Ciry took a long, thoughtful sip of juice and then exhaled heavily, shoulders slumping slightly. "I tried calling you guys. I really did." Her voice wavered just slightly as she traced the rim of her glass with her fingertip. "But none of you picked up. And honestly? I wasn't planning on getting married. It was... forced." She bit her lip, eyes downcast.
"What!" they both exclaimed in unison, Paula nearly spilling her juice in shock.
"You were forced to marry Ryu?" Carla said, mouth hanging open in disbelief. Then she added dreamily, pressing a hand to her heart, "I wish that was my life. Being forced to marry a gorgeous billionaire? Sign me up!"
"Why though?" Paula asked seriously, leaning forward with furrowed brows, "I mean, why would Ryu want you to marry him? No offense," she added quickly, raising her hands defensively.
Ciry sighed, setting her glass down with a soft thud. "I don't know, but guess what? I have even bigger breaking news that's gonna blow your minds right out of your skulls!"
Both Paula and Carla were silent for a beat, exchanging curious glances before turning back to Ciry, waiting for her to continue, the tension in the room palpable.
"Ryu Hoshira is the boss of the Hoshira-gumi," Ciry announced with dramatic flair, throwing her hands up. "Mic. Drop." she added with a smug grin. She let the words hang in the air. The ceiling fan whirred overhead, marking the seconds of stunned silence.
For three heartbeats, nobody moved. Then:
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Carla shrieked, nearly choking on her juice. "THE Hoshira-gumi? As in, the infamous yakuza family?"
"Didn't see that coming," Paula said, whistling low, her eyes wide as saucers.
Ciry wiggled her eyebrows playfully, enjoying their shocked expressions a little too much. "Your faces right now are absolutely priceless!"
"No. Freaking. Way," Carla said slowly, still processing the information, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the sofa cushion.
"Yes way," Ciry confirmed, nodding emphatically. "My father said the guy was going to tear down our gang, for reasons I don't know, and the only way to escape such a fate was for me to get married to him." She placed her empty juice glass back on the table with a definitive clink. "Like I'm some medieval princess being traded for peace between kingdoms or something ridiculous like that."
The room fell silent. Paula and Carla weren't even in the mood to talk anymore, both staring into their glasses as if they might find answers there.
They both knew about George's underground business, having grown up in the same circles.
Their father worked as an assistant to Ciry's father, so they had always been aware of the dangerous world her family operated in. It was the reality they lived in, even if they didn't want to be part of it.
"Actually, I agreed to the marriage because I feared for my mother's safety," Ciry continued, her voice softening. "Maybe if the gangs go to war or something like that and my mom is caught in between..." She trailed off, unable to complete the terrible thought.
"Are you sure though?" Carla asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I don't believe that Ryu can be so small-minded to just ask for a girl in order to stop a war with another gang. Maybe there's a bigger reason behind it." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Yeah, like he saw me on TV and liked me," Ciry said proudly, flipping her hair over her shoulder with exaggerated vanity. "I'm pretty cute, you know."
"So what's your plan?" Paula asked Ciry, setting down her glass and crossing her arms.
Ciry's expression darkened, her playful demeanor disappearing instantly. "I need to get out of this marriage. I need Ryu to hate me. To push me out of his life. That's the only way I can get out of this without anyone getting hurt—without him hurting anyone." Her voice was determined, but there was a flicker of fear in her eyes.
Carla, however, frowned deeply. "Not every girl gets to sleep with a look-king like Ryu, you know," she argued, gesturing wildly with her hands. "You should be grateful, Ciry." She poked Ciry's cheek playfully, her tone light but still teasing, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Ciry shot her a flat, unimpressed look, swatting her hand away. "I don't care. I love Luka. He's cute, dreamy, and has the sweetest voice. I can't just give him up for this cold-hearted devil," she declared, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.
"Don't be such a Ryu fan-girl, Carla," Paula added, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Just because you have a big crush on him doesn't mean everyone should love him. The guy's obviously dangerous."
"You guys are stupid," Carla retorted, hugging a cushion to her chest. "The guy is totally cake. Icy cake," she added dreamily, her gaze distant as if picturing him.
Carla smirked and threw Ciry a playful look, leaning in conspiratorially. "So, how good is Ryu in bed?" She handed Ciry a bottle of birth control pills with a sly smile, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Ciry's lips twisted into a grimace as she took the pills but didn't look at them. She didn't even want to acknowledge the question—not even for a second, clutching the bottle tightly. "I don't want to think about that," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
She paused, trying to shake the image of Ryu's dark, unpredictable predatory side from her mind, but the memory lingered like a storm cloud over her thoughts, making her shiver involuntarily.
"So, you're Mrs. Hoshira now, huh?" Paula said, raising an eyebrow teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.
Ciry groaned loudly, burying her face in her hands. "Don't remind me! It sounds so... permanent."
After sharing more details about her predicament and feeling somewhat lighter for having confided in her friends, Ciry glanced at her watch and sighed. She pulled out her phone and dialed her driver.
"Ken? It's me. I need you to pick me up at Paula's apartment in fifteen minutes," she said, gathering her things. "I've got a new... work to attend to."
As her friends walked her to the door, Ciry embraced each of them tightly, drawing strength from their support.
"Thank you both for listening," she said sincerely, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I needed this more than I realized."
"Call us anytime," Paula insisted, squeezing her hand.
"And keep us updated on Operation Make-Ryu-Hate-You," Carla added with a wink. "Though I still think you're crazy for wanting to drive away world's most eligible bachelor."
With a final wave, Ciry stepped out into the evening air, her mind already racing with schemes to make her new husband despise her enough to set her free. For the first time since her forced marriage, she felt a spark of hope—and determination.
Ciry stepped out of the sleek black car, her stilettos clicking sharply against the pristine stone pavement outside Noble Co., Ltd's headquarters.