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Tanaka Enterprises had branched out over the past ten years into what had become a multi-billion-dollar company with holdings all over the country.

His father had inherited it from his father and along with his two younger brothers had turned the export/import company into something much more.

The manufacture of toys and shipment was just a small part of the operation.

They were now involved in high-end vehicles, exquisite glasswares, banking, shipping, cruise lines and shares in several five-star hotels.

Kai's life had changed drastically when his father died when he was eighteen.

Without a moment's hesitation, he had been plucked out of his easy lifestyle and sent off to study in the UK.

He had gone from being a happy-go-lucky teen to a man who had the responsibility of a rapidly growing company thrust on his young shoulders.

His uncles had taken over his grooming. He was trained to become the CEO as tradition dictated.

There was no resentment. The long-standing tradition was firm and had been their way for more than a hundred years.

As soon as he finished college, he had stepped into the role.

He had not been given the luxury of grieving.

He was suddenly the head of the household.

A teenage romance had not been part and parcel of the deal. Besides, he was expected to marry someone of Japanese descent. That much had been drilled into him since he could understand about his legacy.

He was allowed to dally with different women, that too was expected. As long as he was careful. But being with Maxie had changed him. At first it had been a challenge to pursue and capture her. He had been attracted and challenged by her aloofness and exquisite beauty.

Then everything had changed. When he touched her it had all gone to hell or heaven. Suddenly he was burning for her. His heart pounding, his blood boiling. Suddenly, he could not go a day without seeing her – touching her, wanting the taste of her on his tongue.

He had pushed all that aside ruthlessly.

There was no future for them, and he had the company and his legacy to think about.

His uncles had been there for him of course and were still within reach, whenever he wanted to brainstorm.

They were both at the Japanese branch, because Japan was where they called home.

Tapping the heavy folder on his palm, he stared across the room, with a frown.

He had not expected to see her. And seeing her had stirred up his memories and his hunger.

The look on her face when her eyes met his was burned into his brain.

She hated him. Of course she hated him. He had left without a word. Left without saying goodbye.

He had been stunned by the news of his father's heart attack and the events that followed.

Placing the folder flat on the desk, he finally opened it and felt the electric shock straight through his nervous system as a glossy eight by ten colored photo jumped up at him.

His security detail had captured her when she was bending down to engage with a cute little blonde girl who looked to be about six or seven.

The mother, or he assumed she was the mother had apparently said something to Maxie, which had her looking up and laughing.

The thick dark brown hair dipped in blonde spilled down her back and white teeth gleamed against full lips coated in pale pink.

His fingers shook slightly as he trailed them over her features.

Christ Almighty! He thought with a thud of his heart, he was still hung up on her.

All these years he had convinced himself that she was his past, but that was a damn lie.

He leaned back in the chair, the leather creaking under his weight as he continued to stare at the photo.

Memories flooded him like a tsunami—her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she was amused, the warmth of her hand in his.

But those moments were shadows now, eclipsed by the choices he had made and the miles he had placed between them.

Kai closed his eyes briefly, the tension in his chest tightening further, as the question he had ignored for years rose to the surface: Had he ever truly let her go?

The answer was glaringly obvious, and it unsettled him.

His phone buzzed on the desk, and he grabbed it like a lifeline, hoping for distraction. His assistant's voice came through, crisp and efficient.

"Mr. Tanaka, the board meeting is scheduled for 3 PM. Will you be attending?"

Kai exhaled sharply, grounding himself. Business. Legacy. Duty. Those were his anchors, the constants that defined his existence.

"Yes, I'll be there," he replied, his tone devoid of any emotion, as if he could compartmentalize the turmoil inside him.

But as he set the phone down, his gaze drifted back to the photo.

He traced the image once more, his resolve weakening.

Perhaps he had been fooling himself all this time.

Perhaps Maxie had never been his past—because she still felt like his future, slipping further out of reach with every passing moment.

Turning the page, he discovered more photos.

One where she was at home with her arms wrapped around a black dog.

She had a dog? And she was laughing, tendrils escaping the careless bun on top of her head.

There was still another, his man had somehow caught her at her place of business.

This Maxie was cool and classically beautiful in blue and cream wool, her thick hair styled in a neat chignon at the nape of her neck.

He scanned the report quickly. She was single – had graduated from NYU with honors.

Her parents were still alive – he paused over the part where she had been involved with some guy in college and tried to get rid of the violent reaction that he identified as jealousy.

Slamming the folder shut, he pushed away from his desk and strode over to the cabinet to press the button. The cabinet glided out slowly.

Inside the cabinet, Kai revealed a hidden compartment containing more files, neatly stacked and labeled.

He reached for one marked "Expansion Strategy - Tokyo 2025," his mind attempting to shift gears.

But as he flipped through the strategic plans and market projections, his thoughts betrayed him once again.

The photos had shattered the carefully constructed walls he had spent years building, and the cracks were widening by the second.

He fought to focus on the numbers. The Tokyo expansion was crucial to the company's future—an enterprise his father had envisioned but never lived to see.

Kai owed it to him, to the legacy they had built together, to see this through.

Yet the haunting image of Maxie, with her radiant smile and captivating presence, lingered in the back of his mind like an unresolved melody.

He slammed the cabinet shut, his movements brusque and deliberate.

If he gave in to these emotions now, if he allowed himself to be swallowed by this tidal wave of longing, he risked losing the very foundation that kept him afloat.

Kai strode back to his desk, his jaw tightening.

He needed to compartmentalize, to push Maxie out of his thoughts—or at least try.

But as he sat down, the weight of the folder pulled at him once more.

It was more than just paper and ink; it was a doorway to the life he had abandoned.

His fingers hovered over the edge, indecisive, as the seconds ticked by.

Finally, he shoved it aside, determined to bury himself in work.

There were contracts to review, market analyses to dissect, and a board meeting to prepare for.

Yet even as he immersed himself in the minutiae of corporate strategy, Kai knew he was only delaying the inevitable.

The past was no longer a distant shadow; it had become a glaring light, illuminating the path he could have taken but didn't. And for the first time in years, he questioned whether the pursuit of duty and legacy was worth the sacrifice of a love he had never truly let go.

"So?"

"So, nothing." Maxie was starting to regret she had called her friend and told her about Kai. Yvette was making a bigger deal out of it than required.

"Bitch–" Lowering her voice, Yvette plucked the sheer silk robe from Maxie's hand and tossed it over a shelf.

The store was closed for the afternoon with only the members of staff who had stayed behind to stock the shelves and restock the accessories.

The day had been so hectic, she had had no time to reflect on Kai – not until she had sat down to eat her sub and made the call to Yvette.

"Stop evading the conversation. I need details." With bull-headed determination, she steered Maxie into the tiny office and shut the door with a snap.

"I have work to do."

"You can take five minutes. God, I am starving." Marching over to the refreshment table, she chose some shortbread cookies and a bottle of Perrier.

"Spill."

Giving the woman a resigned look, Maxie went behind the desk and started shuffling papers.

"There really is nothing to tell. He came in with his girlfriend," even saying it hurt, even if she shied away from admitting it.

"He was as shocked as I was. We both stood there staring at each other for a full two minutes.

And then the woman changed her mind about the dress she was admiring.

" She shrugged and stared at an invoice.

"What did he say to you?"

"He sent her away and said he wanted to talk."

"About?" The impatience in Yvette's voice had her lips twitching.

"I have no clue. I told him I had work to do and left him standing there."

Uncapping the bottle, her friend took a long swallow, golden-brown eyes trained on her.

"That's it? No follow up?"