The polished marble of the corporate tower's hallway reflected Ren's footsteps like the countdown to a storm.
Every intern who saw him gave a respectful nod — not just because he was Aoi's husband, but because his recent breakthroughs in AI tech had started to gain quiet attention. But Ren wasn't here to bask in recognition.
He was here for Naruse.
Ren didn't bother checking in at the front desk. He knew the office floor Naruse usually loitered around, flirting with people he viewed as toys. That calculated smile of his had masked something more dangerous, and now, Ren had the proof.
He'd touched Lucia's mind.
The lift opened with a soft chime. Ren stepped into the 12th floor — Finance and Strategic Partners — the place Naruse called his playground.
He didn't have to wait long.
Naruse was at the coffee bar, charming a few associates with his usual arrogance, leaning casually with his tie slightly undone, as if the world owed him admiration.
Ren walked straight up to him.
"Hey," he said flatly.
Naruse blinked, surprised for only a moment, before his lips curled into a lazy grin. "Ah, Aoi's husband. Rare to see you here during business hours. Did you come to pick up your beautiful wife?"
Ren's eyes didn't waver. "We need to talk. Privately."
The grin remained, but Naruse raised an eyebrow. "Is this about your wedding gift? Or…" — he leaned in mockingly — "did you finally hear what people are saying about your sweet little bride?"
"Office. Now."Ren's tone was ice.
Naruse's eyes narrowed. The laughter faded from the air.
Inside a quiet meeting room
Naruse lounged in a chair, while Ren stood, arms crossed, eyes locked onto him like a hawk.
"I know you tried to access my AI system," Ren said bluntly.
Naruse's eyebrow twitched. "Your what?"
"Lucia. The AI project. You touched its memory logs—looked into emotional metadata connected to Aoi and me. You went through an encrypted firewall at Sector 14, right next to your favorite sushi bar."
Naruse didn't speak for a moment.
Then, he smirked. "You must be paranoid. I didn't know you were the jealous type."
"I'm not jealous," Ren said coldly. "I'm protective. And I'm not stupid."
He leaned forward. "You think I don't know your type? You see something beautiful, and you think if you keep pushing, eventually it'll fall into your lap. You don't care if it's married. You don't care who gets hurt."
Naruse's grin sharpened. "And you think Aoi's some helpless doll? Maybe you're the one who doesn't know her. She deserves options. She deserves—"
Ren slammed his hand on the table — not with violence, but certainty.
"She already made her choice. And if you ever try to breach my system again... I won't go to HR. I'll go public. With proof."
Naruse's smirk faltered.
"Your company won't protect you. Not when your fingerprints are all over a system that's still under development and flagged as containing biometric emotion layers."
Naruse stood, adjusting his collar. "Are you threatening me, Ren?"
Ren's voice was calm.
"No. I'm telling you the truth. Stay away from my wife."
Back outside...
Ren walked out into the sunlight, his breath steady. His hands were still slightly shaking — not from fear, but from holding back.
This wasn't just about code anymore.
It was war.
And Ren was done playing nice.