his partial vacillation

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ᚔ A week later ᚔ

It wasn't the first time I entered the Takahashi main residence, but my insides felt unsettled. It wasn't the inconsequent polite conversation, canapes and wine that caused the strange curling sensation within me. 

It was the thought that I would see her — for the very first time in three years. 

On the day Wren landed in Norway three years ago, she only left a message requesting for me to wait for her before she went on living her life. She refused to join the Illiades nor the Fayed in the exact manner that I had expected her to. 

Wren took up the empty memorandum and registered her own law firm. Even when she stopped contacting me, I never stopped trying to find out if she had been doing well. But Wren being Wren, she never disappointed. Without the help of the Illiades nor the Fayed, she stood up strong on her own. 

Not only had she strengthened her connections with my existing business partners, but she also established her own circle of links. In just a short span of three years, her name and impecceable reputation spread like wildfire through the business world. Her ability to deal with local or international business lawsuits was continuously praised and undoubtedly, many wanted to keep her under their corporations. Yet, Naya said that she turned every single offer down regardless of how high a premium she was offered with. 

Without being by her side, I continued to guard her in her conquest to live her best life, knowing that Wren's ambitions had no limits and she even took up business requests from the dark syndicates. There are times she nearly pushed me beyond my limits, urging me to fly over to Norway to bring her back under my wing and protect her within my safety. But I didn't. I held back because I knew her well and respected her enough to know that she always enter every battlefield prepared. 

Like a wild rose, she blossomed in the harshest environment and emerged magnificently each time. 

Wren reached a height that she was beyond my father's reach right now. Even without the protection of the Illiades and the Fayed, she was protected by every powerful figure that she established connections with. To put it simply, even the mobs were behind her back right now. 

Walking through the entryway into the Takahashi residence, I was brought to the main meeting hall and some of the Takahashi syndicate's members came forward to greet me. Nakamura was amongst one of the first to offer his welcome and I was introduced to the newly appointed wakagashira, Fuwa Yamada. Yamada and I were men with no words, I didn't have many greetings to offer and Yamada remained quiet but respectful. Amongst us, Nakamura was the only one speaking and I had no qualms listening. When the main door to the meeting hall opened again, everyone had their attention fixed on the group of men entering. All of them glanced towards their new family head, but I had my eyes on the only person that mattered to my heart — Wren. 

Wren entered the hall, following behind Izanagi Takahashi. Three years later, she was still the most beautiful presence I would ever witness in my life. Though the time we spent apart had changed her. Wren walked with her head held high and she was surrounded by a halo of confidence that I would never see in her if she remained by my side. My beautiful songbird was impeccably dressed in a white satin blouse and cream-coloured pencil skirt that reached her calves. Her lovely figure was perfectly accentuated with her choice of clothes that looked alluring but incontestably professional. A small smile lifted from my lips when I remembered that Naya once mentioned Wren's clumsiness when trying to balance in heels. But here she was, walking so elegantly in the pair of pointed stilettos.

Wren grew her hair out and those wavy brown hair brushed over her shoulders gracefully as she walked while her gaze remained sharp when she scanned the hall. I was simply admiring her from afar and her feet hit a complete stop when she found me amongst the crowd of hundred people. The pale of her eyes remained piercing and captivating even after all these years. She stared at me for a long time, unmoving and as though someone had hit a pause to her time. 

I didn't fail to miss the sheen of tears in her eyes and my legs nearly moved on their own to cross the distance between us. When Izanagi turned to tap her on her arm, she quickly snapped herself into attention and followed him again. I was so close to nearly lose control and bring her in my arms but I knew that I was in no position to bring her back now. She asked me to wait and I should wait for her to be ready to come back to me. A shudder of my phone in my suit pocket brought me back to my own reality, I picked up my phone and glanced at the lit screen. It was a message from Ismael.

Exhaling a silent sigh, I placed my phone back into my pocket and continued to watch her from a distance. Occasionally, I found her stealing glances towards me. Wren seemed to be checking if I was still here, and the look on her face held so many unsaid words that I wished I knew all that she wanted to tell. Though, I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for them. 

Placing the glass in my hand down on the table surface and when she hadn't noticed, I stepped away from where I stood.

He's not there anymore.

Disappointment tugged heavily at the bottom of my heart when I turned around and saw that Aillard had moved away from where he stood. My eyes searched frantically through the sea of people in the banquet hall but I could no longer find him. A wave of emptiness quickly overwhelmed me and I thought of how our first meeting after three years was so fleeting. 

I didn't even get to say a single word to him.

"Wren," Izanagi called me and I turned to face him. He smiled, "I need to go ahead and greet the main family elders. You're a guest and it would be inappropriate for you to follow. Please feel free to make yourself at home while I excuse myself."

"I understand," I nodded politely. "Please go ahead." 

The moment Izanagi left my side, I felt a few pairs of eyes on me and I had witnessed this way too many times in the past three years. Even when everyone belonged to the same syndicate, the family group was divided into factions. Those people eyed the throne like a hawk, always eager to find any flaw to bring down the ruling faction. When Izanagi introduced me as a lawyer, I saw the hostility in some of the elders who stood in opposing factions. The only thing they didn't understand was that I had no business with their internal war, I was hired to settle external disputes and business dealings of the syndicate. Though, I found no reason to explain myself because I didn't belong to the Takahashi group. Also, my main priority now was to find Aillard. 

Leaving from where I stood, I was going to head out the meeting hall when a few men stood ahead of me and stopped me from advancing towards my desired direction. Some elders from the opposing factions and minor families decided to interfere and I knew this was the sign of trouble brewing.

One asked in his gruff voice, "Why are you hired to the Takahashi group?" 

"Please excuse me, I need to head elsewhere," I said politely, deliberately ignoring their questions. 

I knew that it would ease them if I explained but Izanagi wasn't just a client — he's also an important friend. I wouldn't reveal about the recent clash that their group had with the Kitagawa Group as that would shake Izanagi's position as the head of the family. These elders must've taken me for a fool only because, in their world, women were often frowned upon and regarded as powerless. The only thing I had to prove was that I belonged to the world beyond and give them no reason to look down on me.

"You're an outsider and don't know the rules of our world." The old man continued, "We're capable of a lot of things and one of them is that when being asked, you answer."

"Is it?" I challenged, standing straighter. "May I remind you that a wise man would observe and assess before provoking?"

Ugly words surfaced when he spat, "Don't be conceited, you're just a woman. Don't think that just because you spread your legs to Izanagi, he would protect you from us. In our world, blood is an oath and family is always the first priority. Even if we were to do anything to you, he could only watch and side us."

"Do not impose your dirty impression of women on me," I said icily. "Also, do not belittle women. The women in your world may be raised to be obedient but never invoke a storm you're not ready for because you men are equally useless without them. Here's my warning to you: never speak of women like how you did." 

An angry outburst of expletive and a swinging hand towards me, but I remained unfazed because I was trained in a manner they would never expect. My reflexes were fast and I dodged the outstretched arm nimbly. I tried to not intensify the scene by walking away but someone grabbed hard on my arm and yanked me back. The strength was too unexpected for me to fight against and I fell back but only to be caught by a pair of firm hands which steadied me to stand again.

"Saito-san." A familiar voice sounded from behind me and my heart stuttered with every word that was spoken through the tensed air, "What do you think you're doing to my fiancée?"

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a/n:

my busy period would end soon and i'll be updating more often from next week onwards! i can't wait to work on this story. dear readers, please be patient with me! just one more week to go!