When Sakura and the party arrived back at the holiday house, she collapsed on the bed in her shared room with Akira.
Akira asked, “Are you still tired?”
Sakura shook her head. “That sleep on the yacht was good. I feel a lot better.” She sighed. “I was actually hoping to see Darcy as soon as we got here.”
“Why can’t you go see him now?”
Sakura rose into a sitting position. “He’s still in recovery.”
“Of course,” Akira said. “Then how about we go down to help Beth prepare dinner? It’ll take your mind off Darcy.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” She smiled, and a moment later, the two girls left the bedroom.
It was busy in the kitchen with Sakura, Akira, and Katherine helping Beth and the maids prepare dinner. By the time they were done some two hours later, the sun had already set, and of course, being so busy, Sakura’s mind wasn’t preoccupied with the thought of Darcy.
While Sakura was bringing trays of delicious sustenance outside and setting them on the picnic table where everyone could start serving themselves buffet style, James called out to her.
At the sound of his voice, she turned. “Daddy James!” she said with delight as she rushed over. “You’re back. How’s Darcy doing? Is he back in the ward yet? Or is he still in recovery?”
James laughed. “Slow down. Yes, Darcy is still in recovery,” he said as he gave her a warm hug.
When he moved back, Sakura noticed Ned Faber behind James. Grinning from ear to ear, she stepped forward and moved into Ned’s open arms.
“Hmm…” Ned tightened his hold around her. “You’re still too thin for my liking. Hasn’t Beth been feeding you properly? That woman! I’ll be giving her an earful for neglecting you.”
Sakura said, “She has been feeding me properly, Ned. It takes time for me to gain weight, you know.”
The man studied her at arm’s length. He noted the bruises on her cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. “I thought I told you to rest. Why do you still look like a zombie?”
Sakura wasn’t surprised Ned would go straight to pointing thatout to her. He was worried about her health and welfare, after all, especially after what had happened.
“I did rest on the journey here. I slept for two and a half hours. At least that’s what Sebastian told me.”
“Two and a half hours isn’t enough. You need more, probably a whole day or two.” He touched the discoloration on her cheek gently, and she winced.
Noting the dark frown and worried expression on his wrinkled face, Sakura said, “It’ll go away. They’re only bruises. And I’m on vacation now, so I’ll be getting lots of rest.”
“I won’t be taking your word for it. Since my business is done in LA, I’ll be around and keeping an eye on you, young lady,” he said.
Sakura giggled. “Does that mean you’ll be joining us for this vacation?”
He nodded in the affirmative.
At this, Sakura said, “Finally, we’re all together and having fun.”
Ned smiled then, and when he released her from his embrace, Sakura saw both Nicolas and Hayden heading their way, carrying trays of food. Hayden also had a chicken kebab in one hand while the other held a tray of salad. He was eating the kebab at the same time, too. Nicolas was carrying a tray of roasted chicken. Both men looked disheveled and tired, and Sakura knew they hadn’t had any rest since the incident last night.
Once they placed the trays on the table beside her, they both turned their attention to her.
Nicolas said, “How are you feeling, Sakura?”
“I’m fine.” She tucked her long hair behind her ears as she licked her lips. “Thanks, Nicolas, for last night and for taking care of Darcy.”
The man patted her head. “No problem. We’re family.”
Sakura then turned her attention to Hayden. She was about to thank him for last night as well when the man roughly grabbed her into his arms and hugged her, which pleasantly surprised her.
Gosh, I am getting lots of hugs today.
It was then she heard Michael’s voice beside her. She wondered when the boy had gotten there. Probably the moment he’d seen Nicolas emerging from the house.
“Hey, Nicolas,” Michael said. “Did you know that everyone has been praising me today for my bravery?”
Nicolas chuckled as he tousled the boy’s hair. “Good on you, Michael. You’re a hero for doing what you did last night.”
The boy beamed with delight at receiving such a wonderful compliment from his idol.
Ned came down to his knees then and said to little Michael, “So you’re the one who alerted everyone when Sakura was missing?”
The boy nodded, his cheeks flushing red.
Ned said, “Thanks for your help in saving Sakura.”
Michael grinned widely, his eyes bright. “It was my job because I promised Sebastian I’d watch over Sakura when he’s not around.”
“Good boy.”
It was then James said to Ned, “How about a drink?”
Ned nodded as he stood.
Sakura said, “That’s right. You haven’t met my biological mother yet, have you?” She was suddenly excited and grabbed his hand eagerly. “Come on. I’ll introduce her to you.”
Ned rolled his eyes, making a show of reluctance as Sakura led him toward the bar area where a hive of activity was happening; Tristan and Logan served drinks while everyone else was enjoying those drinks and some light snacks before dinner.
Once they reached the area, Sakura came over to Haruka and tapped on the woman’s shoulder, since she was sitting facing the other way in a group with Brenda, Mary, Peter, Jim, Sosuke, Sebastian, and Conrad. When Haruka turned, Sakura gave her a bright smile and said, “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, Mom.”
Haruka raised her brows in curiosity as Sakura moved aside so Ned could come into Haruka’s view.
The moment Haruka’s eyes met Ned’s, she went pale.
Sakura did not miss the shocked expression on her mother’s face nor the tears that started brewing in her eyes. More than a little curious, she turned her gaze to Ned, who, to her confusion, also looked as shocked as Haruka. It was as if they both had seen a ghost the moment they laid eyes on each other.
Ned said, “Haruka Maki?”
Her lips quivering, Haruka said, “Edward?”
“My God!” the man said, shaking his head in disbelief. Suddenly, he grabbed the woman into his arms and hugged her as he came down to his knees, which shocked Sakura.
What’s happening?
Of course, all this didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the people around them. James raised a brow, while the Princeton brothers looked at one another, confused.
Sakura said, “Mom? You know Ned?”
Still shocked stiff, Haruka murmured, “He’s Edward Faber,” she said softly. “He… I… We met when I first came to America. It was in New York, and…” She trailed off, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Ned finally moved back and cupped her face in his hands. “I asked her if she could be a model for my painting,” Ned said, chuckling. “And she agreed. But my God, I can’t believe, after all these years… Not a word from you… And now.”
Haruka wiped tears from her eyes, her attention on Sakura now. “You know Edward?”
Sakura nodded. “He’s like a second father to me.”
Haruka cast her eyes downward then as more tears flowed down her cheeks. “I see,” she said quietly.
It was at that moment that Akira and Beth came out the door with more trays of food. After they had set them on the table along with the others, Akira said loudly, “Dinner is served, everyone.” When no one was making a move, she and Beth looked at each other, wondering what was going on.
When Beth saw Ned, she sighed. “I see he’s here and no doubt making a fuss over Sakura. He sounded pretty scared when I phoned him about Sakura missing last night.”
Akira asked, “Who’s he?”
“My younger brother,” Beth said. “And he deludes himself into thinking Sakura is his daughter. Treats her like one, too. Loves her to bits, that man. I bet he was worried sick about her. Must have flown here on the first flight he could catch from LA.”
Akira said, “I see.”
When no one made a move to come for dinner, the two headed over to the bar area. The moment Akira saw her aunt Haruka crying and the man responsible kneeling in front of the woman, she said, “Aren’t you the man in Oba-chan’s Polaroid photo?”
It was then Sosuke, who was sitting opposite Haruka and had witnessed the whole meeting, said, “That’s right. No wonder I thought I’d seen you somewhere before. You were Oba-chan’s boyfriend, weren’t you? That means…” He shifted his eyes to Sakura.
Akira gasped loudly once she realized Sosuke’s meaning. “Shit!”
That drew not only Nicolas’s and Sebastian’s attention to her, but everyone else’s as well.
Tristan asked, “Shit? Why shit?”
Akira licked her lips nervously as she eyed Haruka. “How about we leave Oba-chan and, erm, Uncle Edward, is it? To do some catching up? After all, they haven’t seen each other for twenty-five years.”
With a raised brow, Hayden asked, “Twenty-five years?”
Conrad said, “Isn’t that Sakura’s age? Ned hasn’t seen Lady Haruka for twenty-five years?”
Akira tried her best at turning everyone’s attention away from the two by saying, “Come on, everyone, dinner.” She even nudged Tristan and Logan, who had left their station behind the bar and joined them, toward the table where an array of mouthwatering food was on display. But of course, no one was making a move.
Logan said, “So Ned knew Lady Haruka before Sakura was born?”
Ned asked, just to be clear, “Sakura is your daughter?”
Haruka didn’t answer. She simply sat there with tears flowing down her cheeks.
Beth said loudly, “Ah… I see. Lady Haruka was your first love, wasn’t she, Ned? The one you told me about. Back in New York when you were still a university student. The one that suddenly left you. But I thought her name was Haruka Maki, not Haruka Suzuki.”
Ned nodded. “Yes, Haruka Maki. She was definitely this woman.” He squeezed Haruka’s hands in his, begging for an answer.
Sakura said, “But Mom’s maiden name is Haruka Tanaka.” She turned to Ned then. “Remember? You helped me do research on her. You found that name for me. Haruka Tanaka.”
James said, “I think there’s more to it than that.”
Brenda, who was sitting beside Haruka, leaned forward and patted Haruka’s shoulder in comfort. “It’s okay. If you have something to tell Ned and Sakura, now is the time.”
At Brenda’s odd words, Sakura was even more curious as to what was going on. She watched her biological mother carefully as the woman took in a deep breath and shut her eyes. A moment later, when she opened them again, she said, her voice shaking, “Sakura-chan, listen carefully.” She moved one hand out of Ned’s grasp and reached out for Sakura’s, which the girl eagerly took.
“I told you before that your biological father was an artist. That I met him years ago when I was young.” At Sakura nodding her head, Haruka continued. “Well, your biological father is…this man, Edward Faber.”
Sakura absorbed this information silently. Edward Faber, simply known to her as Ned, was her biological father? No. Wait. What?
She licked her lips and then asked, “Ned? My father?”
Haruka nodded. “Yes.”
Sakura turned her attention to Ned then, who could only stare at Haruka in shocked surprise. “I have a daughter? When? How?”
Haruka sighed and then wiped her tears from her eyes. “I lied to you, Edward. My real name back then was Haruka Tanaka. Maki wasn’t my last name, and the reason I ran away twenty-five years ago was because I found out I was pregnant, and… At the time, I had to return home to Japan. I was already engaged to be married to Kenji, and…”
She broke down into tears then, and Akira said, “I think Oba-chan needs some space for now.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the dazed and confused Sakura helped her mother head back into the house.