Chapter 111 111

Chapter 111 111

Yuki woke up early, the soft morning light filtering through the heavy curtains of her suite. She lay there for a few minutes, staring at the canopy above the bed, her body heavy with exhaustion.

Her eyes were still puffy from crying the night before. She sat up slowly, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the cool marble floor. She rubbed her face with both hands, trying to shake off the fog in her head.

She stood up, walked to the window, and pulled the curtains open a little, letting more light in. She took a deep breath, then went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and brushed her teeth.

She changed into a simple robe from the closet, moving through each step quietly, almost mechanically.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Miranda entered, carrying a small tray with a glass of warm milk. She smiled gently as she set it on the bedside table.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Miranda said. “How did you sleep? Did you get any rest at all?”

Yuki stood near the window, arms wrapped around herself.

“It was okay.” she replied politely, though her voice was flat. “Thank you for the milk.”

Miranda sat on the edge of the bed, watching her daughter with careful, hopeful eyes. “I know yesterday was a lot. The engagement announcement, the party… I can only imagine how you must be feeling. If you want to talk about anything, I’m here.”

Yuki nodded, but stayed distant. Inside, her mind was a storm — anger at the forced engagement, curiosity about these people who claimed to be her parents, guilt for not telling Kade, and fear of what her future looked like now. She didn’t know how to trust any of it yet.

“Is there anything you need?” Yuki asked, trying to be polite.

“Nothing much. I was hoping you’d join us for a private family breakfast. Your father will be there. It would mean a lot to us if you came.” Miranda smiled softly.

Yuki hesitated, then gave a small nod. “I’ll just get dressed first.”

Miranda’s face brightened with quiet relief. “Take your time, my dear. We’ll be waiting for you.”

She stood up and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Yuki stood there for a moment longer, staring at the closed door, before heading to the closet to change.

___

Stefano sat in his private office at his estate, the large desk in front of him covered with papers and a laptop.

The room was quiet except for the low hum of the air conditioner. Danzo entered, holding a thick folder in his hand. He dropped it on the desk in front of Stefano.

“That’s the financial report of our offshore accounts,” Danzo said.

Stefano picked up the folder and flipped through the pages, scanning the numbers with a focused expression. He nodded once, satisfied with what he saw.

Danzo continued. “The syndicate that we’ve been keeping tabs on have been exporting their shipments through our territory routes, right under our nose.”

Stefano grunted, closing the folder. “That man is stubborn. I’ll deal with him later. Anything else?”

Danzo nodded. “Don Luciano gave permission to plan your wedding with Yuki however you want.”

Stefano leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk. “I’m not rushing the wedding.”

Danzo looked surprised. “Why?”

Stefano’s expression was calm but determined. “I want Yuki to adjust to me and fall in love with me. I’m not going to marry her because she’s helpless or anything.”

“How do you plan on doing that? She hates you.” Danzo raised an eyebrow.

“It’s all about making her comfortable with me. First, organize a date at a restaurant and shut it down for later tonight.” Stefano ordered.

“You’re taking her on a date?” Danzo asked.

“Yes,” Stefano replied. “I want you to pick up her dress for tonight and deliver it to their house.”

“Understood.” Danzo nodded.

He turned and left the office, closing the door behind him.

Stefano sat there for a moment longer, staring at the closed door, a determined look in his eyes.

____

Yuki entered the private dining room where breakfast was set. The table was already laid with fresh fruit, warm bread, eggs, and coffee.

Luciano sat at the head, reading a newspaper. Miranda was pouring coffee when she saw Yuki.

“Good morning,” Yuki said quietly as she sat down.

Luciano looked up and folded the paper. “Good morning. How was your night?”

Yuki picked up her fork and started eating the eggs on her plate. “It was fine,” she said.

The room stayed quiet for a while. Miranda kept glancing at Luciano until he cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice yesterday,” Luciano said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Yuki kept eating, her eyes on her plate.

“And about the engagement, it's okay if you disagree with it. We're not forcing you to get married immediately.” He added.

“I’m in love with someone and it's not Stefano. I don’t want this engagement. It's so unfair that you made that choice without getting to know how I'd feel about it.” Yuki finally spoke up.

Luciano sighed.
“Love isn’t always what matters in our world. It’s crucial that you learn how things work in the mafia. You and Stefano are compatible.”

“So what I feel doesn’t matter? You want me to marry someone I don't have any feelings for?” She asked, already feeling pissed.

“You can try to get to know him. Who knows, you might take interest in him. You can even try accompanying Stefano on missions. I’m sure he’ll take good care of you.”

Yuki stayed silent, focusing on her food again. Miranda reached over and gently touched her arm.

“We can go shopping later if you want,” Miranda said. “Get you some things you like.”

Yuki shook her head. “I just want to rest today.”

“Okay.” Miranda nodded.

A maid entered the room carrying a large dress bag.

“There’s a delivery for Lady Yuki,” the maid said.

“What is that?” Miranda looked curious.

The maid handed Yuki a small card that came with the bag.

Yuki opened it.

“Go on a date with me ~ Stefano”

“Now he wants me to go on a date with him?” Yuki frowned.

Luciano looked at her. “Will you turn him down? Just give him a chance. He’s not as bad as you paint him out to be.”

Yuki unzipped the dress bag enough to see the elegant gown inside, then zipped it back up. She went back to eating her food without another word.