(BL) Mafia Love; He who falls the hardest loses Chapter 23: Forgotten plans

Haruki who had been in the warmth of his doctor's presence was forcefully pulled back to his reality enough that it sent him concluding that none of that happened cutting off the mories.

The family eting had been scheduled to take place the day after his birthday for more than two months now he had no excuse as to why he was a minute late not to talk of being absent.

He seed to have let a human make him almost forget a eting he had planned for so long. He almost hurried out. The only thing keeping him from running out of the hotel was the fact that he had an image to keep. He could only silently curse the elevator for being too slow.

When he got to his house, his attire was prepared and when he glanced at his custom made wristwatch after dressing up, he was sure that there was no way he could walk into the hall on ti.

With a sigh, he could only bite back the urge he felt to shout at the driver to hurry. When they got to the family house where he only returned for holidays, where he got stabbed and t Hiroshi for the first ti, he was almost an hour late.

His assistant appeared even more tensed than he did because he was sure that Ren was going to probably skin him alive for the mistake, he made by not going to call Haruki early enough for them to make it on ti.

He also knew no one was going to co to his rescue since Haruki appeared to be very displeased with the fact that he was late although it was only obvious in the very slight furrow of his brow which could easily be ignored in the serenity of his attractive face.

The door of the car was opened and Haruki who was fully aware of his tardiness, stepped out of the car coolly and grandly as though those granduncles and distant cousins he had waiting for him in the conference room had nothing to do with him.

He stepped into the house aware that none of them would dare walk out of the room until he arrived with the countless n he had in the house to do his bidding and they would never condone any atom of disrespect like leaving before the host arrived.

It would be a lie if he said his lateness did not make him uncomfortable as soone who was trained by his ntor to be very disciplined. The lack of discipline was the very first mistake anyone would have against him since he beca the chairman.

He hated it, he wished he could turn back the clock. He did not even bother checking the ti when he woke up. How could he get so comfortable to forget sothing so important like this?

He silently scolded himself as he approached the grand double door to the conference room causing his expression to turn icy and intrepid. The guards at the door bowed deeply before the door was pushed open.

He walked into the room as the n and won in the room pushed up their bodies from the seats most of them not wearing the most pleased expression.

Haruki of the past would have bowed deeply and told them how sincerely sorry he was to have them wait for almost an hour but as the chairman, although he was wrong, he could bow to no one but the Emperor.

They bowed to him instead and with a glance to his ntor, he tried hard not to give the man a daring glare. It worked and he walked to his seat and made himself comfortable before nodding to those around.

"I apologize for my delay. Thank you for your patience. Let us begin," Haruki apologized. Those were the most difficult words he had spoken in a long ti. He wished he could take it back almost imdiately as it still felt sour that he had to apologize but as requested by tradition and since it was all his fault . . . well, and partly his assistant's it was necessary he apologize.

Ren stood behind him standing straight ready to go to any length to protect Haruki but Haruki could also feel the man's rage caused by his late arrival.

Those at the table must have felt the killing intent as most of them imdiately wore a more pleased expression that was a lot different from when he walked in. With his apology, there was nothing they could say or do about his tardiness.

Most of the talking was done by others as soon as the eting fully comnced, Haruki simply sat and listened to all their reports. He was not even a second distracted. Being in a room full of mostly family mbers he could not trust, he could not have himself miss even the slightest detail.

Haruki's great-grandfather was the one who began the plan to completely legalize their family's business and among his four sons, only Haruki's grandfather who had married a mber of the royal family won his favor causing him to make him the heir to continue the journey to their legitimization.

Haruki watched closely especially when they spoke about security and safety issues, his grandfather's elder brother had the most problems since he was not in support of complete legitimization although he did not ignore his grandfather's younger brothers one who handled the liquor and bar businesses, and the other who handled the costic company.

His first grand uncle seed to have the most problems with security many he was unwilling to bring to the table and Haruki had Ren point them out. Haruki accepted that the man still wanted to smuggle a few illegal stuff into the country which Ren was not innocent of as he handled the family underworld matters but the man has caused a few investigations to begin.

Left to him alone, he would completely detach the man and his sons from the family so he wouldn't get the protection privilege he enjoyed being a branch of the family but he rembered his grandfather's will had emphasized the importance of family.

He leaned forward when Ren was done with the report of the many cases his granduncle had kept the police busy with and t the man's gaze firmly. He noticed the slight shiver and slight change in the man's deanor as he held his gaze and a corner of his lips moved to form a slight smirk.

The man was so capable of getting into trouble but at least he knew sothing called fear. Haruki moved his gaze slowly from the old man to his second son sitting beside him and after a seemingly endless couple of seconds, he moved his gaze back to the old man his smirk disappearing and without a word said, he noticed the evident shiver and fear, the man could not keep up his composure.

Every one of them but him had weaknesses and he certainly did not need one.