Taira stands in the dimly lit bathroom, the only light seeping through the slightly cracked door, casting a faint glow over the marble tiles. Her crimson red eyes glint with fury as she stares into the mirror, her pink hair falling loosely around her shoulders. She grips the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white, and her jaw clenches as she practically hisses into her phone. "How the fuck did this happen, Kenji?! You incompetent piece of shit, you let this bastard see my face and now he's in police custody!" Her voice is low, venomous, but the anger in her tone makes her words carry even through the thick bathroom walls. She doesn’t notice how loud she’s gotten in her rage. Her eyes narrow as she listens to the feeble excuses on the other end of the line, her temper only rising. She continues, her voice now shaking with barely contained fury. "Listen to me, you worthless fuck. You’re going to take care of this, do you understand? I want him dead by dawn, do you hear me?" She practically growls the last sentence into the phone, her voice rising in volume despite her trying to keep it under control. "And don’t even think about screwing this up, because if he’s not dead by morning, I’ll personally see to it that your pathetic family is next! Your wife, your children, all of them, Kenji!" Taira’s grip on the phone tightens as she gives one final, deadly command before ending the call abruptly. "Fix this, or you’ll be begging me for death.”

A shudder runs down her spine at Tristen 's voice. It startles her back to reality and she quickly replaces the phone in her pocket, taking a deep breath as she turns around to face him. She forces a soft smile onto her lips, trying to pretend everything's fine, even though they both know it isn't. The dark circles under her eyes betray the little sleep she's managed lately.

"Hey, I was just... checking up on some stuff," she lies casually, running a hand through her hair. "Did you want to go out? Somewhere nice for dinner?"

Her gaze flickers over his face, trying to gauge his mood. He seems calm enough... "Okay, what's up?" she asks cautiously, leaning against the sink.

Her eyes widen in surprise and disbelief as the words sink in. For a moment, she says nothing, trying to process this new information. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she stammers, feeling her heart race wildly beneath her breast.

Her expression shifts into one of panic as she takes a step back. "No... no way. You must be mistaken." She forces another laugh, trying to downplay the gravity of the situation. "Kenji's been going through some stuff lately, I bet that's why he... you know..." Her words trail off, and for once she seems at a loss.

"Look, Tristen , it's nothing like that. You know me, I love to keep busy." She takes another step closer, reaching out to touch his arm gently. "Why don't we just forget about this whole thing? Let's go out and have fun tonight?" Her tone is soft, pleading almost. But even as she says it, she can feel the walls closing in around her.

Her hand falls back to her side, a chill running down her spine. "What... what could that possibly be?" she whispers, voice barely audible. She glances over at the door, wondering if she could make it out in time if things got too heated. But at this point, there's no going back.

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "Alright... let's talk about it." She walks to sit down on the edge of the bed, motioning for him to join her. "Tell me what you found out." Her expression is calm now, almost resigned, as if she knows there's no point in denying it any longer.

Her mouth drops open in shock as he confesses his profession. For a moment, she can only stare at him, unable to believe what she's hearing. But then reality sets in and the weight of it all crashes down on her like an anvil. The look of horror on her face is palpable as the truth finally sinks in. "You... you kill people? For money?" She swallows hard, trying to find the words to express how betrayed she feels.

Her mind races back over their time together, trying to reconcile this new information with everything else they've shared. It's all a lie, every moment of it, and now she wonders if there's anything left between them that's even real. The pain is excruciating, a physical ache deep in her chest that threatens to burst free at any second. "How could you?" she whispers, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "How could you keep this from me all this time?"

Tears begin to well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks as she stares at him, confusion and anger warring within her. For now, all she can do is sit there, trying to comprehend the magnitude of his betrayal, wondering if their love could ever survive this revelation.

Taken aback by his harsh accusation, Taira rises to her feet, glaring at him. "That's not the same thing!" she exclaims, her voice shaking with emotion. "I did it for our safety! To protect you from everything I brought into your life!" She paces the room, struggling to find the words to make him understand. "Kenji was right... you should never have gotten involved with me. You didn't know what you were getting yourself into."

Her heart feels like it's being torn in two as she speaks, the pain of betrayal and loss overwhelming her. She stops pacing, turning to face him again. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me? How I've had to sacrifice everything just to keep us safe?" Her voice cracks on the last word, and she takes a shaky breath before continuing. "I thought I could protect you from all of this... but I was wrong."

She crosses her arms over her chest, unable to meet his eyes as she waits for him to respond. The tension in the room is palpable, electric, and she knows that their relationship may never recover from this night.

She snorts humorlessly. "I guess that's true." She paces again, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "But the point is... you never should have found out about this! You could be in danger now, just because of me!" Her voice cracks as she struggles to keep her composure. "What am I supposed to do? How can we move forward from here?"

She stops pacing and looks at him pleadingly, willing him to understand what she's going through. But the expression on his face is unreadable, hardened by the truth he has just revealed. Taira feels a chill run down her spine as she wonders if there's any hope left for their relationship.

A small gasp escapes her lips as his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss. At first she resists, still angry and hurt, but soon the tender affection overwhelms her defenses, melting away the ice that has formed around her heart. Her arms slide around him, pulling him close as she deepens the kiss, their tongues tangling together in a desperate search for comfort and understanding.

When they finally break apart, she looks at him with teary eyes. "I don't know if we can ever truly move past this," she whispers hoarsely. "But I do know that I love you. No matter what happens... I want us to find a way to make it work." She takes a shaky breath, searching his face for any sign of hope. "Do you feel the same?"

She forces out a tiny laugh, half-amused and half-relieved. "I guess we'll just have to make do with that." She presses her body against his once more, wrapping him in the warmth of her embrace. It's not an easy admission for her to make, but she knows that their love is what keeps them going, even when everything around them seems to be falling apart. "Tonight," she whispers into his ear, "let's just forget about all of this and focus on each other. Tomorrow... tomorrow we can figure out how to move forward."

For now, all they have is the moment they share, and she intends to hold onto it for as long as possible.