The executive conference room on the 38th floor of Shirogane Tower was wrapped in a heavy silence past 10 a.m. At the far end of the long table sat Shirogane Toshiya. Black suit, white shirt, a small mole at the corner of his mouth. His face appeared expressionless, but the pen gripped in his hand trembled faintly. That tremor spoke of the tension roiling beneath the surface. Standing beside him was Himuro Saya. Long chestnut-colored straight hair, sharp gray eyes. Those eyes were fixed on the documents spread across the table. Her movements as she distributed the materials were flawless. One sheet, then another. Placed one after another before the executives. "Today's emergency executive meeting is held to formally discuss the internal whistleblowing matter." That voice rang out. It was Shirogane Touitchiro. The 52-year-old vice chairman. His expression appeared gentle, but behind his eyes lay an icy coldness. The silver piercing in his right ear reflected the conference room's light. "Several days ago, we received an external report regarding suspected concealment of off-balance-sheet debt in the Shirogane Group's real estate division. Normally, we would avoid publicizing such internal matters, but the media has already caught wind of the situation." A murmur ran through the conference room. The executives exchanged glances. Several of them lowered their eyes to the documents, their brows furrowing. "Today's materials contain information that may be related to that report. I would particularly like you to pay attention to the 'transaction data' in the appendix." Touitchiro gestured toward Himuro Saya. She reacted immediately, holding up a single document. It was a screenshot of an email. "This email was sent two years ago. It was exchanged between the Shirogane Group's real estate division and Maruze Foods, one of our business partners." The projector's light cast an image onto the screen. The email's contents. Subject: "Regarding Numerical Discrepancies in Transaction Data" From: Kirihara Runa To: Shirogane Group Real Estate Division, Responsible Party Date: Two years ago "As you can see, this email was sent by Kirihara Runa, who was at that time an administrative staff member in Maruze Foods' sales department. The content points out: 'In our transactions with your company, the following figures contain discrepancies.'" The moment those words echoed through the conference room, every executive's gaze turned toward Toshiya. Toshiya's expression did not change. But the grip on his pen tightened further. At the edge of the desk, his fingers trembled faintly. "As you may have noticed, she is Toshiya's wife, Kirihara Runa. There is a possibility that she became aware of the Shirogane Group's irregularities as far back as two years ago." "That is speculation." That voice cut through. Cold, but unmistakable in its denial. Toshiya spoke. "The email's content is merely a routine business notation of discrepancies. To judge it as the beginning of an internal whistleblowing is an arbitrary interpretation." His response was flawless. The composure of a company president. Calculated words. And yet, deep within his heart, another emotion churned. Runa's email. Those words sent two years ago. Had she truly known nothing at that time? Or— Touitchiro smiled faintly. That smile was filled with the cunning of assured victory. "Then let us hear more details in the president's office. About Runa." The meeting ended in one hour. The conclusion was postponed. But the atmosphere had changed. The executives' gazes were now filled with suspicion. 2 p.m. The president's office on the 38th floor of Shirogane Tower. Toshiya sat before his desk, gripping his smartphone. The screen displayed Runa's contact information. His eyes kept returning to it. But he had not yet made the call. "President." That voice came. Turning around, Himuro Saya stood there. She had moved from her usual secretary's office. "You must be tired. Shall I bring you some coffee?" "No." That brief response caused Saya's expression to cloud slightly. "By the way. These materials—did you really obtain them from Maruze Foods?" Saya did not answer. That silence told him everything. Instructions from Touitchiro. Her relationship with the Touitchiro faction. It had all been calculated. At that moment, Toshiya's smartphone rang. The caller was not Runa, but Maruze Foods. "Thank you for your time. We just received an inquiry from the police... Do you know anything about Runa?" That question shook Toshiya's heart. The police. Had the internal whistleblowing case already become a police matter? Night. 6 p.m. The 32nd floor of Residence Platine Shirokane. Toshiya had summoned Runa. She sat on the white sofa, and Toshiya sat across from her. The distance between them was two meters. In this moment, that distance felt infinite. "Two years ago. When you worked at Maruze Foods. You sent an email to the Shirogane Group's real estate division, pointing out discrepancies in transaction data." Runa's face paled slightly. "Do you remember?" "Yes. At the time, I simply thought the numbers didn't match..." Runa's voice was small. Her hand unconsciously touched the star-shaped birthmark below her left collarbone. A sign of tension. "What happened with those discrepancies afterward?" "Nothing... really. After that, I returned to my normal duties..." Those words were likely true. Toshiya wanted to believe that. But the circumstances made him doubt everything. "Touitchiro presented that email at today's executive meeting. He suggested it might be related to the internal whistleblowing." At those words, Runa's entire body tensed. "That's not... I didn't do anything. That email was really just..." "If you're hiding something from me, tell me now." Those words. That question. They inflicted the deepest wound on Runa's heart. (After all... this person doesn't trust me.) That thought pressed down on her. "I'm not hiding anything." That answer was true. But Runa herself was anxious. Records she didn't remember. An inquiry from the police. Everything was turning suspicious eyes toward her. That night, Runa called her mother, Yoshie. The old house in Akabane. Her mother's voice came through the phone. "Mom, I... I'm being suspected of something I didn't do." "What happened?" Runa told her everything. The email. Touitchiro. The executive meeting. And Toshiya's question. Silence flowed. After that silence, her mother's voice rang out. "You didn't do anything wrong, Runa. If you say it's true, then it's true." Those words. That simplicity. They brought the first light into Runa's heart. "But I'm causing trouble for Toshiya..." "If he was that kind of person, he wouldn't have chosen you in the first place. That person... probably really cares about you." When those words ended, Runa was crying. Her mother's voice. Its warmth. It sustained her. When Runa returned to the apartment in Shirokane, she waited for Toshiya in the living room. Past midnight, Toshiya finally came home. His face was exhausted. Seeing that face, Runa quietly stood up. "I called my mother." At those words, Toshiya's face moved slightly. "...Did she say something?" "She said, 'If you say it's true, then it's true.' That's what she told me." When he heard that, Toshiya's expression changed. "I'm the same." Those few words enveloped Runa. (After all... this person does trust me.) That certainty ignited in Runa's heart. But beyond that light, Touitchiro and Himuro Saya were already plotting their next move. Runa's past. The secrets hidden within it. They would soon bring forth a storm.