Chapter 10: Is it Over Now?
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In the quiet stillness of dawn, the mansion seemed to hold its breath. Mikey stirred from the depths of a restless slumber, his thoughts tangled in the remnants of the previous night's fight with his wife. The guestroom walls felt like a shield, a temporary sanctuary from the storm brewing in his heart. He had chosen this seclusion, hoping to give Denise space and time to ease the tension that crackled between them.
Truth be told, Mikey was scared. He dreaded facing Denise, dreaded confronting the truth lurking in the hollow of their argument. Doubts gnawed at his resolve, and Denise's parting words echoed mercilessly in his mind. 'You're a coward, Manjiro.'
Before those dark thoughts could completely engulf him, a faint, delicate knock rapped at his door. The soft, innocent voice of his daughter, Emma, cut through the thick fog of his anxiety.
"Daddy? Are you here?" The child's voice, a melody of concern and curiosity, tugged at his heartstrings. Mikey hastily composed himself, masking his inner turmoil with a gentle smile, and strode to the door.
"Yes, sweetie... Good morning" He greeted, enveloping Emma in a warm embrace as she giggled and clung to his legs.
"Emma was looking for Daddy! But you weren't with Mommy. Why's that?" The little girl's innocent questions pricked at Mikey's heart. He couldn't bear to burden her with the weight of their troubles.
"Your mom's tired, sweetie, and I didn't want to bother her."
"Hmm... Okay!" Emma's response was simple, quite doubtful as her dad was acting strange so was her mom but the child didn't want to pry. She tugged at Mikey's hand, leading him towards the kitchen for breakfast, chattering excitedly along the way.
"Where's your mom, sweetie?"
"Mommy's with Auntie! They said they'd cook Emma's favourites!"
Mikey's heart sank with every step. Should he join them at the breakfast table or retreat to the solitude of the guest room? Denise's words taunted him, paralyzing his decisions with self-doubt.
As they neared the dining area, Mikey and Emma bumped into Koko and Rindou, who were on the verge of leaving the room. The atmosphere felt charged with unspoken tension.
"Mikey, you're here..." Koko's voice faltered, the discomfort was clearly seen.
"Emma's here too!" Emma's innocent interjection provided a brief respite from the adults' awkwardness.
"Are you okay?" Rindou's genuine concern was evident, contrasting sharply with Koko's muttered retort.
"Are you an idiot or what?"
Mikey chose to ignore the dynamics, leading Emma into the dining room.
"Mommy, Emma and Daddy are here!" Emma's cheerful announcement echoed in the room as she dashed towards Denise, who was setting the table with Guini. The executives observed Denise's composed demeanour, a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil of the previous night. Despite the tears shed and the harsh words exchanged, Denise appeared as if nothing had happened. Ran attempted to assist in the kitchen, only to receive a curt dismissal from Denise.
"Good job, sweetie! Sit down so we can eat," Denise said, smiling warmly at Emma. The executives, caught in the tension, couldn't help but wonder if the food was tampered with poison or anything, nervously swallowing the lump in their throats.
"Mommy, Emma wants seconds."
"Sure, sweetie."
"Auntie, Uncle Rinny says the food's great!"
"Thank you, baby. Tell him to eat and be quiet."
"Come on--"
The usual breakfast banter unfolded, easing the tension gradually. Yet, beneath the façade of normalcy, a silent tempest brewed.
Mikey's heart felt heavy, burdened by unspoken words and unresolved issues. He quietly finished his meal, placing his utensils down, signalling he was done eating. His gaze lingered on Denise, contemplating whether now was the time to bridge the chasm between them.
"Wife..." Mikey's voice was soft, a tentative attempt to breach the barrier Denise had erected between them.
"We can talk later," Denise replied calmly, her attention focused on feeding Emma.
"Wife--"
"I said later." Denise cut in, her smile unwavering but her eyes flashing a glint of restrained fury. The group sensed the simmering anger beneath her composed exterior, evident even in her interactions with their daughter.
Mikey sighed inwardly, acknowledging Denise's silent insistence. There was a time and a place for every conversation, and evidently, this wasn't it.
Breakfast continued, the undercurrent of unresolved tension weaving through the mundane chatter. As the meal drew to a close, Emma, satiated and content, ran off to play, leaving the adults in the lingering aftermath of strained emotions.
Denise remained composed, her focus shifting from Emma to the household matters. The executives observed her with a mix of fascination and apprehension, unsure of what to make of her almost eerie calmness.
"Are you all right, Den?" It was Koko who dared to broach the subject, concern etched on his face.
Denise glanced up briefly, her smile unwavering. "I'm perfectly fine, Koko. Just a bit busy today."
"Denise, about last night..." Ran ventured cautiously.
"I'd rather not discuss it," Denise replied, her tone final, effectively ending the conversation.
The executives exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of the unresolved conflict hanging in the air like a heavy shroud. It was a precarious situation, navigating around the fragile emotions that lingered within the mansion's walls.
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On the other hand...
The heavy silence hung like a thick fog in the air as the executives sat there in their meeting room within the mansion, reeling from the unexpected escalation between Mikey and Denise earlier. Kakucho, trying to maintain a semblance of composure, looked at the others with concern etched on his face.
"Mikey, what do we do now?" Kakucho's voice held a note of worry.
Mikey exhaled a mix of frustration and regret clouding his features. "Give her time. I messed up, Kakucho. I should have been more transparent..."
Kakucho nodded in understanding, acknowledging the weight of their reality. "We'll figure it out, Boss. For now, let her breathe."
Takeomi, breaking his silence, interjected, "But I suggest you talk to her as soon as possible, Mikey. Yes, she's furious, but taking things slow might make it worse. Before you know it, she might decide to leave..." His cautious words hung in the tense air, and Mikey caught every syllable, feeling the weight of their implications.
"No, she will not leave." Mikey's response carried a steely determination, but it was layered with haunting memories of familial departures—his mother leaving them to his father, Shinichiro's untimely death, the absence of his sister Emma, and Izana's departure. His family had left him once, and he refused to endure that sorrow again. The resolve in his voice was tinged with an underlying fear of loss.
"Where is she?"
"She's with Guini in the princess's room," Rindou answered.
With firm steps, Mikey strode towards their daughter's room, thoughts swirling as he approached the women's voices filtering from within. His mind raced, trying to decipher the conversation about an unexpected trip.
Inside, Denise's voice carried a weight of uncertainty as Guini questioned her decisions. "Are you sure about this, Den?"
"What choice do I have, Guini?"
"But you said Mikey didn't know that Don is your cousin, right?" Guini's concern lingered palpably in the air, a momentary pause punctuating her words.
"Are you taking his side now?"
"I'm not! I just don't want to see my best friend unhappy! I... I know how you feel, and--"
"What I feel doesn't matter now." Denise's interruption halted Guini's words abruptly. "Sweetie, just choose a few toys to show to your uncle."
Mikey's footsteps faltered as he heard the mention of 'uncle' and the preparation of Emma's belongings. Confusion clouded his thoughts, his mind struggling to piece together the sudden developments.
"Where...?" Mikey's voice, laden with uncertainty, cut through the conversation as he cautiously approached the double doors of their daughter's room.
"It's hard to choose, Mommy..."
"It's fine, sweetie. Uncle said he'd buy anything you want later, so just pick one."
Observing Denise packing Emma's belongings heightened Mikey's bewilderment. His mind raced with questions, yet he couldn't find the right words to articulate them.
"Where... are you going?" Mikey's inquiry held a mix of confusion and concern.
"Don asked for us to bond while he's here in Japan. I wanted him to meet Emma, so I'm taking her." Denise's tone, though firm, bore traces of exasperation and shock at Mikey's sudden voice.
"And you're not going to ask me about this?"
Denise stopped abruptly, her expression turning into a sneer as she turned to face Mikey. "Oh... Am I supposed to?" Her dismissive tone cut through him like a blade, leaving him speechless and grappling with the sudden turn of events.
"WIFE!"
"WHAT!?"
In an impulse driven by desperation, Mikey grasped Denise's arms, the tension sending a wave of alarm through the others present. Rindou instinctively moved to Guini and Emma's side, while Sanzu who had been silent since the start of the day and Kakucho stood a few steps behind Mikey, ready to intervene if needed.
"Auntie... why are Mommy and Daddy shouting at each other?" Emma's innocent voice cut through the tension, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"No, baby, it's just..." Guini faltered, at a loss for words, the events unfolding too fast for them to shield Emma from the chaos.
"Baby, don't listen to them, okay? Everything will be alright," Rindou reassured Emma, kneeling down to her level and gently covering her ears to shield her from the escalating conflict.
"Please..." Mikey pleaded, but Denise's expression remained unchanged.
"Let go."
"No... please, just listen--"
"I said let go, Sano--! Hey!"
Without warning, Mikey swiftly lifted Denise off her feet, pulling her towards their shared bedroom in an attempt to force a conversation.
"Boss, wait!" Kokonoi called out, sensing the potential danger in Mikey's unsteady state of mind.
"Kakucho, Sanzu, Ran, Takeomi, Mochi—restrain Mikey now!" The order hung in the air, but despite their loyalty to him, the men hesitated. Mikey, known as 'Invincible Mikey' remained unyielding even if it's been years since then.
"Do not concern yourselves with us. LEAVE!" Mikey's voice, laced with an ominous aura, sent a shiver down their spines. They grappled with conflicting emotions, torn between following his commands and their concern for Denise.
"It's okay, guys... " Den signed. "We're both aware he will not physically harm me, but mentally and emotionally—yes," Denise assured them, attempting to alleviate their worry with her calm tone and sassy remark.
Reluctantly, the group stepped back, allowing Mikey and Denise to enter their room for a much-needed private conversation. The door closed behind them, leaving the executives outside with a whirlwind of emotions and unanswered questions, their hearts heavy with concern for their boss and his wife.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
01/01/24