The Yakuza’s Mute Bride novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

(Go to Tadashi’s POV)

Naomi was asleep when I left her room. Her breathing was steady, soft weeks.

It was better this way. She didn’t need to see what came next.

–

the first peaceful sound I’d heard from her in

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, the air in the corridor shifted heavy, listening.

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Yukito and Ota were already there, waiting. Their posture is straight, their eyes sharp. They didn’t need explanations; they knew everything. They always did.

I didn’t speak at first. I met their eyes, and the silence between us said more than words could.

They knew what my declaration had meant.

Masayoshi protection. My woman.

Not a phrase. A vow. A claim that carried weight, blood, and consequence.

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And they knew what my action that moment with her

—

had meant too.

Unlike Naomi, they understood the cost behind the gesture.

Because my men had been with me long enough to know: I never said anything without meaning it. Every word I spoke was deliberate. And once I decided something, it was already law.

Click.

The sound of the rain gutter tapping against the window. The faint hum of tension between us.

Then Yukito shifted, his jaw tightening. “Tadashi,” he said quietly, breaking the silence. “Are you sure?”

I turned my head slowly toward him.

For a second, I almost thought I’d misheard.

Was he really asking me that?

–

That question from him- was unexpected.

Yukito, who had followed me through fire, who had killed and bled at my side without hesitation, now questioned this.

My brow lifted, calm but cold. “Are you really asking me that?”

He didn’t flinch, but I saw it – the smallest hesitation in his eyes. Something human. Something uncertain.

Lately, I’d noticed it – the way he looked at Naomi.

Not with lust. Not even with pity.

With something softer.

The kind of emotion that didn’t belong in our world.

And that softness… was dangerous.

10:46 Tue, Jan 6 #

Chapter 38

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I inhaled slowly, controlled, then exhaled through my nose the kind of quiet that cuts sharper than shouting. “Funny question,” I said, my voice flat. “You already know the answer.”

–

Yukito said nothing, but the silence itself was an accusation. And it lingered between us thick, heavy, unfamiliar.

“Let’s go,” I said finally, my tone clipped. “We have a duty call.”

I walked past him, my shoes striking the polished floor in an even, deliberate rhythm. But I could feel his gaze on my back

– heavy, conflicted. The kind of look that didn’t come from rebellion, but disappointment.

It bothered me more than I cared to admit.

For a fleeting moment, I wondered if Naomi’s kindness had reached too far – softening even the men who were supposed to protect her with steady hands and clear minds.

Yukito had been guarding her these two years. He’d seen her in pain, seen her at her weakest. He’d probably heard her cry when she thought she was alone.

And I could see it now

She had changed him.

—

the hesitation in his stance, the faint storm in his eyes.

‘He’s starting to forget what loyalty costs.’

I stopped halfway down the hall and looked back over my shoulder. “Don’t let your feelings cloud your duty, Yukito,” I said quietly. I didn’t bother to turn fully – my words were enough. “She needs protection, not sympathy.”

Was that what it was

sympathy? I wanted to believe that.

Because anything else would be unacceptable.

Then I continued down the hall. The sound of rain against the glass followed me, a rhythm that almost masked the unease I refused to name.

Behind me, Ota broke the silence first.

He turned to Yukito, confusion clear in his face. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, brows furrowed. “You’re not usually the one asking questions, Yuki.”

Yukito didn’t answer. He only sighed, dragging a hand through his hair before turning away. “Nothing,” he muttered. “Let’s

go.”

But his tone said otherwise.

Ota watched him go, still puzzled, still silent. And for the first time, the calm halls of the Masayoshi estate felt… fragile.

Because in our world, loyalty was everything. And doubt something broke.

—

even the smallest trace of it

—

was the first crack before

(Back to Naomi Point of View)

I woke to a shrill voice cutting through the quiet of the house.

“I’m her sister! I have to go in and see my little sister Naomi!”

My brows furrowed. ‘Her sister?’

10:46

Tue, Jan

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Chapter 38

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Before I could even sit up properly, the door opened and there she was.

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Katrina.

Of course.

Seriously, what made her come here, after everything after the fight with our father, after the family decided I wasn’t one of them anymore?

“Naomi!” she screamed when she saw me and rushed forward as if she’d never done anything wrong.

Ai was faster. She stepped between us and caught Katrina by the wrist, stopping her before she could touch me.

Katrina glared, her voice sharp with arrogance. “Who are you?!”

“Ai,” I said. “My friend. My guardian.”

Her head snapped toward me – or rather, toward the voice that had spoken.

–

Everyone froze for a second until I lifted my phone slightly, showing them the app Tadashi had installed — the one that spoke for me.

The faint flicker of discomfort in her face almost made me smile.

“What are you doing here, Katrina?” I asked through the phone, my tone even.

It had been years since she’d last heard me “speak.” She looked stunned for half a heartbeat before collecting herself, pasting on a fake smile that didn’t hide her unease.

“I just wanted to know how you are,” she said smoothly – lying.

I smiled back, a small curve of my lips that probably irritated her more than any words could.

Then I typed slowly: “I’m fine… Why do you care this time?”

Her smile stiffened.

I saw the twitch in her jaw, the way she tried to act unbothered but couldn’t quite manage it.

She dragged a chair forward and sat down stiffly, her posture too perfect, too defensive. Her gaze roamed around the room, taking in every corner, every sign of wealth she couldn’t ignore.

The VVIP suite – Tadashi’s doing

–

must have been like salt on an open wound.

To her, I’d never been the sister who deserved beautiful things.

“Dad said you have a boyfriend,” she said finally, eyes flicking back to me. “Where is he?”

There it was…

The real reason she’d come.

She’d managed to seduce Matthew once she’d come to see if she could do it again.

For a second, I almost pitied her. Almost.

–

my ex, her prize. And now, hearing that I had a new man- and a wealthy one

—

I tilted my head, watching her with quiet amusement as she crossed her legs, pretending confidence she didn’t own.

Chapter 38

She thought money was a game she could win.

She didn’t know Tadashi Masayoshi didn’t play games.

I could almost laugh.

Knowing Tadashi – the way he looked at people who threatened me -Well. I’d like to see her try.

田

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10:46 Tue, Jan 6 j..