by Alexia Praks
* * * * *
CHAPTER 10
Searching for Sakura
The tension in the room was so thick and hot it could be cut with a knife, and Jane swore there was murder within the Princeton brothers’ eyes. They all stood there with their imposing stance, questioning the staff about a woman. Jane was pretty sure that particular woman they were inquiring about was her friend Sakura. Why, she wasn’t sure. She just knew she had to get the whole story out of Sakura tonight. That was if she managed to get out of this inquisition alive.
Thank God she’d managed to hide Sakura’s bag from the brothers before she was being herded—yes, there was no other word for it—the staff had been herded by the head of the Princeton Group himself, Mr. Nicolas Princeton, into this very large conference room.
Now she stood there, gazing up at the tall CEO, telling herself not to faint in front of him, or everyone else for that matter. Then there was her brother Luke, who was on the other side of the room, his arms folded across his chest, watching her.
On the opposite side stood the brooding Darcy. He looked angry and very likely wanted to kill somebody. Next to him was Hayden with his arms folded across his broad chest. On the sofa next to Mr. and Mrs. Princeton was Conrad, the youngest of the brothers, who looked very upset. Then there were Logan and Tristan. They were usually very jolly and happy. But at this very instant, they wanted to punch someone’s face.
“Are you sure you haven’t seen her?” Nicolas asked Jane again. “After the show?”
Jane swallowed, asking God to forgive her for her lies. “No, sir. I haven’t.”
“She gave you her shoes, did she?” Sebastian’s voice boomed at her.
Jane swallowed again and glanced at her brother for assistance. Luke only sighed and shrugged his shoulders. No help there, she thought miserably.
“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. She did, but that’s only because I work backstage. She told me to take the shoes back.” Again, she prayed to God for forgiveness.
Akira, who was sitting on the other side of the room, finally stood and said loudly, “Mr. Princeton, I would appreciate it if you let us all leave now. It appears none of us know who this girl is. We’re tired. And all this”—she spread her arms out at the scene before them—“is baka! It’s useless.”
Nicolas turned his eyes to the woman he’d bumped into. He raised his brows as if it were only then he saw her. This annoyed Akira and she wanted to slap him in the face.
Nicolas cocked his head to one side and said, “It is not useless, Miss—”
“Akira,” Akira supplied coldly. “And besides, shouldn’t you be reporting this to the police? Surely, you’re not a detective yourself? I mean, that girl had Oba-chan’s necklace, for God’s sake. It’s worth in the millions. Why aren’t you worried about that? It seems to me all you’re worried about is that girl.”
Tara made herself noticed then by saying, “She’s a criminal. She has stolen a designer gown and a priceless necklace.”
“Sakura is not a thief!” Darcy said coldly. His eyes were so dark that Tara felt a lump form in her throat.
Alaina snapped, “How do you know she’s not a thief? For God’s sake, Darcy, see her for who she really is.”
Conrad looked at his sister and said coldly, “Sakura is nothing like that, and you know it, Alaina.” He wanted to say it was her fault Sakura ran away in the first place but refrained himself by stalking out of the room. He was shaking from head to toe. They’d been so close. So very close, and Conrad was very pissed and upset they couldn’t manage to prevent Sakura from leaving them again.
The mention of the name Sakura and the look on the brothers’ faces caused Sosuke to turn to look at his aunt. He noted the paleness on her face and wondered if perhaps—
No, it couldn’t be. The very idea was impossible. This world, however, though large, could be quite small. Perhaps, just perhaps, this Sakura was the Sakura Aunt Haruka was looking for? Perhaps this Sakura was Haruka’s biological daughter? Yes, he could see it now. The light in her eyes, as if she’d found a precious belonging she’d always been searching for. And then the darkness that she’d lost it again.
He, too, noticed the moment Sakura stepped onto the catwalk during the fashion show. He noted how Haruka stiffened, as if she’d seen a ghost, and then she stood, her hand at the base of her throat, tears in her eyes. Sosuke wasn’t blind. He knew and he felt it in his blood. Sakura was Haruka’s biological daughter. And come hell or high water, he was going to get them together.
Thus, he turned to the blond with glasses now and gave her a hard look.
“You work for Mr. Tachibana, don’t you?” he asked Jane.
Jane nodded nervously. At that moment, Jane noted three things about Sosuke that made her think naughty thoughts. He was Asian. He was hot. He was ruthless. And he made her want to kiss him.
Jane bit her lip and told herself to concentrate on the situation at hand. “Yes, sir?”
Sosuke frowned and nudged his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “A question or a statement?”
Jane didn’t know her answer came out as question instead of fact. “I mean, yes, sir, I work for Mr. Tachibana.”
“Then you must have the list of the models?”
Jane opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“Err,” Ms. Ruka said with her hand raised to get everyone’s attention. “That’s my job. I’m so sorry, Sosuke,”—she turned to Nicolas—“Mr. Princeton, but you see, she isn’t our model. I mean, we didn’t hire her. She was a replacement we found at the last minute.”
Tristan looked heavenward in frustration. “And how the heck did you manage to get a model you didn’t know to model for you?”
“It was my fault,” Mr. Tachibana said. He sighed depressingly. “She looked so lovely. I just couldn’t help myself. I mean, she was a piece of art. She was perfect. How was I supposed to know she meant to steal?”
This time it was Logan who looked heavenward with frustration. “For the love of God! How many times do we have to say it? Sakura isn’t a thief.”
“She’s as saintly as a nun,” Tristan said.
Haruka decided to speak up then. “This Sakura, what is she to you?” She posed this question to all the brothers at large.
It was Sebastian who said, “She was our adopted sister.”
Haruka swallowed. Her hand tightened on her lap. She was about to ask more questions when Brenda finally said, “We adopted her from the orphanage.” She wiped her tears with a tissue and sighed. James pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.
“Orphanage?” Haruka asked.
James nodded. “Queen Mary Orphanage on St. Joseph Island.”
It was then that Haruka began to shake uncontrollably. Sosuke noticed and said at large, “I’m only too happy to help find your sister.”
Nicolas turned to his friend. “Thanks.”
It was a while later, once they got back to the apartment, that Haruka let herself loose and cried her heart out. Alone in her room, she sobbed, with happiness and with sadness. She couldn’t believe it. Just couldn’t believe that finally, after years of endless searching, she had found Sakura.
She was the girl on the catwalk, wearing Mr. Tachibana’s gown and her priceless necklace. A necklace she herself had painstakingly designed for her own daughter. One would say it was fate, and Haruka truly believed in that. Fate had brought her here. Fate had finally allowed her to meet her beloved Sakura.
More tears welled in her eyes. “I’ve finally found you.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER 11
Waiting for You
Exhausted, the Princeton brothers finally got back to their apartment at two o’clock in the morning. None, however, bothered to go into their own rooms to rest. They were too agitated and needed future discussion as to how to proceed with finding Sakura. Beth decided to make her appearance once she heard their voices, along with her bland coffee, which for once, the brothers actually appreci
atively took.
“Thanks, Beth, you’re the best,” Conrad said. “Any cake left?”
Beth shook her head. “You boys been busy all day, huh? No time for dinner?”
With the brothers’ solemn look, Beth blinked and quickly went about searching for her leftover teacake the boys loved so much.
Conrad released another depressing sigh, and Tristan slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
A few moments later, Beth reappeared with the teacake. The brothers helped themselves to it as Beth watched. She wondered what was wrong with them. Yes, they should be tired after the long day at the hotel, what with the fashion show and all. But they shouldn’t look as though they’d just seen a ghost or lost something very precious to them.
Nicolas raised his head and said to Beth, “We saw Sakura.”
Beth gasped, and without warning, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. “Are you sure, Master Nicolas?”
With Nicolas’s nod, Beth drew in a shaky breath. “My God,” she murmured under her breath. “Where is she staying? Is she doing well? Will she come to visit?”
Sebastian shook his head and said gruffly, “She ran off.”
“What?”
“It’s like she doesn’t what to see us at all,” Conrad said. “Maybe last year was just too much for her and seeing us again just reminded her of the incidents.”
At those words, Darcy gritted his teeth and said, “I’m going to my loft. See you guys tomorrow.” With that, he left the room in a hurry.
Sebastian watched him go, a constricted feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took another sip of his bland coffee and sighed. “I’m going to bed. We can discuss Sakura tomorrow.”
He was just walking out the door when Beth said, “Ned lives in New York. Maybe he knows where Sakura is.”
Sebastian halted in his spot and spun around so fast it made Beth dizzy. Nicolas, Tristan, Logan, Hayden, and Conrad looked up to the housekeeper in unison.
“What did you just say?” Sebastian demanded. “Ned lives in New York? Why didn’t you mention that before?”
Beth blinked and said, “Well, he was always living in New York. He travels a lot, too. Though his homes are always in New York and St. Joseph Island. But since Sakura’s disappearance, he hadn’t contacted me until a few weeks ago. I caught up with him one Sunday, and I never thought to ask if he knows about Sakura.”
“Aren’t they very close?” Hayden asked suspiciously. “He taught her painting, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Beth said. “They are very close.”
“In that case, Beth,” Nicolas said calmly, “we’ll need you to invite Ned for afternoon tea. Preferably tomorrow.”
“Well, that was lucky,” Beth said. “Since I demanded he give me his cell phone number. I might add he was very reluctant about it.”
Tristan laughed. “Good for you, Beth. I’m glad we have you.”
Logan said, “Now I’m just hoping Ned can help us.”
“Or better yet,” Hayden put in, “knows where she is.”
“Good,” Sebastian said. “Good night, everyone.”
“Night, Seb,” the brothers said in unison.
Sebastian headed into his room and crashed on the bed. He closed his eyes and felt his heart constrict.
“Sakura,” he whispered under his breath. “Come home, sweetheart. Please, just come home.”
* * * * *
Darcy turned off the engine, got out, and slammed the door shut. He headed to the trunk and took out the painting he’d bought from Tanaka’s gallery. With the securely wrapped art under his arm, he headed to the door and up the stairs where his loft was located.
A few moments later, he let himself in. After placing the art carefully against the wall, he went about showering. Once refreshed, his dark hair wet, and wearing only loose trousers and his toned torso bare, he returned with a bottle of water in his hand.
He took a big gulp as he stared at the wrapped painting long and hard. Then as if he couldn’t help himself, he ripped the brown paper, revealing the exquisite painting beneath. Slowly, he caressed the paper canvas, tracing the lines and feeling the rough texture of the paint of the pink blossoms. It again reminded him of Sakura and the cherry blossom tree in the woods, and a lump formed in his throat.
“Sakura,” he said softly under his breath. “Come back. Please come back, sweetheart.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER 12
Bad Luck Comes in Threes
Bad luck came in threes, and Sakura knew it had hit her after she’d found her painting missing the next morning. As if the episode with the Princeton brothers the previous day wasn’t bad enough, now her beloved painting was gone.
Body trembling and heart beating way too fast, she frantically searched about the gallery. When she couldn’t find it anywhere there, she headed up to the attic and combed through every corner of the dark room.
“It was there yesterday,” she said to Ned in the kitchen a few hours later. “I left it in the gallery Friday night before heading to bed.”
“Are you sure you haven’t put it somewhere else?” Ned asked curiously.
He wondered if her encounter with the brothers had led to stress and thus her short-term memory loss. She’d probably get worse, he thought, if she found out as well that Beth contacted me only this morning about a possible afternoon tea meeting with her and the Princeton brothers.
Oddly enough, Ned wanted to laugh at the whole situation. They were fast, these brothers, where Sakura was concerned. Oh, he’d have tea with them all right, but not until next Sunday, a week away. Plenty of time for him to think over whether to tell the brothers about Sakura’s whereabouts or not. Although he had no power as to whether she’d want to see them. That was up to her, and Ned couldn’t push that. The brothers would have to convince her themselves, of course.
Ned returned his attention to Sakura, who was shaking her head, adamant she wouldn’t have misplaced such a beloved thing.
“Very sure,” she said. “I left it right there in the gallery. I guess I totally forgot about it the next morning, and then things happened.” She sighed and tried very hard not to make a scene out of nothing. Surely, it had to be in the gallery somewhere. “What about you? Did you see it yesterday morning when you came in?”
Ned put down his cup of coffee and thought for a moment. “Now that you mentioned it,” he murmured. “It’s the cherry blossom on St. Joseph Island? The one you started a year ago before…”
Sakura nodded.
“No, I don’t remember. I thought you were just going to let it sit rotting in the attic.”
“I changed my mind,” Sakura said quietly. “I have to find it. It just doesn’t sit well with me if I can’t.” She sighed deeply and was about to go off to search again when Jane came in through the back door. It was a Sunday, and the gallery wasn’t open. It was Jane’s habit to come to see Sakura on a Sunday morning to gossip about this and that, and she’d always let herself in via the back door. Today, however, was especially important for Jane because she was eager to learn what the heck went on yesterday.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Sakura said, almost with relief. “Did you happen to see a painting in the gallery yesterday when you came in? It was sitting on the floor near the counter.”
Jane cocked her head to one side, and then said, “Oh yeah. That one. I’ve seen it. It’s of a cherry blossom in the woods, right?”
Sakura nodded furiously, hopeful.
“Yes. It’s a masterpiece, Sakura. What happened? Why do you look so worried?”
Sakura clamped her lips. “It’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“I don’t know. It just kind of disappeared today. I was going to put it into a frame, and—” She broke off.
Jane saw the distraught look on Sakura’s face and knew that piece of art was very dear to her. She rushed to place her bag on the table and took Sakura into her arms.
�
��Don’t worry. I’ll help you look. If we can’t find it, we’ll ask Melissa when she comes in on Monday. I’m very sure it’s in the gallery somewhere. Now, however, my dear friend, you have to tell me everything, and I mean everything that went on yesterday. Including your relationship to the Princeton brothers.”
Ned saw Sakura pale at the prospect, cleared his throat, and said, “I’ll take Toby out for a walk. A very long walk. You girls have a nice talk.”
Sakura looked over at Ned and said, “Thanks.”
Ned waved his hand and headed out of the kitchen, whistling.
Sakura took Jane up to her bedroom. The two girls made themselves comfortable on the sofa near the window as Sakura began her tale. As she talked, a cool breeze whistled into the room, stirring the long curtains and fluttering them about. Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes as she recited the last part of her story, of when she’d heartlessly left her beloved family behind, her beloved men Sebastian and Darcy Princeton.
It had all been for a good cause though, she reminded herself. She hadn’t wanted to hurt any of them in any way, and she thought leaving them had been the best option. Now, however, she wondered if she’d been wrong in that regard. Perhaps leaving them hadn’t been the best option after all. Perhaps she should have stayed and faced the consequences. But then again, she’d have to decide, wouldn’t she, between Sebastian and Darcy? And she wasn’t ready for that yet.
Jane was sobbing noisily and sniffing by the time Sakura finished.
“I’m so sorry.” She chuckled, tears flowing down her red cheeks. “But, oh my God! Your story is just so sad.” She grabbed another Kleenex and wiped her red eyes. “Come here.” She laughed and grabbed Sakura in her arms. “I knew there was something about you that just didn’t fit. You’re so beautiful and elegant and kind. I know lots of girls are jealous of you because you’re so pretty. But your story just…” She couldn’t finish.
“Now you understand, Jane? Why I don’t want to go back to them? I was hoping they’d forget about me and move on, but after yesterday…”