Do me right • Tokyo revengers

Chapter 18

In the elevator, I'm determined to regain control of my emotions. I keep taking deep breaths and I make sure to dry my tears with the back of my hands. Rindou might already be home, and the last thing I'd want is for him to see my weaknesses. I aready feel stupid enough for crying in front of Kakucho. 

As I enter our apartment and close the door behind me, the faint sound of activity in the kitchen reaches my ears. A flicker of hope sparks within me at the idea of speaking with Alvaro again. But when I enter the kitchen, my footsteps falter. 

Alvaro isn't the one standing at the stove; instead, an older woman with gray hair and warm brown eyes is cooking dinner.

"Hello, Miss Haitani," she greets me with a polite bow.

"Oh," I utter, taken aback. "Hello."

"I'm your new chef, Alice," she introduces herself, her gaze meeting mine again.

Shaking off my surprise, I reply, "Nice to meet you, Alice. And please, don't call me Miss Haitani. Call me Mia."

Alice nods in acknowledgement before returning her attention to her cooking. Meanwhile, I retreat to the bathroom to take a shower and change into comfier clothes. As the warm water washes over me, a torrent of questions floods my mind.

Did Rindou fire Alvaro because he saw that we got along? Was he jealous? And who is his girlfriend that Izana told me about? Did Rindou run to her after our fight last night? Does she even know Rindou is married?

Later that evening, the same questions are still swirling in my head as I sit alone at the kitchen island, slowly sipping a glass of red wine. Alice has already left and I ate dinner alone as Rindou hasn't returned yet. I'm starting to wonder if he will come home tonight when the sound of the door opening slices through the air. Rindou enters the kitchen moments later, and as soon as he does, a suffocating tension fills the room.

"I met the new chef, Alice," I inform him.

He doesn't respond as he turns to the kitchen counter to pour himself a glass of wine, turning his back to me.

"What happened to Alvaro?" I venture, longing for answers.

A sardonic chuckle escapes him, filled with bitterness. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt your little friend. I just fired him."

The confirmation of my suspicions reverberates through me. 

So I was right. He did fire Alvaro because he saw our connection as a threat.

"And where did you spend the night?" I fire another question and see his back and shoulders tense as his movements freeze in place.

"It's none of your business," he retorts, his tone icy.

A surge of courage courses through my veins and I decide to reveal a piece of my own puzzle.

"I met Izana today," I confess, intently watching for his reaction.

Finally, he turns around to face me.

"What did he tell you?" he inquires, a hint of urgency tainting his voice.

I rise from my seat, my eyes never leaving his.

"It's none of your business," I taunt, using his own words as a weapon. I then leave him behind in the kitchen and walk to the bedroom.

As much as I dislike Izana after our discussion, a seed of truth has taken root in his words. If Rindou feels no obligation towards me in terms of faithfulness and honesty, then maybe I, too, should free myself from those constraints. I guess we'll just both get to keep our secrets.