It's been a month since we go back to Japan and still business as usual. Today will be our presentation of our second business proposal of me and Mika. I head first to her office to pick her up. Her secretary just said that she was just on the restroom.

Me: "You ready?"

Mika: "Yeah and everything is ready too.

Me: "Shall we?"

After two hours, we successfully closed the deal and of course, Fabio was happy about it. I was about to hug her instead of it, I panic and immediately run and catch her after she had just lost her consciousness.

We immediately bring her to the hospital and we found out that she was diagnosed with severe dengue. Her temperature suddenly rises and there a lot rushes on her back.

I said to them I'll be the one staying on her side until she recover and discharge.

As a couple of hours passed, she gains her consciousness, and not a minute later, her nose bled again, and once it stops she starts to vomit.

Her strength was drained from vomiting since she can't even eat. My heart was shattered in pieces whenever I saw suffering on her own.

"Yuki..."

I immediately get up to look at her and seems like she was dreaming of him again.

Yes, ever since we start sleeping in one bed, I have always witnessed her dreaming of him. Every time she was dreaming about Yuki, there's always tears coming from her eyes and I was getting hurt too.

It's the path I choose to take and I should be ready for whatever risk is coming to me. Mika is still loves him, she may not be showing it or telling but I still know.

I know I was selfish because I wanted her to fall in love with me and finally start a new life with me. All the moments we created in LA, I know she was trying too...

She was trying to open up her heart for me but in the end, I can't still replace Yuki in her heart.

I always tell her that I love her but she never said that she loves me too and I understand about it.

[Time Skips: September]

The wedding date was moved again after she was hospitalized for 2 weeks due to dengue and a year has passed since Mika and I have been engaged. A week from now, our wedding will happen.

We're currently on our final fitting of her gown and my tuxedo and Tatsuya-san is with us since he will also stand as my best man. Kiyoharu and Kaede are also with us since the two really want to see their best friend immediately in her wedding gown.

Tatsuya: "You two are really getting busy huh"

Me: "Yeah"

Tatsuya: "I'm glad that she became comfortable with you"

Me: "Yeah"

After the incident happed last year, everything became different. She decided to go to the U.S. to have resumed the surgery there even though she can have it here in Tokyo. Maybe she really wanted to forget everything that happened back then. She has been through a lot and she really didn't deserve that all.

After the incident... no... after she got engaged in me, I never see her warm smile again. She may be smiling or laughing but it is not the same as she was with Yuki...

Tatsuya: "Did you already tell her about your feelings?"

I know at first it was just an arranged marriage, and we had an agreement that after 2 years we're going to get a divorce. But as time goes by I'm with her, I learn a lot about her and I can't stop myself from falling in love with her.

I didn't fall in love with her just because I pitied her, I love her because she was really different from all the girls I meet and dated before. She's really a strong woman despite all the things that happened to her, she was still holding on, she was still fighting for herself.

Me: "I already told her"

Tatsuya: "What happened?"

I first told her that I love her when we're at the ball in Milan but of course, I'm not expecting any response from her. She only smiles at me and I know that if I fall for her, she will not fall for me cause her heart is still taken by someone.

But after what happened in Milan, somewhat she started to act differently. There's progress happening between us but maybe because she just accepts the fact that she will still marry me whether she likes it or not.

Me: "I'm always telling and showing it to her that I love her..."

Me: "... but I know that I'll never win her heart. I know from the start that someone is owning her heart already."

Me: "and I guess this kind of love I have for her is like something borrowed."

And time has passed again and Today is finally the day and I was getting nervous about it. Right now we're just waiting for Mika to arrive here.

Tatsuya: "Don't be too tense Masa, she will be here in a moment"

Me: "Yes... I was just you know... "

Tatsuya: "Just chill okay"

Me: "Hai."

I waited for her to arrive.

But as the minutes passed by, there is still no sign of her arriving here.

Somewhat I feel strange, she was never late. It's also impossible that she will be stuck in traffic since we're not in Tokyo.

Is there something that happened to her? Did she run away today? I guess she will not do it.

And after the commotion and hearing what happened to her, I'm getting chills in my spine and I start to panic inside.

Why is it always her?

Mr. Yanagida: "Masa, just in case... take this" - I look at the gun given by dad before I take it.

Mr. Yanagida: "I'll send our men too to assist you. I'll help Stefano first to settle this"

Me: "Yes dad, thank you we'll head out now"

I ask them to search all the possible factories and ice pants that are near here and that's what's come first in my head when I heard that they put Mika in a place that was cold enough to freeze her to death.

Thankfully my teammates and Kiyoharu are with me so that we can make our search faster.

I don't know how minutes have passed but we already the places we search earlier but she wasn't there. Where the hell did they put Mika?

We need to make it quick since we only have limited time.

Every time she was in danger, I was always late. If I didn't find her on time, I don't know if I can't accept it.

*ring ring ring*

Me: "Moshi moshi?"

Taichi: "Masa, we found the place but we cannot just go inside. There's a lot of men guarding the building."

Me: "Send me the address and we're coming."

Mika... Just hold on, please.

I'll be there.

Once we arrived there, our men start to get rid of the people as we head straight inside the building to find her in the building.

It was an abandoned ice plant but it is still functional. We found a way to get into the main storage and by looking at the temperature in the monitor.

SHIT!

It was set at -5 degrees.

We immediately configure it and turn the temperature up. We try to open the door but it took us long since we cannot find the correct code, so we try to destroy it and the alarm of the building was now on after destroying the door.

Once we headed inside, I didn't expect that it was big storage and we don't know where she is. The lights were on but it's only in dim light. We get in our separate ways so we can find her quickly and it was really cold here.

Kenta: "MASA WE FOUND HER!"I immediately run to where Kenta shout and my heart skips a beat when I see her.

She was pale, hands and feet were both tied, a cloth tied on her mouth, there's bloodstains on her gown.

God! Mika, please hold on.

We immediately removed the rope and I immediately carry her out of the room.

Kiyoharu: "She still has a pulse but it's getting weak. We need to bring back her body temperature or else ..."

We immediately bring her to the car and turn the heater then headed to the nearest hot spring here. I put my clothes on her to at least warm her. Kiyoharu is monitoring her and putting a bag valve mask on her.

On our arrival in the private hot spring, I immediately bring her to the bath and make sure her body was soaked properly.

The other start to inform us that we got her and our location.I keep her in my arms and I can't hold my tears from falling in my eyes.

Me: "Mika, wake up"

Kiyoharu: "Mika... hold on..."

Tatsuya: "Masa, calm down"

Taichi: "They are here"

Mikio: "MIKA!!! OH, GOD!!!"Mikio immediately runs to her sister and while the other starts calming me.

Kiyoharu: "Mika?" - When I look her, her eyes is somewhat starting to open.

Me: "Mika, can you hear me?"

Mika: "Masa?"I hug her tight but she still does not respond.

Mika: "I can't still move my body they injected me a paralysis drug ... and I have wounds please..."

Kiyoharu: "I already aid it but still need to disinfect it, the ambulance is also on its way, don't worry now, baby okay"

Mika: "How about Kaede and Haruka?"

Kaede: "They are already brought to the hospital. Now just calm okay, everything will be okay."

Mika: "Thank you" - Her tears are starting to fall from her eyes as she closes her eyes. When the ambulance arrived, they immediately load her and bring to the hospital. I changed first my soaked clothes as we drive to the hospital.

This day is supposedly the happiest day for us, but how it came to be too tragic for all of us.

-- To Be Continued --