[ DISCONTINUED ] Reborn: Runaway Bride

Chapter 10: The Web Unravels

Ai let out the breath she had been holding as she reached the safety of her room. Her mind was in a whirlwind and somehow the overload of emotions today had been weighing heavily on her mind.

Should she take the chance? Or should she not? Ai pondered.

It's not that the proposal was not good. It was, in fact, great and truly once in a lifetime opportunity. But Ai was feeling wary. She doesn't want to get involved with the clan council any more than necessary and it was a known fact that the two young masters are prominent members of the council.

In Shinto, there were five powerful families that made up the main body of the Shinto clan. They were namely Omaru of Defence, Hozaka of Trades, Yunes of Supplies, Yamato of internal relations and Shizuka of external relations. The five families, also known as the Council of Five, managed Shinto as a whole while taking charge of their respective fields.

Even though Ai was unable to withdraw her own family's involvement with the council, that doesn't mean she should get any more involved than required. After all, the council of five was just a facade to keep the members from fighting out among themselves and the power struggle in the council was truly vicious.

This was the main reason why the Omaru brothers came to visit her previously and she couldn't help but felt heartache at the mention of Jin. In her previous life, her family sided with the Omaru because of her affection for Jin. But in the end, it had ended in disaster and the council was the one who ordered her family's execution.

Ai sighed tiredly, letting the exhaustion lured her to sleep as she retired for the night. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of bright grey eyes had been watching her every moves as they shook with the turbulence of emotions.

Kit let himself down from the ceiling he had been hiding as Ai's gentle breaths calmed into a steady pace. He had been eavesdropping the conversation she had with Shion Hozaka and Tamaki Yunes and he couldn't say that he was pleased.

Even though she didn't exactly accept their offer, she was still considering and that did not sit well with him. After all, Kit knew all about them and they are not the type of people that Ai should be involved with.

Shion Hozaka, though rarely appeared in public, is the richest man in Shinto and his extensive networks reached far beyond the province itself. He has enough power to revolutionise a whole city if he wishes and many would not dare to go against him. Despite being quiet, Shion Hozaka is known to be a merciless businessman and one that shouldn't be trifled with. Even though Shion Hozaka is indeed a formidable foe, Kit was more worried about the other man, Tamaki Yunes.

Tamaki Yunes, a young prodigy at the age of 22, has the public face of being a well-known socialite and successor to the supplies giant, Yunes Industry. But the young master Yunes has a hidden face that few people knew about. He is a sadistic hedonist that toys with people cruelly and the ringleader of illegal underground networks that no good person should be involved with. Even Kit's mother was once tangled up in them and it was God's mercy that his mother escaped Tamaki's clutch.

Kit's thoughts darkened as he looked at Ai worriedly. It seemed that his young miss has the most unfortunate of lucks by attracting the attention of the sickest bunch. It wasn't helping that she had suffered a lot in her previous life and yet in this new life, she seemed to dive straight into trouble.

With also the threat of Omaru brothers looming in a close distance, Kit had wondered, Should he take her away?

Kit shook his head immediately, no he doesn't want Ai to hate him. He doesn't even think Ai is aware of his affections for her and if he suddenly takes her away, she would end up hating him greatly.