The thirty-second floor of Residence Platine Shirokane. Outside the window, deep darkness enveloped everything. Past two in the morning. Toshiya Shirogane and Runa Kirihara faced each other in the living room. Toshiya's face, returned from dinner with Toichiro, had lost its usual composure. He sat deep into the sofa, gripping a glass of whiskey. The tremor in his hand transmitted itself to Runa. Runa couldn't bring herself to sit beside him. She stood at a distance, gripping the sleeve of her white shirt, her hand unconsciously touching the star-shaped birthmark beneath her left collarbone. It was a sign of tension. "You must have been frightened." Toshiya's voice was lower than usual. Not the cold precision of a company president—something more human, a gentleness mixed in. "I'm fine." The answer came automatically. An old habit. Words of consideration meant not to wound the other person. "Don't force yourself." Toshiya set down his glass and placed his hand on Runa's shoulder. That warmth made her entire body tremble. (What is he trying to say...?) In the living room's large window, Tokyo's night view was reflected. The Sky Tree glowed coldly, buildings filled the dark sky. Even that scenery felt distant in this moment. Toshiya moved in front of Runa and gazed into her eyes. Behind those cold-seeming pupils, complex emotions swirled. "I'll tell you the real reason I proposed this contract marriage." With those words, Runa's heart lurched violently. "I..." Toshiya paused, as if searching for words. That hesitation was entirely unlike the man Runa had known until now. "From childhood, I was raised as the heir to Shirogane. The education my father gave me was harsh. Never show emotion. Never reveal weakness to anyone. The only purpose of living was to protect the company and protect the family." As Runa listened, she noticed his hand trembling as it gripped the glass. "I didn't want to depend on anyone. I couldn't trust anyone. Everyone saw only the Shirogane name—no one saw me." Toshiya's gaze turned toward the window. Tokyo's lights. That light illuminated his face from the side. "But you were different. You asked nothing of me. Not money, not power, not social status. You simply... tried to face me as I am." When those words ended, Toshiya saw tears gathering in Runa's eyes. "I... chose you." With that, Toshiya reached toward Runa's cheek. His hand carried the lingering scent of whiskey. Runa felt his touch and sensed something crumbling deep within her heart. This relationship that had begun with the cold word "contract" was now, for the first time, transforming into something warm. "When I'm with you, I feel like I can finally be myself." Toshiya's face drew closer to Runa's. The distance between them narrowed. Close enough to share breath. "I..." Runa continued speaking. The truth she'd been unable to voice for so long finally found its voice here. "I was afraid. Afraid that you only saw me as a tool. I always... thought that." "That's not true." With those words, Toshiya drew her close. Her body pressed against his chest. Warmth. Security. It enveloped Runa. Her heart raced violently. A pounding so intense it felt like her chest might burst. Toshiya's hand gently caressed her back. "Stay beside me just a little longer." That whisper reached Runa's ear softly. Toshiya's lips touched her forehead. Silence. Only the sound of their breathing in the deep night. Outside, Tokyo continued to shine, but that light no longer entered their vision. Meanwhile, in the secretary's office on the thirty-eighth floor of Shirogane Tower. Saya Himuro sat in her chair, exchanging messages with someone on her smartphone. Her expression reflected complex emotions. "It's from Toichiro." The message content: instructions from Toshiya Shirogane regarding a secret meeting had come to her. Leaving the secretary's office, Saya took the elevator downward. From the thirty-eighth floor to an empty floor in the late hours. A corner of the underground parking garage. There, Toichiro waited. Toichiro's expression maintained its usual gentleness, yet his eyes held a cold light. "I've uncovered Runa's past." When Saya reported this, Toichiro smiled faintly. "I found something interesting. It's enough to undermine Toshiya." At those words, Toichiro nodded. "Useful." With just that single word, the two shared something. An agreement to use Runa as a pawn in their power struggle. The next morning. Runa woke to a phone call from Chisa. "Hello?" From the other end came Chisa's usual bright voice. But it carried a teasing tone. "Hey, your face is red, isn't it?" "Huh...?" "Did something happen last night? Your voice sounds different. You're using such a soft voice." Runa instinctively pulled the receiver away from her ear. She could feel her face burning red with embarrassment. Last night. Toshiya's confession. The embrace that followed. And his lips touching her forehead. "It's nothing..." That was a complete lie. Lying in bed, Runa recalled last night's memories. Toshiya's words. The words "When I'm with you, I feel like I can finally be myself" continued echoing in the depths of her heart. (The boundary between contract and feeling... is starting to collapse.) The moment she thought that, Runa became acutely aware of how her heart was inclining toward this man. It might be dangerous. But she could no longer stop it. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Runa's face. That face held something different from yesterday—a soft light kindled within it. But behind that light, the conspiracy of Toichiro and Saya was quietly advancing. The "past of Runa" they now possessed. How it would affect the relationship between Toshiya and Runa remained hidden in darkness.