by Sage Young
Jun looked at her remorseful. “Ki, you know I didn’t have a choice. Father knew you wouldn’t marry me and we need to make sure that no one else tries to take over what our fathers worked hard to build.” She looked at him, wishing he would just stand up to his father. She loved him like a brother and knew he could do great things if he was not under his father’s thumb. She softly placed her hand on his face. “Fix this Jun, before my sister gets hurt worse than she already will be when you call off this engagement.” Kiyomi started to walk away then turned to face him again. “You knew someday you would have to stand up to your father. Why not do it now, Jun. You are better than this.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked towards her father’s room. Takeo kept a safe distance allowing her to have a private conversation with Jun but close enough to deal with him if he got out of line.
The hospital room was dark and eerily quiet with only the sounds of the machines echoing throughout. Kiyomi could see Muri by her father’s side and her eyes were swollen from crying. Kiyomi looked at her father and saw that he was sleeping. “Ri, can I speak to you for second?” Kiyomi asked softly. She looked up and saw her older sister and began to cry again. “It’s okay Ri.” She bent over and gave her sister a hug and kiss. “I saw Jun in the hallway.” She looked over at her father to see if he was still sleeping. This was not a conversation Kiyomi wanted to have in earshot of her father. She knew Muri was going to be extremely upset so she needed to finish their conversation in the hall. “Ri, can we speak in the hall?” she asked as she looked at her father. Muri kissed her father’s hand before releasing it and followed Kiyomi into the hall. “Do you have something to tell me?” Kiyomi asked as Muri looked at her but did not respond. “I understand from Takeo that you’re now engaged. What’s going on with you, Ri? You two never dated and now you’re engaged,” she said softly. She was angry but knew revealing her anger would only exasperate the conversation. “Sis, what the hell are you thinking? He is only using you so that his family can gain control of the company.” Kiyomi kept her voice low and soft.
“Why do you care? I thought you would be happy that I’m married, so that you can have father all to yourself. You are always telling him that he spoils me and that I need to be more responsible. So that is what I’m doing; taking control of my life and it starts with marrying Jun.”
“But you don’t love him, Ri. Why would you marry a man you don’t love?”
“Love is way overrated. It’s not like we have a lot of options in this country; men aren’t falling at my feet.”
“That’s ridiculous, and it definitely is not a reason to marry someone that you know is only marrying you to gain controlling interest in our company.”
“The last time I checked, Kiyomi, I was an adult and capable of making my own decisions,” she said angrily as she began to walk away.
Kiyomi grabbed her arm. “Don’t walk away from me. This conversation is not done.”
Muri looked at her with anger as she yanked her arm from Kiyomi’s grip. “This conversation is over. I will be back to see father later, once you are gone.”
She turned and walked towards the exit with her security team following closely behind. Muri got into a waiting car. Kiyomi didn’t understand that I was doing it for her, so that she would not be forced to marry Jun. At least I like him... Who was she kidding? She has secretly loved Jun since she was a teenager. She also knew that Jun was in love with Kiyomi but never persuaded her. Muri picked up her cell phone to dial Jun. “Hey, where are you? Why did you leave the Hospital? Okay, I will meet you there,” she said before disconnecting the call. “Take me to Sadako Saki House,” she told her driver as they sped down the highway.
Jun was waiting for Muri when she arrived. They sat at a private section of the restaurant. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he held the chair for her. The woodsy fragrance infiltrated her nose as she sat. Jun was an impeccable dresser. He wore a dark gray suit with a light gray tie that fit his body like a glove. She had secretly loved this man since she was thirteen years old. He came to her birthday party and gave her a bracelet that she has always cherished. He smiled at her and she knew her heart belonged to him.
“How’s your father doing?” Jun asked interrupting her thoughts.
“He’s not doing well at all. I’m heading back to the hospital when I leave here. Ki is with him now and I prefer to see him when she is not there. She is so judgmental.” She took a sip of her drink not wanting to continue that conversation. Jun looked at the incredibly beautiful woman in front of him. At five feet, four inches, she was proportioned beautifully, with ample breasts and curvaceous hips and ass. Her beautiful black hair went straight down her back, which she got from her Japanese mother. She was blessed with the same beautiful hazel eyes and caramel skin color as her sister and father. Even with all those beautiful attributes, she still was not Kiyomi, the woman he really loved.
Jun redirected his attention to his conversation with Muri.
“Your sister loves you and has always looked out for you. You should go easy on her.”
“I do not want to talk about her anymore. Why did you leave the hospital? I thought you would still be there, but when I came out of the room I didn’t see you.” She waited for his response. Jun took a sip of his drink. Although they have only been engaged a few days and they both knew that the engagement was to ensure that their families kept control of the business, it was not going to be easy telling her that the engagement was off. Kiyomi was right. He asked Muri to marry him because he knew she would say yes. She had been harboring feelings for him for years. Jun decided that he was no longer going to allow his father to manipulate him into doing things he knew was not right.
“Ri, we need to talk about this engagement. We both know that this is not a good idea to marry because of business. I really care about you, and because I do, I cannot go through with this engagement. You should marry someone you truly love, and who will love you with that same intensity. I am calling it off. You are a beautiful woman….” She interrupted him as a tear sprung from her eye. “But I’m not Kiyomi, right?” she asked with venom in her voice. Jun was surprised by her response.
“Ri, this has nothing to do with Kiyomi and everything to do with not allowing my father to continue to control my life. Can you understand that?” She used the linen napkin from the table to wipe her tears as she nodded. “You will meet and marry someone who is head over heels in love with you and that person will treat you with the love and passion you deserve.” He stood and pulled her from her seat and into an embrace. After a few seconds, she pulled back and sat back down. “So are we going to at least have our last meal as an engaged couple?” she asked with a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Sure, I’m really hungry,” he responded.
*****
Kiyomi was still at the hospital when one of her father’s new doctors, Dr. Farrow, asked if he could speak with her in private. As they walked to the private room, Dr. Farrow looked over his shoulder at Takeo who was following close behind. “He is part of my security team,” is all she said in response to the doctor’s expression. The doctor nodded. They entered a room as Takeo waited outside the door. As they sat, Dr. Farrow began to speak. “Your father has given me permission to speak with you about his condition. After running several tests and several consultations, we have concluded that your father was poisoned and the effects of the poison mirrors cancer. The course of….”
Kiyomi sprang from her seat and began to speak quickly in Japanese. “What did you say? Wait…. Someone poisoned my father? Who? I…” “Ms. Sato, please, I don’t speak Japanese.” It was at that moment that Kiyomi realized that she was not speaking English. She was confused, angry, and hurt. “Who would try to hurt my father? I don’t understand? Are you sure?”
“Ms. Sato, we are positive about the poisoning, but we don’t know who or why someone tried to kill your father. As a precaution and because we need adequate access to the medications needed to reverse that process, we are
flying your father to the US in a few days. We will keep him in an induced coma until we leave. You will still be able to talk to your father and he will be able to hear you, but unable to respond. It is important to keep encouraging him while he is under sedation, so that he stays relaxed and feels safe, surrounded by the ones he trust.” Kiyomi placed her hand over her mouth as tears sprang from her eyes.
“Ms. Sato, your father is going to be fine,” he tried to reassure her, “but we need to take these extreme steps of moving your father because we don’t know where the source of poison is coming from. Do you understand?” Kiyomi nodded her head. “It is also imperative that you not mention this to anyone because we still don’t know who the threat is.” He paused to hand her a tissue. “Your father made sure that there were guards placed at his door that he trusted before we put him under, but I don’t won’t be comfortable with this situation until we are able to get him out of the country.” “I understand doctor,” she said as she pulled herself together. She knew what she needed to do.
“Thank you for everything, Dr. Farrow. What day are you planning on traveling?”
“We fly out in two days. Will you be accompanying us on the flight?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, but there will also be four other passengers. Are you able to provide the treatments in the Philadelphia, PA area? We will be there and I want my father close to us,” she said in a strong commanding voice. Kiyomi needed to get control of this situation and make sure that her father was safe. “I don’t think that will be a problem, I will arrange it.” Dr. Farrow said. They walked out the room and stood were Takeo was still waiting. “We will talk again tomorrow, Ms. Sato,” Dr. Farrow said as he walked away.
“Takeo, we need to talk. Can you call Monica and Marco and tell them we will meet them at Monica’s condominium.” “Sure.” Takeo placed his hand on her arm. “Are you okay baby?” he whispered not liking the stressful look on her face. “No, Takeo, but I will be soon. I need you to place two guards at my father’s door that you trust. I do not know what is going on, but I do not want to take any chances. I’ll explain everything in the car, but I need those guards in place before we leave this hospital.” An hour later two new guards were placed at the door of her father’s room with explicit instructions to only let his doctors and her sister, Muri, in the room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They arrived at Monica’s place and Kiyomi told them about the foiled plans of someone to kill her father. Everyone in the room was surprised except Takeo. He had his suspicions but wanted to verify before he acted. They finalized the plan for the press conference; how Kiyomi would deal with her father and the fallout from the announcement that her family was the majority owner of Takahashi Corporation.
Kiyomi decided to hang out at the condominium with Monica. She wanted to talk to her sister and see her nieces and nephew. She loved her new family and did not want to waste any more time getting to know them. Monica talked to Victoria so that they were able to Skype. The two ladies sat, talked, and ate while waiting to talk to Victoria. Takeo and Marco needed to speak privately to talk about a backup plan if the situation became dangerous. The two men sat at Takeo’s favorite bar talking and drinking. Marco told Takeo he updated his brother, Dominic, on the situation. Dominic arranged for a plane to be available in the event that they needed to leave the country quickly. Takeo spoke in depth about his wanting to start a security firm in the US with his best friend, Suri. He also talked about wanting to marry Kiyomi before the baby is born, and his concerns with leaving his parents when he moves to the US.
They started off with Saki and moved to bourbon, and before the night was over both men were drunk. Takeo’s best friend, Suri, received a call from the driver assigned to Takeo. The driver informed him that both men were intoxicated and looked for guidance as to where to take them. “Take them to Takahashi Towers and I will meet you there,” Suri instructed. Fifteen minutes later the car pulled in front of the building and Suri was waiting for them. He handed the driver keys to Takeo’s condominium and told the driver to make sure he got in safely and he would check on him later.
Suri didn’t know Marco, but if Takeo let his guard down around him, he must be someone he trusts. He grabbed the key to a vacant condominium and was irritated that the guard was not at his station. Suri wanted to get Marco settled before checking on Takeo. He noticed there was only one key available for the condominium. He helped Marco to that condominium and made a mental note to talk to the staff about the importance of making sure that both keys are kept together unless someone is using it. Luckily, he knew this condominium was not in use and Marco could sleep it off there.
*****
Muri was at the hospital with her father for several hours. She felt so alone. She walked out of the hospital and headed for the first bar she could find to get a drink. With her security in tow, she went to a local club and began to drink her troubles away. After the third drink, she began to sway to the upbeat music playing and decided she wanted to dance. She walked up to a booth that had five men seated. She looked at all five men and pointed to the one in the middle. “You. What’s your name?” All of the men were a little surprised that this beautiful woman of mixed heritage not only spoke fluent Japanese but was also bold enough to interrupt their conversation. He answered, “My name is Sun.” “Hello Sun, my name is Muri. I want you to dance with me.” It was more of a statement than a request. All of the men at the table were acutely aware of the security team she had that was shadowing her. “I don’t think your friends are too happy with that idea,” he said.
Muri turned to see her team close behind and instructed them to back up. She redirected her attention back to the table. Sun stood and the other men moved as he made his way out of the booth. They danced through several songs, and then they sat at her table and began to do shots of alcohol. They danced and drank long after Sun’s friend had gone, but he was having too much fun with her and she was paying for everything. Both Muri and Sun had too much to drink and the head of her security team decided to call it a night. One of the members of the team had already gotten Sun’s address from one of his friends so that they could drop him off.
As they were escorted into the car, Sun began to kiss Muri. Initially, she was receptive but once his hands started to wander up her skirt, she pushed his hand away. “That is enough,” she said as forcefully as she could with her slurred voice. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted this?” he asked as his voice slurred worse than hers did. Everything began to spin in her head as she laid her head back, resting it on the headrest. Sun was about to start kissing her again when the car came to a sudden stop and the back door opened, “Sir, we need you to sit up front.” The tone and look from the man speaking slightly frightened Sun as he sat in the front seat.
Muri continued to sleep as they first dropped Sun off then began to head to Muri’s home that she shared with her father. The security person sitting next to her tapped her shoulder to wake her up. She lifted her head and noticed that they were heading to her home. “No. I don’t want to stay at the house tonight by myself. Please take me to the Takahashi Towers. I will stay there tonight,” she said before resting her head on the car’s headrest. The security member handed her bottled water to try to neutralize the alcohol in her system.
When they arrived at the Towers, the security team had to help her into the building. The security guard was at the desk. “Ms. Sato would like the key to one of the vacant condos; she will be staying the night.” The security guard remembered that he had a key on his desk that he didn’t replace but he knew that condominium was empty. Muri’s team helped her to the condominium. As they opened the door, they began their normal search of the condominium but stopped short of the bedroom because Muri had already entered the room and started to undress. One of the men yelled after her if she was okay. She told them she was fine and dismissed them. They both exited the without another word.
Muri stumbled as she tried to finish undressing and decide
d against a shower and walked over to the king-sized bed. She stumbled again. “Shit,” she said as she turned on the lamp and sat on the side of the bed. She was about to lie down when she felt the bed shift. “What the fuck?” she said as she quickly stood looking over at the still figure in the bed. She was about to call security when she recognized the sleeping figure in the bed. Jun had shown her pictures of the woman from the US and her companion. She noticed how extremely handsome he was as he slept. She watched the rise and fall of his exposed bare chest and started getting turned on. The sheet covered his lower half of his body. She slowly lifted the smooth cotton sheet. “Oh my God,” she mouthed as she blushed. He was totally nude and even in its flaccid state, she could tell his was well endowed.
She slowly sat back on the bed trying not to wake him. Muri knew this was wrong and that she should either wake him or sleep in the other room, but she wanted to touch him. Most people thought that because of her outgoing personality, she was experienced, but in actuality, she was still a virgin. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the opportunity, but most who wanted to sleep with her in that country just wanted to see what it was like to sleep with a black woman. Muri wanted the man who was going to be her first, to love and want her because he loved her. Her curiosity got the best of her; she wanted to touch him. She pulled back the covers slightly and gently reached over and softly stroked his dick. His dick moved in response and she quickly pulled her hand back, smiling at her actions.
Muri felt extremely tired. She decided to lie beside him for a few minutes just to feel his warmth, and then she would go into another room. She climbed in the bed and positioned herself with her back to him but close enough that she could feel his body heat. She settled her head into the pillow when she felt his body shift and his arm was now around her as he mumbled but did not waken. Muri was startled at first but the smell of his cologne and the feel of his arms enveloped her in a sense of security and the heat from his body awakened all her senses. Just a few more minutes, she convinced herself, then she would get up.