Page 52 of Her Fearless Ronin

And with that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the room with the lingering scent of his cologne and the weight of his words.

“You, Jiro Saito,” I whispered to the empty room, my voice trembling with emotion, “you set my soul and world on fire.” The words hung in the air, a silent testament to a love that was deep, raw, and undeniable. Every fiber of my being ached for him, yearning for the connection we shared.

I stared at the door he’d just closed, wishing he could hear my silent confession, hoping that someday, our souls would find their way back to each other.

Chapter 16

Hope

Things were changing quickly, maybe a little too quickly, and I was not sure if I liked that or not. I’d dropped my mother at the center yesterday, and it felt weird to go back home alone, being able to remove all the protections and locks that used to beplaced everywhere.

I had lain in my bed most of the night, staring at the dark ceiling, not really knowing what I would do with my life once things with my stupid brother were settled.

For the past few years, I’d been driven by my need to take care of my mother. My family. But what now? Now that she was set and cared for. Now was the time to look at me, and that was scary.

Who did I want to be? I was not the Hope that entered university, her head full of silly dreams. I could not just step back into the life I left three years ago; I didn’t fit in this mold anymore.

I needed to figure out who I was now as Hope Myers, not as the carer but the woman, and the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to keep the only thing I couldn’t have… Jiro.

At least, that was what I thought until I walked into the biggest suite of the Four Seasons hotel, escorted by two guards, to see Hoka’s wife coming toward me with a wide smile on her face.

That woman was nothing I would have expected a Mafia wife to be. She was not dressed in some posh, high couture outfit but wore a pair of skinny jeans and an oversized one-shoulder red top that was so striking against her creamy white skin. She was probably just a few years older than me, with black hair in a messy bun and blue eyes that made me think of Snow White, and she was just a little ball of positive energy.

“Hope! I’m so happy to meet you!” She beamed, pulling me into a hug before I even had the chance to answer. “Yukois asleep! Come, I had some food brought up for us.” She grabbed my hand and led me into the room. “I want to know everything about you.” Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.

We settled in her living area, and she sat across from me, her excitement palpable.

“Please, help yourself.” She pointed at the cart, which was loaded with way more food than both of us could eat.

She seemed to catch my thoughts and wrinkled her nose. “I might have gone a little overboard, huh?” She sighed, waving her hand dismissively. “I didn’t know what you liked, so…”

Her consideration immediately put me at ease and filled me with gratitude. She genuinely wanted me to feel comfortable with her, and that meant a lot to me.

“What’s on your mind?” Her sidelong smile made me realize I’d been staring at her.

I blushed and looked down at the fine china plate adorned with blue flowers in front of me. “Oh, nothing.”

“You’re surprised that I’m Hoka’s wife,” she said with certainty.

I looked up with wide eyes. Was I that transparent? Did I offend her? Oh God, she’s going to hate me now. “I—”

She laughed and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Oh no, don’t look so pitiful! It’s such a legitimate thought. Hell! We’ve been together for years. We have a beautiful boy, and sometimes I still wonder how it works.”

I mustered a smile that probably resembled a grimace, and she chuckled again.

She began to fill her plate with food, and I followed suitas she continued talking. “Honestly, I know on paper, Hoka and I could not be more incompatible. Some people thought and prayed we would fail.” She shrugged, taking a bite of a mini sandwich, which made me laugh once more.

“It’s just that… I’m not sure what I was expecting.” I admitted, a bit shy.

“You probably expected a proper and rigid Asian lady in her thirties, all bound by conventions.” She snorted. “Hoka would have been miserable if he’d married her. We had a rough journey, more than rough if I’m being honest with you. There was a long time when I thought we were all wrong for each other, and he thought he was all wrong for me. But looking back, that’s exactly why we needed each other. Being too similar is just boring. Hoka completes me just like I complete him.”

As she spoke, the air in the room seemed to grow heavy with unspoken emotions. Her words echoed in my mind, and the similarity between her situation and mine struck me hard. But they had fought for their love, faced challenges and differences, and come out stronger on the other side.

“Hope, is something bothering you?” Violet leaned in, her brow furrowing as she studied my face for any sign of distress.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, my heart feeling like a battlefield. I took a deep breath, then blurted out, “What if you love someone, but they keep pushing you away?”

Violet’s eyes softened, and she leaned in slightly. “Love is a complex thing, especially in the world Hoka and Jiro come from. Sometimes people push others away not because they don’t care, but because they care too much.”