Title: Planning a Revenge – Chapter 1 Author: Ashley E-mail: Nuriko56@hotmail.com Standard Disclaimer Apply "OH, YES, Miss Tsukino, Mr. Chiba is expecting you. "If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat…?" Darien Chiba’s secretary was exactly how Serena had pictured her from her voice on the telephone, all cool, ice-blonde efficiency andstunning good looks, and as Serena sank into the proffered chair she felt a nervousbubble of laughter rise in her throat, which she squashed immediately. None of that, none of that. The little voice in her mind was strongand stern as Serena watched the other woman glide into the inner Sanctum after a reverent knock on Darien Chiba’s interconnecting door. You’re come this far, you’re cornered the wolf in it lairs, don’t blowit now…But Miss Mina Aino was so absolutely right for him, she really was,from the top of her ash-blonde to the tips of her Italian leather shoes… "Miss Tsukino? Mr. Chiba will see you now." Serena didn’t have time to reflect further as she rose from the deep- cushioned pale cream chair and waded through the ankle-deep carpetingto the room beyond, passing the other woman in the doorway with a polite nodand smile. "Miss Tsukino?" The big male figure behind the massive walnut desk was broad-shouldered and dark; that was all Serena took in initially, along with the factthat the deep, cold, clipped voice was formidable in itself. "Yes, how do you do, Mr. Chiba?" It was the opening she had rehearsed, and it came out like clockwork, respectful but reserved. And then he stood up, holding out a hand as he said, " I understandyou have some properties you think I might be interested in, MissTuskino?"—and he came into focus… Oh boy, did he came in focus… "I…I…" Don’t lose it now, Serena, not now. "I think there are one ortwo in particular that would suit your requirement admirably, Mr. Chiba,"she said with a coolness she was far from feeling, shaking the big hand for asbrief a moment as decorum would allow, and praying her initial hesitationhasn’t been picked up by those riveting blue eyes. She had to keep the businesslike approach sharp and crisp, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so—-her mind balked at the word"handsome" and substituted "overpowering"—-in real life. His picture had captured noneof the latent power of the man. "One or two?" The voice was slightly husky, almost a gravelly textureevident in the slight accent she knew was from his Japanese heritage, and wasvery, very sexy, in a magnetic, toe-curling sort of way. It went hand in handwith the six-foot-plus frame, coldly handsome face and piercingly blue eyes.And those same eyes had flicked slightly as they took in her slim blondefragility and icing blue eyes. He was attracted to her. She had seen that same look in too many male eyes in the past to doubt its potent. And that was good, that was verygood—- exactly what she had planned when she had dressed with such care thatmorning. She loathed this man, hated and despised him, but he mustn’t know, notyet. "Yes, we never like to put our clients in a position where they have a choice of one." What would Darien Chiba say if he knew he was beinghaunted? Serena asked herself with a touch of wry cynicism as she smiled coollyinto the hard face. Here was a man with the world at his feet, figuratively speaking. A wealthy, powerful millionaire, who wore his women in thesame way as he did his designer suits—--to complements and enhance his ownspectacular image. He’d already had more women that she had had hot dinners, if only half the stories about him were true, and there was a queue a mile long tobe the next female on his arm. Perhaps he expected her to fall in a littleheap at his feet? Perhaps they all did? Anyway, she had to be careful. Very,very careful. She had to be different from all the rest. "Please, do sit down, Miss Tsukino. Can I offer you a cup of coffee?"He didn’t offer everyone coffee, she knew that, in fact she knew enoughabout Darien Chiba to fill a book… "No, thank you." She kept the smile in place as she took the chair he indicated, knowing that once she lowered her head his eyes would besweeping all over her hair, her face, her body. "I have another appointment thatis somewhat pressing when I leave here." Nice touch, that, Serena told herself as she raised her head with the words and noticed them register in his eyes. He wasn’t to womenrefusing anything from him. "I see." He hasn’t liked it, she just knew he hasn’t liked it, but you would never have known from the smooth, even tone of voice and politeface. Oh, he was good at what he did—you had to give him that. She could seehow he’d risen from relative to obscurity to where he was now in just tenyears. "Well, I’m interested in what you have to offer, of course"—he sat down opposite her and she noticed how lean, muscled frame caused the massive executive chair to shrink—--"but how did Taylor and Taylor know I waslooking for a property in the London area? I wasn’t aware you were on of theestate agents my secretary contacted." You know darn well we weren’t. "We thought it appropriate to bring the mountain to Mohammed," she prevaricated quietly, trying a sweeter smilethis time. It worked. "Well, no matter." He smiled back, and she had to admit the effect was devastating. The harsh, masculine face mellowed, the icy blue eyescrinkled and the whiteness of his perfect teeth would have done credit to any toothpaste commercial. And it left her cold. She was determined itwould leave her cold. Her rapid heartbeat, the sudden dryness in her mouth, therush of blood in her veins—it was all to be expected in the circumstances, andwas due purely to the increased adrenalin pumping through her system. There was a great deal hanging on this meeting, more than Darien Chiba would ever know. She had to get him interested now, she might not getanother chance, and she had researched her intended quarry very carefully overthe last few months. "I understand it is the property, rather than the specific area, which is of prime importance?" Serena asked steadily, consulting the fat fileon her lap before steeling herself to meet those strangely beautiful eyesagain. She had seen people with blue eyes, but never with the mercurial silvertint this man’s had, and his thick black lashes and black eyebrows threw thebrilliant gaze into even more prominence, making it quite unnerving. "Uh-huh." Again the faintest trace of an American accent was there—due to his living and working in the States for some years after he left university, the dossier in her brain reminded her. Born in Japan and educated in England—only the very best of public schools followed by Oxford, of course, for the great Darien Chiba—-aproud Japanese parents. He had one sibling—a younger sister—-who was now hisonly close relative, his father having died when Darien was at university,and his mother just two years later. The facts were seared on her brain. He had inherited a considerable fortune at the tender age of twenty-two---thesame age she was now---and in the six years since then had gone on to carveout a name for himself in the world of finance, riding through the ranks oflesser mortals with meteor-like swiftness. Of course his money had talked… She caught the thought as it formed, a stab of honesty killing itstone- dead. No, that wasn’t fair, and she knew it. Fortunes were won and lostall the time in the world in which Darien Chiba lived, and, although hiswealth might have given him a safety net in the beginning, it was his ownruthless flair and determination that had made him into a multimillionaire atthe age of twenty-eight. And if anyone was ruthless, Darien Chiba was… "And you want absolute privacy, plenty of ground, definitely not aflat or an apartment?" Serena continued evenly, moving her head just theslightest, so the blonde mass of curls which just brushed her shoulders in agleaming cascade of colour would catch the light. She normally wore her hair pulled in a severe knot for work, or in a high but sedate ponytail if she didn’t have any clients to see—maleinterest could be distracting and annoying, or even downright dangerous when shewas showing prospective buyers round the more isolated properties—but thiswasn’t a normal situation. And Darien Shield definitely wasn’t your averagebright- eyed and bushy-tailed man either. "You have been very thorough, Miss Tsukino." You’ll never know. His voice had carried a shadow of wry complacency, and Serena knew why. He had noticed her movement with the hair, andthought she was out to secure more than just his interest in a property. Whichshe was. But she knew better than to make it too easy for him. He only had to reach out his hand and pick up the telephones, and any number of beautiful, willing females would be panting at the leash. Buthe was going to have to work hard for the pleasure of her company, if he didbut know it. "Thoroughness is our trademark at Furuhata and Furuhata, and of course the firm is excellent at the procuring what the client wants." It wastypical soft soap, but he mustn’t even begin to suspect that her research onhim resembled a dissertation. "I’m sure it is." Again the note of cynicism was there—--he knew, and knew she knew, that her employers were any one of a number of mediocreestate agents dotted about the London area. "Perhaps you would like to glance at these three properties first?" Serena asked brightly, passing some papers across the desk and makingsure their hands didn’t touch in the process. He had big hands—capable hands—she thought musingly, keeping her gaze trained on the desk and not on his face as he looked at the first ofthe folders she had handed to him. Fingernails cut short and immaculatelycleans, no rings, fingers long and surprisingly artistic.. She didn’t like where her thoughts were leading, and raised her head abruptly despite her previous decision that he mustn’t think she wasogling him. He probably wasn’t the slightest bit artistic, she told herselffirmly. In fact she would bet her bottom dollar he wasn’t. His eyelashes were far too generous for a man—--she knew girls would kill for suck thick, long lashes—and the chiselled cheekbones and hard,strong mouth formed and interesting contrast…This time she jerked her eyesaway to file on her lap, pretending to sort through the remaining paperwork asshe waited for him to finish, and furious with herself when she found thather hands were trembling. "I actually like all three." He raised his head and looked straight at her as he spoke. He was hiding it well, but he was surprised, she thought intuitively—as well he might be. He’d never know what it had cost to get those properties on their books in the last few weeks. For the first time in her life shehad employed the sort of strong-arm tactics she despised in others, and shewasn’t proud of it. But needs must, and business was business after all. Andshe had known exactly what to go for---the months of patient research on DarienChiba had finally paid off, and in a manner she’d never hoped for. Talk aboutthe gift from the gods… "That’s good, Mr. Chiba." She was aware of the blue eyes had narrowedat her cool lack of emotion, and allowed the most formal of smiles tobrush her lips before she continued, "Viewing can be arranged at yourconvenience, of course." "It needs to be soon; I’m already seeing a couple of other places this week," he said immediately, standing as he spoke, and moving round the enormous desk to sit on one corner as he handed her the papers. "We’lltry the top one first. That one has something about it I particularly like." "Certainly." Her voice wasn’t as crisp as she would have wished it to be, mainly because of the overall height and breadth of him now he wasso close, and the way his pose brought the suit trousers tight overfiercely masculine hips. She didn’t like him she could never be attracted to a loathsome low-life like Darien Chiba, but…he’d got something. Much asshe hated to admit it. Call it charisma, male magnetism, sheerold-fashioned pulling power—he had got it. "Tell me a bit about the property and it present owners—advantages and disadvantages, how soon they can move out, that type of thing," he said smoothly, watching her as she made some notes in her appointment book."Is there anyone who is locked into a chain, for examples?" He made no effort to return to the chair behind the desk after she’d handed the property particulars back to him, holding the papers in onehand as he viewed from his usual stance, his eyes glittering and metallic inthe sunlight streaming in through the big plate-glass window at the side ofthem. Don’t gabble, don’t gabble. Serena forced herself to speak conciselyand clearly as she outlined information about each of the houses he hadlooked at, but she couldn’t do anything about the colour staining her cheeks, muchas she would have liked it. Unfortunately the tendency to blush went hand inhand, and had been bane of her life for as long as she could remember. It was useless to tell herself that this intimidating attitude was one he hadhoned to perfection in the course of his life, that all her data on this man screamed ruthlessness and power obsession, that he was a megalomaniacof the first order. She knew it all—-her head—-but that didn’t help much when she was face-to-face with the living reality. Nevertheless, she got through herlittle discourse without disgracing herself, finished with, "But of coursethere is nothing like viewing the properties themselves. Buying a home is oftenmuch more of the heart than the head." "You think so?" His voice twisted, and again the dark aura was sostrong she could touch it. "I disagree—-but only for myself, that is. I neverlet my heart rule my head, Miss Tsukino." "No?" She knew that only too well, but she kept her voice light whenshe said, "You must miss a lot of fun that way, Mr.Chiba." "Possibly," he agree coolly. "Although that would probably depend on one’s definition of the word "fun." She couldn’t be drawn into anything of this nature—not now, it was too soon—-and so Serena shrugged gracefully, dropping her eyes from his asshe closed the file on her lap and murmured demurely, "You may well beright." "As in "the customer is always…"?" he drawled drily. "What?" She was too taken aback to be polite. "Forgive me, Miss Tsukino, but I feel your response was more of thehead than the…heart?" The pause before the word "heart" was intentionally provocative, and Serena could have kicked herself a moment later when she shot backwith, "You're right, as always," Mr. Chiba." "Ah…" It was speculative. "I see my reputation has gone before me." "Your reputation?" Her voice was too defensive. She realised just a second too late that he had been speaking generally when she saw thenarrowed eyes sharpened, and she said hastily, "Oh, yes, your reputation… Well,you are quite well known in the City--" "Too late." It was very dry. "I gather whatever you've heard was not complimentary, but I won't embarrass you further by asking for glorydetails." His tone stated quite less than her tender feelings which had promptedthe magnanimity. "So…" He paused, levering his powerful frame off the desk before offering her his hand to shake. "You are sure you can fix viewing forthis afternoon on that first properties?" "Absolutely," Serena said firmly. "And you will ring me later this morning to confirm?" he continued, as though she hasn't spoken. "Ask for me personally, okay?" He was still holding her hand, Serena realised a little desperately as she looked up--a considerable way up--into the dark, male face. She was wearing her one and only original designer suit--which hadbeen bought at a fraction of the price second-hand, but still looked like amillion dollars--and her hair and make-up was immaculate, so why, why was hereducing her to the consistency of a melted jelly? She asked herself helplessly.And why did she feel so gauche? It probably wasn't very clever to snatch her hand away so abruptly. In fact it definitely wasn't, she acknowledged exasperatedly as shewatched the cool blue eyes freeze to silver ice, but she knew--as she furthercompounded the gesture by steeping back a pace and pushing her hair away from herhot cheeks in order to give her hands something to do--that she couldn'thave left her fingers enclosed by his warm, male flesh for one more moment. "I'll…I'll be in touch, Mr.Chiba," she said shakily, after swallowing hard. "Later this morning, as arranged." Oh, don't stammer, girl, shetold herself disgustedly--this is Darien Chiba for goodness' sake. He isn'tworthy to lick your boots, and you owe it to Raye to carry this off withoutany hiccups. Darien Chiba was going to regret the day he ever heard thename of Serena Tsukino… "Fine." He was looking at her as though she were slightly mad, Serena thought with a sudden faint touch of hysteria, and she really couldn't blamehim. And she had planned to be so cool, so very contained and in control! Oh,she hoped she hasn't blown it. "What are you doing for lunch?" he asked suddenly, with unnerving directness. She almost said, Lunch? Before she choked back the gormless reply and said instead, her voice as cool as she could make it in thecircumstances, "Oh, I've appointments all day, but no doubt I shall manage a sandwichbetween engagements." "All day?" He frowned, and it was formidable. "Then how are you goingto set up a visit to Greenacres for this afternoon?" She had wanted to drop this little nugget into the proceedings overthe telephone when she rang him later, but she would have to do it now,Serena decided quickly. "I have a number of colleagues who would be only too pleased to showyou the property, Mr. Chiba," she said pleasantly. "Oh Mr. Andrew is apartner in the business and he can--" "Your Mr. Andrew could be the man in the moon," Darien Chiba bit back tightly, "but he won't do. I want you to do it." "I really can't--" "I insist on dependability, Miss Tsukino--" He stopped abruptly."Hell, I can't keep saying that mouthful. You have got another name, I takeit?" he asked irritably. Her stomach was turning over, but she managed to sound both polite and unconcerned as she nodded briskly and said, "Serena." "Serena?" His mouth lingered over the name, the deep, husky voice bringing it alive in way she had never heard before. "Unusual." She smiled, but said nothing. He was going to have to dig for everybit of information he got from her on a personal level. He was used towomen relating their life history at one lift of those sardonic eyebrows, butthis was one female who wasn't going to fall at his feet in humbleadoration. No way, no how. She willed herself to stand firm, a polite, social smile on her mouthas she faced him, and again the silence stretched and twanged, but thistime he made no effort to break it. How long would they have stood there,locked in a strange battle of wills, Serena didn't know, but she give a silent sighof relief when the telephone buzzed after a long thirty seconds or so anddefused the almost unbearable tension. "Yes?" He had snatched up the receiver without taking his eyes offher, his voice curt as he snapped into the phone. After listening in silencefor a moment, he said, "Put the call through in a moment, Mina. Miss Tsukinois just leaving." Cue exit. Serena nodded briefly, her smile fading, and turned to leave. She had almost reached the door when his voice stopped her as it said coldly,"You will make the necessary arrangements so that you can accompany me to Greenacres this afternoon, Serena, and I would also like to see theother two properties tomorrow. Anytime after…" he flicked over a large diary onhis desk and finished "…midday, so please plan your day accordingly." It was an order, not a request, and everything in her rebelled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chiba, but I really can't--" "The name is Darien, and, yes, you can," he said evenly. She hasn't expected this. Her brain raced, and she stood for a second before slowly turning to face him. This was not how it should havehappened. He was supposed to have had his appetite whetted by her apparentuninterested- -the proverbial sprat to catch a mackereel--and he would do all therunning while she graciously made the odd concession now and again. He wasn'tsupposed to meet her head-on-like a ten-ton truck. But he had. And, thinkingabout it, she couldn't afford to take any risks at this early stage of the game.The prey was still a long, long way off from the snare. "Of course, if you insist…" Her smile had all the warmth of an arctic winter, and she didn't have to act at all. "I do." It was uncompromising. "Then I'll see you later this afternoon." He was pure, undiluted arrogance, she told herself testily as she nodded politely and left theroom. A man who was used to clicking his fingers and seeing the rest of theworld jump--through hoops, if necessary. But--and here heart stopped, before galloping on furiously--she had put out the bait and he had taken ithook, line and sinker. She was in his life--only just--but in nevertheless.Battle could commence. She shut the door behind her very quietly, and then stood for a few seconds willing her racing heartbeat to calm down. Control, control--itwas all about control. As long as she remembered that, she would do justfine. She pretended to check through the papers in the file as she remained standing in Darien Chiba's secretary's plush office; standing was allshe could manage just at that moment. Reaction had set in, walking wasquite beyond her, and the thought of falling in a heap just outside hisquarters did not appeal. "Is everything all right? You've left anything…?" The beautiful Miss Mina Aino looked up from her word processor after a time, and thegracious expression on the lovely face was just the spur Serena needed to getmoving again. "No, I'm just making sure," Serena said evenly. "There's nothing worse than getting back to the office and finding something has been mislaid,but everything seems to be here. Mr. Chiba has asked me to phone later with details about a viewing I'm setting up for this afternoon." "Right." The secretary clearly wasn't overly interested, inclining her head absently before her glance returned to the screen. "No problem." Not for you, maybe, Serena thought with a touch of wry self-mockery as she waded through the carpet again to the outer door, steeping into thesilent corridor outside and walking over to the lift with a dignity she wasfar from feelings. Has she bitten off more than she could chew, here? She asked herself nervously, the lift whisking her down to the ground floor of the ChibaExpress building before she could blink. Very probably, but then, nothingventured-- nothing gained… The warm sluggish air was portentous of another baking hot August day, but as Serena steeped from the cool air-conditioned building into what resembled an oven her mind was not on the weather. She had vowed, all those months ago now, that one day she would haveher day with Darien Chiba and confront him the near-fatal results of his ruthlessness and if nothing else she was woman of her word. But she had realised very early on that she needed to do more than tell him. Thatwould have been water off a duck's back as far as this man was concerned, andit was doubtful if he would have given her a moment's thought afterwards. No, she needed to get into Darien Chiba's head, establish herself as a person in her own right before she let rip, and if she could make himfall for her, however carnal such an attraction would be with a man like him, itwas all too good. She would rather die than let him touch her, but hedidn't know that. She decided she was still feeling a mite too fragile after theencounter she had psyched herself up for for days to contemplate the push andshove of the tube, so opted for the luxury of a taxi back to the office,settling in the cavernous depths and giving the driver the address of Taylor andTaylor before she allowed her mind to transport her back to that morning inFebruary, six months ago. The phone call had come when she was in the shower, and she had padded into the small sitting room of her one-bedroomed flat in Chelsea,expecting Andrew or Rita's voice to be on the other end of the line. But ithasn't proved to be one of the young, dynamic and recently married Furuhataswho had spoken. "Serena? Oh, Serena, thank goodness. I thought you might have already left for the office. I… Oh, Serena…" "Aunt Ikuko?" Serena had never heard her normally vivacious and bubbly aunt so upset, and it frightened her. "What's wrong?" she askedanxiously. There was silence for a moment, followed by the sound of sniffling and snuffling, and then her aunt said, her whisper thick with tears, "It'sRaye. She…she's in hospital." "Raye's in hospital?" Serena had hardly been able to believe it. Shehad only spoken to her cousin--who was more like a sister than anythingelse, the two girls having been brought up together from the age of five, whenSerena's own parents had been killed in a train accident in her mother's nativeJapan-- the night before, and Raye had been fine than. In fact, she'd been ontop of the world--wildly, ecstatically happy… "What's happened, Aunt Ikuko?Has there been an accident?" Serena prompted urgently, her voice shaking. "Not exactly." And then her aunt totally amazed and bewildered herwhen she wailed at the top of her voice, "Oh, Serena, I wish she had anaccident; I could cope with that. But this! This is awful." "What's awful?" Serena was trying--very hard--to keep patience. Heraunt had never been a person who could cope with any sort of pressure, allthe family knew that, and made allowances, but when the only sound from theother end of the phone was loud sobs that went on and on, Serena said atlast, her voice sharp, "Aunt Ikuko, answer me. What’s so awful?" and then ,whenno answer was immediately was forthcoming, "Where’s Uncle Kenji? AuntIkuko, where is Uncle Kenji?" "He’s…he’s at the hospital with…with Raye. They said…the doctor said I was upsetting her and it would be better if I came home and got…gotsome rest." Even in her aunt’s obvious distress a note of affronted pride was detectable, and Serena could imagine how the doctor’s suggestion hadgone down with her aunt. "She…Raye took some sleeping tablets," her aunt sobbed. "A whole bottle full that I had in the cupboard from when your uncle Kenji had shingled and couldn’t sleep." "Raye?" Serena excalimed shrilly, her brain refusing to accept whather ears were hearing. "Aunt Ikuko, you’re saying Raye tried to commitsuicide?" "Yes, she did—she did. She said so herself after they had pumped her stomach out." "But why? Why on earth would she do something like that?" Serena asked shakily. "I only spoke to her yesterday, and she was on over the moonabout Chad and making plans…’ She caught herself abruptly. This wouldn’t helpher aunt. She had to find out the facts as quickly as she could, and, Ikukobeing Ikuko, that would be difficult enough. She loved her aunt dearly, butshe had to be one of the giddiest people on the face of the earth. "Aunt Ikkuko, is Raye all right? Physically, I mean?" she askedquietly, willing herself to sound calm despite the turmoil within. "I think so, but she wouldn’t talk to us," her aunt wailedplaintively. "She said…she said she just wanted to be alone." The sobs that were interrupting her aunt’s words were of a pitch to make Serena’s earsring, and it was at that point Serena told her aunt she would becoming toScotland on the next train, and that she would speak further with her then. Later that evening she had learnt the full facts from Raye herself.Her cousin, her sweet, gentle and hopelessly naïve cousin, was pregnant,and the man in question was Darien Chiba’s brother-in-law. Not that Raye hadknown her beau was married until the evening before, when Darien Chiba himselfstrode into the hotel restaurant where they were having dinner, and verballyripped Raye apart in front of a crowd of interested and goggled-eyedspectators, before leaving again with a crestfallen Chad in tow. And, then, later that night, with Serena holding her cousin’s hand,Raye had lost her baby. Stay tune for chapter 2……. Sorry, to all you Chad’s fan, but I’m making him play a bad part inthis fic. Oh, yeah e-mail me with your opinion of my fic so far. Thanks, see yanext time!