Sleeping With My Step Daddy-Chapter 59: "I’m Sorry Bast"

Reiji stopped the car in front of a luxurious restaurant. With an air of confidence, he stepped out and walked around to open the door for Kai.

He leaned in, reaching for Kai’s hand. "Let’s go," he said.

Kai immediately pulled his hand away, frowning. "You don’t need to hold me like that."

Shamelessly, Reiji grabbed it again. "I’m just thinking... what if I don’t hold you and you run away?"

Kai sighed in frustration but didn’t resist further. They entered the restaurant together. Reiji led him to a table, guiding him to sit down like a proper date.

"You know," Reiji said as he took the seat across from Kai, "the food here is famous. You must try it. This is actually my favorite restaurant."

Kai looked unimpressed. "Favorite. So what should I do? Clap for it?"

Reiji smiled, unbothered. "We’re going to be fiancés soon. You should start learning about my favorites."

Kai stared at him, stunned. "Are you really serious about this?"

Reiji leaned back slightly, his tone honest but too casual. "Of course, I’m serious. What do you think? That I’m joking around? I’m ready to marry you, Kai. I like you—no, I love you. It’s love at first sight."

Kai scoffed. "What the hell? Love at first sight? I’m not interested in you at all. So go tell Mr. Takeshi that you don’t want to get engaged to me."

Reiji’s expression didn’t change. "I already told Uncle," he said smoothly. "Not that we just want to get engaged—we want to get married soon."

Kai’s eyes widened in disbelief, his face flushed with anger.

Reiji shrugged. "If you keep rejecting me like this, I’ll tell Uncle to hurry up the wedding. But if you’re polite with me... maybe I’ll give you time."

Kai exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping away.

He had no choice.

Meanwhile, in Takeshi’s Office...

Takeshi sat behind his grand mahogany desk, flipping through reports when his secretary entered and stood silently before him.

Takeshi didn’t look up. "What’s the update?"

"Sir," the secretary said respectfully, "Sebastian Vaughn is still searching for Kai. He hasn’t calmed down at all. However, we’ve erased all traces—he has no clue Kai is in Japan. He hasn’t even considered it."

A smirk formed on Takeshi’s lips. "Good. If he dares come to Japan, I’ll kill him myself. He stole my wife..."

The secretary bowed politely and left the room.

Takeshi stared at the photo of Sebastian Vaughn displayed on his tablet. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.

"Why, Jennifer?" he muttered. "Why did you leave me for him? Is he better than me?"

With a growl of frustration, he hurled the tablet onto the floor. The screen cracked as it hit the ground.

Exhausted, Takeshi slumped onto the black leather couch. His eyes closed, and for a moment, he let himself drift into the past. In the darkness behind his lids, he could almost see Jennifer’s smile—soft, warm, radiant. He could almost taste her lips.

"I miss you, Jen," he whispered. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed and answered it.

"Brother," Riku’s voice came through the line. "Reiji took Kai on a date."

Takeshi opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. "That’s good."

"But Aiko... she’s still crying," Riku said quietly. "She waited for Kai for years."

Takeshi’s tone turned sharp. "Riku, we’ve already talked about this."

---

Last Night...

"Brother," Riku had said with a troubled voice. "Kai rejected Aiko. He told her he likes boys."

Takeshi’s eyes had widened in shock. "He said that? Really?"

Yuna had nodded gravely. "Yes. I wanted to speak with him myself, but he brushed me off. He was... cold."

Riku had sighed. "Brother, you gave me your word. You said our children would marry each other."

"I did," Takeshi had replied, voice heavy. "But I won’t force my son into a marriage he doesn’t want. If he doesn’t like girls..."

"Then?" Riku had asked bitterly.

"Then," Takeshi had said firmly, "let’s arrange an engagement between Kai and Reiji."

"What if Reiji doesn’t agree?" Riku had challenged.

"Call him," Takeshi had ordered.

Minutes later, Reiji had arrived at the study.

"Reiji," Takeshi said, "are you ready to get engaged to my son Kai?"

Reiji blinked, stunned for a moment—then quickly composed himself. "Yes, Uncle. I’m ready."

---

Back to Present...

"I understand," Riku said now on the phone.

"Then don’t bother me again with this topic," Takeshi said, his voice final.

Riku fell silent. "Alright." The call ended.

Takeshi placed the phone aside and leaned back on the couch again. The name Sebastian Vaughn still echoed in his head like a poison—and so did Jennifer’s smile.

After the Date — Back at the Mansion

Kai and Reiji stepped into the grand hallway of Takeshi’s mansion, the air heavy with silence between them. Kai looked tired and frustrated, his hand still loosely held by Reiji.

As they walked in, Aiko stood up from the couch, her expression darkening when she saw their joined hands.

Aiko (angrily): "Reiji! How dare you hold his hand?! He’s my fiancé!"

Reiji (calmly, smug): "Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what Uncle Takeshi announced this morning?"

Aiko clenched her fists. "Mom said Kai still has a choice. If he changes his mind, we can get engaged again. Kai—come with me, I want to talk."

She reached for Kai’s hand, pulling at him. But before Kai could respond, Reiji stepped forward and shoved her hand away.

Reiji (coldly): "Don’t manipulate my fiancé."

Kai (shouting): "Stop it—both of you!"

His voice echoed through the hallway.

Kai (furious): "I know what this is really about. You don’t care about me—you both just want Mr. Takeshi’s money. So shut up!"

Without waiting for a response, Kai shoved them back and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him.

He paced for a moment, breathing heavily, then sank onto the bed.

Kai (whispering to himself): "I need to calm down..."

Suddenly, a knock echoed from the door.

Kai (sharply): "I said I don’t want to talk!"

The door creaked open anyway, and Yuri stepped inside.

Kai glanced up, startled. "Aunt..."

Yuri offered him a gentle smile and slowly approached.

Yuri (softly): "You look frustrated."

Kai didn’t answer, sinking into the couch. Yuri sat beside him, folding her hands in her lap.

Yuri: "Kai... I think it’s time I told you the truth about your parents."

Kai looked at her curiously, his expression guarded.

Yuri (gently): "Your mother and father had a love marriage. They loved each other very deeply. Two years after their marriage, you were born. Back then, Takeshi was just an accountant, working hard for a company."

She paused, her voice becoming more solemn.

Yuri: "But then something terrible happened. Someone made a mistake—or maybe it was a setup—in the company’s financial accounts. Takeshi got blamed and was arrested in a billion-dollar fraud case. He went to prison for twelve years."

Kai’s eyes widened slightly. Yuri continued.

Yuri: "Jennifer... your mother... she couldn’t take it. She left us and took you with her. She said she didn’t want to live with a thief."

Yuri looked down for a moment, then back at Kai.

Yuri: "When Takeshi was released, he went to look for her. But she had vanished, taking you with her. He searched for years. Eventually, he entered the world of mafia and casinos to survive... and over time, he became powerful. But even with all his success, he never stopped looking for you and Jennifer."

Kai swallowed, emotions churning in his eyes.

Yuri: "The day he found you again... he was overjoyed. But the news of Jennifer’s death broke him. Still... he was thankful you were alive and safe."

Kai blinked away a tear. "Mom... loved Dad too, didn’t she?"

Yuri nodded softly. "Yes. She did. She just... gave up when everything fell apart."

Yuri placed a hand gently on his.

Yuri: "Kai, don’t turn your back on your father. He may act hard and cold on the outside, but deep down... he’s still the same man who loved your mother, and who never stopped loving you."

Kai sat there, silent, his heart heavy with a thousand unanswered feelings.

Yuri watched Kai silently for a moment, her gaze warm and gentle.

Yuri (softly): "Kai, I hope you’ll come to understand your father’s feelings someday. He’s already lost you and Jennifer once... he doesn’t want to lose you again. He’s not as bad as you think."

Kai didn’t answer. He kept his eyes down, staring at his hands. The light caught on the ring still wrapped around his finger, its shine blurring through the tears welling in his eyes.

Yuri stood up quietly and smoothed her dress.

Yuri: "Now get some rest. Tomorrow, your new life starts. You’ll begin your studies again... I hope you’ll like the Japanese college we chose."

She picked up a phone from the bed and placed it gently beside him.

Yuri: "Here’s your new phone. I hope you won’t disappoint your father."

With that, she walked to the door and left the room, closing it softly behind her.

Kai sat still for a while, his gaze falling to the phone beside him. A single name burned in his thoughts—Bast. His fingers trembled as he reached for the phone, wanting nothing more than to hear his voice, to tell him where he was, to run back into the only arms that ever felt like home.

But then Takeshi’s voice echoed in his mind. Yuri’s words. Jennifer’s memory. The image of his mother leaving and never coming back. His father’s broken eyes.

Kai shut his eyes tight.

His hand moved instead to the ring on his finger. Slowly, painfully, he slid it off.

He stood up, walked over to the drawer by his bed, and placed the ring inside with trembling hands.

Kai (whispering, voice cracking): "I’m sorry... Bast."

A single tear slipped down his cheek.

And then another.

He closed the drawer.

And with it, a piece of his heart.