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She did, with her life, and now the life of their baby. Whether she’d ever be in his life again... That was what she didn’t trust.
He repeated the question, more urgent and agitated, and she nodded weakly.
“Then trust me now. Trust that I love you, and that I’ll do anything for your love. For our love and our child. Trust that without a single second of doubt...and leave. Now. Please.”
The entreaty for an explanation congealed in her throat. She had to trust he had the best reason for jump-starting her heart, which had been smothered in despair, only to rip it out of her chest by tearing her from his side so abruptly.
She hung limp in his arms as he helped her to her feet, then fetched her stuff and fitted it over her shoulder.
“Steve is waiting outside. He’ll be with you all through. Take this phone. Call me the moment you board the plane.”
Her hand trembled around the phone he’d pushed into it. Then he stood back, deprived her of his warmth and touch. She almost heaped to the ground without his support.
But he nodded for her, imploring her to go. Numb, she acquiesced, stumbled away from him to the open door, found most of her colleagues out of their offices, hanging in the corridor, openly watching. They must have witnessed the whole episode. And no doubt documented it, too. It might already be on the internet and trending on some social media site.
Uncaring what they did, or who saw this, feeling destroyed, even more than the first time she’d walked away from him, she turned to take what felt like her last look at him.
Raiden. Her only love.
He was looking back at her as if she’d taken his heart with her and was dragging it away from his body.
Though he’d made it sound as if she’d definitely see him again, that this was merely some emergency damage-control maneuver he had to execute, she felt this was the end.
Saying goodbye in her heart, because hope was more mutilating than despair, she turned and walked away from him.
Ten
Raiden watched Scarlett walk away unsteadily, passing through her colleagues, feeling as if his life force was draining out of his body with her every receding step.
Now that everyone realized this was for real, that he’d just sent her away, their yammering curiosity turned to vocal concern. Some strode by her side, anxiously asking if they could help, if she needed anything. The way she waved away their interest and offers of help told him she was barely holding herself upright and together. He wanted to roar for everyone to leave her alone, but had to stand there and suffer every heartbreaking second of her disappearance.
The moment he could no longer see her, he turned away, struggling with the tears that surged from his depths. He didn’t want one of those people catching a photo of him in this condition. It might undermine all he was trying to do.
Getting his phone out, he called Steve, went over the details of the next few days. The specific bodyguards assigned to Scarlett’s constant guard duty, the protocols they’d follow, the hourly reports they’d relay to him and everything else that ensured she’d have security no head of state ever had.
Afterward, he stood there, in the office that was no longer hers, waiting for Steve to take her away from him, struggling not to run out after her, come what may. Letting her go was the hardest test of his control ever.
But he had to do it. He had to make the Yakuza think he’d given her her marching orders. And he had to do it where people would witness it and run to make it public knowledge.
He didn’t know how long it would be before the plan he’d concocted with his brothers worked, and worked perfectly. And the next two weeks, until the date of his supposed wedding, were the most dangerous time for Scarlett to remain here.
After the threat had been made, her continued presence, especially now that her pregnancy was a widespread scandal, would be considered a direct danger to the Yakuza’s interests, and a flaunting of their displeasure. The Yakuza might consider both transgressions worthy of a disciplinary strike.
He’d hoped he could have only explained why he couldn’t risk her staying even the night here. But all he’d been able to do was tell her how he felt, promise her forever, even as he begged her to leave. He’d hoped she’d believe him, in her heart at least, until he could explain more. And that her stunned confusion as she’d walked away would convince anyone this was an abrupt and permanent separation.
Now he’d wait until she was out of even his bodyguards’ earshot to call her on the secure line he’d given her and explain. He was taking no chances she might be monitored now, since he couldn’t be. He had to convince the Yakuza he had complied.
But he wouldn’t fully explain the kind of danger he was protecting her from, couldn’t bear causing her even more agitation. But at least, until he resolved this situation, she was safe.
Yet even he, with his unlimited resources, knew there was no way to keep her perfectly safe for more than a few days without imprisoning her, and alerting her stalkers to the fact that they were on to them. So those days would have to do. He and his brothers had a brief window of time to bring this to a permanent end.
Needing to put the last touch on this scene, he walked out. The office denizens flocked around him as they would a rock star, asking him questions as the paparazzi would.
Once outside, he finally acknowledged he wasn’t walking alone, turned to them and gave the statement he knew would travel around Japan in minutes afterward.
Every lie cut him deeply, but he forced them out with what he hoped was a smile of nonchalance and not a grimace of agony.
“Regretfully, Ms. Delacroix won’t be back. But she will continue her excellent work remotely until her projects are up and running. As for her pregnancy, it was a false alarm. And yes, my wedding is still in two weeks’ time.”
