Morning came.
Tsubaki rubbed her eyes to chase the sleepiness away. She was still in a daze when the memories of last night's events came flooding her mind. She immediately sat up and searching for her phone. The phone was laying beside her. Its screen was black.
Taking the phone from her side, she looked at the call log of her phone. It seemed like the video call was kept going even after she fell asleep. By estimating the time, she thought he had let the call on for almost one hour.
It's not a dream...
Tsubaki sighed in relief. She gripped the phone tightly.
Glancing at the clock, she was shocked when she realized it was a quarter to 10. The meeting would begin at 11 AM. She quickly ran outside the room to check on Grandma. The maids were startled when they saw their Madam appeared in an unkempt appearance. Grandma had just finished her breakfast. She ate inside her room.
"Tsubaki?" Grandma too was startled when she saw her granddaughter in-law appearing in such a rush.
"Grandma..."
Tsubaki pursed her lips. She wanted to tell her about Ren but she knew she couldn't. Her guilt eased a little when she saw Grandma wasn't as pale as last night.
"Are you okay?"
Grandma waved her hand, asking her to come closer. It didn't escape her notice that her granddaughter in-law was wearing her grandson's pajamas and her eyes were puffy due to crying. Her heart ached when she thought of how this young lady forced herself to be strong when she herself nearly crumbled under pressure.
"I'm okay, Grandma," Tsubaki answered sheepishly. She realized that appearing before the old lady before washing up was not a proper thing to do but she could care less about it when she thought the old lady was still not in a good condition.
Thank God, Grandma looked fine.
"I'm sorry... I just slept last night and let Old Yuuzo and the maids took care of you..." Tsubaki fiddled with the hem of the pajamas. She lowered her head in an attempt to hide her feelings.
"Don't be ashamed, Tsubaki." Grandma took Tsubaki's hands and gently held them. "If not because of you, Grandma couldn't face the news last night. Matsuzaki called me early this morning. He said everything is okay. There's a high chance to find Ren in a good shape. So, don't you worry."
Tsubaki smiled. It seemed like Ren had asked Matsuzaki to tell Grandma that the rescue team found leads of his whereabouts. She wondered what would Mr. Sagara do if he knew about the good news.
"I'm sorry because you have to endure it alone. Grandma is fine because of you." Grandma kept repeating her gratitude. She smiled lovingly at this granddaughter in-law of hers. "Let's lean on each other, okay? Grandma will be your pillar of support too. That's what Ren would want Grandma to do too."
"Okay, Grandma." Tsubaki nodded.
After making sure the old lady was indeed fine, Tsubaki returned to her room for a quick shower. She chose a light blue professional dress to be paired with a jacket of the same color. After applying a light makeup, she finished her touch with a pale red lipstick. She bent down to properly wear a pair of white heels. Since she was going to the company for a meeting, she opted for a formal look.
Tsubaki fiddled with her phone as she sat in front of the vanity. There was no message from him. Only the girls from Camellia Sweets left her messages of encouragement. Satsuki had even tried to call her yet she didn't pick it up as she turned her phone to silent mode.
By then, she received a call from Matsuzaki. She listened carefully to what he was trying to explain. It seemed like her outburst last night had made Ren reconsidered his plans. He had assigned her with a task.
Tsubaki closed her eyes as he prayed for the event to be going smoothly.
Grandma had been waiting for her downstairs. She smiled in satisfaction when she saw how Tsubaki dressed. She looked mature in such an outfit but it didn't make her look older. Instead, it enhanced her delicate beauty. Grandma dressed in a dark blue kimono. A white shawl draped over her shoulders.
"Should we go now, Grandma?"
Grandma nodded. Both of them entered the car. Old Yuuzo and the maids bid them goodbye as the car left the estate.
The media was still surrounding the company. Even though the PR team had disclosed the news that President Fuse might have escaped the crash, it didn't dampen their hunger for such news. Any news related to Fuse Corporation would worth so much. Moreover since the Matriarch of Fuse Family appointed her mysterious grandson as the new President since five years ago.
As the black car reaching the entrance, it didn't escape the media's attention. A team of bodyguards was assigned to control the situation. Since they knew they couldn't escape the wrath of Fuse Family if they overstepped their boundary, the journalists chose to be obedient behind the line. But it didn't stop them from taking pictures.
Matsuzaki was waiting with a row of executives at the entrance. As soon as the black car pulled over, he quickly went to open the door. The sounds of camera clinking intensified as they were waiting for the matriarch to appear before them.
"Old Madam, Madam." Matsuzaki greeted them.
The media was busy taking pictures when they saw a pair of slender legs in white heels emerged from the car. A young lady in a formal dress came into view. She bent down a little bit and reaching out for a wrinkly hand from inside the car. Her beauty and poise attracted the media when they realized this unfamiliar lady was helping Old Madam Fuse getting off of the car.
"Old Madam Fuse, who is this young lady?"
"Is she a new executive of the company?"
"Special Assistant Matsuzaki, is the lady the Acting CEO for Fuse Corporation?"
"Old Madam, Madam, the shareholders have already gathered inside the meeting room." Matsuzaki spoke to them without paying attention to the media. "Let's go."
Old Madam Fuse and Tsubaki nodded. Walking side by side, they entered the lobby of the company. Both of them stood tall as they led the entourage behind the media.
"Ma... Madam?" One of the journalists who was standing near the three of them stuttered. "I didn't mishear, right?"
"No! I heard it too!" The journalist beside him exclaimed. "Special Assistant Matsuzaki addressed the lady as Madam!"
"But... we never heard of President Fuse marrying? And she didn't look familiar at all. At least not in the circle of top socialites we know of."
"Hush! This is not important. What's important is what would Old Madam Fuse do as they haven't found his grandson yet."
As the journalists were discussing with each other, Grandma and Tsubaki had reached the top floor. At the end of the long corridor, they could see the door of the meeting room. They stepped out of the elevator, walking to the room.
It had begun.