The Grand Sapphire Hotel's ballroom glittered like a diamond under crystal chandeliers, its marble floors reflecting the swirl of tailored suits and sequined gowns. Corporate galas were rituals Rinji Nakano tolerated, not enjoyed. As CEO of Nakano Holdings, he navigated the room with practiced ease—a nod here, a curt handshake there—his expression as unreadable as the stock market charts his investors obsessed over.
Across the room, Haruka Mizuno adjusted the strap of her emerald cocktail dress, her fourth glass of champagne trembling slightly in her hand. She'd never grown accustomed to these events. The clink of fine china and the murmur of hollow small talk always made her feel like an imposter, even after six years as the company's lead strategist. She caught Rinji's gaze briefly—cold, assessing—before he turned back to a group of shareholders. Typical, she thought. Ice incarnate.
"Haruka! There you are!" A boisterous voice sliced through the din. Kenji Sato, a junior analyst from the marketing division, stumbled toward her, his tie askew and cheeks flushed. Haruka stiffened. Kenji had been hovering near the open bar all night, his laughter growing louder with each refill.
"You've been avoiding me," he slurred, slinging an arm around her shoulders. The scent of whiskey wafted off him.
"I've been working," she said evenly, peeling his hand away. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rinji watching them, his brow furrowed.
Kenji leaned in, oblivious. "C'mon, everyone knows why you're really here. Playing the CEO's favorite, right?" His voice carried, sharp and mocking. A few heads turned. "How else d'you think you landed the Tanaka account?"
Haruka's cheeks burned. "That's not—"
"Enough, Sato." Rinji materialized beside them, his voice low but razor-edged. The room seemed to chill. "Return to your team. Now."
Kenji blinked, swaying. "Aw, come on, Nakano-san. We're all friends here." He gestured sloppily between Haruka and Rinji. "Besides, it's not like you two are… secretly involved or anything."
The words hung in the air, a grenade pin pulled.
Silence rippled outward. A server froze mid-pour. Haruka's stomach dropped.
Rinji's jaw tightened. "You're mistaken."
But it was too late.
By midnight, the rumor had metastasized. Whispers trailed Haruka like shadows: "Did you hear? The CEO and his strategist—" Camera flashes erupted as she hurried past paparazzi clustered at the exit, their shouts clawing at her back.
"Mizuno-san! Are you and Nakano-san dating?"
"Is that why he promoted her last quarter?"
Rinji watched from a balcony overhead, his knuckles white around his untouched scotch. Below, Haruka vanished into a taxi, her face pale in the streetlights.
A board member materialized beside him, voice clipped. "This is a disaster. The media's already running with it. We'll convene an emergency meeting Monday."
Rinji didn't respond. The lie was already taking root, its thorns curling around his company's reputation—and hers.
Somewhere in the Tokyo night, a tabloid editor typed a headline: "Nakano Holdings CEO's Secret Office Romance?"
The game had changed.