Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I glance away and ignore them as I enter the club. The bouncer doesn’t even search my guards or me, and we’re given a respectful bow.
As I make my way to the VIP area, I glance at all the clubbers, admiring the pretty outfits the women are wearing with a twinge of sadness in my chest.
I wonder what will happen to me when Ryo returns to take his place as the Kumichō. Will he be happy to see me, or has all the training turned him into a cruel monster like our father?
My heart squeezes painfully at the thought that Ryo will be a carbon copy of Father. Not sweet Ryo, who always made me laugh and spent endless hours by my side.
Staff keep bowing their heads for me as I walk past them. Reaching the section where I usually sit, I flop down on one of the couches, letting out another sigh. I place my right arm on the backrest while letting my legs fall open, the position casual and careless.
The entire VIP area is made up of sections separated by wooden partitions that only reach an inch or so past the couches. It’s so guests can see who else is in the VIP area but still have some kind of privacy. Each section contains two leather couches and a coffee table.
I pull my phone out so I can play a game. For the next two hours, I’ll try to beat my high score while putting up with meaningless conversations if anyone stops by to talk to me.
There’s a group of car fanatics who love to hang out here. Jun, their leader, constantly tries to form a friendship with me, but for everyone’s safety, I keep them at a distance, being polite but not too friendly.
A server comes and Sho orders aged sake for us to drink. With my head bowed and my eyes on my phone, I scrunch my nose. I hate it. It’s too strong for my taste. I’d much rather have a sweet cocktail, but that won’t fit with the image I have to uphold.
I hear a burst of laughter close to my section. It’s such a happy sound, and glancing up, I see a western couple taking a seat in the section across from mine.
The woman is so beautiful that my lips part as I stare at her pale skin and long, dark brown hair. She looks the same age as me, and I can’t stop myself from admiring the sparkling gold cocktail dress, high heels, and jewelry she’s wearing.
When the man beside her leans in to press a tender kiss to her lips, my heart constricts with a longing that will never be fulfilled.
The man is attractive, and together they make a stunning couple.
“Are you still happy, Mr. Vitale?” the woman asks, a loving smile around her red painted lips.
I wonder what it would feel like to wear makeup and pretty clothes. Would a man look at me the same way he’s looking at her?
“Yes, Mrs. Vitale,” he replies before chuckling. “I’ve never been happier.”
Mr. and Mrs. Vitale. Their accents sound American.
Everything around me is forgotten as I watch the happy couple interact. For a brief moment, I drop the act I have to maintain, and my lips curve into a smile.
“Hey, Ryo,” I hear someone say in my native language, “I haven’t seen you here in a while. Where have you been?”
Before I can glance at Jun, Mr. Vitale catches me staring at them. His brown eyes narrow on me, and I quickly turn my gaze to Jun and give him a generic reply, “I was away for business.”
“The whole group is here.” Jun jabs his thumb over his shoulder to where they’re all sitting, giving me hopeful looks. “Want to join us?”
Being seen with me would boost their status.
I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
Reaching for the drink that arrived while I was lost in the couple across from me, I take a small sip before leaning casually back against the couch again.
“Okay,” Jun says, a disappointed expression on his face. “See you around.”
When he leaves to join his friends, my gaze returns to the couple. Mrs. Vitale tucks some of her long hair behind her ear, the movement feminine and hypnotizing.
The urge to copy her movements surges through me, and it makes me feel even more miserable than when I arrived at the club.
Her eyes meet mine for a second, and her features tighten. She shifts closer to her husband and says something to him I can’t hear. The next second, he snaps at me, “Stop staring at my wife.”
My eyes flick to his annoyed ones, then I shift uncomfortably in my seat while my gaze drops down to the phone in my hand.
“Don’t ever submit,” Kentaro growls at me in our language. “The idiot insulted you. Stand your ground and stare him down.”