The knock on the door, the next morning, pulled Hannah from her restless sleep. She blinked groggily, the events of the previous night slowly coming back to her. Her hand, still bandaged, throbbed slightly as she sat up. Before she could gather her thoughts, the door creaked open, and one of the Kuzuryu clan servants stepped inside.

"Miss Hannah." the servant said politely, bowing slightly. "Your father, Mr Togami, is downstairs. He's requested to see you."

Hannah tensed at the mention of her father. Of course, he'd come to see her, to taunt and ridicule her, but she wasn't ready to deal with him. She had always felt the weight of his expectations and disapproval, and after everything that had happened, she wasn't sure what he knew or how he would react. She huffed, more out of frustration with herself than anything else. Her father always had a way of making her feel small, no matter the situation.

"Tell him I'll be down soon." she mumbled, rubbing her temples as a wave of exhaustion hit her.

The servant nodded and left the room, leaving her alone again. Hannah sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She felt drained, her mind still reeling from the attack last night, but now she had to put on a brave face for her father.

Slowly, she swung her legs out of bed and stood up, wobbling slightly. The bandage on her hand felt tight, and her body still ached from the stress of the previous night. She shuffled towards her dresser, grabbing some clothes and throwing on something simple but presentable. As she looked in the mirror, she saw the tiredness in her own eyes and the slight tremble in her fingers.

Hannah squared her shoulders, trying to compose herself. She couldn't afford to look weak in front of her father, especially not after everything.

After a few minutes, she made her way downstairs, her heart beating a little faster with every step. The tension in her chest grew as she neared the meeting room, where she knew her father would be waiting. She could already hear the low murmur of voices; Fuyuhiko's, no doubt trying to explain the situation to her father.

She turned the corner and entered the room, and there he was: Mr Togami, sitting stiffly in one of the chairs, his eyes sharp and assessing as always. Fuyuhiko stood by the window, his arms crossed, looking like he was on edge himself. The room felt thick with unspoken tension.

As soon as Mr Togami laid eyes on Hannah, his expression twisted into one of disapproval. His sharp gaze flickered from her face to the bandaged hand, and he scowled deeply, the lines of his face hardening with contempt.

"Another hand injury." he said coldly, his tone dripping with irritation. "How utterly predictable. You always manage to find yourself in the most pathetic situations, don't you?"

Hannah stiffened at his words, already feeling the familiar sting of humiliation creep up her spine. Before she could muster a response, Fuyuhiko cut in, his voice steady but firm. "It's just a bit of glass, nothing serious. She's fine."

But Mr Togami wasn't having it. His disapproving gaze never left Hannah as he took a step closer, his voice cold and cutting. "Fine?" he echoed, sneering. "This is what you consider fine, Fuyuhiko? My daughter constantly getting herself into messes, unable to take care of herself? She's an embarrassment to the Togami name, a liability- nothing more."

Hannah's heart sank, her stomach twisting painfully at the harshness of his words. This wasn't new, her father's scorn was something she'd grown accustomed to, but it never hurt any less. She glanced sideways at Fuyuhiko, hoping he wouldn't take it to heart, but his jaw was clenched, his fists tight at his sides.

"She's not a liability." Fuyuhiko shot back, his voice low but laced with warning. "She handled herself just fine last night. I was there."

Mr Togami scoffed, his icy gaze flicking over Fuyuhiko briefly before returning to Hannah, filled with disdain. "And yet, here she is, injured again. Always needing someone to save her. Always dragging the Kuzuryu clan into her messes. She's weak, Fuyuhiko, and you're delusional if you think otherwise."

Hannah winced, the weight of her father's words pressing down on her chest. It was like this every time, no matter how hard she tried, nothing was ever good enough for him.

"She'll never be fit for anything important." Mr Togami continued, his voice cruel, "not with her constant incompetence. It's no wonder she's never been able to accomplish anything on her own."

The other Kuzuryu clan members stood silently in the room, their eyes flickering between the two men, unsure how to react. The tension was palpable, and Hannah could feel her face flush with embarrassment, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of her father.

Fuyuhiko's hand twitched, his anger barely restrained. "With all due respect, Mr Togami." he said through gritted teeth, "Hannah doesn't deserve that. She's proved to be a lot stronger than she appears to be."

"Doesn't deserve it?" Mr Togami raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "You're only saying that because you've let her make a fool of you. You're blinded by sentiment. You think you can fix her, but you can't. She's useless."

Hannah's throat tightened, but before she could respond, Fuyuhiko stepped forward, his presence towering. "She's not useless." he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "And I'm not going to stand here and let you talk about her like that."

The air in the room grew thick with tension, the other clan members exchanging uneasy glances. Mr Togami's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable, but Hannah could see a flicker of something in his gaze, something that looked almost like satisfaction. He thrived on control, on manipulating people to make them feel small, and he had succeeded in stirring the fire in Fuyuhiko.

But Fuyuhiko didn't back down. He stood his ground, his hand subtly moving to Hannah's back, a protective gesture that sent a wave of warmth through her despite the tension.

"Say what you want about me," Fuyuhiko added, his voice like steel, "but Hannah's stronger than you think. And she doesn't need you belittling her to prove anything."

For a moment, the room was silent, thick with the unspoken challenge between Fuyuhiko and Mr Togami. Finally, Mr Togami's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Strong? We'll see about that. Just make sure she doesn't drag you down with her." he spat, sitting back down at the table.

A servant came into the room and refilled Mr Togami's drink before retreating. Hannah sighed and took a seat at the table also, opposite her father. Fuyuhiko followed.

The weight of the morning felt heavy on her, and the familiar sting of her father's disapproval pressed on her chest. She felt exhausted, drained not just physically from the injury, but emotionally from the constant strain of trying to prove herself to a man who would never see her as enough.

Fuyuhiko, sensing her unease, reached under the table and gently took her uninjured hand in his. His grip was firm but comforting, and as his thumb began to softly rub against her palm, she felt the tension in her body start to melt away. The simple act, hidden from everyone else at the table, spoke volumes, it was his silent way of telling her that he was there, that no matter what her father said, he believed in her.

Hannah glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her expression softening at the unexpected tenderness in his touch. She didn't say anything, but she squeezed his hand in return, a small, appreciative gesture. The warmth of his skin against hers helped ground her, pulling her back from the sharp edge of her father's criticism.

As Mr Togami continued his tirade, degrading Hannah at every opportunity, she focused on Fuyuhiko's touch, using it as an anchor to drown out the harshness of her father's words. "You'll never amount to anything if you keep this up." Mr Togami spat, his eyes cold as they bore into her. "How can you expect to carry on the Togami legacy when you can't even take care of yourself?"

Fuyuhiko's grip on her hand tightened slightly, his jaw clenched, but he remained silent, clearly holding back his anger for Hannah's sake. Hannah felt a rush of appreciation for him, even as her father continued to belittle her. She tried to remind herself that she was stronger than his words; that she had Fuyuhiko, who believed in her when no one else did.

"You're just a distraction for Fuyuhiko and the rest of the Kuzuryu Clan." Mr Togami continued, his disdainful tone cutting through the air like a knife. "He's better off without you weighing him down."

Hannah took a deep breath, refusing to let her father's words affect her as much as they had in the past. "I'm not a distraction." she finally said, her voice steady despite the tremor of anxiety running through her. "Yeah, I get into trouble sometimes but that doesn't make me weak. I'm not just some burden."

Mr Togami raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as if he found her assertion amusing. "You think standing up to me makes you strong? You're just proving how naive you are."

Fuyuhiko's hand squeezed Hannah's tighter, a protective gesture that sent a rush of warmth through her. "I'm not going to repeat myself, Togami. Hannah is strong, and she isn't a liability to me or my clan.

Mr Togami's expression darkened, clearly unaccustomed to his daughter standing up to him. "You think this is some kind of rebellion? You're making a mistake, Hannah. You'll come to regret it." he then turned to Fuyuhiko. "And you. You're going to regret keeping her around, Fuyuhiko. She'll only get in the way."

Just then Mr Togami got up and left the room, his scowl still etched deeply on his face. As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Fuyuhiko slumped back into his chair, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. The tension in the air dissipated a bit, and Hannah felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Fuyuhiko then leaned forward, pressing on the microphone phone, the device that allowed them to communicate with others throughout the manor. "Heads up, you've got an angry Togami coming to your office." he said, his tone slightly mocking as he addressed Mr Kuzuryu.

Hannah couldn't help but smirk at the mental image of her father storming off to confront someone else about her perceived shortcomings. Fuyuhiko's words felt like a small victory, a sign that he was willing to stand by her side against her father's oppressive demeanor.

Fuyuhiko slung his arm around Hannah's shoulders, pulling her close to him. The warmth of his body against hers was comforting, a stark contrast to the tension she had just experienced with her father. She leaned into him, grateful for his presence. "Thanks for sticking up for me." she said quietly, glancing up at him with a genuine smile.

"Always." he replied, his voice low and sincere. "I won't let him get to you like that. You deserve better than his bullshit."

Hannah's heart swelled at his words. It was nice to know that Fuyuhiko had her back, especially in moments like these when her confidence felt shaky. "You know, I never thought I'd have someone like you on my side." she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against her ear. "Well, consider yourself lucky. I'm a pain in the ass, but I'm your pain in the ass."

Hannah laughed, a lightness returning to her mood as she nestled further into him. "I'll take that. I'd rather deal with you than my dad any day."

Fuyuhiko grinned, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "Good choice. Plus, I can actually help you stand your ground."

Their moment of levity was abruptly interrupted when Riku and a few other clan members entered the room, their expressions a mix of amusement and concern. "Did you just warn Mr Kuzuryu about Mr Togami? That can't be good." Riku remarked, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Better him than me." Fuyuhiko replied with a shrug, still holding Hannah close. "I'd rather not deal with an irate Togami myself."

Hannah's smile faded slightly, the reality of her father's influence creeping back into her mind. But Fuyuhiko squeezed her shoulder gently, grounding her once more. "Don't let him get to you. You've got people here who care about you."

She nodded, taking a deep breath as she glanced around the room at the familiar faces of the Kuzuryu clan. They weren't just allies; they were a makeshift family, one that offered her a sense of belonging she had been searching for.

"Right. I can do this." Hannah murmured to herself, her determination rekindling. Fuyuhiko glanced down at her, a proud smile crossing his lips.

"That's the spirit." he encouraged. "Let's get back to work. We have a clan to run, and I need my partner in crime."

Hannah laughed, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.