Only yours

Three weeks in Davao

I drove aimlessly through the area. I got out of my car and strolled disoriented along the lonely beach. The sight of the calm sea and the palm trees was supposed to calm me down, but the emptiness inside me remained. Usagi was gone now, forever, and I finally had to accept that I had lost her. I sat down on the sand under one of the palm trees.

My thoughts wandered back to that evening when I had thrown my principles overboard. Rules were there for a reason, and I had broken them, with painful consequences. Our lives, especially hers, would have been safer and easier if I had simply followed my own rules. Why had I acted so unreasonably back then? A maximum of three meetings per woman wasn't actually that difficult to follow. And it had always worked before. I lowered my head onto my arms and sighed deeply.

At least I no longer had to justify myself to my father. I could resume my usual position: No wife, no children, more work in his empire instead.

Only my ringing cell phone brought me back to reality. Kunzite.

"Yes?" I replied, trying to keep my emotions under control.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving for Europe tonight," he informed me.

"That's fine. I'll stay in Davao," I replied, as I had made up my mind to stay away from Tokyo for as long as possible.

"Diamond? What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied curtly. I knew he wouldn't give up until I told him what was bothering me.

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know you," he said curtly and waited for an explanation.

"She's gone. I've just put her in the jet," I revealed reluctantly.

"Where are you?" he asked, and I could hear the tension in his voice.

"On some beach," I replied dryly, as I didn't know exactly which part of the island I had landed on.

"Shall I come and get you?" he offered.

"No. I'll be fine, really. I don't need a babysitter. Apart from that, I can thankfully do without your wife. I'm not in the mood to deal with her right now," I said.

"We could meet in a bar," Kunzite suggested. He just wouldn't let go, but that ran in the family.

"No, fly to Europe and send me the reports on what it's like on the ground. At least that will distract me," I decided, hoping that he would give in.

"Well, if there's anything, then get in touch."

No sooner had I hung up than a message came in from Massaru.

>Mrs. T. has landed. Haruka knows about it. <

I stared at the display. She wouldn't be coming back. She was with her singer now.

I don't know how long I sat here and just looked at the sea, but at some point I decided to go back to work, which would certainly distract me.

When I got back to my office, my e-mail inbox was almost overflowing. A lot had piled up and it would take me a few days to work through it all. I had been lax recently. So I set to work. Maria occasionally provided me with fresh coffee, snacks and pastries. Apart from that, I had complete peace and quiet. I didn't have to worry about surprise visits and could concentrate fully on my work. Time seemed to fly and the mountain of unanswered mail didn't seem to shrink, at least I didn't have the opportunity to think about Usagi any longer.

Usagi had been gone for two days now. Slowly it became clearer and clearer to me, but the email from the editor-in-chief this morning knocked me off my feet again.

Subject: Request for release

Dear Mr. Prince,

Since you have ordered that we may only report on certain topics after consultation, I hereby request your approval for the following article. concerning Usagi Tsukino and Seiya Kou. Please note that other reporters were also on site and it is no longer possible to avoid this report.

Yours sincerely

H. Ito

I clicked on the attachment, Usagi with her singer. Hand in hand on the red carpet.

- Frontman of the band Threelights in steady hands! Yesterday at the movie premiere Seiya Kou officially presented his girlfriend to the public. Usagi Tsukino...- I didn't read any further.

So it hadn't even taken two days for her to get over me. I zoomed in a little, she was beaming at his side. She had rarely given me such a glow, she seemed so happy and relaxed.

Dear Mr. Ito,

I hereby grant approval for the article.

D. Prince

That was the last I had heard from her - for three weeks. I was still on Davao. My father had come to terms with the fact that I was working from here. The problems with the hotel chain were also starting to clear up. Tomorrow, however, I would return to cold Tokyo. Mr. Yang, an old friend of our family, was the organizer of the winter gala this year, and he and my father insisted that I should be there in person. No negotiation was possible. I would have to return. However, after just under a month here in paradise, it was time for me to leave my comfort zone again. I was packing the essentials when my cell phone rang again.

It was Haruka calling and my alarm bells immediately went off. It was Usagi.

"Well, keep it short then," I growled indignantly.

"There's still no sign of Saphir, or of the woman who could be his companion. Mrs. Tsukino has moved, the new apartment is similarly quiet and can still be monitored easily. There have been no anomalies so far."

"And why are you bothering me if there's nothing new?" I asked her brusquely. I didn't understand why she was rubbing my nose in the fact that Usagi was now living with the other one. That was really information I didn't want to hear.

"Because Mrs. Tsukino asked about you."

"When?" I asked, feeling my curiosity piqued.

"Last week. I accompanied her home from a funeral service..."

"And why am I only finding out now? What exactly did she say?" I interrupted her.

"She wanted to know how you were doing and whether you were back in Tokyo."

"What did you say?" I finally asked.

"That she should call you if she wants to know more."

She hadn't done that. So it didn't seem to be that important to her after all.

"Well, keep an eye on her. I'll see you when I get back."

"Oh, boss. One more thing, Ms. Tsukino has also received an invitation to the winter gala."

"Where did the invitation come from?" I asked, a strange feeling running through me. I couldn't say what it was, but I sensed something was wrong when Haruka just told me.

"Your entire company was personally invited by Yang. They are to exhibit art in one area. From what I understand, Ms. Tsukino has taken over the preparations for it."

I swallowed. The winter gala would bring us back together sooner than I would have liked.

"Thank you for your report."