Hidden Secrets

Chapter 93

Yaten's gaze was still fascinated by the small being that Amy had placed in an incubator. He couldn't get enough of looking at her, his daughter, and the broad smile on his face seemed permanently etched into his features. They had both fallen asleep after all the exertions, and Minako still lay proudly in his arms. For a long time, they admired their miracle together, but eventually, fatigue overtook them.

Yaten had woken up first, and his beloved ones were still sleeping peacefully. Carefully, he took out his phone and sent a message to the group chat. Shortly after, he received a reply from Haruka, who mentioned she was still working upstairs. Cautiously, so as not to wake Minako, he slipped his arm from under her, kissed her gently on the forehead, and got up.

With a dreamy expression, he stood for a moment before his daughter, his fingers touching his lips and then resting on the plastic behind which she slept peacefully. "I'll be back soon. Keep sleeping and don't wake your mama. She deserves some rest after all the excitement," he whispered to her before leaving the room.

He was finally ready to make himself useful again, and he was itching to get started. Almost silently, he walked down the long corridor to the elevator. Amy stood with her back to him, checking his father's vitals. For a brief moment, Yaten considered checking on him but decided other matters took precedence. Kakashi was in good hands with Amy, and he would contact his mother later in the day if Haruka hadn't done so already. He speculated that Hikari had probably already heard about the events and was on her way to Tokyo, knowing his mother well enough to be sure she wouldn't leave Kakashi's side. Lost in thought, he pressed the buttons and soon found himself at Taiki's apartment.

Haruka was pacing back and forth, loudly talking on the phone, the stress visibly etched on her face. She repeatedly ran her hand through her short hair, a deep worry line on her forehead. Michiru sat at a large table with two women, one of whom was typing furiously on a laptop while the other sorted papers. Michiru seemed to be looking for something she couldn't immediately find.

Her face lit up when Yaten came into view. Beaming, she stood up and signaled to Haruka that she would handle the conversation with Yaten. Haruka nodded slightly and continued her phone call. "Congratulations, my dear. Haruka showed me the picture. You have a beautiful daughter; the boys will line up for her when she's older," Michiru congratulated and briefly hugged Yaten, though her last sentence made his smile fade a bit. Skeptically, his eyebrow shot up—Kaya was just a baby, and the thought of her growing up and attracting men was unsettling to him. "I don't think so. Trust me, I'll make sure she has her peace," he replied with a mischievous grin.

Michiru just shook her head with her usual friendly smile and pointed to the couch. Yaten sank onto it, and she sat beside him. "So, bring me up to speed, Chiru. Have you found Taiki and Makoto? Is there any solid evidence linking Kenji to the attack? I need one concrete piece of proof, and then I'll go after him, and you can't imagine the pleasure it will bring me to hold him accountable." Yaten recognized from Michiru's expression that something was wrong. The cheerful smile was gone, and she looked troubled.

"What's going on?" he asked more insistently.

Michiru folded her hands and closed her eyes, gathering herself before answering. "Well, here's the situation: Makoto didn't make it. She was too close to the explosion and had no chance to escape... Seiya and Ruka found her; it wasn't a pleasant sight. She's been officially identified... And as for Taiki, it gets more complicated. Seiya and Ruka searched all night but found no trace of him. It looks like he's either still under the rubble or..." she began to explain.

Without warning, Haruka leaned on the back of the couch, prompting Michiru to look up. "That's not entirely correct," Haruka corrected her. "I just received a very interesting call. One of our teams found something suspicious that raises more questions than I care to imagine." With a smooth gesture, she tugged at Yaten's ponytail, earning a suspicious look from him. "Taiki's hair was found under one of the rocks, but without him attached. That explains why we couldn't find him. I've sent the hair to the lab for confirmation, but long brown hair with a black ribbon can only be his."