The Yakuza’s Mute Bride novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85

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A week had passed.

Seven days measured not by calendars or dates, but by the gradual return of strength to my body and the quiet, unrelenting tension that refused to leave my chest. Physically. I was better-stronger than I had been in weeks. My shoulder no longer throbbed with constant pain. my legs carried my weight without trembling, and my throat, though still delicate, no longer burned with every breath. I could speak again, carefully, softly, as long as I respected its limits.

But my heart remained fractured.

Kyoto felt different now.

The city itself had not changed. The streets were still narrow and winding, the temples still stood with solemn grace, and the mountains continued to loom in the distance, eternal and unmoved. Yet something within the air had shifted. Wherever I went. I felt like an intruder-like someone occupying space that was no longer meant for her.

Tadashi had forgotten me.

Not in the gentle way memories fade with time, but in a violent absolute way-as though my existence had been cut out of his life entirely, leaving behind only confusion and hostility. And what frightened me most was not the absence of warmth in his eyes, but the presence of something darker in its place.

Since the day he woke and looked at me as if I were a stranger, Ihad not seen him again.

Yukito made certain of that.

At first. I believed he was simply protecting me, giving me time to recover. But as the days passed, his behavior grew increasingly rigid. He never left me alone. He chose our accommodations without discussion. He controlled who came near me, what information reached me, even when I slept. My phone was always “misplaced” or conveniently out of reach, and his own device was locked away whenever I glanced toward it.

Something was wrong.

Yukito had always been composed, cold even, but now there was a tension in him that felt sharp and coiled, like a wire pulled too tight. He watched doorways longer than necessary. He checked windows repeatedly. His hand hovered near his jacket whenever footsteps echoed outside our room.

He was afraid.

And Yukito did not fear easily.

That morning, pale winter light filtered through the paper screens of the small inn where we were staying. The air smelled faintly of tatami and incense. I was folding my scarf when Yukito finally spoke the words I had been expecting.

“I bought a flight for us,” he said calmly. “We will leave tonight.”

The words settled over me slowly, like snowfall.

London

My home…..

Or at least the place I had come from before everything else unraveled.

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17:26 Thu, Jan 22 GDD

Chapter 85

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I nodded, accepting it without protest. Since the moment Tadasi looked at me with cold, unfamiliar eyes and asked who I was, I had known this was inevitable. I no longer belonged here. Whatever fragile place I had carved within the Masayoshi world had vanished along with his memory.

Going back was logical. Yes, it was safe and final.

Yet something about Yukito’s posture unsettled me..

“You look tense,” I said softly, testing my voice.

He glanced toward me briefly, then away. “We are leaving a volale environment,” he replied evenly. “That is all.”

That was not all.

I could feel it.

I studied him for a moment, then offered a faint smile. “This is for us, Yukito?” I asked quietly.

He turned toward me, brows knitting together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Am I leaving alone?”

The room seemed to still.

Yukito’s gaze sharpened, then softened. “No,” he said firmly. “I made a promise to protect you. I will be with you.”

I blinked, surprised.

“You do not have to do that,” I replied gently. “Your place is here. With the clan.”

“My place,” he said, “is where my duty lies.”

Something twisted painfully in my chest.

Before I could say more, he stood. “I will find breakfast before we leave. Get ready.”

I nodded and watched him leave, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft click that echoed too loudly in the quiet

room.

I exhaled slowly and began to change.

Simple clothes. Comfortable shoes. Something unremarkable.

I had no luggage with me-everything I owned had been lost somewhere between hospitals and hurried relocations. I would buy what I needed later. Possessions felt meaningless now anyway.

I was adjusting my scarf when I heard movement near the entrance.

Footsteps.

I smiled faintly, expecting Yukito’s return, and stepped into the main room.

The smile vanished instantly.

Tadashi was sitting on the tatami.

He did not look up at first. He sat with his spine straight, one are resting casually on his knee, his presence so overwhelming it felt as though the room itself had shrunk to accommodate hin. He looked whole. Uninjured. The wounds that had nearly killed him were invisible now, hidden beneath immaculate clothing and that same terrifying composure he wore like armor.

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17:26 Thu, Jan 22 G D D.

Chapter 85

My breath caught.

“Tadashi…” I whispered before I could stop myself.

His gaze lifted slowly.

It was cold, sharp and calculating.

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There was no recognition in his eyes. No warmth. No softness. Just the measured appraisal of something unfamiliar-and potentially dangerous.

He rose and took a step toward me.

Instinctively, I stepped back.

“What… what are you doing here?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “Why are you here?”

Movement at the doorway drew my attention.

Ota and Gio stood there, flanking the entrance like silent sentinels.

“Ota,” I said quickly, relief flickering when I saw him standing without assistance. “You are okay?”

He nodded once, his expression controlled. “Much better, Naomi-sama.”

The honorific felt heavy, formal.

I turned back to Tadashi as he spoke.

“You plan to leave?”

I nodded, unable to meet his gaze.

“With Yukito,” he added.

The

way

he said Yukito’s name was laced with venom.

“I cannot allow that.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Before I could respond, the door burst open behind Ota and Gig

Yukito rushed inside, breathless, a paper bag of breakfast clenched in his hand.

“Naomi-” he began, then froze.

Ota and Gio moved instantly, seizing his arms and twisting them behind his back.

“Yukito!” I shouted, panic surging as I rushed forward.

Tadashi stepped into my path.

“Do not move,” he said quietly.

“Let him go!” I cried. “Ota! Gio! Stop!”

Yukito struggled violently. “What are you doing?” he snarled. “You told her to leave! Why are you here, Tadashi-sama?!”

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17:27 Thu, Jan 22 GDD.

Chapter 85

Tadashi did not look at him.

He was watching me.

Studying me.

As though I were something he could not remember claiming, yt could not bear to release.

“I wonder why,” he murmured.

Before I could ask what he meant, everything happened at once

In two swift steps, Tadashi closed the distance between us.

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I barely had time to gasp before he seized me, lifting me effortlessly and slinging me over his shoulder. The world tilted violently, my breath knocked from my lungs as fear surged through me.

“What are you doing?!” I shouted, panic breaking through my control. “Put me down!”

He did not slow.

He did not answer.

He carried me toward the waiting car outside as though my protests were meaningless.

“Tadashi-sama!” Yukito shouted, straining against Ota and Gio. Let her go!”

I twisted, pounding weakly against Tadashi’s back, my voice cracking. “Tadashi! Stop! Let me go!”

Cold air struck my face as he stepped outside.

The car door opened.

He placed me inside with unyielding precision, shutting the doc firmly behind me.

The engine roared to life.

My heart was racing so hard I could barely breathe.

What was happening?

Why was he doing this?

Why now?

As the car pulled away, I pressed my hands against the glass, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

This was not protection but possession.

And whatever had awakened in Tadashi Masayoshi-It was dangerous and ruthless.

And I was trapped within it. (Back to Naomi Point of View)**

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17:27 Thu, Jan 22 G D D.