Hidden Secrets

Chapter 22

His phone rang incessantly, pulling Taiki out of deep sleep. Weary, he blinked at the display. Seiya.

"Hmm...?" he grumbled into the receiver.

"Where the hell are you? You're getting married in two hours. We were supposed to pick you up, but there's no sign of you anywhere, and your bed is untouched."

He jolted awake. It was rare for him to miss his alarm, and today happened to be one of those days. "I'll be at the tower in 20 minutes; start preparing everything," Taiki replied curtly and hung up.

His next glance fell upon the sleeping beauty beside him. Gently, he stroked her cheek, prompting her to open her eyes. "Good morning," she whispered to him, and he smiled lovingly, softly planting a kiss on her lips. "Good morning to you too, my love."

She shifted away from him, taking his hand in hers. "You still want to go through with it, don't you?"

Taiki gritted his teeth and nodded. He couldn't look at her. He swung his legs out of bed, propped his elbows on his knees, and lowered his head into his hands. How many times had he thought about just running away and leaving everything behind?

"Taiki, we still have a chance... Just one word from you, and I can be there in less than an hour..."

"No," he interrupted. "Amy, how many times have we talked about this? It wouldn't be a life if we were constantly on the run... You know my father, and you know he wouldn't rest until he had me back here... and I don't even want to think about what he would do to you."

"So, was this really our last night together?" she asked, and the sadness in her voice was hard to ignore. Even though it weighed heavily on him, he nodded.

"I'm afraid so, at least for some time... Kenji and Father went to great lengths with the wording in the marriage contract... But I promise you I'll find a solution for us... Just give me some time." She forced a weak smile. Taiki stood up and gave her a light kiss. "I'm sorry, but... I have to go now."

Shortly after, he reached the Kou Tower, where he was already expected. Seiya, Yaten, and Haruka formed his reception committee. All three were in Taiki's apartment, engaged in lively discussion when Taiki walked in.

"No, I've already explained it to you. If he doesn't wear the jacket, all we can do is listen to what the clothes in his closet are doing. We have to wait for what Setsuna has found out..." Yaten fell silent when he saw Taiki.

"Hey, we thought we'd have to send out a search party for you. Where were you?" Haruka greeted him. Taiki approached the table and poured himself a coffee. "Private appointment, went on longer yesterday... stayed at the hotel because of that," he said calmly, taking a sip of the hot pick-me-up.

Seiya and Yaten exchanged a meaningful look. "If I were you, I'd get ready now, so you don't keep your bride waiting... Also, I'd recommend a good concealer. Your private appointment marked you," Yaten said dryly, tapping his neck and taking a sip of his coffee.

Taiki's hand moved to his neck, feeling caught. Where had his mind been yesterday? Seiya checked the time. "And some haste wouldn't hurt either. You need to be at the registry office in 90 minutes."

"Damn," Taiki put down his coffee and hurried to the bathroom.

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Meanwhile, Usagi had long been dressed in her short dress for the civil ceremony. Tellu was once again arranging her hair and adjusting small details energetically. Mimete whirled around Usagi, explaining the schedule, going through the guest list again, and trying to impress upon Usagi the last important details. Makoto sat calmly on the sofa, flipping through one of Tellu's fashion magazines.