InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ If You Are Not The One ❯ Calm before the Storm Part 1 ( Chapter 21 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

IF YOU ARE NOT THE ONE

Chapter Twenty-One: Calm before the Storm Part 1

You're right on time, so invite me in
this is where your trouble begins
But I like you better than the other ones
You say I'm right when you know I'm wrong
we could never just get along
Don't you hate when it gets stuck in your mouth
and then those words get in the way
She said...

Nothing could come between us
One of those favorite things that she used to say
That's just what she said
Nothing could come between us
Sorry to say but I don't feel the same

You're so damn relentless, and you will find,
the two of us are like two of a kind
But it hits you harder than the other ones
You said it loosely, when I'm just sitting here with myself
Don't you hate when it gets stuck in your mouth
and then those words get in the way
She said...

-Nothing Could Come Between by Theory of A Deadman-

The room was filled with the most essential individuals who contributed to the company, each settled on their corresponding seat, most over the age of fifty. The chatter kept exclusively among them, some whispered about the most recent marketing or worldwide news and women rumored whether who was up to the latest fashion; the gossip in the building was unpredictable at times. However, no one was positively sure why the meeting had been call for all of a sudden; usually they were to be scheduled long before they took place. But this one was unexpected.

The enormous mechanical glass doors opened to the conference headquarters, all eyes brought to the chief in second-command. Inuyasha entered along his new secretary, his eyes requiring concentration as he walked coolly followed by a woman with a pen and notebook in hand. They approached the head of the rectangular table, a tall man with silver hair and equally amber eyes that studied motionless as his younger sibling approached accompanied. “Sesshomaru, this is Miss Yoshida Sakura my new secretary, Miss Yoshida this is the head of the company Mr. Takahashi.”

“Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Takahashi.” Kagome bowed her head, a costume when it came to greeting people of great significance. People murmured wondering more of the elegant young woman who carried herself proudly with admiration and much proficiency, her resemblance to Mr. Takahashi's spouse unmistakable.

“Likewise I'm sure,” He stated flatly while momentarily looking at her from the corner of his eyes before he continued to read some papers, his professional appearance demanding equal or more so respect. Inuyasha sat on the opposite chair to his brothers and Kagome sat next to him but in front of Miroku the most important accountant in the whole building. Kagome looked at the new faces, some she'd seen before like Bankotsu and Hinten. Then she noticed a woman who glanced her way, she sourly noticed Kagome's stare and quickly looked elsewhere. Kagome paid no mind but continued to give Mr. Takahashi her full attention.

Takahashi Sesshomaru, who was known as the third richest man in Asia and the fifth worldwide, lowered some reports he read carefully setting them on the table in front of him. Kagome had read articles about him before learning that he was a very importunate man that obtained every goal in life and accomplished the impossible when most thought of it as unreachable. She'd also undoubtedly seen his face before, probably in television or a magazine. She noticed that when trying to be more formal, Mr. Takahashi always wore oceanic colors, which reflected his naturally relaxed composure. Though his physical appearance resembled that of Inuyasha, he on the other hand was evidently the opposite, especially the way he resourcefully held himself knowing they were all perceptively beneath him.

He calmly studied every face present and stood up, everyone hushed as they prepared to listen. “Someone has stolen greatly from us,” The room went dead silent, no one spoke, no one moved.

Not a soul dared breathe in the face of Mr. Takahashi's revelation. Only the tinny rattle of the large air conditioning rumbling in the background. Even the middle-aged man seated at the far end stopped scratching at his ear. This was a bad omen, but Kagome didn't realize it right away. The conference room remained abruptly silent. The air felt charged. It took her a moment to process what had just happened. No one spoke, not knowing how to properly approach the matter, they waited for his explanation and instructions hoping this were some kind of mistake. Sesshomaru was a well respected mature man and he was always very serious. “I returned from New York this morning, learning of the news, I came back as soon as I could.”

“You can't be fucking serious!” Inuyasha shot up straight from his seat and growled out of nowhere, all the eyes in the room fell over the inferior chief manager. The large conference room comfortably accommodating thirty people around the table; from the board of directors from departments of the company to all the members and their assistants in the faculty room, stared baffled.

The elder brother frowned immediately, “I do not joke around Inuyasha so you will do considerably well to watch your language around me, insolent mongrel.” The older brother narrowed his cold eyes, though they showed no real expression.

“How much?” Inuyasha demanded, clearly not believing the news and avoiding his brother's threats.

“Enough, it won't be long before the rest of Asia knows also.” Sesshomaru declared and eyed everyone in the room; his gaze fell momentarily on Kagome, never before today having seen her face before his presence.

“I said how fucking much goddamn it!” Inuyasha growled insistently.

“Twelve-hundred billion dollars vanished from our bank as of yesterday night.” The head of the table answered calmly. In other words, money laundering which was the practice of engaging in financial transactions in order to conceal the identity, source, or destination of the company's money, and is a main operation of the underground economy.

Many murmured as they heard the large loss of quantity, others yelled desperate for answers; Kagome like others, gasped in surprise

“Impossible!” Some protested.

“That can't be!” Others whispered and called about.

“Mr. Takahashi we have to find the ones responsible, this is outrages!” Debated an old man in charge of Import Export Coordination. Many still couldn't believe their ears; this was a well-structured and organized, fast growing, large-scale global Export Import Company. It was developed and managed by Japan Export and Import Portal that covered 300 countries and territories worldwide and handling over 180,000 business categories and industry-specific sectors.

The head of the company sat on his seat, ignoring what many protested against him. “I assure you this Sesshomaru is no fool; I will find the person responsible and they will be severely punished.” He stated as he drank from his wine glass. “I am declaring now, that this building is under double the security; Code Red.” He continued and everyone gasped all of a sudden, trying to truly comprehend the outcome of such circumstances.

Inuyasha looked at his brother baffled, not sure where this was all going. “Sesshomaru, is there any evidence?”

But he merely shook his head, raising objections. “No…it was a blank check. However it wasn't bankruptcy, Investigators are working on the case as we speak.”

“Who the hell would dare?” Inuyasha interrupted yet again; somehow he had found the energy that had evaded him for the past few weeks.

“Someone capable of doing so again, and for this reason I have taken the drastic measure of resetting all the accounts.”

For some reason Inuyasha turned towards his secretary and raised his eyebrow, she had mentioned something similar to this. She'd warned him that someone was trying to ruin them, but he didn't pay enough attention to it. Kagome looked just as surprised as most were.

“But sir, it's almost impossible to hack into our banking accounts.” Miroku affirmed from his seat, bewildered like everyone else.

“Not if they know the codes and confidential information.” Inuyasha muttered, not knowing how so much money had disappeared over night. This had never happened before. And because of this, they would certainly be targeted by the media worldwide.

“What about the annual ball held at the end of the month?” Some woman called out.

“It shall proceed; I will make sure of it.” Sesshomaru assured. “However, this year it shall be held at the Onigumo Company, Mr. Onigumo's son has offered to host the ball this year to further enhance our negotiations with them. Besides, we are in no condition to uphold such an event.” Many people looked at themselves as they heard this; every year for going on fifty years now, such a prestigious event had never before been held anywhere else but at the Takahashi building.

“What about the fundraiser?” Hinten asked as well.

“Bankotsu is responsible for the fundraiser held next week.”

“Yes sir.” Bankotsu who had yet to say a word, took a deep breath.

Inuyasha tried to recollect his thought. Billions of dollars were missing and they would probably never be heard from again. His only dismay was over what if it happened again. “What do we do until then?”

“We wait...” Was the only comforting response Sesshomaru could give, thought not many could buy it; knowing if they went bankrupt it would be the end for them and their careers. The older chief in charge had never dealt with a con such as this one, but he was a professional who refused to be looked like some failure and someone you could take advantage from. Everything his father was clearly not. He knew fraudsters are everywhere—in every country—unfortunately much of the scams come from the very countries that need legitimate trade the most. But this matter was from some one who worked within his building and had connections he trusted to know one, thus Sesshomaru was determined to who know would dare to ruin his empire.

“We can't let them fucking steal again!” Inuyasha was not about to stand back and let them take what was left of their company. Unlike his brother who preferred to not take matters into his own hands, if he had to, Inuyasha would move heaven and earth to seek the one responsible.

“Sir, I suggest we keep this in the down low for now. If franchisers find out about this, they will surely cut their negation ties with us.” Miroku suggested and the boss nodded.

“Then it's settled for now. This discussion is officially over, you may all be dismissed.” Sesshomaru ignored his brother's glares, closing the meeting before anyone could debate further. This was a turning point for everyone presently there, knowing things would drastically change from now on.

************

Kagome sighed.

Apparently Inuyasha was in his office with that woman Kagome had noticed in the meeting earlier; they were talking about her and she could heard every shout from outside his office, Kagome only sat there typing away at her computer. “I don't care Inuyasha, you were to keep my job for whenI got back not hand it to some rookie who doesn't know shit!” Though not any one knew, Kagome was actually a skilled secretary with a couple years of experience but she wasn't going into details to explain her part, so she ignored the insults she was getting but not to her own face.

“She's proven much more responsible than you are, so how could I resist?” Inuyasha argued on from inside his office, not as alarmed as the lady he tried to persuade.

The lady shook her head and yelled some more. “Damn it! What am I supposed to do now? I've been working here for five years!” She stated the obvious.

“Help her, be my receptionist; it's all I can offer.” He insisted.

“No, you will not make me answer your calls for you. I'm capable of doing all the paperwork and your company visits, I refuse otherwise.” Kagome didn't want to listen to all this, thought obviously she had no other choice. She understood that this woman wanted her job back and she wasn't going down without a fight.

“My offer stands Yura, take it or leave it, either way it's your choice.” Yura glared at her handsome boss regardless of all the intimate times they had experienced over the years. She was sure she had marked her territory and she was here to stay, but not as a mere underpaid receptionist. There was no way in hell she was going back to that misery.

“It was my vacation for gods' sake!” She went on, glaring daggers at him as she said this, imposing to his proposal. She had only need a vacation but if he would have mentioned something about replacing her maybe she would have stayed in the first place.

“I know that woman! But I specifically told you not to take it when you did yet you still refused to listen. I needed you and you failed to stay when you should have the most.” Inuyasha explained irritated with how little reason he was getting through her thick head. She left him at a critical time and since Kagome had come to his rescue, he would not back her out now, no…she was here to stay until he thought otherwise. Besides, he had to admit that she was doing one hell of a job with his customers and paperwork; therefore he needed no receptionist but perhaps to just cut Kagome some lack.

Yura took some time to let it all sink in, the realization too much for her to bear. “Fine…If that's what you want then by all means, but someday you'll regret it Inuyasha.” She talked in a normal tone now, hushing him from going to her aid in any way that he could to rescue her. He stared at how she looked ready to cry any minute now. But then again, he didn't like threats and she had overstayed her welcome.

“You start tomorrow morning.” He only stated, and then looked from her face to the screen of his laptop. She understood now as she stared at him and how he ignored her in the comfort of his vivid screen; he had a thing for the secretary. Maybe, it was only her imagination, but as he defended Miss Yoshida, he looked different. He wasn't the Inuyasha she was accustomed of seeing, no…this was a man recovering from his wounds and that woman he called his secretary had something to do with it. She was supposed to heal him; it was her job to come to his aid, not this intruders'.

Yura walked out his office, the doors closing automatically behind her.

“You will not tell me what to do, you got that? I run this place around here.” Kagome looked up from her computer to the woman standing in front of her. Her glossy short hair was no longer than to her cheeks. Her complexion lighter than hers but her cheeks weren't as rosy even with the excessive amount of makeup used. Her skirt was more than inappropriate and her v-shaped shirt showed plenty cleavage to leave a man no curiosity whether what was in it.

“Actually, Mr. Takahashi does and I will not take orders from you either, I will do as Inuyasha says and no one else.” Kagome argued back with as much fire, not wanting to appear to this woman any defenseless than she may look compared to her.

Yura laughed at her. “Look at you, trying to take my job and my man.”

“Well I don't see your name on him.” Kagome said in a matter of fact kind of way.

“Don't get smart with me you little bitch, don't think I don't know what you're up to.” Hissed Yura, who was ready to yank her employees' hair if she had to in order for this new secretary to know her place was below her own, even thought it clearly was not.

“Oh yeah, then by all means enlighten me.” Kagome couldn't believe the nerve of this woman!

Yura glared. “You want his money; you want to be his bitch.” She watched Kagome's reaction who took a moment to laugh at this.

“Lady, don't confuse me with the likes of you.” Kagome said calmly, smirking while knowing Yura was his bitch though not in a good way. Everyone knew that Yura was the secretary he fucked around with. But Kagome was not letting this affect her in any way since she had a thing for the boss thought she liked to think on the contraire. Kagome was not going got let her intimidate her, hell better freeze over first. She hated when someone tried to belittle her, it wasn't in her nature to take suffer and discrimination willingly.

“We'll just wait and see who he'll end up fucking, then whose going to be his bitch.” Yura huffed and shot Kagome a determined look one more time before she stormed out of the waiting room, and into an elevator. This would not end this way. Kagome: 1 and Yura the bitch: 0.

Just as Yura disappeared in an elevator, an unfamiliar man walked out of another, heading for Kagome's direction. “Excuse me ma'm, but are you a Miss Yoshida?” He asked while holding something she did not notice, too angry over that impertinent woman who had just freely come up to her desk and insult her.

Kagome said without bothering to look his direction. “Yes, I am.”

“Then I believe these belong to you.” She offhandedly noticed that he was holding a large bright and sunny bouquet including six Alsmeer Golden Roses with eight yellow Alstromeria stems, the fourteen-stem assortment visibly brightening up the room. They were perhaps three dozen already somehow placed in a vase of some sort.

“Jesus Christ, they're beautiful.” She breathed and gazed with enthusiasm.

“Where shall I put them for you?”

“Ummm, here you can place them on top of my desk, thanks.”

“No problem ma'm.” The man did as he was told and took out a small clipboard from his back pocket.

“Could you sign here?” He asked and handed her the pen as she quickly did. The man smiled at her and left just as fast as he came in. Kagome eyed the flowers thinking who would send this to her, hoping it wasn't an unknown admirer. She noticed a tiny card and swiftly grabbed it, opening it and reading it despite the automatic doors that opened just in time to see her gawking at the note.

Inuyasha raised a brow at the flowers on Kagome's escritoire and grabbed the note that Kagome read from her seat. “Hey! Give that back Inuyasha!” She tried to grab it back but he turned around, curiously reading it.

“You're not going.” He unenthusiastically stated after scanning it over in his mind, as Kagome yanked it from his reach.

“What?” She said out loud noticing his dislike and disapproval.

“You're not going out with Bankotsu and that's final.” He ordered her, forgetting this had nothing to do with work and yet here he was commanding her not to go out on a date.

“The hell I'm not, who are you to order me around?” She bickered, not letting him boss her more than he should.

But Inuyasha was not going to answer, instead he honestly said, “Sakura, I don't trust this guy. He's not a good person for you to go out with.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This wasn't fair, she understood that the guy was going through a crisis thanks to his company but she refused to see his way.

“I'm serious here.” He felt the need to protect her; he always trusted his instincts and felt Kagome would be better off without this guy.

“Yet so am I, you have no right to tell me who I should date or not.” She placed her hands on her hips angrily.

“Fine, do whatever you want but I'm warning you now. Don't expect me to watch out for you.” Kagome didn't understand what he was trying to protect her from.

“What's with you? Why don't you trust him?” She asked, wanting to know why he felt like Bankotsu, who worked for him, was not trustworthy to go out on a date with her.

“I just don't alright, is that so hard to believe?” Inuyasha furrowed his thick eyebrows.

“Well I think you're jealous.” Kagome crossed her arms over her chest.

“Why the fuck would I be jealous of anyone!?” He was irritated that she thought he felt a need to be jealous of her going out. Or was he?

“I don't know, why don't you explain that to me!?” Kagome fought back.

Inuyasha sighed, quietly gazing at her big pair of aquatic depths. “You can do better okay.” He whispered and she stared back, amassed how he had no real alibi.

Go figure.

Kagome walked closer to him, standing right in front of him, faces inches apart. “And why is that, because for some stupid reason you feel he isn't best for me? Listen to yourself.” She calmly said back, no longer fighting.

“All I'm trying to say is that he just doesn't appear right for you.” He mesmerized her with his eyes.

“Oh yeah, then who does huh?” She questioned him and stared blankly. He wanted badly for some unknown reason to say me! But every nerve in his body could not respond quick enough to say this. Instead he just gaped hard down at her, staring from lips to eyes. He licked his dry lips and walked away before he would commit something he would later regret doing, although his body thought otherwise.

All he wanted at that second was to capture those luscious rosy lips with his own but something clicked in his mind that he could not ignore. “Then who's right for me Inuyasha?” She whispered softly to herself and watched his back as he left her there standing as if lost, walking to an elevator and leaving her confused of what had just happened. Breathing heavily for some reason she sighed and got back to work behind her desk, God how she hated these goddamned Butterflies squirming in her insides whenever she was around him.

***********

“You're obviously jealous.” He said to the upset man seated across from his desk.

“Why the hell would I be jealous of him and her?” Inuyasha was fuming, was he transparent or something? And how was it that everyone always assumed they knew him better than he knew himself?

“You like her.” Miroku stated the obvious as he rubbed his temples, thinking as he took a minute from typing on his laptop. His best friend had unexpectedly stomped into his office, saying how he hated her.

“I do not!” He yelled as if Miroku had verbally slapped him.

“Yes you do, admit it.” He went on; wanting for him to realize it once and for all that he was head over heals for his secretary.

Inuyasha glared at him. “I do not like that arrogant, stubborn wench.”

“Ah huh, and I'm freaking gay.” Miroku rolled his eyes, for a rich person with a career; he could be so stupid sometimes.

“Well you must be a fag because I sure as hell don't like her.” He objected.

“Then let her date, it's simple. Christ Inuyasha, she's not your daughter.”

“Miroku, you do remember the last girl that went out with that guy don't you?”

Miroku nodded knowing precisely what he was talking about, how could he forget if it had been all over the news. The media had a field day that week. He remembered pretty darn well what had happen last year. Bankotsu had dated an employee who was found dead on her bathtub, bathing in her own blood, with pretty serious cuts on her wrist. Everyone had said it was her who chose to take her life, and since Kikyou had basically died in similar circumstances, he knew why Inuyasha did not trust him.

“Inuyasha it was suicide.”

“How the fuck would you know?” Inuyasha shot back.

Miroku shook his head and broke his gaze from his computer screen to his best friend who was desperately going loony. “You know what I think?…I think you're scared that finally, over so many years you're starting to like someone other than Kikyou.” He admitted, becoming frustrated with how he was tired of telling Inuyasha the obvious even thought he asked for his advice and never followed through.

“Keh, I don't like her, she's just a friend.” He was asphyxiated with the obvious.

“An attractive friend who looks like your dead wife,” Miroku explained.

“Feh, they look nothing alike.”

“Actually, they kinda do.” The accountant typed and occasionally gave Inuyasha a scolding look.

“Are my fucking reports done yet Miroku?” He was also perturbed with how little they agreed sometimes.

“Almost.”

Inuyasha huffed. “Well hurry the fuck up and stop reminding me of that impudent woman.”

“As you wish.”

They didn't talk for couple minutes, “do you think they'll try to take from us again?” Miroku asked, referring to the reason they were called to the meeting that morning with Sesshomaru who had come back from the Big Apple. Inuyasha took a deep breath, it was a question he too struggled to find an answer to.

“I don't know…they can if the hacker has access to files only Sesshomaru and I do.” He confessed, clutching his knuckles. Nothing this big had ever happened before, people respected them while others feared them knowing what power could be capable of. But apparently someone else out there thought them to be stupid and therefore wanted to test them out. If only he could get his hands on those assholes who dared, he would give them a good beating before making sure they would rote in hell for the rest of their miserable years.

“That's impossible.” Miroku stopped what he was doing bringing his full attention to Inuyasha.

“Exactly what I thought, but apparently they do and that's what freaks me out, I'm going to talk to the investigators Sesshomaru hired. Too see if they know anything yet.” Miroku nodded.

“But how would they even get the codes?” He asked.

He shrugged. “I don't know…Sakura mentioned that all this had to do with the false products we were getting and those ships that sank last month.”

“You don't suppose she knows something we don't?” He raised a brow not knowing they had talked about this before.

Inuyasha trusted her thought she drove him insanely confused. The question was...how much? “No, she couldn't be able to. Besides, I just know she isn't responsible.”

Miroku agreed with him, Inuyasha was good at judging a character. “You're right I guess not. Anyhow, the documents you asked for are ready.”

“Good, print them out and give them to Sakura to take care of.” He instructed for him to do.

“Yes sir.”

Inuyasha's stomach growled. “Oh and order some take-out, I'm hungry.”

“Dude I'm not your secretary,” Miroku gave him a look.

“I know that monk, but I don't pay you to talk back nonsense to me either.”

“I love you man, but sometimes I swear you're a royal thorn in my ass.”

“Keh, hurry up you bozo. I'm starving.”

************

“She called saying she's interested sir.” A tall man said, his long hair braided along his back. He held his cell phone to his right ear, besides himself his small office was absolutely empty, his door locked to keep intruders away.

“Perfect, I want you to continue to distract Inuyasha for me.” Ordered an aerie voice over the telephone, the man on the line smirked.

“Yes sir,” he replied, their plan would work out fine from the looks of it. She had called him that very day requesting for a date tomorrow night, something he was looking quite forward to. His companion an appealing woman he had his own personal interest in.

“Takahashi Corporations will soon seize to exist as we know it.”

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA AND CO. I REPEAT...THEY DO NOT BELONG TO ME WHATSOEVER, ONLY TO THE VERY TALENTED MISS RUMIKO TAKAHASHI.