Stinging Beauty

Next up: a plot twist, family matters and a rather famous singer and song. Here we have Sting, respectively The Police, with their arguably greatest hit Every breath you take.
 

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78. Sweet and because of it

As opposed to most people's expectations, Kaiba had decided not to swoop anything under the rug.Instead, his mole's death was being handled as what it was:
a murder case.
No stone was left unturned, no expenses saved to bring the murderer to justice. Kaiba Corporation's very own intelligence service was backing up the police.
Of course, everybody knew this was a power play, but he'd be damned if the blue-eyed CEO didn't make it obvious that he was the ultimate adversary.
Only a complete and utter fool or someone very, very desperate would think of harming him, his family or company.

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you

„Moshi moshi?“
„How is our project coming along?“
„Well, one of the gardeners is still on probationary period and awaiting further instructions.“
„Very good. And the other one?“
„Ja, he will have to resubmit his application form; HR had a hiccup in their system.“
„Tell them to hurry up. I would hate for the garden to go another season without tending.“
„Hai. Wakarimashita.“

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you

"-and notify the AIB about the debt issue; we paid back everything with interest and they're still nagging me about it. Also, no bond swap with TSB, ICBC and certainly not with Zenith."
"Very well, Seto-sama, anything else?"
The CEO paused a moment, then asked in a quieter voice,
"How is your liver transplant coming along, Isono-san?"
The consultant allowed himself a little smile at the honoration.
"Quite well, Seto-sama. Thank you for asking. Despite it not being a one-hundred percent compability, my body has fully accepted the new organ."
Seto nodded once, gratiously.
"I'm happy to hear that. And I'm happy to have you back", he confessed.
Isono smiled anew, warm and knowingly.
"Glad to be back, sir. Arigatou gozaimashita."
For a moment, both men walked in silence, then the assistant continued,
"As for our quarter-yearly revenue; I think I might have found some loopholes costing us a fair share on the principals, particularly the ones concerning..."

Oh, can't you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart aches
with every step you take

Mokuba sat transfixed opposite Hitomi and stared. Gently, he rose the hand with the small spoon and aimed it towards the baby's face.
"Come on, Hitomi, one for 'kaa-san, one for-"
The girl blew a raspberry, in turn spraying her banana-rice-mush all over her uncle's giri no ani's face. Her mother giggled.
"Well, looks like somebody is in a good mood* she smiled, as she reached for a napkin and handed it to Mokuba.
The raven-haired teen scowled.
"Ja, well, nice to see that at least somebody's enjoying themselves" he grunted, as he wiped himself off.
Hitomi squealed in delight and bounced in her chair, even as Shizuka giggled anew.
"Just wait, Mokuba, once you have kids of your own, you'll be just as fond and forgiving as my brother is."
The raven-haired teen squinted an eye at her...a strange, sudden thought crossed his mind...

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you

"Mokuba, think about it. Even if I don't give a name or any personal details upon donation, I am a public figure. My face is well-known, not only throughout Japan. Can you imagine what would happen if people got their hands on my semen? All of a sudden, we would find ourselves flodded with fathership claims and golddiggers trying to get ahold of the Kaiba fortune."
He shook his head.
"If at all, it would have to be one single surrogate mother and by artificial insemification. And I don't see that happening."
Mokuba pouted.
"Not even taking it into-"
"Dame desu. Not at all."
The younger Kaiba's eyes turned sly.
"What about Katsuya? Did you ask him?"
A flinch in his left index finger, a subtle shift in his eye colour, and Mokuba knew he had struck a nerve.
"We..discussed it. Katsuya is uncertain, but figured there is no need to rush into..things."
Mokuba smirked.
Translation: Katsuya had Seto convinced to have both their sperm frozen and keep quiet about it.

Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby please

He stared.
A sudden tightness of the throat, but he swallowed around the lump, and didn't move.
He just stared.
Stared at the letter with the black letterhead of Domino Prefectural State Penitantiary and the custom, meaningless introduction before reading the content again.

'Haikei Jounouchi-san,

we hereby are very saddened to inform you that your father, Jounouchi Masahiro, has passed away two days prior to you receiving this letter.
His death was the result of complications during an emergency operation trying to save his eyesight and facial restruction after having been involved in a prison riot.

As by your wishes...'

Katsuya dropped the hand holding the letter.
For a moment, an eternity, he gazed into nothingness, as thoughts, images, memories, sounds whirled through his mind, keeping it equally occupied and numb.
He checked his feelings; semi-curious as of what to expect, but he felt strangely...indifferent.
No pain, no grief, no loss, no anger just...emptiness. He was so empty, it didn't even hurt.
And weary.
It was over.
His father was gone.

Oh, can't you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart aches
with every step you take

"I see."
She listened to the other person, then wiped a stray tear away.
"Hai. I see", she repeated, then gave a chuckle, half-pained, half embarassed.
"So desu, ne, but still..", she gave a deep sigh.
"I sometimes wonder, you know..if things could have been different -I mean, everything..."
She trailed off, as her conversation partner cut her short.
A nod, a small sigh, then a rueful, broken laughter.
"Hai. Hai. So desu, ne. Arigatou gozaimashita, Katsuya-nii."
Shizuka hung up, then gazed for a moment forlornly at the screen. Perfect white teeth bit a full, rosy underlip, as the young mother pondered the news she had received.
Then she shook her head and placed her cell phone aside.
Determindedly, she strode towards Hitomi's room.
Her father had been given so many chances and had never taken them.
It was time to move on.

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you

Kawaii-san read the letter. The details, condolences, explanation; every single dot and radical twice, three, four times over.
Then she held the paper to her chest and sighed a breath of relief she couldn't recall holding for over thirteen years.

Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you

I'll be watching you

Kawashiro Yuji gazed down at the man in the cheap wooden coffin.
There were..similarities, there; the high cheekbones, ash blond hair and strong chin, but otherwise..there were too many scars to really tell.
If he hadn't known any better, he would have said that the body before him did not belong to Jounouchi Masahiro.
Then again, considering the damage which had been done to this one's face, it was a miracle the surgeons had been able to restore it at all.
Guess, he would not reclaim that book.

(Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break)

I'll be watching you

(Every single day
Every word you say) Ooh
(Every claim you stake)

I'll be watching you

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There is a fun little fact about this chapter: when I first intented to use the song, I, like many before me, I was under the impression that it was a love song and deemed it too..soft and sweet. Thus, this chapter remained another broken link until I learned what a nasty little piece it really is. And once I took the stalker preceptive, the rest just flowed.