“I tried to stop him, Angela, I really did. But he’s made up his mind.” Angela's voice trembled. “No, no… Courtney, why are you letting him do this? Why are you letting him risk his life? How did Damon know about Hinata…this could be a set-up…he is not going to win a fight against Damon…please, you need to stop him." Courtney glanced at Antonio, who remained stoic. “Angela, believe me. I told him all these, I tried to warn him," she said softly, “but you know how stubborn he can be. He’s determined, and I can’t force him to stay.” Angela let out a shaky breath, trying to hold back her tears. “Please, Courtney… please do everything possible to keep him safe. No matter what happens, promise me he will be fine, I can't live anymore… If anything happens to him.” “You really care about him so much, Angela, I wish he could see that. Even after everything… even after he broke your heart… You still care about him. You can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt”. Courtney said intentionally and glanced over at Antonio. There was a heavy silence on the line, and then Angela’s voice came through, softer and sadder this time. “I don't blame him, Courtney. Hinata was with him throughout his dark days….he can't just throw the love they built away…all I care about now is his safety and happiness. Courtney, promise me that he will be safe”. “I promise, Angela. I’ll do everything possible to make sure he’s safe. You should be careful, too. Japan isn't safe. Damon might have his men all over the place.” Courtney ended the call with a heavy sigh. She turned to Antonio, her voice quietly, pleading. “You heard her. She still cares so much about you, Antonio. Even after you shattered her heart. Why don't you see it?” Antonio’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything. His hands tightened in his lap, and for the first time since their journey began, he seemed conflicted. He glanced at Courtney briefly before looking away, trying to keep his emotions intact. “It doesn’t change anything,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m doing this for Hinata. Angela will move on, eventually”. But deep down, Courtney could see that the phone conversation had touched a part of him, even though he didn’t want to admit it. She just hoped it won't too late for him to realize what really mattered before everything spiraled out of control.
****
As Kerry stirred the pot, the aroma of the meal filling the kitchen, she glanced at Angela pacing nervously, phone clutched tightly in her hand. The room was suddenly filled with tension. Angela's face was pale, her eyes filled with fear and worry, as she waited patiently for her friend Doris to pick up. Finally, the line connected, and Angela wasted no time. “Doris, we need to talk. Now!” Her voice cracked in panic. She was glad that Angela called her after what happened the last time, but it's disturbing hearing her talk like that. “Angela? What’s going on?” Angela’s grip tightened on the phone as she blurted, “Damon knows Antonio is alive, Doris. He got Hinata! This is serious. Japan is no longer safe for us, especially for Antonio Junior.” “Who is Hinata?” Doris asked, confused. “His new girl”. Angela replied. “He has a new girl?” Doris asked again, even more confused. “Yes… Can we please skip that part”? Angela replied with a hand on her forehead. “Did you tell Yuki?” Doris asked. “No… Not yet. She's heavily pregnant. I didn't want to bother her with this”. “I will call you back, give me a minute”. “Alright”. The call ended. Angela turned to Kerry, who had now stopped cooking, her expression reflecting the same fear. “What do we do?” Angela asked her sister, her voice barely above a whisper. Kerry took a deep breath, wiping her hands on her apron. “We need to leave Japan, Angela. This isn’t just about you, it's about Junior. He can’t be caught up in this. We have to protect him, he is likely a target. I am so glad you never mentioned him to Antonio else they might get the information from Hinata.” Angela nodded, biting her lip as he r heart pounded in her chest. “You are right, we need a plan, then. We can’t stay here.”