When Two Paths Entwine

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This chapter is Co-Authored by rainthewolfdemon

The character Cynthia is actually my dear friend and your fellow reader Cygnus.

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Chapter 6: Truths And New Discoveries

Sesshoumaru hung up the phone and sighed as he turned his chair to face the large window behind him. Each day there was a new problem to deal with and each problem more complicated than before. He gave a short laugh as he realised that he was once again, staring aimlessly out of the smoky glass at the clear sky outside. ‘How often do I find myself doing this these days?’ He gritted his teeth as a familiar ache started in his chest. ‘Kay’. It was nearly two weeks since that night he’d lost control and kissed her, two weeks of self-recrimination and regret. ‘He had assured her that she could work here without the fear of his unwanted attention and that night, he’d broken his word. The pain in his heart intensified as he thought of the way she now practically ran at the sight of him and the manner in which she adamantly refused to meet his gaze when forced to endure his presence. ‘I have done nothing but push her further away.’ Never, had he felt so unsure of himself, so doubtful of his own decisions. He wanted to put aside his obligations and take Kagome away, somewhere so far that nobody could find them. He breathed deeply, trying to ease the painful sensations that danced inside him. He sighed and turned his chair around. There was no sense in tormenting himself this way. Things were as they were and for now, there was little he could do to change them. He could only hope that maybe, somewhere in the future, his dream would come true. With determination, he picked up the paper lying on his desk and began to read. ‘If I want to make that happen then I have to work harder.’


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Inuyasha stacked the documents together and slipped a paperclip on one corner before placing them in the folder. He lifted his head and looked at his assistant. A smile came to his lips as he watched her focused and frowning face. Again, he thought of his good fortune. She made his life here in the office so much easier. His smile deepened. ‘Plus, it’s nice to know that beauty and brains is possible’

“Kagome” he called quietly, knowing how involved she was in her work and not wishing to startle her.

She looked up and blinked. “Yes Inuyasha?”

“I need you to take this to my brother’s office.” He held the folder out and waited, surprised when she made no move to grab it.

Kagome’s heart started racing instantly. She really didn’t want face Sesshoumaru. She’d spent the last two weeks going out of her way to avoid him and the last thing she needed was to be in a room alone with him.

“Don’t you need to discuss this with him?”

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. “No, he just needs to read it.”

“Oh…” she racked her brain to think of an excuse not to go. “It’s just that… that I… I need to finish this.”

‘What’s wrong with her?’ he puzzled as watched her carefully, dropping his arm back down on the desk. ‘This is the third time she’s tried to get out of going to his office.’ He knew his brother could be a bastard at times but he couldn’t imagine Sesshoumaru doing anything to warrant this kind of fear.

“Kagome, has my brother been ass to you?”

She looked at him, blinking in surprise. “Oh no… no Inuyasha. Honestly, he hasn’t. It’s just…”

“That he makes you nervous?” he supplied when she seemed at a loss for words.

She nodded, gratefully accepting the excuse. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Look, my father always told me that you have to stare your fears in the face if you ever hope to conquer them.” He lifted his hand, offering her the folder again. “I know you can do it. He won’t do anything to you, I promise. He looks a lot worse than he really is.”

Kagome stood and grabbed the document, blushing slightly at her childish behaviour. She gave Inuyasha a quick smile and turned to the door. As she exited and walked the short distance to Sesshoumaru’s office, she steeled herself for the confrontation. Her heart hammered loudly as she raised her hand to knock on the door.

Sesshoumaru’s breath held as he sensed her presence outside. “Come in.”

He watched her closely as she entered the room, her eyes locked on the folder in her hand. She stopped before his desk, still not looking up as she handed it to him.

“Inuyasha asked me to give this to you.”

“Thank you.” He grabbed the folder, his eyes never leaving her.

She turned instantly and walked to the door in a rush, freezing on the spot when he spoke.

“Kagome, please wait.”

‘No, no, no’ she cried silently as her heartbeat tripled. “Yes?”

“I wanted to speak to you about the other night.” He stood as he spoke and walked towards her.

‘No please’ she begged in her head. “There’s really no need. I’ve forgotten the whole thing.”

“I don’t think you have Kagome.” He spoke from close behind her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I told you that you wouldn’t have any concerns from me if you chose to work here and I meant it. It won’t happen again.”

She dared not turn around, opting to nod in agreement. “Okay. Can I go now?”

He sighed audibly. “Yes Kagome, you can go.”

His voice sounded so sad that for a moment, she was tempted to turn around and look at him. Quickly regaining her senses, she opened the door, only to freeze once more as she encountered Yura’s cold stare.

Yura’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the young woman’s flushed face. Her eyes flicked quickly behind the girl at Sesshoumaru, seeing nothing but his bland expression. She gave the girl another cold look before walking past her and entering the room.

Kagome finally found her legs and moved quickly away from the door. She couldn’t face going back to Inuyasha’s office at the moment. She was certain that he’d realise something was wrong with her. At the moment, she felt like she could burst into tears. She rushed through the reception area, ignoring the startled glance of the old lady behind the desk and made her way to the restroom.


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The young maid pushed her trolley, full of cleaning materials, down the large hall. She nodded at another maid as they passed each other and continued on towards an elevator near a large stairwell. Pushing the button, she hummed as she waited then entered when the door swished open. A few minutes later, she exited on the top floor of the mansion and started down another hallway. She opened one of the rooms and left the trolley in its entry. Grabbing some cloths and a bottle of window wash, she walked further down the hall. As she approached a different corridor, she paused and looked around. Satisfied that she was alone, she quickly ducked down the new passage and made her way to the door on the end. She stood for a moment near a large window and lifted her hand to press a button on her watch. After a second or two a voice spoke through a tiny speaker just below its face.

“You’re all clear. You can go in. The monitors are on, so I’ll let you know if anyone’s coming.”

She pressed the button again and reached into her hair to extract a small piece of metal, which she jiggled in the lock. Once unlocked, the door opened and she slid into the room, closing it quietly behind her. She quickly scanned the office and found what she was looking for. A large filing cabinet sat in a corner near the computer desk. She smiled, thinking how much easier this would be than first anticipated. Wasting no time, she pulled on her gloves and went to work. The computer was accessed in minutes and started downloading the information she needed to a tiny, handheld, game-sized computer. While the data transferred, she turned her attention to filing cabinet. With the same efficient speed, the girl unlocked the metal draws and slid them open. She located and photographed the file she sought in minutes. As she locked the cabinet, a small electronic sound came from her watch. She pushed the button and listened.

“Someone is taking the elevator up. They’re two floors below you now.”

“Okay, I copy.”

She stuck the tiny camera back into its hiding place between her breasts and quickly detached the small computer, tucking it into the small pocket that was strapped to the inside of her thigh. She turned off the computer and exited the room, pulling her gloves off in the process. She sprayed and wiped the inside door handle before closing the door and locking it. Footsteps echoed through the hallway, getting closer by the second. She quickly locked the door then wiped the outside handle before turning, just in time and wiping at the large window beside it. She stilled as a deep voice spoke behind her.

“What are you doing here?”

She turned and faced the man who waited. She took in his short, wavy brown hair that fell forward over his eyes. It was hard to tell his appearance as a beard obscured his features but his eyes caught her attention. The colour was difficult to discern from their distance but she found them rather enticing.

“I was cleaning the window.”

Those amazing eyes narrowed as he looked at her suspiciously. “And why would you be doing that? Someone else cleaned them a short while ago.”

She thought quickly, looking for an excuse. “Please… I don’t want to get him in trouble. I was walking past and I noticed that there was a smear and I knew that they’d just been cleaned. I was just trying to help Raul out, that’s all. Please don’t tell the boss. Raul can’t afford to lose his job.”

The man stared at her for a few seconds then nodded. She smiled and quickly walked past him, noticing the hazel-blue of his eyes. ‘How unusual.’ Shrugging it off, Cyn walked back to her trolley.

The man continued to stand there watching the maid intently until he sensed a presence beside him. Turning, he stared into a pair of eyes that were very similar to his own.

“What’s wrong Marcus?”

The female who spoke was almost an exact replica of himself, except for her hair that was much longer and tied back in a ponytail. He looked back at the maid before replying.

“I’m not sure but I think I’ll keep an eye on that one.”

The woman turned her sharp glance on Cynthia. “Do you think she’s trouble?”

Marcus shrugged. “I don’t know Adrianna. We’ll just have to wait and see.”


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Inuyasha glanced at his watch again. “Where the hell is she?”

It was more than a half hour since Kagome had left to take the folder to his brother. ‘What could be taking her so long?’ He sighed as he turned his attention back to the document on his desk, lifting his gaze again when the door suddenly opened. Kagome walked in, keeping her eyes averted as she sat across from him.

“Sorry I took so long. I had to go to the ladies and one of the other girls started talking to me.”

Inuyasha studied her features. He could tell she was lying and that something was troubling her. ‘Did Sesshoumaru upset her?’

“Kagome” he paused, waiting for her look up before continuing. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing Inuyasha, really.”

Her overly quick response did not reassure him. “I can see that something’s upset you. Was it my brother?”

Her eyes opened wide and she shook her head. “No, I told you before, he hasn’t done anything to me. I’m just not feeling the best today, that’s all. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Inuyasha continued to watch her for a moment, still unconvinced. ‘Something’s happened and I intend to find out what.’ He had no intention of losing Kagome. She was the best assistant he’d ever had and if he had to grill his brother to find out what had occurred then he would. The loud buzz of the intercom brought him out of his thoughts. He leaned forward and pushed the button.

“Yes.”

Kaede’s voice came through the speaker. “There’s a call for you from Mr Nadu’s secretary.”

Inuyasha frowned and picked up the phone. “Hello”

An efficient voice spoke formally through the earpiece. “Good morning Mr Taisho. Mr Nadu has asked me to contact you and let you know that this afternoon’s meeting has been brought forward to eleven thirty. He apologises for the inconvenience but he can’t change the time. He said to let you know that it’s very important you both attend.”

Inuyasha gritted his teeth, thinking of the appointment he had scheduled for that time. He gave the secretary his assurance of attendance and hung up the phone, turning with a sigh to his assistant.

“Kagome, I have to go out for a while. Can you call my eleven o’clock appointment and reschedule.”

For once Kagome was relieved by the prospect of his departure. “Okay Inuyasha.”

He glanced at her quickly, noting the relief that her features betrayed. “I should be back by one.”

Her absent nod was the only response he received and he walked to the door, deep in thought. She was obviously happy at his departure. ‘Why do I get the feeling that she wants to get rid of me?’ He walked to his brother’s office, nodding at Kaede as he passed her. He paused to knock on the door, surprised when it opened immediately and Sesshoumaru stood holding it impatiently.

‘What’s wrong with him now?’ he wondered as he watched his brother’s face carefully, feeling the irritation emanating from him. ‘Must be something in the air.’ That thought reminded him of his resolve. Ignoring the dark scowl that stared at him, he asked.

“What the hell did you do to my assistant Sesshoumaru? I sent her in here to give you a folder and she came back upset.”

Inuyasha could have sworn he saw a flicker of emotion in his brother’s eyes but he couldn’t be certain. It was gone instantly, replaced by the cold hard stare.

“I will not tolerate incompetence.”

Anger swelled in Inuyasha. “You better not do anything to make her leave. Do you hear me? She’s the best assistant I’ve ever had and I’m not going to let you intimidate her.”

“Oh my. Fancy getting your nickers in such a twist over a stupid little secretary.”

Inuyasha turned his head to look at the woman who disgusted him beyond belief. ‘Ah, so that’s why he’s so annoyed.’ He plastered a polite smile on his face before replying in a pleasant tone.

“Well, I don’t expect you to understand Yura. A person needs to actually work in order to appreciate the benefits of competent help.” He turned from her dismissively and looked directly at Sesshoumaru. “Nadu’s secretary called. The meeting’s been moved up. We have to leave now.”

Sesshoumaru nodded, relieved that he now had an excuse to escape Yura’s cloying presence. He turned to her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I’m sorry but I have to go.”

Yura pouted up at him as she wound her arms around his. “Aw darling, I hardly get to see you.”

Inuyasha had heard enough. “I’ll meet you downstairs Sesshoumaru.”

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he watched his brother walk away. “Yura, I have to go. This meeting is urgent.”

She sighed and released his arm. “Oh very well. I suppose I’ll see tomorrow.”

He nodded and stood there waiting for her to leave but she remained in the same spot, looking at him. “Would you like me to escort you to your car?”

She smiled and waved her hand casually. “No, that’s okay. I’ll go down in a minute. I need to call someone first. Do you mind?”

He looked blankly at her finger, which pointed to his telephone and shrugged. He stood for a moment longer, watching her before he turned hesitantly and left the office. As he walked through the reception area, he sent a meaningful glance at the old woman sitting behind the desk. She nodded and turned to her computer.

Back in the office, Yura smirked coldly as she looked around. ‘Finally, the chance she was looking for.’ She put the phone down and turned to Sesshoumaru’s computer, which he had conveniently left on.

“Why thank you Sesshoumaru. How kind of you.”


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“How did you manage to get your hands on this?”

Inuyasha stared in amazement at the document that Ayame handed him. He looked at Sesshoumaru, who sat impassively scanning the information on the page.

Kouga smirked proudly. “My team is the best Inuyasha, you know that.”

Inuyasha snorted derisively. “I’m sure that they are Kouga. It’s you that I’m not so sure about.”

Kouga frowned at the slur and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Sesshoumaru.

“So, Naraku has made quite a few generous donations to most of our contributors. Why am I not surprised?”

“Yes” Kouga replied, now distracted from ire. “But he’s a cunning bastard. Notice how he used a private account. It doesn’t even have his name on it. If it weren’t for Miroku’s friend, we’d never have known that it was linked to him.”

“Well, it’s a start if nothing else.” Miroku frowned as he stared at the names on the paper.

Sesshoumaru released an audible sigh. “After all these months of investigations and all we have is this.”

Kouga looked defensive. “You knew from the beginning that it’d take time to nail him. He’s not a fool Sesshoumaru. Naraku’s made damn sure that all his dirty deals stay hidden. He’s not going to make this easy on us.”

Miroku leaned forward and placed the paper on the table. “I don’t think that a bunch of unlinked accounts is enough to put him away so we better put our heads together and figure out a way to do that.”

“There is something else. It’s still not enough to get a search warrant but it might be the opening we’ve been looking for.” Kouga handed them another paper. “This is from Naraku’s private account and you’ll notice the three payments of one million dollars are all made to the same account. We managed to get into that account and interestingly enough, it belongs to the same corporation that owns Hitani.”

“The bastard” Inuyasha growled angrily. “I knew he was behind it, I knew it.”

The door suddenly swung open behind them and two women walked into the room. Miroku smiled as he watched his wife take her seat beside Kouga. He nodded at her partner as she moved to the chair beside him.

“So…” Kouga looked expectantly at Sango. “How did you go?”

“We got it.” She reached into her bag and retrieved a folder. “It a was close call though.”

Kouga looked up anxiously. “Why? What happened?”

Cynthia volunteered the information. “Well… while I was in the room, one of Naraku’s bodyguards came up. I just managed to get the door locked when he came round the corner. I told him I was cleaning the window but I think he was suspicious.”

“You better be really careful when you go in from now on. No wires or equipment, for a while at least and if you think that they’re on to you, get out of there fast.”

Cynthia smirked and raised a brow. “You think I need to be told this?”

Miroku chuckled in amusement. He liked and admired Cynthia immensely. She was Sango’s closest friend since school. He’d had the opportunity to get to know her during the first few years of his relationship with his wife. Cyn had spunk and he like that, plus the fact that she always managed to get the best of Kouga. Inuyasha swore that he would marry her for that reason alone.

“So what is this new information?” Sesshoumaru held out his hand expectantly.

Ayame handed him a sheet then passed one to the others. There was a moment of silence as everyone but Cynthia and Sango read the document.

After what she considered sufficient time, Sango explained its contents. “This is a list of people that Naraku has on his payroll. It also shows the companies they work for.”

“Shit!” Inuyasha was stunned to see so many names on the pages before him. “He has someone in nearly every major company.”

Sesshoumaru remained silent. His jaws clenched as his eyes scanned the list again. ‘This means that the bastard has more control than we first thought.

Miroku rubbed his forehead, attempting to alleviate the pressure that was building there. “This is going to be much more difficult than we thought.”

“I did manage to retrieve some data from the computer.” Cyn paused when all heads turned to her, waiting expectantly. “The file was marked as private and it’s attached to some obscure program. Shippou managed to find a copy of it and he’s trying to decode it right now. We’re not sure what’s on it but if he’s gone to all that trouble to make it so inaccessible then it must be something important.”

“Well done Cyn.” Kouga beamed proudly at his agent.

Cyn gave him a smirk, her tone laden with sarcasm. “Oh thanks Kouga, I just live for your praise.”

Sesshoumaru dropped the paper back on the table and stared blankly at the wall. It still wasn’t enough. They needed more, much more to put Naraku away for good. He felt the bitter taste of resentment as he thought of his dream that faded further from reach with each passing day. ‘Is there any hope at all that I might one day…’ The thought ended when he heard his brother’s voice.

“Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha stared in puzzlement at his brother. “Are you with us?”

Sesshoumaru sat up in his chair. “Yes Inuyasha. What’s the matter?”

“We were wondering if we should get someone into the office to keep an eye on things.”

Inuyasha continued to watch his brother closely, baffled by his state of distraction and discontent. Once again, he wondered what was wrong with his sibling. He knew that the pressures of their present situation were often difficult to deal with but it still didn’t explain this recent mood of his. ‘Come to think of, he hasn’t been himself for a while now.’ Before he had time to ponder the matter further, his attention was drawn back to the discussion.


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Kagome rushed out of the elevator and stopped, cursing inwardly when she heard Hojo call out to her. Putting on her best smile, she turned to face him.

“Kagome, I was hoping you’d still be here.”

“Hojo I’m so sorry but I’m in a huge rush. My friend’s outside waiting for me.”

“I promise I won’t keep you.” he smiled as looked at her beautiful features. “I just wanted to remind you about the charity ball. It’s this Saturday.”

“I haven’t forgotten Hojo, honestly. Listen; can I talk to you about it tomorrow? I really do have to go now. I’ve already kept Arin waiting for half an hour.”

Hojo smiled at her reassuringly. “Sure Kagome. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She smiled and nodded then rushed towards the executive suite. She smiled at Kaede as she passed her on the way to Inuyasha’s office. Once inside, she quickly tidied her work area and packed away the files that were complete. Inuyasha was still at his meeting so she tidied his desk as well. She was just putting away the last of his pens when the door opened and he walked in.

Inuyasha glanced at her, smiling when he saw her cleaning up his mess. “Why are you still here?”

She smiled but kept to task. “Oh… one of the managers from accounts called in a big panic. He needed the new estimates for next month’s production so he could allocate the funding. Why it had to be done then and there I don’t know but… he got his estimates.”

Inuyasha laughed. “You know how accountants get. Thanks.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “For what? For doing my job?”

“No, for doing it so well. You’re the best assistant I’ve had Kagome. I’m glad to have you.”

Kagome blushed at his praise but couldn’t help the gushing smile. “Thanks Inuyasha. That means a lot to me.”

He looked at her thoughtfully a moment then smiled again. “Now go home. I’ve had enough of your face for one day.”

Kagome snorted in disbelief. “What are you talking about? You’re never here.”

Inuyasha chuckled as he watched her grab her bag and walk past him. He was happy to see that she was finally relaxing and actually joking with him. He became more determined in his resolve. He would not let his brother chase her away.

“Good night Kagome. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night Inuyasha.”

Kagome gave him a huge grin before shutting the door. She felt so happy at his praise and couldn’t stop the goofy smile she knew was plastered on her face. Shaking her head, she turned and froze when she saw Sesshoumaru standing near the reception desk. He was staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

Sesshoumaru was trying to get his breath back. Her smile had shaken him badly. The only time he saw it was in his dreams and memories. He couldn’t move. He could only stand there staring as he tried to regain his senses.

Kagome kept telling herself to walk, to move, to do anything she could to get away from him. She jumped when a loud voice yelled out excitedly.

“Dad!”

She saw Sesshoumaru’s head turn and followed the direction of his gaze. Her eyes widened as she watched a young, black haired girl rush through the large glass doors and launch herself at Sesshoumaru. After a moment of surprise, his face broke into a big smile and he wrapped his arms around the teenager.

“Rin, I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow.”

Kagome blinked in shock as their words registered. ‘It’s his daughter. She is his daughter.’ She stared in amazement at the girl’s pretty oval face with its large dark brown eyes. Her eyes lifted and locked with Sesshoumaru’s. He watched her warily, as though waiting for her reaction. Suddenly remembering herself, she lowered her gaze and walked quickly to the door. She hurried to the elevators, glad to see one standing open. She walked inside and quickly pressed the button. As the doors closed, she released a sigh and sagged against the wall. Her eyes closed as she leaned her head back. The girl’s face kept flashing in her mind. Kagome realised that there was so much she didn’t know about Sesshoumaru Taisho.

“What other secrets does he have?”


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AN: Usual Note: If you’d like me to notify you when I update my stories, just leave your email address in your review.

Well guys, thanks again for all your support and kind words. You make it a pleasure to write. See you all next chapter.
Babs