But Shoji knew he was unlikely to get away with this, even if they returned now. And he was too worried about her. ‘Let’s go to the police, Mizuki. We don’t have much time. You can get a protection order.’

‘I don’t need that.’

‘This has to stop. You can’t go on suffering in silence.’

‘I told you I’m fine.’

Her denial frustrated him. He reached for her sunglasses and took them off. She lowered her face. Her left eye was bloodshot. The skin surrounding it had turned blue-black, and she couldn’t fully open it. There was a fresh cut above her eyelid.

‘Have you seen a doctor?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘Our family doctor said the swelling should be gone after a couple of weeks.’

‘You’re lucky you didn’t lose your sight.’

‘It’s not as bad as it looks.’

Trying to hold back his emotions, Shoji carefully peeled off her gloves and rolled up her sleeves. More blue-black marks and scars. Some whip marks. Most of her cuts looked old, but a few were fresh. The blood had just begun to dry. Shoji clenched his teeth. How could anyone do something so monstrous?

‘Are you satisfied now?’ she asked, uncovered. ‘But let me tell you something. Going to the police will only bring problems for both of us. My husband has considerable influence. His family runs most of the big businesses around here. He has Akakawa in his palm. He will always win.’

‘Don’t say that.’

‘I’ve seen so many people fail to bring him down. He always manages to silence them.’

‘You haven’t tried.’

‘He would say I fell, or that the injuries are self-inflicted. No one would believe me. I have a family to protect. I don’t want them to be harmed. You too, Shoji. You’ve got someone precious to you, too. Your girlfriend, remember?’

Yoko … How could he not have thought of her earlier? He’d been foolish. He was willing to take whatever came his way, but what about her? What if the company decided to go after her too?

Shoji looked at Mizuki and her injuries. No, he couldn’t just stay silent. Not after what he’d seen today. He had to help her, but he couldn’t compromise Yoko’s safety either.

Mizuki put on her sunglasses and her gloves. ‘Come on, Shoji. Let’s go in. It’s cold outside.’

He clenched his fists, feeling paralysed.

‘Please, we can’t act recklessly,’ she pleaded. ‘We can’t afford to make any careless mistakes.’

She had a point. Being rash would only endanger everyone he was hoping to protect. Reluctantly, Shoji went back in with Mizuki. No one stopped them. Whether they didn’t notice, or they just pretended not to see them, he wasn’t sure.

Once Mizuki and Shoji were seated, the silence descended between them. They didn’t even look at each other. Both of them were drowning in their own thoughts.

Finally, she grabbed her coat and stood. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’

He nodded, even though she’d barely spent any time there. He offered to walk her out, but she declined. On his way back to the waiting room, he overheard her voice coming from one of the offices.