Episode 87
"I'm sorry"
"Why"
"For messing this whole thing up"
Aoi rested her head back against the seat and sighed.
" It's not your fault" Mari replied to Aoi.
"I had my doubts on Ian Strauss but I chose to ignore them" Aoi murmured still looking up. Mari was driving.
Mari didn't reply, she didn't blame Aoi. More than anything she understood that it was 'her' that clouded Aoi's judgement.
Aoi wanted Mari to have a new start, a new love and a new life; she deliberately ignored the cues here and there hoping that Mari might get to love someone for sure this time.
"Are you mad?" Aoi asked since Mari gave no response, she slightly turned her head in Mari's direction who shook her head.
"Ian is..." Mari paused as if she was in a deep thought even though her eyes were fixed upon the road.
"We'll find him" Aoi reassured her "He's currently the owner of both Strauss estate and more than half of the Kirihara estate, he can't get away with it"
" Hmm" Mari gave a vague response, there was not much on her face to understand what had been going on in her mind but it worried Aoi nevertheless.
This girl never had any luck when it came to love; first Haru then Yuki and now Ian... eventually everyone leaves her...
"I wonder how long had he been deceiving us...was his motive getting the Kirihara estate from the beginning... " Aoi mumbled.
" Ian... " Mari mumbled and Aoi looked at her attentively.
" What about him? "
" I don't think Ian is like that"
"Mari...."
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"You're just like that!"
"Like what?"
"Crafty like your mother"
The guy chuckled looking back at Ian who sat upon the bed while little Lian was asleep next to him.
"What about you Nicolas? Aren't a crafty fuk-r too, betraying my dad right under his nose?" Ian chuckled back mockingly as he stood up and walked towards the back of the man who was standing near the curtains.
"You give me too much credit haha"
The lawyer of the Strauss estate turned around after closing the curtains of the room only to turn around and get punched by Ian instead.
He dropped to the ground and slid his thumb against the edge of his lip, swiping off some blood from the corner.
"You still hold a grudge about that huh" Nicolas laughed despite the bleeding cut at the corner of his mouth.
"I thought I made it pretty clear that Lian's safety was utmost and yet you let him get caught up too" Ian rubbed his fist.
" I only gave the suggestion of getting Ms. Aoi's lover, who would have thought that Lian would get caught up too?" Nicolas shrugged through an obvious lie to which Ian lifted his fist to punch him again, though someone grabbed his wrist from behind.
"Calm down" A deep voice resonated near Ian's ear and he let his fist loose.
The red headed man with a burn scar on his hand retreated his hand. A dragon bracelet dangled from his wrist despite the long sleeved hi neck that he was wearing.
"You're back" Nicolas spoke with an excitement and moved past Ian to cling to the arm of this well built man.
"Why'd you rush" The man asked Ian and he averted his eyes.
"What's the point of holding a big fake wedding anyways? We only needed the power of attorney to the Kirihara state" Ian shrugged.
" Ah ah you ruined all his plans, he's so mad.. " Nicolas smirked still affectionately clinging to the man.
Ian made a worried face " Are you angry with me?" He looked somewhat scared.
Though the redheaded man shook his head and placed his hand over Ian's head.
" You're definitely mad at me!! I'm sorry I didn't know, I should have waited for you!" Ian spoke rather desperately, though the man stayed silent.
" It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore, besides Himari Aoi has failed the test" Nicolas spoke in the place of the silent man.
"But she survived the brake failure, wasn't that the test???" Ian asked being rather surprised.
" Ah ah Ian you're so stupid, the real test was getting rid of Aiba, we needed to know if she had the guts to do the right thing even if it involved taking a life haha " The sheepish lawyer grinned.
" Huh???!" Ian's eyes widened "Is Aiba still alive then? You promised me you'll get rid of that disgusting old hag!!" Ian turned to the red headed man.
"She's dead"
The redhead finally replied and Nicolas couldn't stop being excited to the point of chuckling.
" How...?"
" Aiba was murdered by Hiromitsu Natsuro"
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"He did what?????"
Alex's eyes widened as he sat back on the couch. Zhuang was also shocked.
"I'm sorry" Aoi said yet again.
"Lian too??" Alex asked.
"I don't know how much does the kid know but yeah he's gone too" Aoi told him.
" I'm sorry too" Alex turned to apologizing as well, Aoi felt confused " I should've seen through it, he's my responsibility..."
" It doesn't really matter if you guys had found it out now or later" Zhuang interrupted " What matters is what we're going to do next ? What is Ian Strauss's motive?"
" Their" Aoi corrected Zhuang " He isn't doing this alone"
Zhuang and Alex looked at each other as if their theory was just confirmed by Aoi.
"According to what Akio san told us this someone from Raina Strauss's past is also involved in this" Alex reminded them.
" Everyone from her past is dead, Clara Hughes, her lover...she herself.." Zhuang argued.
" Maybe there's something we're still not familiar with.." Alex replied.
" An angle we haven't seen before" Zhuang mumbled.
Aoi silently murmured Zhuang's words
" An angle we haven't seen before.."
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"Akio san.."
"I'm sorry.."
Kei was already flustered when he'd rushed to open the door but Akio hugging him the moment he opened it had him more worried.
Mari was standing behind him.
"I don't know, Aoi told me to drop him" Mari said as Kei's questioning gaze interrogated her.
"Come in" Kei said and Mari did come in, Akio parted from the hug.
"It's her" Lia pointed.
"It's her" Sia repeated.
Mari made a rather cringed face looking at the kids.
She wasn't much fond of children and for some reason the girls were following her.
Akio sneezed a bit and Kei closed the door
"Your hair...is wet..." Kei could tell by the change of clothes and the wet hair that Akio had been in rain again..like for an unknown number of time already. At this point being dramatic in the rain had become Akio's hobby.
"I'm okay just-" Akio ended up hugging Kei again who just awkwardly rubbed his back not knowing what bothered him.
"Brother can I have something to eat" Mari asked not caring a bit about Kei being stuck in an awkward hug with Akio squeezing the life out of him.
"There's sandwiches..in fridge.." Kei told extending his hand.
Mari just casually went to the kitchen with Lia and Sia following her like tiny little chicks especially since they were wearing yellow jumpers and moreover their blonde hair, they really did look like tiny chicks.
" What do you want" Mari said to the little girls who were standing near her watching her with starry eyes.
"Where the pretty boy" Lia asked
"The pretty boy" Sia repeated
" Huh?" Mari raised a brow then it came to her that they meant Ian.
A few moments later the girls came running out throwing a tantrum and clung to Kei's legs who was already trying to survive in Akio's tight grip.
"Ehhhhh" Kei went totally immobile with Akio hugging him tightly from up there and then the girls clinging to each of his leg rendering him unable to even move from his place.
"Mari!!!"
Kei turned to her assuming she was responsible for this one.
"What? I just told them to stay away from my guy"
Mari shrugged biting the sandwich in her hand.
"Stop competing.. with children!" Kei scolded her.
Mari rolled her eyes and focused on finishing the sandwich.
"Eh you're.. leaving?" Kei managed to ask while trying to break free.
Mari just waved from the back of her hand and closed the door on her way out.
"Got something to do"
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Is Aoi back?
Uh, it's tiring even getting up..
Huh??
I don't recognize this person....
I slightly opened the door with the chain still attached.
"Who?" I asked this stranger dressed up in a suit yet wearing a cap and a sun glasses.
He's...
"Uh Joshua, I'm Joshua, the wedding planner, I suppose Ms. Aoi had told you about me?"
Ah, the wedding planner, I totally forgot about that amidst all of these events but then again.....
I unhooked the chain and let the man in as he took off his shoes and put his umbrella by the doorway, letting him sit on the couch in the living room and put some coffee into the coffee maker.
This feeling.....
"I'm sorry I just didn't recognize you" I came back with a cup of coffee after making him wait a little by himself in the living room. He just quietly sat there checking his cellphone.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you like this, I suppose Ms. Aoi isn't home" He said taking the mug from me and gently giving a thankful nod.
Wearing shades on a rainy day though...
"Is there something you want to discuss with her, you can tell me I'll pass it on" I asked him whilst sitting infront of him.
" Ms. Aoi made a huge advance payment and yet she didn't specify when she wanted to get started regarding this wedding, the deadline she gave me is by the end of this week and I have had no update on things from her for a while now" He told me.
Ah... Is that really so...
"About the wedding, I'll definitely ask her to confirm it with you, I'm sorry for causing you inconvenience..... though..." I lowered my head slipping my hand into my jacket.
" Though..?" He asked curiously.
"What's the real reason though..?" I asked looking at the man with a frown while clenching onto the pocket knife inside my jacket.
The man's expression went from looking polite and soft to a rather stoic one.
He took off his sunglasses and cap, putting them on the table.
"How long have you known?"
"From the moment you walked in, there's a familiar scent on you..."
Moreover....
I looked in the direction of the dragon bracelet on his wrist biting into his scarred skin.
The man blinked, his grey orbs grew a bit wider, even though he appeared young from the face, his eyes said otherwise, he was well maintained and well built...but probably older than he seemed though I just can't explain why I felt this way.....
"You can pick such a minor scent?"
He took out a familiar glove from his inner pocket, I recognized that little glove well, it belonged to Lian Strauss.
For some reason...that boy 's scent, stands out for me...
"Well if you're done testing me, then can you come to the point?" I spoke strictly.
"I really do respect you, you're smart and strong" He bent his head.
What's that supposed to mean anyways? Is he hitting on me?
"You have the courage to do what's right, even if it means taking a life" He placed the mug on the table.
What is he saying...???
"Ah, I suppose it's time I leave" He checked his watch, getting up.
Finish.. what you were saying!
What do you mean by what you said!!
But a part of me doesn't want to know at the same time...
"Ah I forgot" He went through his pocket.
"If you want to know more about what happened that day at the hotel.."
He came up to me and grabbed my wrist, putting a memory card on my palm and closed it.
"You see, I had a wife I loved too once, so I know... " He retrieved his hand wearing his shades and cap again "....sometimes the worst thing our partners do is to keep us in shadows thinking they are protecting us..."
" Who are you really....?"
" I'm Joshua Hughes, you can just call me Josh"