He's a handsome man, Ren thought, her eyes fixed on the dark-haired figure with slicked-back hair who brought a glass of straight whiskey to his lips, downing it in one go.
He placed the glass on the table and snapped his fingers to signal the server to refill it. She didn't regret coming. She knew that, if anyone could take action now, it was this man. She knew Akito would never agree to leave. The bet hadn't reached its end yet, but her daughter was a sick, stubborn brat. In her delusion of being a goddess adored by all, she would never bow down to her mother, nor leave the Sohma household, abandoning her role as head of the family. Her pride and madness wouldn't allow it.
Ren felt at her limit; the presence of this dreadful thing she had given birth to was unbearable. She still remembered the surge of hatred that overcame her when four little boys, tear-streaked, came to her in the middle of the night to tell her she was pregnant with their God. An intense nausea filled her as their small hands reached out to touch her stomach. She pushed them away, disgusted by their behavior, by their eyes filled with a hope she didn't understand; she was sickened by the being growing inside her.
But perhaps the worst was Akira's joyful reaction when he learned she was pregnant, carrying a "special being."
A special being? A god?No, a goddess!
She was carrying a girl. Someone who would grow up to be a young woman and take her place, in the home and in her husband's heart. But only she knew that this child was nothing more than a monster, possessing nothing special.
Realizing she had drifted into her thoughts, she noticed the impeccably dressed, extravagantly suited man across from her watching her, an amused smile on his face.
She forced a smile herself, bringing her glass to her lips, leaving a crimson lipstick mark on the rim.
"It's a very sudden and rather unsettling request, Ren-san," the man remarked, glancing again at the documents on the small table in the luxurious hotel room. "Your own daughter…"
"You're not exactly in a position to lecture me on morals, Tadashi-san," Ren interrupted, placing her glass back on the glass table. "As head of the Asami family, the Sohmas have always been your main rivals in this region. Their businesses are direct competitors, and the Sohma family's properties encroach on your territory. I'm offering you the chance to regain control of the city. If Akito disappears, I'll take over the family. I have no interest in my clan's wealth, nor do I care about their traditions. If I take control, we could establish a long and advantageous partnership between our two families."
Tadashi leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"A long partnership? I didn't know you were skilled in business, Ren-san. You've always struck me as a woman ambitious enough to secure her place in a wealthy family through a beneficial marriage, but with little understanding of the responsibilities of power. And now you speak to me of partnership? I thought your only motivation was to rid yourself of the head of the Sohma family…"
Ren's face darkened, her cheeks flushed with anger. She was about to respond, but Tadashi continued without even looking at her:
"Moreover, I doubt you know anything about this family's finances or business. You're playing a dangerous game. You're ready to bring down an entire family just to make one person suffer."
"My motivations are none of your business," Ren interrupted, struggling to keep her composure under the man's superior gaze. "I came here to make a deal with you, and I have much to offer. Get rid of Akito. The means are not my concern. Kidnap her, drug her, sell her, kill her if necessary. But I don't want to see her anymore. You'll get everything you desire in return."
Tadashi picked up a photo of Akito, studying it closely, a strange gleam in his eyes.
"Everything I desire," he murmured, his fingers lingering over the photograph.
"Your daughter," he said absently, "has grown into a beautiful young woman." He tossed the photo onto the coffee table. "Shame you forced her to live like a man. Perhaps you were afraid she'd surpass you in beauty," he added with a smile.
Ren's anger delighted him; it was so easy to provoke her when it came to her daughter. Pathetic, Ren-san, he thought to himself.
"Nonetheless, you're right; your motivations are none of my concern. Frankly, they don't interest me, nor do you, for that matter, or your family's future. Only for financial reasons."
He took a deep breath and gestured for his servant to go into the next room. The servant nodded and left, returning a moment later with a young man, about Tadashi's age, around thirty, carrying a laptop case.
"This is Hinomura-san, my lawyer and advisor. He'll handle our business."
Tadashi nodded, and the lawyer took a seat at the table near the window, opened his laptop, and began typing.
"I want 70% of the shares of all Sohma family companies and hotels," Tadashi Asami stated. "I want to become the majority shareholder with decision-making power in these enterprises. We'll draft a contract that we'll both sign. Hinomura-san is working on it now. I know that, at this moment, your signature carries no weight, as you currently hold no official position within the Sohma family. Therefore, this agreement will only serve as a memorandum of understanding. But I'll leave a space for Akito to sign, giving it legal validity."
Ren shook her head. "Akito will never sign," she said, clenching her fists. "It would be better if she died, so I could take control of the Sohma family."
Tadashi smiled.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ren-san, but I have no intention of killing Akito," Tadashi declared slowly.
Ren froze, visibly disappointed. "But, as I mentioned, she would never sign a contract that would remove her…"
Tadashi handed her the written agreement, freshly printed by the lawyer after a quick review.
"Don't worry about that, Ren-san. My methods of persuasion are very effective."
Ren hesitated, then nodded and took the contract Hinomura had placed on the table, stamping it with her seal. She didn't bother reading it; losing control of the Sohma family businesses meant nothing to her, all she wanted was for Akito to disappear.
She signed quickly. Visibly relieved, she stood up, positioned herself in front of Tadashi, and greeted him with a broad smile.
"I'm pleased with this agreement, Tadashi-san. I hope we'll meet again soon. Do let me know when you're ready to act so I can adjust my schedule. I don't wish to be suspected."
"We'll act within the week, as soon as we finish studying the plans you provided," Tadashi replied. Ren nodded, clearly satisfied, bowed, and then headed for the door, which the servant held open for her.
After her departure, Hinomura settled into the chair Ren had just left, leaned back comfortably, and sighed, "That woman is crazy."
Tadashi burst out laughing. "It's quite impolite to say that, Hinomura. But yes, she's crazy. More than that, she's pathetic, jealous of her own child, so consumed by hatred that she raised her daughter as a man to prevent her from ever becoming a rival."
Hinomura lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. He let his gaze wander over the documents the black-haired woman had given them. He picked up the blueprint of the manor and studied it closely.
"It will be easy," he said to Tadashi. "The main house is at the center of the estate, and there are no real guards. The Sohmas are a traditional, powerful family, too old-fashioned to consider anyone trespassing on their territory with ill intentions. So, thinking of a kidnapping…"
"Yes, it will be easy," Tadashi agreed, his eyes distant.
"But once we bring her here, what do we do with her?" Hinomura asked aloud, though he seemed to be mulling it over to himself.
He rubbed his eyes, a sign of exhaustion, and sighed.
"We could have her work in one of the clubs. She's never worked before. And she's a pretty girl, after all. Prostitution would be the classic path to ensure her family never hears from her again. From what you told me, she's very beautiful. And since you've decided not to kill her… Lau could also sell her for his business in Hong Kong…"
Tadashi laughed, shaking his head as if recalling a humorous memory. Hinomura looked at him, visibly intrigued.
"Are you going to tell me, or just laugh alone?"
Tadashi calmed down, though a wide smile still played on his lips.
"Do you know the legend of the Juunishii?" he asked.
Hinomura frowned, pinching the filter of his cigarette between his lips. "Your father told me about it," he said. "He loved that story: twelve animals, a god, a banquet, a cursed cat… A true children's tale."
Tadashi smiled sadly.
"Yes, a tale… a tale bound to the Sohma family. And to sum it up…" he continued, picking up Akito's photo and handing it to Hinomura, "we're deciding whether we'll kidnap, sell, or prostitute God."
"God?" Hinomura murmured, looking at the image of the young woman.
"Yes, God," Tadashi explained. "She's the embodiment of the legend; that's why she's the head of the Sohma family. And twelve members of the Sohma clan, thirteen, in fact, are considered chosen ones and hold a special status. The entire organization of this powerful family is based on a legend."
Hinomura said nothing. He studied the photo he held in his hands.
Yes, she's beautiful, he thought. Black hair framing a porcelain face, dark eyes filled with passion, a cold expression, but a tender, fragile body... God is a very beautiful young woman.
"And do you believe in it?" he asked. "Do you believe in the legend of the Twelve?"
Tadashi stood and walked to the window, carrying his glass.
"Akito believes in it—that's what's interesting," he said, looking out over the city from the eighth floor. "She won't be easy. She'll fight, she'll confront us. But in the end, I will break her."
He turned to Hinomura, shrugging with an innocent expression.
"It's the law of power; there's nothing personal about it. It's just me against God."
Hinomura shook his head and stubbed out his cigarette. He knew Tadashi relished this situation; his ambition had always driven him, and the Sohma family had been an obstacle to his grand ambitions. But now, everything was about to change.
"So, when do you want to act?"
Tadashi smiled darkly.
"Why not tomorrow night?"
End of Chapter 6
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