POV: BeatriceWhen I stepped into the kitchen that morning, the sight of Fukui leaning casually against the counter sent a ripple of déjà vu through me. He was immaculate, as always, dressed in another impossibly tailored suit that made me feel even more disheveled in my oversized sweater and messy ponytail. It was barely seven, and his sharp gaze met mine briefly before I looked away, pretending to be engrossed in the steam curling up from my coffee. The porcelain mug burned against my palms, but it was nothing compared to the searing intensity of his scrutiny. I knew I looked a mess. A restless night of tossing and turning had left me drained, and Ryuu had been the root of it. Again. Our constant clashes gnawed at my patience, and I had no doubt that Fukui, with his unnerving perceptiveness, could see every frayed edge of my composure. “Another coffee and a fresh serving of bad news?” I muttered, thinking back to our last encounter in this very kitchen when he’d delivered one of
POV: Beatrice “I didn’t know you were so charmed by my sparkling personality and conversational skills, Hime,” Fukui said, his voice smooth and dripping with sarcasm as he glanced up briefly from his phone. “You’re being an ass,” I retorted, the heat of frustration prickling at my cheeks. “You’re the only adult I’ve spoken to all week besides Nitta, and forgive me if that’s been less than fulfilling. And by the way, I don’t have any money, so you’ll have to pay.” Fukui scoffed, but his teasing smirk softened the edge of his reaction. When the café attendant greeted us and took our order, he handed over several bills with a bored efficiency that somehow made the mundane act look annoyingly graceful. “Can I have your number?” I asked, nodding toward his phone. His brow arched in surprise, amusement flashing across his face. “You want my phone number?” “I don’t have any of your numbers,” I said flatly, trying to ignore his smug expression. “That doesn’t seem particularly smar
POV: BeatriceWhen the woman finally approached our table, I smoothed my expression into a mask of indifference, carefully concealing my curiosity. It was obvious Fukui knew her, and judging by the tension radiating off him, their history was far from simple. Watching him squirm provided a spark of amusement, but I couldn’t let my guard down. Strangers who mingled with the Morunaga family rarely came without hidden motives, and this Sophia was no exception. “Fukui,” she greeted, her tight smile failing to reach her sharp, calculating eyes. Her gaze flicked to me, assessing and unrelenting, as though she were dissecting my very presence at the table. “Sophia,” Fukui replied curtly, his jaw tightening, hands vanishing from view as though he were bracing for something unpleasant. Sophia’s posture screamed confidence, from the subtle arch of her brow to the way she cocked her hip with the ease of someone accustomed to being the center of attention. Her eyes dropped to the wedding ba
POV: RyuuMy eyes stayed locked on Beatrice as she moved through the room, her presence commanding attention in a way that felt almost defiant. She carried herself with a confidence that was equal parts captivating and infuriating, her chin held high, her gaze steady, and her lips curved into a smile that hinted at secrets only she knew. Watching her maneuver through a room full of Morunagas—each more venomous than the last—was like watching someone walk a tightrope over a pit of snakes. And she made it look effortless. I told myself it was annoyance that kept my attention on her. But even as I fed myself that lie, I couldn’t deny the strange pull she had on me. She was supposed to be an inconvenience, a burden, yet here she was, standing out in a sea of my polished, posturing relatives. Then I saw it—the sapphire brooch pinned to her dress. It caught the light, flashing like a taunt, and my chest tightened. The brooch had belonged to my mother, an heirloom Beatrice had worn on our
POV: BeatriceLying in bed with my phone in hand, I scrolled through the evening news highlights, doing my best to ignore Ryuu’s stormy presence across the room. He hadn’t slept here once since we got married, so why now? Why tonight? All I wanted was to shut out the world, turn off the lights, and get some much-needed rest. Instead, he moved through the room like a thundercloud, muttering under his breath and slamming drawers with enough force to rattle the dresser. The party had been a draining spectacle. We’d left early, but even so, the endless social pleasantries and fake smiles from his oversized, power-hungry family had left me exhausted. Now, Ryuu’s relentless racket was transforming my exhaustion into a pounding headache. “Ryuu,” I called, my voice soft but laced with irritation. I didn’t look up from my phone, but I could feel his gaze flick toward me. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught his perpetually annoyed expression—his default, it seemed. “Are you planning to ke
POV: BeatriceBy morning, there was no sign Ryuu had come back after his abrupt departure the night before. I tried to push it aside, convince myself it didn’t matter—but it did. The feeling gnawed at me, the weight of being left out, of being deliberately kept in the dark. It was clear now—he had secrets, and he wasn’t even trying to hide it. I knew better than to expect honesty from a man like Ryuu. In his world, knowledge was power, and he wielded it with precision. If he wasn’t willing to share, fine. But that didn’t mean I had to sit around and do nothing. If Ryuu wouldn’t talk, I’d find someone who would. “Fukui,” I called the moment I spotted him in the living room after breakfast. He was hunched over his laptop, fingers moving with an almost mechanical rhythm, his expression locked in that perpetual state of brooding focus. “I need to ask you something.” Without looking up, he sighed. “Is this going to take long?” His impatience was obvious, and I should’ve been annoye
Pov: RyuuI got home late that night—so late that I didn’t expect to find Beatrice still awake. She sat on the bed, bathed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, a book propped against her bent knees. Her dark hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, and the thin camisole clinging to her body did nothing to stop my eyes from trailing down the length of her legs. I forced my gaze away, muttering a curse under my breath as I headed straight for the bathroom. I needed a long, scalding shower to wash off the stench of another wasted day chasing ghosts. The hours spent gathering intel on Vincenzo Espósito had only left me with more questions and a deeper frustration gnawing at the edges of my patience. His release was inevitable, but what it meant for me—for all of us—was still uncertain. And uncertainty was something I couldn’t afford. Steam billowed around me as the water pounded against my back, but it did little to ease the tension tightening my muscles. When I stepped out, rubb
POV: Beatrice“What exactly is my role here?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, the weight in my chest pressing down like a stone. Fukui’s usual smirk faltered, his gaze flicking to his father as if searching for direction. Seeing him caught off guard brought me a fleeting, bitter satisfaction. “Your role?” Gojou echoed, his sharp eyes settling on me with unsettling precision. I held his gaze, refusing to shrink under the scrutiny. His thumb and forefinger rested against his chin, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his mind. Every instinct screamed at me to tread carefully, but I pressed on. “Yes, my role. I was told I’m here to be the perfect wife, to uphold the Morunaga legacy,” I continued, my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath it. “But what exactly am I supposed to do? Just sit here day after day, waiting for someone to tell me what my life should be?” I could feel their amusement, their unspoken taunts hanging heavy in the air. They
Beatrice’s POVMy breath hitched again, the weight of this nightmare pressing down on me, suffocating. Every choice felt like a trap, each second slipping away too fast. The room was empty, but death was circling, waiting, a predator in the dark.With trembling fingers, I typed the message: THERE ARE MEN IN THE HOUSE. I DON’T KNOW WHERE RYUU IS. I NEED HELP.The words glowed against the screen, sharp with panic. Pressing **send** felt like throwing an anchor into a storm, like clinging to something solid in a sea of terror. I tossed the phone onto the bed, my body stiff with fear, ears straining against the muffled footsteps outside. Time was slipping through my fingers. I couldn’t speak. One sound, one wrong move, and I was dead.I moved toward the c
Ryuu’s POV I never planned on going back to the bedroom that night. The only thing running through my mind was that Beatrice was safer without me. The past few weeks had dragged me into a pit I couldn’t climb out of. The anonymous threat against her, the pregnancy—everything weighed on me like lead, pressing down harder with every passing day. And today, after the appointment with Dr. Takagi, the reality finally hit me like a punch to the gut. That ultrasound image in my hands… I was going to be a father. The thought terrified me. How the hell was I—someone built from violence, shaped by control—supposed to be anything other than a disaster for this child? My father had failed me at every turn. What made me think I’d be any different? I shouldn’t have poured that first glass of whiskey in the dark silence of my office. But I didn’t stop at one. Or two. Or three. Or four. Now, all that was left was the bitter aftertaste and the emptiness growing with every sip
Beatrice’s POVI didn’t know what to say.The words stuck in my throat as I watched Sophia, her pain hidden behind that forced smile. A part of me felt like a terrible friend for unloading my own burdens on her, completely oblivious to the fact that hers might be far heavier.“I…” She hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers. “I didn’t handle it well afterward. I broke up with Fukui right after… and we never talked about it. I’ve never talked about it with anyone, actually.”Silence settled between us, thick and suffocating.“Are you…” My tongue felt dry as I searched for the right words. “Are you okay?&rd
Beatrice’s POVTwo weeks. That’s how long we’d been back in America.And yet, as I stared out the window of the black car, I still felt like I was in limbo. My reflection in the glass was pale, tense—just another ghost trapped in this endless cycle of uncertainty. Ryuu sat beside me, silent, his presence looming but unreadable.We were on our way to Dr. Takagi’s office.Today was my first ultrasound.The weight of that reality felt suffocating.Ryuu had arranged everything, just like he always did. And, to my surprise, he had kept his promise—staying by my side almost every day while I recovered.
Beatrice’s POVDespite his obvious irritation, Nitta listened. His lips pressed together in something that almost resembled a smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. As he walked toward the door, he shot me one last look, as if asking if I was okay. I barely managed to return it before he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.“Are you alright?” Ryuu asked, his tone unreadable.“You keep asking me that,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. The letter slipped from my fingers, drifting to the carpet between us.“Am I not allowed to worry?” His exhale was heavy. “You’re crying.”I wiped my face quickly, feeling stupid. Of
Beatrice’s POV“Things were weird last time we spoke,” I admitted, watching his face carefully.“I was an idiot,” Nitta sighed, his shoulders relaxing. Behind me, I heard Fukui greet Ryuu, but I didn’t turn.“What’s new?” Fukui coughed, and Nitta shot him a glare but didn’t rise to the bait.“Whatever you have with Ryuu isn’t my business. I know I already apologized, but after our last conversation”—he hesitated, something unspoken passing between us—“I was defensive. I wasn’t sure where we stood. I’m sorry for being short with you. And as for you and Ryuu… I was selfish. It was my pride talking.”“You are a child,” Fukui cut in with a laugh.
Beatrice’s POV“My aunt Loretta suspected. She took me to see her doctor.” A chill ran down my spine at the memory. I wet my lips before continuing. “At first, I wasn’t sure. We took tests at home—one was negative, the other positive. I felt like my world was caving in. Espósito walked in right after. I hadn’t planned to tell him, but I was so lost… I needed someone to talk to.”“And that someone couldn’t have been me?” Ryuu’s voice was low, but the quiet impact of his words made my heart stutter.It could have been. But in that moment, it hadn’t felt like an option.“I needed to be sure first,” I admitted. “I wanted the test to be wrong
Beatrice’s POVSilence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. My fingers moved through Ryuu’s dark hair, the motion almost instinctive, desperate to soothe him even as my own heart pounded erratically. With every stroke, I felt his pain as if it were my own.Without thinking, I cradled his head against my stomach, holding him close in a futile attempt to shield him from the weight of everything crashing down around us. My hands trembled as they tangled in his hair, my stomach twisting at the realization of just how fragile this moment was. He still hadn’t spoken. I wanted to shake him, force him to snap out of whatever storm was raging inside him, but I knew he needed time. Too much had happened, too fast.Tears streaked his face, his bloodstained vest soaking up the moisture as he pressed agains
Beatrice's POV"And you didn’t take him to a hospital?" Her incredulous gaze snapped to me."I’m not going to a hospital," Ryuu muttered, his voice firm."That’s why you’re here," Anton added like it was some great relief."This isn’t as simple as stitching up a knife wound. You need imaging to determine if surgery is required. I can’t assess the damage or tell where the bullet is just by looking. Clearly, it didn’t hit a major artery or vein, given the blood loss, but the bullet is still inside you, and I can’t tell if it needs to come out.""Can it wait?" Ryuu tensed as she started cleaning the wound, the antiseptic stinging against raw flesh. Without the blood covering it, the injury looked worse.