Hidden Secrets

Chapter 46

Yaten's sudden disappearance left a heavy, uncomfortable silence at the table. Usagi, Seiya, Taiki, and Amy sat frozen around the delicious meal, not daring to utter a word. An awkward calm filled the room. Seiya's thoughts were still consumed by Yaten's words when he finally made a decision. With a queasy feeling, he looked at Usagi, seated to his left. He took her hand and placed it visibly on the table, intertwining his fingers with hers. Usagi hesitated to pull her hand away but decided at the last moment not to. She trusted that Seiya knew what he was doing.

The dark-haired man now sought eye contact with his brother, waiting for his reaction. By holding Usagi's hand, he had sent a clear signal to Taiki, and now it was Taiki's turn. Taiki's expression was inscrutable, and no one could guess what was going on inside him. Seiya only felt the slight pressure of Usagi's fingers as he focused on his brother.

Taiki forced himself to breathe evenly. The whole situation was surreal, and he had to carefully weigh how to proceed. There sat his brother in front of him, holding his wife's hand, and next to him was the love of his life, who evidently hadn't left him after all. Just this fact alone would have almost made him the happiest man on Earth if it weren't for that tiny detail called a marriage contract. His thoughts circled relentlessly as he tried to sort everything out.

"Since when? How long has this been going on between you two?" Taiki asked calmly, finally meeting Seiya's gaze. "Always. Since the first time I saw her, even before she knew Kenji was her father," Seiya replied, his voice full of conviction and love. "Is it possible that the child is yours?" Taiki inquired. Seiya noticed Usagi tensing slightly. He reassured her by gently stroking the back of her hand, trying to calm her. For a split second, he considered laying everything bare, but then he decided it would be better to stick to the official version. That would make it easier for everyone else, he reassured himself.

"No," Seiya's short answer came, but turmoil raged within him. He didn't want to lie to his brother, but he had little choice. He held Taiki's gaze sternly. The silent stare-down between the two brothers continued for a few more minutes, then Taiki reached for Amy's hand and placed it visibly on the table as well.

"And what about you?" Seiya attempted to turn the tables. "Several years... even before it was decided that I should marry Mina," Taiki's response was as concise as Seiya's.

The strange tension in the air was nearly unbearable. Usagi and Amy looked from one brother to the other, not daring to intrude on this silent conversation between the two.

"And how do we proceed with this situation?" Seiya asked after a while, breaking the endless silence.

Taiki sighed deeply, stood up, and paced restlessly back and forth. The deep furrow on his forehead, which Usagi had noticed several times before, was now prominently displayed as he stopped behind Amy and placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. His amethyst-colored eyes were now focused on the blonde woman. "Do you love him?" Taiki asked his wife.

Everything tightened inside Usagi; her throat suddenly felt dry, yet there was this joyous fluttering in her stomach. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, yes, I've loved him since our first encounter..." she whispered softly. Her fingers gripped Seiya's even tighter; he was currently the only thing anchoring her in this peculiar situation.

Taiki let go of Amy again and paced nervously in front of the table. "Why didn't any of you say anything?" he grumbled to himself. Seiya jumped up, released Usagi's hand, and leaned on the table with both hands. "Why didn't anyone say anything? Do I really have to explain that to you? Why the hell didn't you say anything? Usagi was afraid of losing everything. Do you remember the wonderful marriage contract that Father and Kenji forced on you, or should I quote you a few passages from it?" he snapped at his brother, who paused his stroll around the dining table. "Can you even remotely imagine what she went through? How could you, as her 'husband,' overlook something like that for weeks?" he continued to shout.