When Sayaka returned home after dropping off Hanae, it was a little late in the afternoon. The meeting with the potential mentor went on well. Her niece impressed the classical music professor with ease. If nothing went wrong, Hanae would have someone to guide her in the university and her long-term career.

As she entered the house, she found Akira getting ready to leave the mansion.

"Akira, are you going back to the apartment?" Sayaka asked.

"Mmmh, I have some work to do before the day ends. Aunt Nanase and the twins as well as my friend left a while ago." Akira said.

"It has been a while since you slept here. Even your bed has new cobwebs." Sayaka joked.

Akira looked at her mother for a moment. "I can't stay over tonight because I have some matters to manage. But we can have tea before I leave."

Sayaka looked at Akira with concern. "Is it about the restaurant? You don't have to tire yourself with the manual work. If you are too overwhelmed, you can simply leave that job. If you would like, I can speak to the owner on your behalf."

Akira was silent for a period before she spoke. "I am the owner."

"What?" Sayaka was a little confused by the words.

"I am the owner of Elements. I do not dislike the tiring work. In fact, it is quite fulfilling." She responded.

Sayaka felt speechless, but she tried to recover as quickly as possible. "Let's go to the living room and chat a little more over tea. You can tell me more about your life. I feel like I do not know you."

The request was honest and deep from her heart. She had been thinking about her relationship with Akira because of the words Nanase said earlier in the morning.

When Akira returned to the Yamazaki family, she thought they would be closer than she was with Hanae. They would do fun things like shopping, eating in hippie restaurants and going out for spa days. However, the reality was nothing like that.

Akira was not like a regular girl from Mountain Ridge. She did not seem to have a lot of time for fun things. She was a bit of a workaholic and was not interested in getting a bank card from her father to spend on the latest fashionable products.

It made Sayaka unable to relate to her.

Since she was younger, Sayaka had never taken up official employment. She came from her parents' home and went to university. She met with Daiki, and they fell in love. Shortly after she graduated, they got married.

The only profitable work she had done was painting a few prestigious pieces of artwork during her third and fourth year of college. After that, she did not see the need to keep struggling to earn a few coins when the money provided by Daiki was several times more.

Naturally, she did not get why Akira insisted on working instead of living a comfortable life as a socialite. She had lived a hard life in the past after the kidnapping, so Sayaka thought that it would be better if Akira took a break from toiling every day.

However, she was quickly realising that her daughter was not forcing herself, and she did not earn only a few coins.

In truth, Sayaka could not understand why she always pictured Akira as a helpless girl working like Cinderella, scrubbing floors on her knees. She had proved to be more than capable, and she was wealthy enough to afford rare instruments, an apartment and even a car, although it was an old model.

Furthermore, she had friends like Hina, who was a reputable doctor, according to her son. And today, she had discovered that she was close with a CEO.

But the image of a pitiful and poor girl did not leave her mind.

"How did you come to be the owner of Elements?" Sayaka asked after they settled in the living room with a pot of tea.

"It was a coincidence. I found an old restaurant on sale, and it was in a great location. I bought it on a whim. I was already a qualified chef, so it was not hard to develop a menu and open up a business. After that, I opened a few more branches." Akira responded.

"That is so impressive!" Sayaka exclaimed. "If you do not mind me asking, where did you find the money for investing in the restaurant? You do not have a lot of debt, do you?"

That might explain why Akira was constantly working without taking a break or spending time with her and Daiki.

"I have other business interests. I do not have any debts." Akira answered plainly.

An awkward silence filled the room. Sayaka did not know how to proceed with the conversation. She realised that she should not have asked such an intrusive question. It probably sounded accusatory to Akira.

She could not figure out how to backtrack, so she decided to keep engaging Akira. She thought of something she had not considered for a while.

"I was thinking it might be good if you could join a college or university in Mountain Ridge. Even though you have money, a good education will enhance your reputation. Plus, you will meet more people." Sayaka said.

"I already graduated from a good university. You don't have to worry about that." Akira responded.

Sayaka noticed that Akira was not cooperating with her and even had resistance towards their interaction. Perhaps, Nanase was right. Some time ago, Akira actively engaged her in conversation. Now, she was just responding to her questions.

"Akira, are you mad at Mom?" Sayaka asked.

Akira looked at the older woman. "No."

"Then, why are you acting so coldly towards me?"

"I am not acting cold. I just realised that we do not have a lot in common." Akira smiled a little. "I admit I had some expectations towards you. When you did not meet my standards, I tried to change you. I wanted to make you into my ideal mother."

"But I realised that I do not need to change you. You are who you are. That thought liberated me. We are related by blood, but we do not have to force a close relationship. I am ok with the way things are right now."

The words were from Akira's heart. She encouraged Sayaka to stand up to Kaoru and Hanae and even resume painting because she wanted a strong mother. She did not want someone who did not have the guts to believe and stand up for something.

However, she became disillusioned because Sayaka was never firm. Even after seeing the true colours of Hanae, she continued to coddle her. She did not even try to teach Hanae. She just handed her everything once again.

It was only a matter of time before the snake bit the person who fed it.

"We are different people, and that is alright. I do not intend to force myself or you." Akira added.

Sayaka felt like she was losing the grasp of something precious.

But she did not know how to hold on to it. She could not continue the conversation or even deny the words Akira had spoken. She had been thinking the exact same thing. They were different people and did not have anything in common. The difference was insurmountable.

The two continued drinking their tea in silence.

"I am going back now," Akira said when she finished her tea.

"Alright." Sayaka with a bit of dejection. "Don't forget to come back often. This place is always your home."

Akira nodded before standing up. As she was about to leave the living room, Sayaka called out.

"Wait a moment. I almost forgot." Sayaka stood up. "I wanted to ask if you can introduce Hanae to your friend, Double M. She is looking to join an entertainment company, so it would be convenient if she could have the care from such a prominent person."

Akira found the request ridiculous. "No, it's impossible."

Sayaka was surprised by the answer. "Why? Didn't he accept the twins? Hanae is quite talented, so it would not be a loss."

"You misunderstood my meaning. I said it is impossible because I do not want to introduce Hanae to Double M." She paused. "I like the twins. I don't like Hanae."

Without another word, she walked out.