Chapter Text
*** Usagi ***
I stood at the railing, the cool breeze brushing against my face.
It still felt so unreal, how my life had turned out. After my mother passed away, I had gone through a damn difficult time. I lived on the streets with my siblings, just to keep the system from separating us.
When my biological father found us, I actually felt a glimmer of hope, the hope of finally being happy. He was a wealthy man from Tokyo’s upper class. To be precise, he was the head of one of the three most influential families in Tokyo.
What a fool I had been.
I gripped the railing tighter as I remembered the day I agreed to take the place of my supposedly deceased sister.
Marrying a complete stranger so my siblings could have a good life seemed like a noble cause. Even if, from then on, they were to be placed elsewhere.
When I said goodbye to my siblings, I had no idea what awaited me.
I married the man my father had chosen for me, even though my heart already belonged to someone else. That someone, who had stolen my heart, happened to be the brother of my husband.
Lost in thought, I twirled the gold-and-black ring on my finger, representing the colors of my new house.
I was now Serena Kou, wife of Taiki Kou, heir to the Kou Empire.
I had buried my existence as Usagi Sasaki with my wedding.
I had sacrificed so much for this marriage, my virginity and freedom included, and in return, we were bound by a marriage contract.
No, I correct myself: We were bound by a marriage contract, because my husband had been pushed into this marriage as well.
He was always kind and courteous to me, but my feelings were for his younger brother, Seiya.
After a long game of hiding, my youngest brother-in-law, Yaten, finally opened our eyes on Christmas Eve.
My husband, too, had already given his heart to someone else, a young doctor working for his company. He and Amy had been a couple long before our marriage.
Unfortunately, our marriage contract left no way out and no room for mistakes, but we managed to organize ourselves. At least outwardly, Taiki and I skillfully presented ourselves as a married couple; behind closed doors, however, we were nothing more than friends.
I moved in with some of my belongings at Seiya’s place, and Amy and Taiki shared an apartment in the Kou Tower. Additionally, Taiki and I kept our shared apartment for potential visitors to maintain appearances.
My life had been anything but peaceful since stepping into this world, and to top it all off, I realized I was pregnant.
Pregnant with twins, and I couldn’t say with certainty which of the two brothers was the father of my children.
There was still no visible sign of my pregnancy, but my hand rested on my lower belly. I would do anything for these two, that much was certain.
I pulled my jacket a little tighter around me.
It was late December, and I could have chosen a nicer time to be out at sea.
But my father proved to be a power-hungry asshole for whom nothing mattered but personal gain.
No sooner had he learned about my pregnancy than I was kidnapped, and my husband was threatened with a divorce, one that would have cost him almost everything.
This boat was now meant to take me to safety after a nerve-wracking escape, as far away from my father, Kenji Tsukino, as possible. It had been close, and without Seiya’s best friend Haruka, I’d probably still be sitting by the burn barrels on the street. The only advantage of my old life had been the anonymity it offered.
By now, I could fully understand why my half-sister had faked her death; in a family like that, one needed no enemies.
I knew exactly that my father had begun the hunt for me and my unborn children. They were the key for him to gain even more influence. But I would not allow it.
Two warm arms wrapped around my waist from behind.
I immediately knew whose they were and rested my head against his strong chest.
“Sweetheart, it’s damn cold out here. Come on, let’s go inside; it’s much warmer and more comfortable,” Seiya whispered softly in my ear.
My fingers entwined with his, and I let him lead me into the cabin, eager to see what life still had in store for me.