July 19th, 2026 - 12:25 PM
At Tachibana - Kawasaki Global Headquarters
The silver elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Ruth Tachibana stepped out onto the top floor of the Tachibana-Kawasaki Global Headquarters, the newly merged company that had already begun shaking Japan's economic foundation.
Her heels clicked steadily on the polished obsidian tiles.
Her assistants bowed deeply.
Her name was whispered like a legend.
"Tachibana-sama."
"Good morning, CEO Tachibana."
"The Taiwan delegates are in the conference room."
Ruth nodded once and kept walking—calm, poised, a living sculpture of control and authority. Dressed in an all-black suit, minimalist but tailored like armor, her jet-black hair flowed neatly down her back, untouched by the humid Tokyo summer.
This was her kingdom.
A kingdom inherited by blood, Tachibana Industries, a vast empire of tech, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and energy. The Kawasaki name may be louder in the press, but behind the curtains, the Tachibana family ruled quietly. Ruth's family didn't flaunt wealth, they commanded it with silence, subtlety, and terrifying reach.
The meeting lasted nearly three hours.
Charts. Forecasts. Expansion strategies. Corporate diplomacy disguised in cold smiles and sharp eyes.
When it ended, Ruth bowed to the foreign board, exchanged handshakes with elegance, then finally - finally - returned to her office.
She walked in, removed her blazer, and dropped into the leather chair behind her glass desk.
The skyline of Tokyo glowed beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun was cruel and proud, like everything else today.
She reached for her cup.
Green tea. No sugar. No honey. Just bitter.
She sipped in silence.
Her eyes drifted to her desk, the stack of reports, the blinking tablet, the silent phone. And there, beside her digital assistant monitor, sat a photo frame.
The picture within:
She and Leo on the altar.
Smiling. Dazzling. Perfect.
But only for the world to see.
Knock knock.
"Come in," she said coolly.
The door opened and in walked Leo, smiling like a model, his bright suit almost too vibrant for an office setting. His energy filled the room like a song that played too loudly at the wrong moment.
"My goddess of mergers and acquisitions," Leo declared, approaching her desk like a man entering paradise. "I bring thee the sacred scrolls you requested."
He held up the files she had asked for earlier.
Ruth took them calmly. "Thank you."
"You know," Leo said, resting his elbows on her desk with casual arrogance,
"I was looking at this photo just now."
He pointed at the picture of their wedding.
"And damn, babe. I don't know if it's the lighting or your genetic blessing, but you look like a divine being straight out of mythology. Aphrodite, but with a portfolio."
Ruth gave a soft smile. Not out of affection, but performance.
Just like she had rehearsed over and over again.
"Flattery doesn't get you a raise," she said.
Leo chuckled. "Lucky for me, I already have the most important promotion, husband to the most powerful woman in Japan."
She nodded slightly, eyes falling back to the files.
"So, what's the plan for lunch?"Should we hit up that French place you like?" Leo asked.
"I'm fine with whatever. You decide." Ruth replied without looking up.
Leo clapped his hands together like a child winning a game.
"Perfect. I'll order sushi. You need protein after conquering the Taiwanese."
He turned toward the door, already pulling out his phone to call their private chef or whatever overpriced service he currently had on speed dial.
"Be back in a bit, Mrs. Kawasaki," he winked.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Ruth exhaled.
Long. Silent. Tired.
Then, her hand slowly reached toward the picture frame.
She picked it up gently. Her thumb rested on the glass.
That perfect moment captured for headlines and media applause.
She turned the frame over, opened the latch at the back, and removed the picture of their wedding day.
Underneath it - pressed, preserved, hidden
was another photo.
Worn. Folded at the edges.
A picture of her and Ian, from five years ago. Sitting on a rooftop. She was leaning on his shoulder, laughing. His hand was around her waist. His eyes were bright, sincere. There were no diamonds, no designer dresses, no paparazzi.
Just them.
In that forgotten moment - she was alive.
Her fingers brushed across the photo.
Something in her eyes flickered. Not sadness. Not longing.
Something more dangerous.
Possession.
"Did you forget it already, Ian?
"You were mine then."
"You're always mine. And you won't escape me."
Ruth set the picture back inside the frame, replacing the wedding photo behind it like a cover. A lie for the public.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Leo:
"Sushi's on the way, my queen 🍣💖✨ Don't work too hard. Love yaaa."
She stared at the message. Expressionless.
Then typed back:
"Thanks."
No heart. No emoji. No warmth.
She locked the phone, set it aside.
And stared at the hidden photo once more.
This time, she whispered, so soft that only the silence heard:
"I'm coming back to you, Ian. Just you wait."