Chapter 1032: Kasumi’s Heartbreaking Question
After dinner, Tomiko insisted on driving us ho herself. The city lights streaked past the windows as we moved through the quiet streets. Neither of us spoke much during the ride, but the silence was comfortable, heavy with everything left unsaid.
The mont we stepped inside the house, however, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
The lights in the living room were on, casting long shadows across the elegant furniture. Kasumi, Yuko, and Haruna were already there, seated on the sofas.
Their expressions were grave. The usual warmth and playfulness were gone, replaced by a thick, uncomfortable tension that made the air feel heavier.
All three won looked up at us the instant we entered.
Kasumi’s gaze was the sharpest. She fixed it on her sister first. "Tomiko... do you take your own sister for a fool?"
Tomiko froze beside , confusion flashing across her face. I felt my own muscles tense. We had no idea what was coming.
"Sister... what is this about?" Tomiko asked, her voice hesitant, almost trembling.
Kasumi didn’t answer with words. Instead, she picked up a tablet from the coffee table, her fingers tight around the edges. She turned the screen toward us, her hand shaking slightly.
"Is this true?" she demanded, her voice cracking with barely contained emotion.
I leaned forward to look. The screen displayed a detailed investigative report—clearly leaked or anonymously sent. The headline was damning: "Daiki’s Pattern of Coercion: How the Businessman Targeted Beautiful Won in Corporate Circles."
The article laid everything out in cold, clinical detail. Daiki had systematically preyed on attractive won working in various companies.
He would approach them with offers of "partnership," then pressure them into submission. When any woman refused, he used his influence and resources to suppress their companies—cutting deals, spreading rumors, or applying financial pressure until they broke or their businesses suffered. Multiple nas and testimonies were listed.
Tomiko’s na was there, too.
And worse—the report explicitly ntioned that Suzuki Enterprises had been targeted today precisely because of Tomiko’s firm refusal to comply with Daiki’s twisted demands.
Kasumi’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her grip tightening on the tablet until her knuckles turned white. Her voice dropped to a painful whisper, thick with hurt and betrayal.
"Tomiko... how could you hide sothing like this from ? From all of us? You were in real danger... and you said nothing? Not even a single word?"
The silence in the living room felt suffocating.
Suddenly, Kasumi’s voice cracked and rose. "Don’t you take
as your elder sister anymore?! Is this how you handle things now? Hiding everything from
like I’m so stranger? Tell , Tomiko!"
Tomiko’s face crumpled instantly. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees right in front of Kasumi, her head bowed low. "No, Kasumi-nee... Please, don’t be angry with . I just didn’t want you to worry. You already have so much on your plate with the family and the girls. I thought... I thought I could handle it quietly on my own."
Kasumi stared down at her younger sister, tears now freely spilling down her cheeks. "Handle it quietly? Tomiko, you could have been hurt... or worse! Do you even understand how terrified I am right now? If sothing had happened to you tonight, how was I supposed to live with that?"
I stepped forward, placing a calm but firm hand on Kasumi’s shoulder. "Oka-san, please don’t be too hard on Oba-san. She has already suffered enough."
"You don’t know the full story. She’s been standing up to that bastard Daiki for a long ti, even when he kept pressuring her relentlessly. I only learned about it today when I spoke with her assistant, Hina. I’ve already taken care of Daiki’s situation—his company is finished, completely dismantled. And from the news... Daiki and his entire family are already dead. It seems he made far more dangerous enemies than just us."
Tomiko remained on her knees, crying quietly now, her shoulders shaking. Kasumi looked at her with a mixture of heartbreak and deep love.
"Tomiko..." Kasumi’s voice trembled as she reached down and gently lifted her sister’s chin. "All this ti... you were suffering alone? Dealing with that monster every day and never once telling ? Why, Tomiko? Am I not your sister? Don’t you trust ?"
Tomiko’s tears fell faster. "I do trust you, Nee-san. More than anyone. That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew you would worry yourself sick. You’ve always protected
since we were children... I wanted to protect you this ti. Even if it was just by staying silent."
Kasumi let out a shaky sob and slid off the sofa, pulling Tomiko into a tight, desperate embrace. Both won clung to each other, crying openly in each other’s arms.
"Sister... don’t worry about ," Tomiko whispered through her tears, her face buried in Kasumi’s shoulder. "I can deal with bastards like Daiki. I’ve always been able to protect myself. You know that."
Kasumi stroked her younger sister’s hair tenderly, her own voice thick with emotion. "But you shouldn’t have to deal with it alone, Tomiko. That’s what family is for. I’m supposed to be the one looking out for you, not the other way around. Promise ... promise
you won’t hide sothing this serious again."
Tomiko nodded against her sister’s chest, still crying softly. "I promise, Nee-san. I won’t hide anything from you anymore. I’m sorry... I’m so sorry for making you cry like this."
They held each other for a long mont, the tension slowly easing into sothing warr and more vulnerable. Kasumi eventually pulled back slightly, wiping tears from Tomiko’s cheeks with her thumbs.
"Still..." Kasumi continued, her tone gentler but firm, "I think it’s better if we sell the company. We already have more than enough money. Even without Suzuki Enterprises, we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I don’t want you risking yourself like this ever again. Your safety is more important than any business."
Tomiko shook her head imdiately, her voice gaining strength even through the tears. "No, Nee-san. Please don’t say that. This is your company. You built it with so much hard work, and it’s ant for our nieces’ future. I won’t let one disgusting man like Daiki take that away from them. I can protect it. We can protect it together."
Kasumi sighed deeply, her expression torn between frustration and affection. "Tomiko... you’re too stubborn for your own good. But you can’t keep hiding things like this from . If you do, your sister really won’t forgive you. You know how much I love you, right? I can’t lose you."
Tomiko nodded slowly, fresh tears slipping down her face as she squeezed her sister’s hands. "I know... I know how much you love . And I love you too, Nee-san. I won’t make the sa mistake again. From now on, we face everything together. No more secrets."
Yuko and Haruna watched the entire exchange in respectful silence, their eyes soft with quiet understanding. The heavy tension that had filled the room gradually dissolved, replaced by the raw, ssy, and deeply caring bond between the two sisters.
I stood a step back, giving them space, but a quiet sense of relief settled over . After everything that had happened today, tomorrow’s family picnic felt even more necessary—a chance to breathe, heal, and simply be together.
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