Night at Shirogane Tower, 38th floor. The indirect lighting in the secretary's office hummed quietly. Himuro Saya sat alone at her desk. Past 9 PM. The other employees had left long ago. But she remained. Organizing documents. Preparing materials for tomorrow's meeting. And then — pulled from the back of a drawer — an old employee handbook. The company name printed there: "Mitsui & Co., Ltd." That employee ID card with "Himuro Saya" printed on it. From five years ago. The face in the photograph was slightly younger than she was now. Those eyes still held hope. Saya stared at that ID card. Again and again, studying the photograph. (Back then...) Gradually, Saya's consciousness sank into the past. ——Five years ago. A trading company's secretarial office. Through floral curtains, the Tokyo night skyline was visible. From a 28th-floor window. At twenty-four, Saya had worked desperately in that workplace. As secretary to the sales department head. Her superior was — Tanaka. A man in his fifties. Married. "Himuro, organize these documents for me." That was how it began. A work instruction. At first, nothing unusual. But gradually, it changed. The way he touched her shoulder grew longer. After compliments, he'd pull her closer. At the time of the last train, he'd deliberately create moments when they were alone together. "You're really excellent." With those words, his hand touched her waist. The Saya of that time couldn't refuse. To advance in this workplace. She'd convinced herself she needed to endure things like this. (If I just bear it... eventually I'll be recognized.) She'd believed that. But reality was never so kind. Eventually, Saya decided to report it to HR. A sexual harassment complaint. That courage was truly necessary. But — what came back was beyond her imagination. "Ms. Himuro. Your testimony alone..." The HR woman's words were vague. Tanaka claimed it was "completely false." And the atmosphere of the entire company changed. Saya was labeled a "problematic employee." Whispers behind her back. Being avoided. Overt harassment. Three months later, Saya was forced to resign. "I'm sorry. But it seems... there's no place for you in this workplace." Those were the final words from the HR director. ——Back to the present. The secretary's office in Shirogane Tower. Saya quietly returned that old employee ID to the back of the drawer. (Never again, something like that...) But even those words were self-deception. After that, when Saya was drowning in despair, there was one man who brought her light. That was Shirogane Toshiya. Three years ago. A job posting she'd found at the employment office. Secretary recruitment for the Shirogane Group. On the day of the interview, Saya steeled herself to explain the gap in her resume. "Um... at my previous workplace, there were various..." Without letting her finish those words, the interviewer — Shirogane Toshiya — looked directly into Saya's eyes. Eyes that seemed cold. But something was reflected in their depths. "I don't ask about the past. I want to see your abilities." Just one sentence. But it was the words that saved Saya's life. After passing the hiring exam, Saya began working as a secretary for the Shirogane Group. And three years had passed. During that time, Toshiya had watched her efforts. The quality of her reports. The precision of her schedule management. The perfection of her customer service. He'd evaluated everything. "This group wouldn't function without you." Only Toshiya had said that to her. (Only this person...) Gradually, something began to sprout within Saya. It started as gratitude. Changed into respect. And then, imperceptibly, transformed into something else. Love. No — it was something more complicated. An absolute dependence on the person who'd saved her. An obsession with being by that person's side. A hunger to be needed by that person. The president's office at midnight. The time had passed 11 PM. Saya brewed coffee and quietly made her way to the president's office. "President, you must be tired." Toshiya, facing his desk, looked up at that voice. His gaze shifted from the documents to Saya. "You're still here? Don't push yourself." Those words were kind. But at the same time, they carried a sense of distance. Saya placed the coffee on the table. The movement was careful, perfect. The trained motion of a secretary. But hidden within that movement was another intention. "As long as you're here, I'll stay. Far more than that woman... I want to be by your side." On the surface, those words were professional devotion. But beneath them lay something far deeper. Toshiya heard those words. And he looked at Saya's face. Something was certainly reflected in her eyes. (This is wrong.) Something sounded an alarm in Toshiya's heart. This woman was relying on him too much. Depending on him too much. That wasn't healthy. "Saya, you're an excellent secretary. But nothing more and nothing less. Don't misunderstand." Those words were cold. Icy cold. Cold enough to carve a deep wound into Saya's heart. Saya's hand trembled for a moment. That tremor was quickly suppressed. Professional self-control. But beneath that control flowed intense emotion. "...Forgive me." With those words, Saya left the president's office. Her retreating figure remained as perfect as always. But beneath that perfection, the sound of something breaking could be heard. The underground parking garage of Shirogane Tower. A luxury sedan sat quietly in the dimly lit concrete space. Saya's car. In the driver's seat, Saya was sinking into herself. The engine wasn't running. Her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. Her shoulders rose and fell quietly. A tear fell onto the steering wheel. That salty drop broke the silence of the deep night. "What am I..." That whisper was heard by no one. It simply echoed quietly in the confined space of the car. (Ever since I lost everything back then...) Eventually, Saya's tears stopped. But what was reflected in her eyes was a different emotion. From despair. To anger. And to jealousy. "That woman..." Saya's hand gripped her smartphone. Social media. There, in photos occasionally posted, was a certain woman. Kirihara Runa. The current wife of the Shirogane Group president. An ordinary face. Not particularly beautiful. But that woman stood beside Shirogane. As the president's wife. In that position. At official events. As family. "If only you didn't exist..." Those words were her true heart's voice. Presently, Saya operated her smartphone. A messaging app. She opened a message from a certain person. 'I'd like a bit more information about Runa.' It was a message from Shirogane Toichiro. The vice chairman — one of the management figures of the Shirogane Group, leading a different faction from Toshiya, the president. A central figure in the power struggle within the group, constantly in opposition to Toshiya. From that person, she was regularly asked for information. About the president's wife. Her movements. Her relationships. And her secrets. Saya had been fulfilling that work. The reason was simple. It wasn't that she was selling information to Toichiro for a small amount of money. There was another reason. (I want to trouble Shirogane.) No, more precisely. (I want to trouble that woman.) Such feelings had settled into the depths of Saya's heart. On the smartphone screen, she typed a reply. Her fingers were cold. 'Understood.' Just three characters. But those three characters would open the door to the next stage.