The corridor on the twentieth floor of Shirogane Tower was filled with morning sunlight. Kirihara Runa walked through it. White shirt, navy skirt. Her hair was tied back in a single knot, a small white hairpin catching the light. Her usual work clothes. And yet, her footsteps as she walked the corridor were heavy. (I shouldn't have come...) Even as she thought it, Runa couldn't help but move forward. Last night, the warning she'd received from Shunya. "Starting tomorrow, be extremely careful with your conduct at the company"—a quiet but unwavering instruction. She understood what it meant. That she was under some kind of suspicion. But she still didn't know exactly what suspicion. The gazes of passing employees were drawn to Runa's body. A female employee from accounting averted her eyes the moment she saw Runa. A man from sales kept his distance as he walked. Not just in their eyes, but physical distance. It was blatant. (Something... has changed.) Until last week, this hadn't happened. Rather, the employees had treated Runa as the "president's wife," and while they'd cast strange looks her way, they hadn't kept their distance. But now— A whisper drifted from deeper in the corridor. "That person..." The words trailed off. But it was unmistakably clear to Runa that "that person" referred to her. Her hand unconsciously touched the spot below her left collarbone—the star-shaped mark. A sign of tension. When she arrived at the twentieth-floor office, Runa's heart was already exhausted. Among the messages she'd received was a line from Chisa. *'Are you okay, Ru-chan...?'* From that single line alone, Runa could tell that Chisa had grasped the situation. But Runa couldn't bring herself to reply. She didn't know what to write. (I can't... talk to anyone about this.) That thought pressed down on Runa's heart. Confidentiality. She couldn't tell anyone about the contract marriage. So she couldn't explain what was happening either. She could only stand there, suspected, distanced from, helpless. 2 PM. Runa headed back to Shirogane Tower for a meeting with Shunya. This time, the thirty-eighth floor. The elevator was crowded. A group from sales was inside, and when Runa entered, a subtle silence fell among them. Their gazes all shifted away from her simultaneously. (As I thought...) Runa pressed herself into the corner of the elevator. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Trying to breathe as little as possible. When they passed the twentieth floor, the elevator stopped. The sales group got out. As they did, one female employee nearly collided with Runa. Normally, an exchange of "excuse me" would have followed. But the female employee deliberately took a wide detour around Runa's body as she exited. That attitude—it hurt. The elevator continued upward. The floor numbers increased. But Runa's heart sank in the opposite direction. Twenty-eighth floor. The elevator stopped again. The doors opened. There stood Shirogane Shunya. Black suit, white shirt, a small mole at the corner of his mouth. His gaze captured Runa in an instant. Shunya said nothing. He simply looked at her face, and his brow clouded slightly. He'd read her expression. Exhaustion. Anxiety. And isolation. "Come with me," Short words. But his voice reached her clearly. Shunya gently grasped her arm and drew her to the corner of the elevator. Then he pressed the emergency stop button. A metallic clang. The elevator came to a halt. Only the ceiling light illuminated the space between them. No one else. A sealed room. "Don't worry about what happened in the corridor earlier," The words were less an instruction than a plea. "But... everyone..." Her voice was small. Cautious, as if testing his reaction. "I'll handle it," After that single statement, Shunya moved closer to Runa's back. Pressing her against the wall with his body. And in the next moment—Shunya's arm reached toward the wall behind Runa, one hand pressing against it. A wall pin. Runa's heart began to pound violently. Shunya's body was closer than it had ever been. The distance between them was less than twenty centimeters now. "I won't let anyone hurt you," A low voice. There was no trace of the composure of a company president in it. Instead, what showed through was something else. Possessiveness? Protectiveness? Runa couldn't tell. Her chest tightened. Shunya's face, so close she could see every detail. She gazed into his eyes. Something swirled in the depths of those cold-seeming eyes. (What is this person thinking...?) As that question swirled through her mind—Shunya's gaze shifted slightly downward. To Runa's neckline. Her blouse was open, and beyond it was visible. There, a small star-shaped birthmark. Below her left collarbone. A burn scar from childhood. Shunya stared at that mark. Only for a moment. But in that single moment, Runa felt something waver. Shunya's hand moved toward her cheek. "Is something wrong...?" Her voice trembled as she asked. "No..." After those words, Shunya looked away. But the way he looked away was incomplete. His gaze lingered, however faintly, on her neck. Then— A metallic clang. The elevator began to move. Someone outside had pressed a button. Tension shot through Runa's entire body. Shunya immediately stepped back. He increased the distance. The expressionless face of the company president returned to his features. The doors opened. Standing there was—Himuro Saya. Long, lustrous chestnut-colored straight hair. Sharp gray eyes. Those eyes captured the two people inside the elevator. Saya's expression froze in an instant. Runa was at the back of the elevator, Shunya at the wall. The distance between them had completely vanished. Just seconds ago. The traces of it lingered in the air. "You both seem quite busy," Her voice was like ice. Superficially polite, formal language. But the emotion hidden beneath it—jealousy. And calculating intent. "Preparing for the next meeting. I'll head back to the president's office shortly," His response was flawless. No emotion in it whatsoever. A professional response befitting a company president. "Understood," But Saya's gaze was directed at Runa. In that gaze was a clear warning. Shunya exited the elevator. Saya followed. But in that moment's exchange of glances—Saya told Runa something. Without speaking a word. (You have no right to monopolize the president's time. Your position is temporary.) That's what it felt like she was saying. The elevator doors closed quietly. Runa descended alone from the thirty-eighth floor to the first. The entire way down, she kept remembering—the moment Shunya's hand had pressed against the wall. His face, so close she could see every detail. The low words he'd spoken. "I won't let anyone hurt you." And immediately after those words, the way he'd stared at the star-shaped mark on her collarbone. (What does this person know about me...?) That question, born in the depths of Runa's heart, quietly—but certainly—deepened her anxiety.