Scandalously Expecting His Child(70)

                For the next three hours they discussed every detail and possibility, and came up with a plan. Then Ivan and Antonio left, and the others signed out of the videoconference, each going to initiate his part in the tapestry of manipulation.

                Numair stayed behind a few minutes longer to make sure Raiden wouldn’t postpone the first thing he had to do.

                Pain crushed his heart as he conceded the necessity of that action. It was the hardest thing Raiden would ever do. Giving the Yakuza what they were now waiting for.

                And he had to make it look convincing.

                * * *

                The first thing Scarlett noticed as she walked into the downtown office was the avid looks everyone gave her.

                She’d already been drawing extreme interest since Raiden had first come for her here. And that was before they’d learned who the god who regularly swept her away in his chariot was.

                But now they were making no attempt to hide that they were talking about her. Gossip was a paramount pastime around here, even more than anywhere else in the world she’d been, and she’d already been the subject of the mandatory form, as a gaijin who looked the way she did. But now she couldn’t understand the reason for their sudden in-your-face nosiness.

                She didn’t wonder long. Finding Hiro waiting for her in her office explained everything.

                Hiro was the second billionaire who’d come for her in as many weeks. Not only that, but she’d recently learned he was one who was considered a hero of the people, a man who had left his father’s path in crime and made himself into a major power in Japan out of nothing. And while it was common knowledge they were friends, her colleagues had only heard about this, as they always met outside of their respective workplaces. For him to be here must be the stuff of folktales to them.

                She was happy to see him as usual, and just truly, deliriously happy for the first time in her life. Her lips spread wide as she rushed toward him. Deciding to give her openly watching colleagues more to gossip about, no doubt all over the cyberspace everyone here practically lived in, she hugged him exuberantly. She thought a few took photos.

                She pulled away, still holding Hiro by the arms. “To what do I owe this wonderful surprise?”

                “You won’t think it wonderful when you know why I’m here.”

                It was then she noticed his pained expression, her delight turning to concern. “Is something wrong with you? With Megumi?”

                Hiro gave a difficult nod. “There is something terribly wrong. Something she and I are guilty of.”

                “For God’s sake, Hiro, just tell me what it is.”

                Looking as if he’d choke on guilt, Hiro stood with shoulders slumped. “That night of the ball, one of my guards told me he saw you and Kuroshiro arriving at the garden house one after the other. Afterward, you were...different, and I just knew it was because of him. So I followed you. The moment I became certain that the two of you had something going on, I told Megumi.”

                She gaped at him. That was out of left field. She’d never suspected he suspected a thing. Went to show how totally blinded by Raiden she was. She was unable to see anything but him.

                She sighed, led him to her couch, pulled him down with her. “You wanted Megumi to break the engagement.”

                “There is no engagement. He’s seen her exactly five times in the past nine weeks and never alone. He’s with you all the time. But when she told her father that, he told her it’s expected that men like Raiden would have a mistress.”