“I’m starting to understand that. Go on.”
“But Ojisan’s reason for getting into business with Naomi’s family wasn’t solely for you; it greatly benefitted Okada too.” Shiori leaned forward. “Contrary to what Naomi told you, he never paid Naomi to be with you. He pulled a few strings with her visa to keep her in the United States with you, but that’s it.”
Part of Ronin had suspected Naomi lied about that, but he’d been too infuriated with his family to ask how much of what Naomi had told him was true. “Did it ever occur to you how f**king weird it is that Grandfather was so damn concerned about my romantic life? When he never married again after age twenty?”
Shiori rolled her eyes. “Why would he marry? Up until five years ago, he had four mistresses to satisfy him and our mother to tend to his social responsibilities.”
“How the hell did he keep four mistresses happy?”
“You should ask him.”
“No, thanks. Finish the Naomi story.”
“After she screwed things up with you, her family put her under lock and key. The only person she had contact with was . . .”
“Her friend Kiki.”
“Evidently after Kiki saw you with Amery, she immediately called Naomi in Japan. And Naomi dragged Hiko, her bodyguard, lover, and muscle for hire into her revenge drama. Cut to Kiki, who’d stored all of Naomi’s things after you’d sent her away so suddenly.”
“Does Kiki know where Naomi is now?”
“The PIs here questioned Kiki, and she swears she saw Naomi only briefly—long enough to give her the two boxes of stuff. After Ojisan found out about a potential blackmail situation, he personally contacted Naomi’s family and warned them if a single image surfaces anywhere in the world, he’d ruin them permanently. We both know he has the juice to back it up, so I don’t think Naomi will ever be a problem again.”
He bit back his question on how their grandfather had heard about the new situation. Had he gotten the same kind of package that Amery’s parents had? “Thank you for checking into all that for me. I hope you’re right.” He swirled the liquid in his glass. “You didn’t have an issue utilizing Okada’s resources even when you no longer work there?”
Shiori’s expression didn’t change. “So Mother told you that I’m unemployed?”
“Yes. I wondered why you were here for so long. And, yeah, I probably should’ve asked.”
“I believe you did. I believe I hedged.”
Ronin rested his forearms on the table. “What happened?”
“I wish I could blame Grandfather for unfair treatment, or that Okada got involved with a company that displayed poor business practices and I left in protest, but the truth is, I’m thirty-five, I’m single, and I’m tired of being alone.”
That jarred him.
“I work too much; my friends are all in relationships and have children. They look at me with envy because I can hop on a plane and go anywhere in the world. I look at them and think if I had a husband and a baby, I’d never leave home.” She held up her hand. “Please don’t say I don’t seem like the maternal type.”
“Shiori, I don’t know you well enough anymore to make that kind of observation.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip of her drink and sighed. “That scotch really is worth every penny. The only other time I’ve had it is at Ojisan’s house.”
Just another reminder he had absorbed some of his grandfather’s habits without conscious effort.
“Anyway, I realized on the night of my thirty-fifth birthday—which I spent alone incidentally—I’ve been trying to prove that I deserve the CEO status at Okada, and I lost sight of everything else. Within a week after all my doubts surfaced, I came across an inner-office memo I wasn’t supposed to see. Okada is trying to hire Inichi Matso away from Satzu to name him interim CEO because Grandfather wants to step down.”
“You have got to be shitting me.”
Shiori shook her head. “No, and here’s the reality: he would be excellent for Okada.”
“But that position has always been yours. Or at least your dream.”
“I realized I’m not ready for the top spot. Just because I’m Nureki Okada’s granddaughter doesn’t mean I deserve to take control. So if he offered it to me right now, I don’t think I’d take it. More work for the next forty years?” Shiori leaned forward. “Ojisan will be eighty-six. I don’t want to look back at my life when I’m his age and wonder what I’d done with it besides work. Even without our inheritance, I have more money than I can possibly spend. So I quit and came here, hoping you’d have wisdom to guide me through this. But I didn’t have the guts to even tell you the truth.”
“You’re totally screwed.”
“Fantastic. Thank you.”
“All joking aside, on a business level, I’ve made some changes with the dojo, but I wouldn’t have done it if not for Amery.” He met his sister’s gaze. “But on a personal level, I’ve had that same epiphany, wanting a life outside of being Sensei Black. Even with the new projects that I’ve taken on, it’d be ideal if I could hand off some responsibilities and enjoy having found this amazing woman who gets everything about me.”
Tears pooled in Shiori’s eyes. “I’m happy for you. I mean that. Amery is just what you need in your life.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Damn scotch.”