The executive conference room on the 38th floor of Shirogane Tower was wrapped in oppressive silence. 11 a.m. An emergency board meeting had been convened. Shirogane Toichiro stood at the center of the table, distributing documents. A4-sized files. Their contents——transaction data from two years prior. "If you would be so kind as to review them," Shirogane Toichiro said. His voice carried its usual gentle tone. Yet beneath it lay an icy coldness. The executives opened their documents. In that instant, several of them furrowed their brows. The projector activated. What appeared on the screen was——a screenshot of an email. Subject: "Regarding Numerical Discrepancies in Transaction Data" From: Kirihara Runa To: Shirogane Group Real Estate Division, Responsible Party Date: Two years ago The email's body was concise. "In our transaction with your company, I have identified the following numerical discrepancies. I would appreciate your confirmation," followed by specific figures. It appeared to be nothing more than a routine business communication spanning just a few lines. But——Toichiro interpreted it differently. "Currently, allegations of accounting fraud have been made from within the Shirogane Group. The matter concerns off-balance-sheet liabilities that appear to have been concealed approximately two years ago," Shirogane Toichiro said. The executives' gazes fixed on the screen. "And please examine this email. It was sent by Kirihara Runa——currently the wife of the Shirogane Group's president——when she was working as a clerical staff member in the sales department at Maruze Foods. There is a high probability that she was already aware of our company's irregularities two years ago," Shirogane Toichiro continued. The moment those words echoed through the conference room, murmurs arose. The executives exchanged glances. "Furthermore, I must add that the identity of the whistleblower in this case remains unidentified. However, if this woman was aware of the irregularities from that time, the likelihood that she is the whistleblower is——quite substantial," Shirogane Toichiro said. The logic appeared airtight on the surface. But it was a cunning trap. The truth was simple. Runa had merely pointed out a routine discrepancy in the transaction data. She had no knowledge of what those figures truly meant. As an employee of Maruze Foods, she had simply noticed an inconsistency in the trading data and sought confirmation from the counterparty. Yet according to Toichiro's logic, that action had been transformed——into the first step toward internal whistleblowing. Shunya listened to the meeting in silence. His face was expressionless, like an ice mask. But beneath that surface, something churned violently. His fists clenched. Beneath the desk, force was gathering. "This is——merely speculation. However, in order to protect the company's reputation, would not a thorough investigation be necessary?" Shirogane Toichiro said. With those words, the board meeting ended. Yet those words would set in motion events that would unfold in the days to come. ——— Night. Past 9 p.m. The 32nd floor of Résidence Platine Shirogane. The view from the living room was the same as during the day——a panoramic view of Tokyo's nightscape. The Skytree and tower continued to shine with their usual expressionless brilliance. But the air in this living room was entirely different from daytime. Heavy. Charged with tension. Runa had been summoned by Shirogane Shunya. Straight from work. Directly from Maruze Foods to the apartment in Shirogane-dai. A brief instruction over the phone. "Come straight to the living room when you get home." With just that short directive, Runa was already feeling uneasy. Shunya stood by the window of the living room. His back turned toward her. Only his silhouette was visible. The back of his suit. Even that back seemed taut with tension. "That email. Did you really write it?" Shirogane Shunya asked. His voice was low. The coldness of a company president. It struck directly at Runa's heart. "Yes. But..." Kirihara Runa began. After those words, Runa lost her voice. Unconsciously, her hand touched the star-shaped mark beneath her left collarbone. A sign of tension. Shunya turned around. His face was the harshest she had ever seen. "Two years ago. When you were working in the sales office at Maruze Foods. You sent an email to the Shirogane Group's real estate division pointing out discrepancies in transaction data. Is that a fact?" Shirogane Shunya asked. Runa nodded. The nod was small, fragile. "At the time... I really only sent it as a routine business confirmation. When I received the data from the trading partner, I noticed the numbers didn't match. So I just sought confirmation..." Kirihara Runa explained. Her explanation was desperate. Runa understood that her words were true. But she was terrified of how those words might be received. "After that, were you ever questioned about that discrepancy? Was anything said to you?" Shirogane Shunya asked. Runa shook her head. "...Nothing at all. I just continued working normally after that," Kirihara Runa said. Shunya turned his gaze toward the window. The Tokyo nightscape. While gazing at that view, he spoke. "Toichiro named you as the sender of that email in today's board meeting. And he argued that the email may have been the beginning of internal whistleblowing," Shirogane Shunya said. That single statement transformed Runa's world. "What...?" Kirihara Runa gasped. Her voice emerged thin and trembling. "The accounting fraud allegations against the Shirogane Group. The identity of the whistleblower remains unknown. But according to Toichiro's logic, you may have been aware of the irregularities back then. And now, you are being made to appear as though you are leaking that information to the outside——that is how you have been portrayed," Shirogane Shunya said. Runa understood the meaning of those words. (I'm being suspected as the whistleblower.) That realization pressed down on her chest. "That's not... I haven't done anything. That email was really just..." Kirihara Runa's voice caught. Tears began to pool in her eyes. But she was desperately holding them back. Shunya turned toward Runa. His gaze pierced her sharply. "I want to believe you. I really do want to believe you. But..." Shirogane Shunya said. The words that followed trailed off. His mouth remained slightly open. He had begun to speak, but swallowed the words instead. "But the circumstances all point to suspicion of you. The existence of the email. The fact that you noticed that discrepancy back then. And now, an internal whistleblower has appeared. The eyes of the executives are already fixed upon you," Shirogane Shunya said. Those words were cold. Apart from Shunya's own emotions, he was merely stating reality. But that coldness wounded Runa. "You... don't believe in me," Kirihara Runa said. When those words left her mouth, something felt irreparably broken. Shunya's face twisted slightly. That twist was——anguish. Pure anguish. "That's not it. I..." Shirogane Shunya began. "In the end, I'm nothing more than a contractual wife to you. No trust. No love. Just a business transaction," Kirihara Runa said. Those words were her true feelings. Two years. She had been at this man's side in the form of a contract. Yet in all that time——not once, truly not once, had she felt truly believed in. No, that wasn't quite right. There had been a desire to be believed. But ultimately, this relationship was a contract. Not emotion, but calculation. That reality had become painfully clear now. "Runa..." Shirogane Shunya called out. That call was desperate. True emotion was contained in that single word. But Runa continued. "Let's end this contract," Kirihara Runa said. Those words were quiet. But that quietness expressed everything. "Please proceed with the divorce proceedings immediately, without waiting for the contract period to end," Kirihara Runa said. The color drained from Shunya's face. "Wait. It's not that simple..." Shirogane Shunya began. As Shunya started to say something, Runa turned away. She headed toward the bedroom. The door closed. That sound echoed heavily. Left alone in the living room, Shunya sank deeply into the sofa. Both hands covered his face. His shoulders rose and fell quietly. In that moment——the image of Toichiro's cold, sneering face floated through Shunya's mind. Had everything——gone exactly as calculated? And Runa. His feelings for her. That longing, and his responsibility to protect the company. Caught between those two, Shunya was being torn apart. Deep into the night. The apartment in Shirogane-dai was wrapped in silence. Within it, the two remained under the same roof, yet their hearts were infinitely far apart.