Four months later...
He was driving his car at high speed, wondering why he had done all that; he didn't need it. He had his own businesses, his own assets earned with his own efforts, but he knew that didn't compare to the fortune his cousin had left in the hands of that girl. He smiled as he pressed his foot on the accelerator.
He took the main road, not wanting to go back home. He didn't want to see Tori, didn't want to look her in the face, especially after sharing intimacy with another girl... No, he was sure she would forgive him for everything except that. Just remembering what had just happened made his skin crawl.
He needed a shower, maybe a couple of drinks, or possibly to get into another woman's bed, something to rid himself of the strange sensation on his skin when he recalled the girl's caresses and kisses. He stopped in front of the entrance gate of a luxurious building.
He searched his pocket for his cell phone. His cold and calculating face twisted in anger. The idea of leaving it at the girl's place was unpleasant to him. It meant he would have to go back there to retrieve it, meant he would have to see her again and pretend something he didn't feel. He was getting tired of pretending. He approached the gate and pressed a button several times. After a while, a drowsy voice answered.
"Hello?..."
"You idiot. It's me..."
"Yuki? What the hell are you doing here at this hour? I thought you would stay to watch the sunrise with your lover..."
"Shut up, idiot." He immediately interrupted. "Let me in, I need a drink..."
He entered the apartment where a man sitting on the couch was waiting for him with a couple of drinks served.
"Good old Ankit is always ready to listen to the empty-headed Yukio..." he joked, but when he saw the expression on Yukio's face, he fell silent and offered him the glass filled with liquor.
Yukio drank it all in one gulp. He took a seat and took a deep breath.
"How was it?" Ankit looked at him curiously as he poured another drink.
"Horrible... I don't think I can do that again. Girls like her are not my thing, and you know it..."
"That's why I told you we should hire a professional, but you insisted that fewer people involved would be better," replied Ankit, running his hand through his reddish hair. "Well, sleeping with the girl once or twice doesn't make you more or less of a man..."
"It's not that... It's just that everything was so different..." Yukio poured himself another drink. "I don't want to see her again."
"No, that's not an option. If you break her heart, we're screwed." The seriousness on his face became evident in an instant. "I don't care what you have to do to continue the game, at least until she gives us the codes... After all, she's madly in love with you."
"Ankit," he called him with that masculine voice that captivated his interlocutor's gaze. "I've been thinking, I think we can solve this crisis on our own. We don't need to continue with this plan..."
"But what are you saying? We're almost bankrupt. Our fashion business was doing well, but your family's excessive expenses and your brother's bad investments are leaving us without money. The banks will start seizing our assets soon..."
"I know... but there must be another way... Things with Tori are going well. Maybe I can borrow some money from her family and..."
"Do you think Tori's old man will allow his beautiful flower to marry someone on the verge of bankruptcy? That crazy old man probably already knows our situation..."
"You blame me and my family for wasting the money, but you haven't done anything except complain, you've done nothing..."
"Isn't that enough? I have to put up with that unbearable old woman just so she can give me small sums that barely keep the business afloat..."
"You complain about nothing. Old woman, I'm the one doing all the dirty work... I had to let that brat touch me, you have no idea how disgusting it was!"
"Disgusting or not, there's no other way!"
"There's always another way!"
"You were the one who suggested using the girl... Don't complain, after all, your affair stays within the family..." he yelled angrily. "You're lucky that even after everything that happened, I'm still on your side..."
"Ankit," he called him subtly. "Forgive me... It's just that... this matter has me overwhelmed..."
Four months ago...
"It's small... very small..." The woman sat in one of the antique chairs that decorated the apartment. "I'm going to miss the mansion."
"There's no rush, mother. You'll return to it soon," replied the brunette, trying to cheer her up.
The apartment-suite was a small, single-story apartment located on the penultimate floor of the Saint Marie Hotel. It was furnished with somewhat old-fashioned but tasteful furniture. It was somewhat uncomfortable for the Tanarro family to be in that place. After all, Kai had lived there for the last two years before being admitted to the clinic for health reasons. There were only two large bedrooms in the small space, a small living room for receiving guests, a single bathroom, and a small kitchen.
"This is a pigsty," the woman retorted, arranging her suitcases in one of the rooms. "It's an apartment for a bachelor, not for a family like ours."
"Maybe it's just for you. After all, the insensitive Kai was very emphatic in writing that Yukio and I are grown enough to fend for ourselves," Ysuke opened the other door, revealing a simple room. "Well, it looks like we'll have to share it."
And so they did, at least for that night, because at dawn, Yukio emerged wrapped in his blanket and made his way to the living room, where he settled on the sofa. His mother woke him up shortly after.
"We need to do something, mother!" His face looked tired; it was clear that he hadn't slept well.
"Don't worry, we'll soon recover our money and the mansion..."
"No, I'm not talking about that," Yukio replied. "I'm talking about Yuselso. He's a living nightmare. He smokes in the bedroom, drinks alcohol, talks on the phone all the time, and on top of that, he snores and is messy... I can't stand it... How could you father a son like him?"
That morning, he arrived at the corporate tower very early, entered his office, and started going through the documents that were there.
"Good morning, sir, Mr. President!" Ankit greeted him as he appeared at the door. "Ready to take over the main office?"
"Not at all," he replied without lifting his gaze from his papers.
"Did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?" Ankit asked while pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Sorry, I haven't told you... My dear cousin has left me high and dry."
"What?..." The surprise made him leave the coffee on the table and approach Yukio, looking directly into his eyes. "Is this a joke?"
"No," Yukio leaned back against the backrest of his chair and explained what had happened to his friend. "In conclusion, I'm not the president, I don't have extra money, and my mother and brother are driving me crazy."
"Well, after all, the other day you said you were fed up and that it was time to make your own way... I don't understand why it bothers you that Kai didn't leave you anything."
"Yes, but that requires capital, and the truth is, I don't have enough at the moment. If only that scoundrel had left me a significant amount, I wouldn't have any problem..."
Four months later...
She lay in bed, hugging herself, not wanting to believe what she had just read. She thought Yukio's feelings were sincere, or at least that's what he had shown her that night. Maybe it was a tasteless joke, she thought of Yuselso, her annoying cousin, perhaps he was behind it all. But something inside her told her it wasn't the case. Lost in her thoughts, she remembered every caress from the brunette the night before. Her colorful strands hid her face and her teary eyes when the old butler entered the room.
"Are you feeling alright, miss?" he asked affectionately. "Sorry for intruding, I knocked on your door but you didn't respond... Are you hungover? Well, you came in late last night and..."
"I'm fine, Michael. Did anyone call?"
"Yes, a few hours ago, young Yukio called for you..."
Her eyes sparkled intensely; after all, the brunette had cared enough to call her. She hugged her lover's cellphone as she looked inquisitively at her butler.
"Why didn't you wake me up, Michael?"
"I tried, but you didn't respond... Young Yukio said he would wait for you at the usual restaurant for lunch..."
"What time is it?"
"It's almost twelve, miss..."
She didn't have much time. She opened the closet and dressed in the first things she found. Obviously, nothing matched. Michael tried to help her choose something better, but the girl insisted that she didn't have time for that and that it was already too late for the appointment.
She put the cellphone in her pocket and rushed out to meet Yukio. She needed to clear her doubts, she wanted to hear the truth from her lover's lips.
Hello, I hope you are liking my novel.
"Oh... How dreadful!" A grimace formed on that perfectly featured face as she put on her sunglasses. "I'll have to hurry. I don't want this to ruin my image... How could she go out dressed like that?"She drank her glass of cognac while the cheerful Jina arrived, smiling happily and taking a seat."Good day, my love!" She tried to hide the sadness she felt, certain that this wasn't the place to ask her lover directly about the message."What's good about it?" She replied grumpily. "You're late!""What kind of greeting is that?... I missed you so much," she looked at him tenderly while reaching into her pocket to make sure her phone was still there."We were together almost the whole night! How can you miss me when we've barely been apart for a few hours?" She replied, trying to contain her anger. With a hand gesture, she signaled the waiter to come and take their order. "The usual," she replied, handing back the menu as she fixed her gaze on Jina."Pateee Oran... Nah, Sooouuup l...a..
Four months ago...Her lips emitted a loud whistle. The lawyer and the secretary were standing behind her. They closed the door so that no one could interrupt them."This is luxurious!" she exclaimed, running towards the grand presidential armchair and spinning around excitedly as the world revolved around her. She suddenly stopped and looked at the two smiling faces. "But what do I have to do here? I have no idea how to handle all this," she looked at them as if she were a lost puppy."Don't worry, Jina. Secretary Hibara and I will help you. With our guidance, you will do a good job.""But I don't think I'm prepared for this. It's a great responsibility... Besides, I heard that Tanarro Yukio is the most suitable person to sit in this chair.""That could be... But Mr. Kai chose you, so we will place our trust in you," the secretary replied with a smile. "Mr. Hida
He looked at him coldly, adjusting his scarf with his right hand while holding his umbrella with his left. He dared to say,"Sotomayor Jina, you will never change...""Teodoro Eun-Chan!" she shouted in surprise, running towards him. "What are you doing here? When did you arrive? How did you find me? Where have you been? How was university? Will you be coming back home soon?..."A frivolous smile appeared on his face, and with his right hand, he made a "stop" gesture, trying to halt Jina's endless barrage of questions.They walked in the rain until they stopped at a nearby café. Jina looked at her companion from head to toe, admiring him since high school. Everything looked good on Eugene-Chan. She looked at herself again in the reflection of the window glass; she was a mess compared to her friend."Are you going to sit down or are you just going to keep staring at yourself
Three months later..."Passengers bound for Switzerland, please board through gate thirty-two... Ladies and gentlemen, due to the reported weather conditions in the major cities of Spain, flights will experience a delay of approximately one hour... Thank you for your patience..."The message in English was replicated in several languages. Jina walked, dragging her heavy travel suitcase, and approached a foreigner with brown hair and a freckled face who held a huge sign with her name written on it."That's me!" she said, pointing to the sign and then pointing to herself.The man smiled and took her luggage, leading her to the car while speaking several words that Jina didn't fully understand.She peeked out of the window, amazed by the monuments, sculptures, and architecture of the buildings. She smiled in awe. Finally, they stopped in front of a small residence l
Paris, France...Eugene-Chan's house was completely silent. Jina spent the afternoon gazing out of the window, often crying. But on that particular day, she felt calm, thinking that Yukio must have returned from Hokkaido and was probably surprised not to find her there. She smiled and looked around for a calendar where she had marked several dates, including that specific day. She closed the curtain of her bedroom window and walked towards Eun-Chan's occupied study."Mmmmmm...""Mmmmmm, what?" asked the writer without taking his eyes off the computer screen."Mmmmmm..." she repeated while organizing her thoughts. "I'm bored!""Being bored in Paris is a crime," he replied while continuing to type. "If you're bored, go out and take a walk. Paris is full of beautiful places, art, fashion, and all those cheesy things you like...""Yes, it's beaut
He entered the office with his shirt untucked, his tie loosely knotted, wearing black glasses. A cigarette rested on his lips, and an elegant Hugo Boss jacket casually hung off his shoulder. The people he bumped into in the hallway greeted him in their usual manner, but behind his back, they murmured among themselves. For the first time since they had known him, they saw him with this somewhat unkempt appearance. He slammed the door shut and poured himself a drink."Isn't it a bit early to start drinking?" Ankit asked, poking his head through the door."The night ended badly, the day started badly..." Yukio tossed a paper ball at him.Ankit caught the paper, hastily unwrapped it, and read it, then looked at his friend."Damn it! That doesn't look good at all." He approached and poured himself a drink to join his friend. After a pause, he interrupted the silence. "Although this confirms our suspicions
Tokyo, Japan..."Why don't you leave work and go out tonight?" she asked, hugging him and kissing his cheeks."Sorry, Tori, but I can't... I have a lot of work," he replied, still staring at the screen of his laptop."Sometimes I feel envious of that computer! You touch that device more than you touch me!" She moved away, angry. "Don't you love me? Aren't you excited about our marriage?""Of course, my love! Don't say such things," he continued staring at his computer screen."I've got everything ready. The dress is beautiful, the invitations have been sent. Just yesterday, I was with your mother, finalizing some details..." She paced back and forth, telling him about each preparation."Yes, dear, it will be wonderful," he replied, still in front of his computer, looking at figures and numbers, checking data.He put the c
The invitations were delivered a month before the ceremony, and the photographs announcing the engagement were published weeks before the scheduled date. Mrs. Aya Tanarro met with Ankit Matsume, Tori's mother, in the morning. There was no doubt that the natural talent of the great Aunt Aya was to appear; they spent the afternoon selecting the menu for the grand reception that would follow the ceremony. "Tori wants something simple," said Mrs. Tanarro. "I agree with you, dear. A champagne tower is an exaggeration," she replied, realizing they needed to reduce some extravagances to lower expenses. Finally, the two came to an agreement, and Mrs. Tanarro returned to her small apartment, complaining about everything she had to do to hide her poverty while, at the same time, envying and criticizing Tori's mother. "That's not the wedding my Yukio deserves... And I had to endure that Matsume woman showing off her daring English hat. It doesn't even suit her; she has a round and chubby fac