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I would drag the answers from her traitorous mouth by any means necessary.
A few days later, I sat in my office with Aaron, sorting through stacks of paperwork to finalize my future ownership of the Sato’s business dealings. The room echoed with the sounds of shuffling papers and clicking pens as the accountant ensured I signed every page.
Since we bound our deal with magic, Ichiro had announced me as the official heir shortly after the fight. No one had been surprised, but not even Kenzo’s bitter expression could lift my spirits.
In the days following the fight, my focus kept drifting to the unanswered questions plaguing my thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the tasks at hand, my mind kept circling back to that last moment I’d seen Bree.
Her gentle smile haunted my every thought.
When the last signature was inked and the final account updated, relief washed over me in a cool wave. The crushing weight of secrecy I’d carried for years slowly lifted from my shoulders.
But beneath the relief lingered a numbness I couldn’t shake. My thoughts drifted to Bree’s departure, the way she’d slipped from my life without a trace. Day by day, my hatred for her lessened until I wondered why the feeling had been so strong.
Aaron clipped the stack of papers together before clapping me on the back with a grin. “Congratulations. Drinks are on me tonight.”
I forced a smile and nodded. “Sounds good.”
As much as I wanted to celebrate our victory and launch into the next phase of our plan, I couldn’t. Not fully.
The beautiful siren had turned my carefully ordered world upside down, then ghosted me. I ran a hand through my hair, frustration gnawing at my composure. Now that my takeover was official, I needed to understand why she’d deceived me.
Betrayal or not, I wasn’t sure I could let her go.
The office door creaked open, stirring me from my thoughts. Frankie stood in the doorway, a key ring clutched in her hand. A deep crease lined her forehead as she walked toward my desk.
Aaron shot me a glance, asking without words whether he should leave.
I shook my head and sighed, too mentally exhausted to deal with the fae woman alone. “What do you need, Frankie?”
“Just droppin’ off the keys.” She tossed the jangling bundle onto my desk. “These belong to the gym, which now belongs to the Sato family. Congrats. Again.”
My brows furrowed in confusion as I picked up the keys, studying them. “How did that happen?”
“Your grandfather and I had a little bit of a debt situation goin’ on,” Frankie explained, a hint of anger tinting her gruff voice. “It was s’posed to be temporary, but Ichiro sped up the timeline. We didn’t raise enough money in time, so it’s yours now.”
The memory hit me like a punch in the gut—Bree had said I would own the gym over her dead body. My mind raced, trying to connect the dots. “Is this why Bree agreed to fight?”
“You betcha. She was hopin’ to settle the debt with her win.” She studied my face and grimaced. “I, uh, didn’t realize you didn’t know. I thought she told you right before you two fought.”
“She was trying to save the gym?”
“Well, that and her home, you big dummy. Her entire livelihood.”
Everything Bree had done suddenly took on a new meaning. She had deceived me, yes, but not in the way I thought. She had sacrificed her home for me.
My chest tightened with a mix of frustration and concern, but mostly, a burning desire to find Bree and make things right. I needed to know the whole truth, to understand why she had kept me in the dark. Had I known, I could have helped her.
The chair scraped against the floor as I stood abruptly. “Is she at Subliminal?”
“Hold your dragon, cowboy. She left a note.” Frankie’s voice was heavy with regret. “Says she’s sorry for deceivin’ us both. I haven’t seen her or Marissa since that night.”
My mouth went dry. Why, after everything we’d gone through, did she think running away was the right choice?
The gym keys grew heavy in my hand, serving as a reminder of the path I needed to take. My plans could wait.
I wouldn’t rest until I found her.
THE END
