Page 17 of Ruin

Fuck.

Other voices intervened, and the tone went lower where I couldn’t hear what was being said. Still, I wanted to march in there and tell this fucker to stop being a bitch to his own daughter. Mimi didn’t need this. Not the hate when all she wanted to do was reconcile things before he died.

I caught the guards’ gazes from across the hallway. Five of them. Ryo, who waited for Wolf as his personal guard, another one was there to watch over the dad, and two waited for Wolf’s mum and Mimi. The last I’d seen around a lot when I’d wandered around the place because he’d been not far behind me every time I moved out of my room. When I asked about the guard on the walk to the room, Wolf informed me that Botan was my personal guard while I stayed under his roof.

Through clenched teeth, I’d informed him, “I can take care of myself.”

Wolf had winked and said, “He’s there as a just-in-case scenario. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you from someone on my side.”

“Again, I can take care of myself.”

When his gaze scanned my body, my gut had twisted. Wolf then smirked. “I know.” And that was all he said before we stopped outside the suite and they went in.

Botan stared back now, and I wanted to ask him if he was there to protect me—scoff—or to keep an eye on me because they didn’t trust me. If it was the second thing, I couldn’t blame him. I was a stranger in their house at a time when even I wouldn’t want an outsider around. Although, if it was because he didn’t trust me, why not just say it instead of implying I couldn’t take care of myself?

Fuck me.

I was overthinking again.

Whatever it was, I couldn’t complain because it wasn’t my place. I was there for Mimi, to protect her, and I really wanted to protect her against her father as his voice rose once again with more harsh words.

When I turned towards the door, Ryo called, “Don’t.”

Facing him, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why the fuck not?” I waved a hand at the door. “He’s cutting her with each fuckin’ word. I’m here to protect her, even from shit like that.”

It was then Wolf’s voice rose from within the suite. “Silence. If this is the last time you speak with your own daughter, is this how you want her to remember you? A heartless bastard ruled by work?”

“That is why,” Ryo said. “You are an outsider. Walking in there would have been the worst you could have done for Mimi. You don’t know him enough, but Wolf will protect his sister, even from her father and his words.”

“He took his damn time,” I grumbled because I didn’t want to see Wolf as a good guy.

“He knows when to intervene. He did not rule this family because of inheritance. Even his father saw how cutthroat he could be. He plays it smart when needed.”

“He is a good sama,” Botan commented with a glare my way.

The doors behind me opened with a rush, and in the next second, I had a crying woman in my arms.

“Fuck, babe. You’re okay. I got you.”

Mimi’s whole body shook as she gripped the back of my tee. I lifted my gaze as an older version of Mimi stepped through the doors before Wolf closed them with him still inside. His gaze hard, his jaw clenched. My guess, he’d be having more words with his father.

“I t-tried to get him to understand.” She sobbed into my chest. With a hand to her waist, I rested my other one at the back of her head, gently holding her to me.

“Understand what?”

“T-That the man h-he bargained me with sold his women to other men to use. T-That he b-beat them.”

Christ. Motherfucking Christ. The fucker still didn’t listen to reason about why she ran, even after knowing what would have happened to his own daughter if they went ahead with the trade.

Anger boiled my blood. My body twitched. I wanted to go in there and end his life for him, in a bloody mess.

“Musume,” the mum uttered, resting her hands on Mimi’s shoulders. Mimi turned abruptly and pushed her face into her mum’s shoulder. “My sweet girl, let’s go to your room.” I caught Mimi nod into her shoulder. “Ryo?”

“Your guards will follow. I’ll inform Wolf when he’s out.”

“Mimi?” I asked, not sure if I followed or not.

Mimi lifted her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll see you soon?”

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