One for Three

Chapter 45

Haruka accompanied me upstairs. She gently placed me on the sofa and draped a soft blanket over my trembling shoulders. Then she began to prepare the tea in the kitchen. The scent of hot herbal tea filled the room and reminded me of the cozy evenings I had spent with Seiya here.

"You caused quite a stir yesterday when you suddenly disappeared from the hospital," she said as she placed the teacup in front of me. I noticed that it was Seiya's zodiac sign cup, and memories of our time together flooded back.

"Could I have prevented it?" I whispered softly, my voice tinged with pain.

Haruka sighed and sat down next to me, her gaze full of sympathy. "Moonface... I don't know. I had located him hours before the gala, and then he suddenly vanished. When the boss told me that you would be leaving the gala, I followed you both. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely. He seemed to have followed us too. When I saw him, he already had his gun aimed at you. I had to react. I'm sorry about your friend."

A shiver ran down my spine as I heard her words. The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on my shoulders, and the "what if?" question haunted me. Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I hid my face in my hands. Every expression of sympathy seemed to magnify my pain.

I could hardly bear that everyone expressed their sympathy to me. It was not what I needed. I didn't want more pity, empty words of comfort. I wanted Seiya back, his warm embrace, his loving eyes.

"Where is he now?" I asked Haruka.

Haruka's expression became somewhat contemplative as she processed my question. "In confinement," she answered eventually. "Believe me, he won't be able to hurt you ever again."

"Does that mean he's with the police?" I asked in shock.

Haruka shook her head slowly. "No," she said calmly.

"Haruka!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with anger and pain. "Where is that despicable asshole who took Seiya away from me?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "With the boss."

Diamond. It was so clear. Why couldn't I have figured that out earlier? Did he want to protect his brother?

"Take me to him," I demanded determinedly. "I want to look him in the eyes."

"Wait a moment, I'll check," she said, taking out her phone and dialing a number. "I'm with her... she wants to see him... yes... no... yes... one moment."

Then she handed me the phone.

"Usagi?"

"Yes."

"What's going on? I was at your apartment, and there was a guy who told me he lives there now! Bunny, I'm worried about you."

Right, he didn't even know that I had moved. Before I could reply to him, Haruka was already calling for me, so I pushed the phone back into my pocket and hurried downstairs. She was already waiting in her impressive sports car, a vehicle that Seiya would surely have liked. A painful laugh escaped my lips at the thought of him.

While we drove to the villa, there was a stifling silence between us. Each of us was lost in our own thoughts. Haruka dropped me off at the door and said she would wait in the car.

One of the servants opened the door for me and led me to the small salon. Mr. Prince Senior seemed to be waiting for me there, with Diamond a few steps behind, his arms crossed behind his back. His dark eyes watched me attentively, as if he were scrutinizing my every move. The striking resemblance between him and his father was still unmistakable.

Mr. Prince Senior approached me with a determined step and extended his hand, which I hesitantly shook. His words hit me unexpectedly and left a conflicting impression on me. "Mrs. Tsukino, I am speechless and deeply saddened by what my son has done to you. It is unforgivable, and I am aware of that. Nevertheless, I would like to offer you my sincere condolences. If there is anything we can do for you, please let me know."