whispered into her friend's ear.

Then, Haruka put an arm around Usagi's shoulder, and together they set off. Just before turning the corner, Usagi cast one last glance over her shoulder at Naru. A grateful smile played on her lips. She was glad and relieved to have Haruka by her side, and grateful for Seiya's generosity that enabled Naru to have a better life. Now, Usagi had to look forward. She knew her personal nightmare was not over yet, but with Haruka by her side, she felt strengthened. Fate had opened new paths for her, and with Haruka at her side, she believed she could overcome it all.