Page 11 of Emperor of Lust

Kenzo’s voice softens as he meets my gaze. “Because you’re anunmarriedwoman,” he says quietly.

I feel the blood drain from my face.. A bitter sting of resentment flares in my chest.

The room falls silent, but that silence shatters almost immediately as the door swings open…

AndDamianenters.

His presence sweeps into the room like a cold gust of wind. He pauses just inside the door and instantly, his purple eyes snap to mine.

A dark, knowing smile dances at the edges of his lips as he takes in my expression, my flushed cheeks, the way my fists are clenched at my sides. As he sees the way my very spirit shrinks inside me—and yes, I’m confident this demon of a man can peer right into my fucking soul.

I feel my face…no,all of me…burn under his gaze. He sends a dark, cold, malevolent grin my way, as if watching a replay of what happened earlier on the projector screen that is my face.

I swallow uncomfortably, my pulse hammering in my ears as I look away from him. And yet, something malicious draws my gaze again. My eyes traitorously slink back to him, and when they do, I shudder. He’s still looking right at me.

Replaying all of it.

Re-watching my submission.

My utter helplessness.

“You’re late.”

Kir’s voice isn’t angry, more like merely stating the obvious as he glances at Damian and nods to the chair next to him.

“Have a seat. Kenzo was just explaining the Tokyo…situation,” he says smoothly.

Damian’s eyebrow arches as he looks at Kenzo, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. Kenzo glances between him and me, a flicker of discomfort crossing his face, but he soldiers on.

“To reiterate,” Kenzo says, his voice steady as he addresses Damian. “Hana will handle the expansion in Tokyo. But the Tokyo families aren’t likely to work with her unless…” He hesitates, his gaze darting between Damian and me before he continues. “Unless she’s married.”

I feel my pulse stutter.

“Wait, I seriously have to get fuckingmarriedfor Miyamoto and those other old fuckers to work with us?!”

Kenzo finally turns to me, his gaze steady, though his eyes hold a hint of an apology. “At the very least, you need to be engaged for Miyamoto to consider working with us,” he says quietly. “Maybe not because of his own ideas about gender in the Yakuza world, but it does matter to the other families he works with or who have allegiance to him.” Kenzo exhales deeply. “Bottom line, we don’t get into Tokyo without Miyamoto and his connections.”

The words hang in the air, each one settling over me with a cold finality that makes my chest feel tight. Engaged.Married. The implications are suffocating, and I hear the blood pounding inmy ears as I glance frantically around the room, looking for anyother possible solution that doesn’t entailthis.

“Hold the fuck up,” Takeshi snarls, pushing abruptly away from the window ledge and glaring at our brother. “Are you out of your fuckingmind?! You’re going to marry her off?—”

“I’m not doing anything of the sort,” Kenzo snaps back, his jaw tight as he levels a hard, warning look at Takeshi. “As I said, she only needs to be engaged, and it obviously isn’t going to be real.”

“You’re seriously suggesting that Hana gets fake engaged to appease this guy,” Annika mutters next to my brother, staring at her husband like he’s just grown a second head.

“Are you suggesting it would be better for her toactuallyget engaged?” Kenzo fires back.

Annika gives him a look that has his face instantly softening. He reaches out and puts a hand on hers before he turns to face the rest of us.

“It won’t be real,” he growls. “But to appease Miyamoto and the other bigger families, and get us into Tokyo, yes.” He looks right at me. “You need to be engaged.”

“To??” I blurt, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

Kenzo glances at Kir, and suddenly the pieces fall horribly into place, each one more neatly positioned than the last. I glance to Kenzo, then to Kir…

Then to Damian.

No.

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