Hidden Secrets

Chapter 71

Rapidly, the silver-haired man raced through the bustling streets of Tokyo. His mind was still trying to grasp what he had just learned. If his assumption was correct and Minako was indeed Mrs. Chiba, then she was expecting a child. He began calculating meticulously; their last night together, which he remembered vividly, was about a year ago. If it were his child, theoretically it should have been born already, yet this strange feeling lingered, suggesting there was more to it. Because there was still that one evening in early June, where he was out with her. That evening of which he had so many missing memories.

Could it really be possible that it was his child? But why hadn't she spoken to him about it? He would have surely found a solution. And why had Chiba married her if it wasn't his child? It didn't make sense in his mind. If Minako had been involved with Chiba, he should have noticed. All these questions swirled in his head, but he found no satisfactory answers. He was almost in front of the Chiba residence when he abruptly hit the brakes. Standing in front of Chiba's door again in his current state was definitely not a good idea, especially since Mamoru wouldn't let him pass anyway. But he needed clarity. He had to know what game Minako was playing here.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. There was someone else who might provide him with answers. With a swing, he turned the steering wheel to execute a 180-degree turn. His foot pressed the gas pedal deeply, to reach his destination faster. With excessive speed, he sped through Tokyo's streets, only slowing down when the Tower came into view. He turned into the underground garage and left the car carelessly in front of the elevator as he jumped out. Proper parking was secondary to him right now. He dashed into the elevator and pressed the button with the number 30.

With the master key, he easily gained access to Seiya's apartment. It was absolutely quiet and dark, which was not surprising given the time of night. Yaten swiftly switched on the light and headed towards the back rooms with determination. He was pretty sure his brother wouldn't be thrilled, but Usagi was his only chance for answers at the moment. He didn't think further about potential consequences, pushed down the door handle, and was immediately met with the sound of his older brother's steady snoring. He easily found the light switch here too, turned it on, and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for a reaction.

The desired reaction didn't take long to come, as only a few moments later, both were sitting up in bed. When Usagi caught sight of Yaten, she reflexively pulled the blanket up to her chin, while Seiya weighed his next step and scrutinized his brother suspiciously.

"What's going on? Are there problems at the harbor? Is there more tampering with the documents than we originally thought?" Seiya asked skeptically, as it seemed plausible to him. He knew Yaten's employees were thorough, and he already feared having to digest the next piece of bad news.

Yaten had almost forgotten about the documents; they had simply slipped into the background after that revelation. With a smirk, he shook his head. "No, everything is fine at the harbor. As promised, everything has been sorted out, and you have nothing to worry about. Your books are so clean that you couldn't even find a speck of dust in them," he reassured the older brother.

Seiya's eyes narrowed to thin slits. "So what the hell were you doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night? Does this place look like a central meeting point for you guys? Isn't it enough that Haruka constantly barges in here as if it were her living room? Do you have to start with that too?" Seiya asked now clearly more annoyed.

The younger man's gaze swept across the room before he reached for a black bathrobe resting on the dresser to his right. He handed it to his blonde sister-in-law for her to put on. Her embarrassed body language indicated to him that she was feeling uncomfortable, and he hoped to provide her with some reassurance. "Serena, we need to talk. Now," he said earnestly, skillfully ignoring his brother's question.