by Alexia Praks
The show began and the music started. It wasn’t long when they saw Akira striding elegantly along the runway, showing her jewelry and Mr. Tachibana’s gown. She posed seductively at the end and gazed smolderingly at the camera. Then she winked, and Nicolas found himself responding. His heart skipped a beat and his throat became dry.
Tristan did the wolf whistle, and Nicolas frowned at his brother. Of course, Tristan didn’t see Nicolas’s glare, nor did any of this brothers because they were glued to the screen as the next slight figure appeared on the runway.
It was Sakura, dressed in that amazing gown. She made her way up to the camera. During her short walk, it was as if she were lost in her own dreamland. She looked serene and absolutely exquisite. She stopped at the end of the runway, and then her posture changed. The brothers knew immediately that she had seen them.
She looked hesitant, as if she didn’t know what to do next. Then she hastily turned and walked back. It wasn’t long before they saw Mr. Tachibana come out again with her by his side. The brothers could tell she wasn’t pleased with this and she wanted to run. After the applause and bow, the scene was cut short.
“That’s it?” Conrad asked Nicolas.
“Nope,” Nicolas said, looking at the screen on the laptop. “There’s still a little more to go.”
The buzzing and blank screen was still on, and then it flipped to the chaos of backstage again. They saw Hayden and Darcy running across the length of the room. Then it was Sakura who gave her shoes to Jane. Then it was Nicolas running after them, who banged into Akira. And then the camera went out.
“Huh!” Tristan said. “You killed the camera, Nicolas.”
“Sakura gave her shoes to Jane,” Nicolas said. “She lied about not knowing Sakura.”
“It looks like I need to call Luke ASAP,” Sebastian said and pulled out his cell phone.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 14
Mother and Daughter, First Meeting
Sakura had never felt so nervous in her life. Since she’d found out about the missing diamond last night when she did another inspection to make sure she hadn’t damage it like the gown, she’d felt dreadful and wanted to cry. To replace that particular jewel would cost at least a couple hundred thousand, and Sakura just didn’t have that type of money.
Again, she glanced at the exquisite jewelry sitting in a velvet box beside her bed, ready to be delivered today back to its owner, Lady Suzuki. With an active, imaginative artist mind like hers, she started wondering about the possibilities of Lady Suzuki’s reactions. Suddenly, she panicked and became lightheaded. Oh God! She hoped the woman wouldn’t throw her into jail or take her to court over the ordeal. She hoped they’d come up with an agreement. Though, to be honest, she really doubted that. A life in jail was what she imagined.
Her hands were shaking when she carefully shut the box and put it in her bag. A tentative knock came at the door, and Jane poked her head in.
Sakura glanced over her shoulder to give her friend a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
The moment Jane saw Sakura, she immediately hustled over, wispy blond hair flying about her. Her green eyes were large and teary as she pulled the younger girl into her arms and hugged her tight. She continuously patted Sakura on the shoulder, like she would a younger sister.
“Don’t worry. Lady Suzuki isn’t so heartless. She knows it’s an accident. I told Mr. Suzuki, Lady Suzuki’s nephew, last night about the necklace and that a diamond was missing. He didn’t sound too concerned about that.” She cocked her head to one side. “He sounded pleased, actually. Which is rather odd.”
Sakura laughed brokenly. “Are you kidding me, Jane? I ran off with the precious necklace. On top of that, I’ve managed to damage it. How could Mr. Suzuki not be concerned when his aunt’s million-dollar jewel is damaged? I’ll only be too glad if they don’t take me to court or throw me in jail.”
Jane released her arms and sighed. “You’re right. I don’t actually know them that well. But… I don’t know! I shouldn’t have asked Mr. Tachibana for their number. I shouldn’t have called Mr. Suzuki requesting this meeting. Shouldn’t have at all.”
Now it was Jane’s turn to flutter and Sakura’s turn to calm the woman down. “Don’t be silly, Jane. Slow down and breathe slowly and deeply.”
Jane nodded and brushed her hair from her face in annoyance.
“It was my idea after all.” Sakura laughed brokenly, her stomach flipping with nervousness. “I have to return it regardless, in perfect condition or not. My conscience won’t allow otherwise.”
Jane agreed with a nod. “Well, come on, then.” She pulled Sakura to her feet. “We don’t want to be late now, do we? I heard Mr. Suzuki hates people who are late. Time is money for them, you know.”
Sakura said quietly, “Yes, of course.”
They were coming down the stairs to the ground floor, Sakura awkwardly carrying Mr. Tachibana’s gown. As they passed through the gallery, Melissa called out, “Are you going out?”
Sakura turned to her sales assistant and said, “Yes. I have to return this to the owner.”
Melissa eyed the wrapped gown and said with interest, “It looks like a piece of artwork.”
Sakura nodded and waved at Jane for them to leave. “Just call if you need me. I won’t be too long.”
“Sure,” Melissa said, pulling a face as she watched Sakura and Jane walk out the door.
The girls found a taxi, and Jane told the driver where to go the moment they hopped into the tight, musty compartment. They clicked on their belt as the driver maneuvered the car out into the street. Sakura was relaxing back in her seat, her hand fisted so tight her knuckles turned white when Jane’s phone rang.
Jane jumped at the sudden sound and muttered incoherently. She picked up and found it was her brother.
“Great, what does he want now?” she muttered in annoyance. “I swear, Sakura, that brother of mine never forgets to ring me every time I come to see you. I told him we’ve got girl stuff to do.”
Sakura asked, “Is that Luke now?”
Jane nodded and then turned her attention to her phone. “What’s up, Luke?”
“We have a problem,” came his greeting.
It wasn’t long before Jane looked like she wanted to die as she listened to her brother, which worried Sakura. The taxi driver glanced at them with curiosity via his rearview mirror before returning his eyes to the road, which was now jam-packed with many other cars commuting about the city.
Slowly, Jane lowered the phone and turned her attention to Sakura, her face as pale as a ghost. She took a deep breath and finally was able to muster the courage to say, her voice shaking just a little, “You do know Luke works for Sebastian Princeton, right?”
Sakura blinked. Her heart did a free-fall. When the shocking news fully sank in, she paled and her eyes rounded in dread. She couldn’t speak. She could only shake her head in response, as if to tell Jane that what the woman had just said couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be true. The world couldn’t be that small. Luke was working for Sebastian? No way!
Jane sighed. “Well, Luke works for Sebastian Princeton as his personal secretary. Saturday night at the hotel, you know he was there, right?”
Again, Sakura nodded.
“The Princeton brothers found out I’m Luke’s sister and that I know you. Oh my God! I lied to them!” Jane paled. The thought that she’d lied to them, the powerful Princeton brothers, was way too much for her to bear. She was totally in deep shit now.
“What did Luke say?”
Jane took a deep breath and said, “They’ve asked to see Luke today… and me as well.”
Sakura closed her eyes and felt herself shaking with dread. “Jane, you mustn’t go see them. You mustn’t.”
“Of course I won’t go see them.” She paused, frowning darkly. “At least not yet. I can make up excuses, of course. But it’s Luke I’m worried about. He couldn’t lie to save his life.”
“P
lease, call him back, Jane. I need to speak with him. I have to ask him not to tell the Princeton brothers where I am.”
Jane gave her an apologetic look. “It’s too late. He’s heading to their apartment now. And to be honest, I haven’t a clue where that is.”
“Can you please just try ringing?” Sakura pleaded. “It might not be too late.”
Jane nodded and quickly dialed her brother’s number. The phone rang insistently, and finally, Luke’s voice message came through. Jane canceled the call and redialed. Again, it rang continuously, and again, they got the voice message.
Sakura closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths to calm herself. She needed to think. She needed a way out. She knew Luke was going to tell the Princetons about her gallery in Soho, and no doubt, the brothers would be there in no time at all.
“You’re not thinking of running away again, are you?” Jane asked curiously.
With Sakura giving an apologetic look, Jane knew that was exactly what she was going to do.
“If I don’t tell you or Luke, then the brothers couldn’t do much about it, could they?”
“And Ned?” Jane asked curiously. “What about him?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t want him involved anymore. It’s just way too much already. Everything will eventually be completely out of hand, and once there, I have no idea how I’d handle it.”
“I’m just hoping you’re doing the right thing, Sakura,” Jane said before they finally arrived at Lady Suzuki’s grand apartment.
“Me, too,” Sakura murmured as they got out of the taxi.
Out on the street, Sakura stared up at the three-story building in awe. Above her, cherry blossom petals floated down in the gentle breeze, and she gazed in wonder. She smiled as some landed on her.
Jane, after giving the taxi driver money, came around and chuckled. “You look just like one of those heroines in Asian movies,” she said, a glint in her eyes.
“What heroine?” Sakura asked innocently, her heart constricted, her thoughts still on the brothers. She really did wonder if she were doing the right thing by running away from them. What was she trying to avoid? Was it her facing them or was it something else?
Returning to her current situation, she clamped her lips, nervous all of a sudden at the thought of meeting with Lady Suzuki. Once again, the thought of going to court and living in bare cell didn’t stray far from her mind.
“Shall we?” she asked Jane nervously.
Jane nodded. “Yes.”
The girls headed to the main entrance and came in through the large foyer. Jane flashed a wowed look as she gazed up and down and about her in awe.
“This place is super awesome,” she said loudly.
“I know,” Sakura replied. “Which makes this meeting even harder for me.”
Jane couldn’t do much more than just nod in agreement. They headed to the elevator, and moments later, the door dinged open. The girls stepped out and scanned around the elegant hallway of warm-toned carpet and damasked wallpaper. Even here, there were cool modern chandeliers along the length of the place. At the end of the foyer, there was a single large double door.
“Are we on the right floor?”
“I think so,” Jane said hesitantly.
Together, the girls headed toward the door, and as soon as they opened that, they came into another corridor. This one, however, had a glass wall on the left side. Sakura tentatively followed Jane. As they went farther in, her attention was caught by the exotic garden outside. She stopped and turned to the glass widow, staring out with longing. Jane, meanwhile, turned the corner of the corridor and disappeared from sight.
Sakura, oblivious to her disappearing friend, placed her hand against the glass window as she gazed out. There were cherry blossom trees about the small garden, surrounding a small pond. There were also wooden outdoor benches and chairs to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere. As the gentle breeze danced outside, petals of cherry blossoms rained down across the garden, and Sakura wished she could be out there, breathing in the beautiful air and basking in the wonderful spring day.
Suddenly, she felt her heart skip, and once again, the images of Sebastian and Darcy came into her mind.
“Am I doing the right thing?” she queried herself. “Am I hurting you both by running away from you yet again?”
She felt tears sting her eyes as she stood there watching the cherry blossoms fall.
“Sakura!” Jane called urgently.
Sakura blinked her tears away and turned to her friend. “What is it?”
“We’re on the wrong floor,” Jane said.
“Oh, are we?”
With Sakura’s questioning look, Jane said, “I just rang the bell.” She pointed to the door around the corner. “And damn, but the wonderful smell of baked cake coming from that penthouse is to die for.”
Sakura couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “You and your cake. Did you happen to ask the owner if you can have some?” she teased.
Jane pulled a face. “Of course not. Not especially with that stern look on that housekeeper’s face. I tell you, Sakura, she looks like a powerful matron. One you shouldn’t disobey.”
“So where is Lady Suzuki’s apartment?” Sakura asked.
“Down below,” Jane said.
“Right, then let’s go before we are actually late.” With that statement, she turned and headed to the door they’d just come through.
Once again, they took the lift down and found themselves facing another elegant foyer before coming to the number two apartment. Sakura rang the bell, and moments later, they were greeted by Sosuke, who stood tall and imposing at the doorway.
Sakura licked her lips and said nervously, “I’m here to see Lady Suzuki?”
Sosuke gave Sakura a handsome smile that made Jane blink in wonder and her head spin just a little.
“You’re Sakura,” he stated, still grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so glad we’ve finally found you.”
Sakura blinked. “I’m sorry?”
Sosuke realized his slip and said quickly, “Come on in.” He glanced at Jane briefly and gave her one raised brow. “Jane, isn’t it?”
Jane blushed because he was suddenly paying attention to her and nodded her head. “Yes, Jane Hamilton.”
Sosuke opened the door wider and stood to one side, allowing the girls to enter. It was a few minutes later that Sakura and Jane found themselves in a very cozy, Japanese style living room. They were all sitting on the floor with soft mattresses to support their knees. Opposite her was Haruka. The woman was wearing one of her yukata, and her dark hair was formed into a bun on her head. Beside her sat Akira, who was also wearing a yukata. She eyed Sakura with interest as the younger girl sat there nervously. Jane was behind Sakura, and Sosuke was farther to the left as he waited patiently for Sakura to start.
And she did, with a tremor in her voice. “I’m so sorry. It was an accident,” she said. She took out the purple velvet box from within her handbag and then gave it to Haruka.
Haruka stared long and hard at the box before her and then lifted her eyes to Sakura. She tried very hard to hold back tears. In her heart, she wanted to take the younger girl into her arms and simply hug her long and tight and never let her go. But she couldn’t do that. Not yet. Not until she had the guts to reveal to Sakura the truth of who she was.
It was then that Haruka eyed Sakura’s necklace. The pink diamond, not unlike her own, the one which Sakura had worn at the show, shone against the light as it dangled about Sakura’s chest. Haruka felt lightheaded, and the world around her suddenly spun. She found herself falling backward as her eyes shut.
Akira shouted, “Oba-chan!”
Sosuke leaped toward his aunty and cradled her in his arms while Akira hovered over her with a pale face.
“Oba-chan, are you all right?” Sosuke asked with concern.
Sakura panicked the moment the woman was about to faint. She looked so frail all of a sudden, and of course, Sakura blamed herself for that. The s
hock of her ruined necklace must have made her sick.
Sakura turned to look at Jane for support. Jane moved closer and said, “It’s okay, Sakura. Just hang in there.”
Sakura nodded and returned her attention to Haruka, who was slowly gaining her senses back. She asked, her voice quivering just a little, “Are you all right?”
Haruka managed to come around and said lowly, “Don’t worry. I just feel a little lightheaded. That is all.”
“Are you sure, Oba-chan?” Akira asked. “Should we take you to see the doctor? You look awfully pale, even since yesterday.”
Haruka sat up straight as Sosuke aided her. She cleared her throat and turned to Akira. “Darling, a glass water please?”
“Of course.” Akira nodded and rushed off to do her bidding.
Haruka returned her attention to Sakura, her eyes on the necklace. She began. “I was wondering about your necklace, Sakura-chan.”
Sakura glanced down at her own necklace, the one she’d worn and never taken off, the one that was with her since she was born. She tentatively touched the pendent; her eyes had a faraway look about them. “I’ve had it since birth. I was told it was with me when…”
Haruka fisted her hands tight and her body was tense as she waited for Sakura to continue. When Sakura hesitated too long, she urged, “When?”
“When I was found on the doorstep of Queen Mary Orphanage on St. Joseph Island.”
Haruka sucked in her breath and closed her eyes. She willed herself not to faint when she heard Akira’s voice.
“Oba-chan? Water.”
Haruka flashed her eyes open and thanked her niece for the trouble. She took a slow sip of the cool liquid, and her heart reduced to its normal beat and her body calmed. Once she was done with the glass of water, she handed it back to Akira.
Finally, Haruka returned her attention to the box by Sakura’s knees. Sakura noticed the woman’s attention and quickly handed the thing to her.