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Chapter 272 - Harbored Past

Most of Tobias Itou's life, he was raised within an average family. That was until his father, Lori Itou started his business, and from then on, things were no longer the same. When Lori Itou tried to involve his son in his company, Tobias would run away to hang out with a small gang of youths.

That had been where he met Robin Tsosie. She also had trouble at home with her father.

After almost a year of being with the group, it didn't take long for Tobias to notice the change in Robin's feelings for him. Despite this, he never felt the same and maintained a distant relationship with her.

Tobias, along with the others of the group of youths, drank, smoked, and engaged in multiple group fights. Dysfunctional as it was, to Tobias Itou, it was the only place in the world that made sense.

Until one night, everything changed.

The afternoon Tobias after coming home from school, he happened to overhear his parents arguing. Listening behind a wall, the contents of the argument stopped him cold.

Lori Itou was having an affair.

Disoriented, Tobias left the house to meet Robin and the others. It was then that they and another group of youths engaged in a fight.

Unsure of when it happened, but soon Tobias and his group were outnumbered. Shouting them to retreat, he turned to escape when he was suddenly hit from behind.

The last thing Tobias remembered seeing was Robin and everyone else staring at him before running away. When he woke up in the hospital, his father was standing beside him. It was at that moment Tobias remembered the events from before. The fight. His father's affair. A mix of emotions swelled within him.

He felt disgusted, betrayed, and numb. Everything around him had changed.

After being discharged from the hospital, Tobias was told of his parent's divorce. At the same time, Lori Itou's company started to crumble. It just so happened the woman Lori Itou had an affair with was the secretary of another company and formed a 'relationship' with Lori Itou to obtain information on his business.

Before long, Lori Itou had no choice but to sell his company to maintain himself financially. All over the media, people had heard of the Itou's family downfall until not very long they were forgotten.

Due to their financial situation, Tobias dropped out of school. He left the house where he and his father stayed after his mother left to stay with relatives until the divorce was finalized.

Tobias rented a worn-down apartment with Alec Hirogori's help. It was at this time he held on numerous part-time jobs while also working on a new program he would pitch to a tech company for extra money.

When he represented it to the company, Tobias Itou, for the first time, earned his first official job – later igniting his interest in starting his own business. At the beginning of Tobias Itou's career, men and women preyed on him for his either fast success or 'naïve' experience in the industry. After the outcome of his father's affair, Tobias was already aware of the dark, corrupt world he entered.

Years and years of building his company, Tobias Itou became a renowned and famous figure in the business industry. The name Itou was once again reborn.

But he felt nothing. Everything around him was dark and dull.

That was until one event hosted by the Hirogori's, where he met a young figure in a bright, red tuxedo.

Andras.

As Tobias finished speaking, Mimi could sense his insecurity. She knew he was extremely sensitive to his past even more so when it came to her.

Was it because he was ashamed to tell her of his behavior back then? Or from his self-hatred to who he used to be?

Either way, Mimi's heart felt for him.

"Thank you, Tobias. Really..." Mimi murmured. She grabbed his hand with a deeply touched expression.

Tobias was surprised by her sudden gesture but tried to maintain a neutral face. He stared at their interlocked fingers and swallowed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. From now on, I promise...I will be good to you." He said this with his throat thick with emotion.

Mimi looked at Tobias, who seemed he was about to cry as he apologized. He looked like a helpless child. With a soft smile, Mimi brought up a hand to his face and cupped his cheek.

"I know," She whispered as she grazed her thumb gently across his face. "I know you will treat me well...No matter what you always have. And I swear to you I will love and treat you well for as long as I live."

Tobias stared at her, eyes wide. At that moment, tears welled in his eyes. Seeing his expression brought a strong pain to Mimi's heart and even more so as the tears in his eyes slipped down his face.

"Why are you crying? Were my words that touching?" Despite her teasing voice, there was a slight tremor to it. As if she too, was about to start crying.

At her words, Tobias's eyes grew more bloodshot than before, and he stared at her. Mimi couldn't tear her eyes away from his gaze.

"Can I kiss you?"

"...What?" Tobias stared at her, completely taken back.

Mimi laughed softly and leaned forward. The blanket wrapped around her slipped, exposing her bare breast covered in love marks.

"Don't you always ask me for permission? If I want to treat you well, then asking for permission should be a start."

Blinking rapidly, Tobias's eyes swallowed with a dark light. Slowly, he nodded his head to her previous request. Without hesitation, Mimi leaned up and pressed her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him forward, closing her eyes as she kissed him.

It was a long kiss, though how long Mimi could not have said. When it ended, Mimi licked her lips.

The kiss, it was a taste of sweet and salty.