CHAPTER 51
CHRISTIAN'S POV
I canceled every meeting I had.
The ones I couldn't? Reginald took over. And I didn't care. My attention wasn't on business anymore. It hadn't been since Brenda arrived.
Even being in the same building as her—knowing she could hate me, despise me, push me away—I still wanted to be close. Even if she refused to acknowledge me. Even if the only thing she gave me was venom and fire in her eyes. Even so… being near her was enough.
She wasn't just a woman. She was everything.
I couldn't risk her being anywhere else, not even for a second. The urge to stay by her side wasn't rational—it was visceral.
Security had to be absolute. No corners cut, no weaknesses.
I made the calls without hesitation. Inside the villa. Outside the villa. Every door, every hallway, every stairwell covered. I doubled the usual teams.
Fifteen men outside, spread strategically across the property—perimeter locked down, cameras synced, vehicles watched.
Ten men inside—silent shadows at points where danger could creep. Hallways, staircases, balconies. Every entry. Every exit. Covered.
I even went over the contingency plans again in my head, thinking through scenarios I didn't even want to imagine.
Then there was the last one. The only one I hadn't assigned yet.
Lucinda.
She was no stranger to me. High-ranking ex-naval officer. Exceptional combat skills, razor-sharp reflexes. Years in the field had forged her body and mind into a weapon. Seven years ago, when I scouted for elite fighters, I found her in Japan—a country she had been deported to, a place she had never really lived in.
She hadn't needed to prove herself. She just was. Everything in her screamed precision, discipline, control.
And yet… there was something about her that unsettled me. Not fear. Not respect—something subtler. She wasn't the kind of person who followed blindly. She didn't bend to authority. She calculated. She observed. And I liked it. I respected it. But in this case, she had to be mine. My ally. My shield for Brenda.
I studied her as she stepped onto the villa grounds. Navy-cut hair pulled back, posture rigid, eyes scanning, absorbing everything, missing nothing. Every muscle in her body moved with purpose. Every breath measured. She was ready before I even assigned her point.
I imagined the scenarios in my head. If someone tried to breach, she'd notice first. If danger struck inside, she'd react faster than any man I had. And if Brenda… if anything happened to her—Lucinda would make sure the threat didn't survive.
I exhaled.
It was absurd how much effort, how many calculations, how many men it took just to keep her safe. Yet, none of it mattered if Brenda didn't want me near. She had the fire, the strength, the defiance I'd once loved. And now, with her… pregnant, glowing, but fierce… the stakes were higher.
I knew I couldn't hold her. Couldn't control her. Not entirely. But I could protect her. Every second. Every breath. Every shadow that dared cross our path.
I sat back in my chair for a brief moment, letting the weight of it sink in. My men, Lucinda, the perimeter, the villa… all ready. And yet, the one variable I couldn't calculate was her. Brenda. The woman who had consumed every part of me without asking. The woman I had brought back from Hawaii only to realize that nothing had changed—and everything had.
And for now… for now, that was enough.
FLASHBACK
(HOW I MET LUCINDA)
It was raining lightly in the streets of Tokyo when we got there.
Not the kind of rain that forces you to run…no.
This one lingered. Soft. Persistent. It clung to your skin like it had nowhere else to be. The streets shimmered under the city lights, every puddle reflecting neon signs that bled into one another like colors fighting for attention.
I had been to different countries—fifty-six and counting—and each one carried its own uniqueness.
But Japan?
Japan was something else entirely.
A country amongst countries.
There was a pull to it…something unexplainable. Almost spiritual. Like the land itself was watching you, measuring you. Beautifully amazing. Disciplined. Quiet…yet loud in its own way.
Just pure perfection.
I held the umbrella up as Reginald and I rushed toward the hotel doors, our shoes splashing lightly against the wet pavement. The warmth inside hit us immediately, wrapping around our cold skin like an embrace.
We checked into our rooms and rested.
But even in rest…my mind didn't settle.
Later that night, we sat on the balcony, the city stretched out before us like it had no end.
The rain hadn't stopped.
It just softened…like a whisper against glass.
"You didn't reach out to our contacts here, how'd you even expect to find what you're looking for?" Reginald asked, his eyes glued to me, searching…probing.
I took a slow sip of my freshly made orange juice, letting the silence stretch just a little before answering.
"Our contacts?" I chuckled, low and amused.
"The Yakuza aren't really quiet people," I continued, tilting my head slightly. "You and I know that if they know we're here, they'll be swarming this place."
"Yes, I know…to protect us!" he replied quickly.
I studied his face for a moment.
Really studied it.
The slight tension in his jaw. The way his fingers tightened around the glass.
Then I shook my head, almost playfully.
"Don't tell me that Sir Reginald is scared of being without guards in Tokyo…"
That hit.
I saw it immediately.
His countenance shifted—just a little—but enough. Nervousness crept in, crawling across his features like it belonged there.
Answer given…without him needing to say it.
"No," he gulped, then gulped again, downing his juice like it would wash away the truth. "I'm pretty sure I can kick some ass around here!"
I let out a small laugh and leaned back.
"I don't think you can stand a chance with anyone from Asia," I said, shaking my head. "China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand? You can't…swear down!"
And I meant every word.
People from this side of the world didn't just fight…they trained pain into their bodies. Discipline ran through their veins. They didn't hesitate.
They ended things.
"They're a few of th—"
He stopped.
Mid-word.
His mouth froze.
And his eyes…
His eyes were locked.
At first, I thought he was staring at me.
But no.
There was something off about his gaze.
Too still. Too focused.
I turned slightly…then fully.
Following where he was looking.
And that's when I saw it.
On top of the building next to ours.
Eight figures.
Surrounding one.
Small.
Petite.
Almost fragile.
For a second, nothing moved.
Then—
Everything exploded.
A full-blown combat broke out, raw and unfiltered.
Grunts tore through the air. Groans of pain followed, sharp and ugly. There were no words—just the language of violence. Of survival.
The petite one moved first.
Fast.
Too fast.
A kick landed—clean, brutal.
A punch followed—precise, calculated.
Then another.
And another.
She wasn't fighting.
She was dismantling them.
Every movement carried intention. Every strike landed like it had been practiced a thousand times. Styles I didn't even recognize blended together—fluid, deadly, unforgiving.
But one thing I knew for sure?
They hurt as hell.
Reginald and I didn't say a word.
We just watched.
Eyes locked.
Breath held.
Because when something like that unfolds in front of you…you don't interrupt it.
You witness it.
One by one, they dropped.
Bodies hitting the ground, heavy…final.
Until only one remained.
Her.
A furious wind swept across the rooftop, violent and sudden.
It tore the hoodie off her head.
And there she was.
Lush hair spilling freely.
A face so striking it almost didn't match the brutality we had just witnessed.
Pretty.
Too pretty for the damage she had just done.
Ah…definitely a woman.
Then her eyes darted toward us.
Sharp.
Alert.
And in that split second—she knew.
She knew we had seen everything.
Fear crept into her face—not panic, not weakness…just awareness. The kind that comes with knowing things just changed.
She pulled the hoodie back over her head in one swift motion and sprinted toward the edge of the building.
My breath caught.
Reginald shifted beside me.
Because we both knew—
That fall?
Death.
No question.
She jumped.
But not down.
No.
She launched herself forward—body cutting through the air with terrifying precision—aiming straight for the building across.
For a second…she was suspended.
Weightless.
Untouchable.
Then—
Glass shattered.
She crashed through the window, rolled across the floor like it was nothing, and got back on her feet in one smooth motion.
Like gravity had no claim over her.
She turned.
Looked straight at us.
And smiled.
Slow.
Knowing.
A wink followed—quick, deliberate.
Then she disappeared.
Gone.
Silence swallowed the balcony.
Only the rain remained.
Soft. Relentless.
Reginald turned to me.
I met his gaze.
We didn't speak.
We didn't have to.
Because we both knew.
We hadn't just witnessed something.
We had found exactly what we came to Tokyo for.
And whatever she was…
She wasn't hiding.
She had just made sure we saw her.
PRESENT
"There's only one reason I agreed to do this for you!" she said sternly.
She didn't need to say more.
I already knew.
With her being from Japan, she wasn't just useful—she was power. Most of my businesses there ran smoothly because of her. Pulling her out of that world and placing her here…as a personal bodyguard?
That didn't cost money.
That cost pride.
And a whole lot of pleading.
"And I appreciate it," I said, dropping into the chair. "Whatever the reason was… I'm thankful. I owe you."
She didn't respond immediately. Just watched me like she was measuring how much I meant that.
"Maybe we could teach her how to fight…at least for self-defense," she said after a pause.
"I told you she's heavily pregnant," I replied flatly. "You were there when you suggested that at the airport."
"I forgot." She waved it off, then tilted her head slightly. "How did you even get her pregnant? You've been fucking around since your wife died, but you never knocked any of them up."
I raised my brows slowly and lifted my hands in surrender.
Yeah.
No.
That conversation was not happening.
"Are you serious, Christian? No clothes?!"
Eva's voice cut through the room as she stormed down the stairs.
She was pissed.
No hiding it.
Lucinda turned her head toward me slowly, eyes narrowing. I looked back at her the same way—because I genuinely had no idea what Eva was talking about.
I didn't speak.
My face said enough.
"There are no clothes anywhere," Eva continued, stepping closer. "Closet, drawers…nothing. Not even underwear!"
Fuck.
It hit me instantly.
I dragged a hand through my hair.
I had brought her here with nothing.
"I'll have to take her shopping," Eva said, her eyes narrowing even more as she studied me. "Did you also forget her vitamins?"
She started walking toward me.
Slow.
Deliberate.
I shook my head quickly, and she stopped.
Good.
Because she looked like she was about to kill me.
"About taking her shopping… it's not happening," I said.
My tone changed.
Firm.
Final.
I had just gotten Brenda back.
I wasn't losing her again—not even for something small.
"We're just buying clothes, Christian. Nothing else."
I slammed my fist on the table.
The sound echoed sharply.
"And I said she's not going anywhere!" I snapped.
Eva flinched.
Just slightly.
"I'll go with them," Lucinda spoke up calmly from the side. "That's why you brought me here, right?"
I didn't even look at her.
I just shook my head.
No.
Not happening.
"I'll hire a designer. A seamstress. Order everything online," I said. "Isn't that what you women do?"
"I want to go out."
Everything stopped.
We all looked toward the stairs.
And there she was.
Brenda.
Standing there.
Still in the same clothes.
But somehow…she looked even more—
I held my breath without realizing it.
She was fuller now. Softer in some places, stronger in others. The pregnancy didn't weaken her—it gave her a presence that filled the room before she even stepped into it.
My eyes stayed on her as she came down.
Slow.
Controlled.
She crossed her arms, positioning herself slightly behind Eva.
Like she didn't want to be too close to me.
But her eyes?
Locked on mine.
And what I saw there—
Wasn't fear.
It was anger.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
"You're not going anywhere, Brenda," I said. "I'll have designers come here, but you stepping out of this villa?"
I clicked my tongue lightly.
"No chance."
Her expression didn't change.
Not even a little.
"I'm not your wife," she said, stepping forward. "I'm not a child… or your child."
Another step.
Closer.
"I'm a grown-ass woman that you kidnapped."
Her eyes burned into mine.
"I'm going to walk through that door… and you'll do nothing."
"Someone as stubborn as you…" Lucinda muttered from the couch, clearly entertained. "Match made in heaven."
She leaned back like she had front-row seats.
Brenda grabbed Eva's hand and pulled her toward the door.
Eva stumbled slightly but caught herself.
And for a pregnant woman—
Brenda was strong.
Stronger than she should've been.
For a second, I almost let myself admire it.
That fire.
That boldness.
My woman.
Standing her ground.
But admiration wasn't enough.
Not here.
I snapped my fingers.
The guards moved instantly.
The door shut.
Locked.
Brenda stopped.
Right in her tracks.
Silence filled the room.
Thick.
Heavy.
The kind of silence that presses against your ears.
She didn't move at first.
Just stood there.
Then slowly…she turned.
And looked at me.
If looks could kill—
She started walking toward me.
No.
Not walking.
Strutting.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Her hips swayed slightly with each step until she stopped right in front of me.
Close enough for me to feel her presence.
"You're pathetic," she said.
She turned like she was about to leave.
Then stopped.
Came back.
She rose slightly on her toes, leaning closer to my ear.
"You're an ass."
Loud enough for everyone to hear.
Behind her, I heard Eva and Lucinda chuckle.
She pulled away and walked upstairs.
Fast this time.
Angry.
The slam of her door echoed through the house so hard it almost made me flinch.
I exhaled slowly.
Ran a hand over my face.
And somehow…my eyes landed on Lucinda.
She gave me that look.
The one I already knew too well.
"I like her."
"Lucinda… not now," I muttered.
I dropped onto the bar stool and let my head fall onto the table.
Hard.
Because for the first time since bringing her here—
I realized something that I thought I already knew.
I got Brenda back,easy part!
But getting her to love me again?
That was going to cripple me!