Chapter 223: Chapter 223

Satomi sat quietly in the executive office, legs crossed on the long leather couch.

Her fingers toyed absently with the delicate gold chain around her neck.

A faint, secret smile.

From that first experience...

Everything had changed.

They hadn’t stopped there.

After school, she would sometimes find him waiting.

In the car. At the corner. Quiet, as always.

"Wanna go somewhere?"

And she’d always say yes.

They would go anywhere she liked.

Shops. Cafés. Parks. Private places.

They would end up doing it again.

It became their rhythm.

A secret they both shared.

A comfort she always returned to.

When Haruki confessed to her, she didn’t hesitate.

Because she wanted to try living that life too.

And her father—he never stopped her.

"You can choose the life you want," he told her.

"As long as you don’t forget about me."

Then came the day Haruki proposed.

She still remembered it clearly.

How nervous he looked.

How genuine his voice was.

He held her hand tightly, promising a future.

She accepted with a smile.

After all, that was what her father said she could have.

But she could never forget what followed.

When she brought Haruki to meet her parents—

her mother was polite, warm as ever.

The stillness in his face.

The way his jaw tightened when Haruki bowed respectfully.

The faint flicker in his eyes.

He said nothing that day.

Just smiled calmly, shook hands, and played the role.

His voice low and breathless against her ear:

"You’re marrying him..."

"You’re letting him take you..."

"But don’t you dare carry his child."

He repeated it again and again.

Between every thrust.

Even after the wedding.

Even after the honeymoon.

She still went to him.

When Haruki asked where she was going late at night—

why she didn’t come home until past midnight—

"The office is busy."

"There’s a big project due."

Haruki, ever respectful, never pressed.

She slipped out again.

Not long after the wedding, her father’s business took off.

The small company he once built.

Harusawa Corporation—

Connections grew. Contracts flowed in.

And with that success came a new offer.

To make Satomi a shareholder.

To bring her into the company officially.

She accepted, of course.

Not just because it was her father.

But because it was everything she wanted—

Power. Security. Legacy.

And when she learned that Haruki’s name began circulating among higher circles, as the "golden boy" of Yamashita Corporation.

A spark lit in her mind.

Haruki—her husband—could become an asset too.

Quiet enough not to resist.

A marriage that looked stable.

Something investors liked.

Their marriage would serve the company well.

Even if the intimacy faded, even if her heart still belonged elsewhere.

She knew how they were.

Left alone too long, and they’d start to look.

They’d start to want.

She couldn’t allow that.

Haruki’s schedule was flexible.

He mostly worked from home.

Her mother, meanwhile, rarely left the house.

If Haruki moved into the Harusawa residence...

He would have no time, no space, and no freedom to stray.

Satomi made the suggestion herself.

"Wouldn’t it be better to stay with my parents?" she said.

"The house is big. And we’ll save time commuting."

Haruki hesitated at first.

But she persuaded him.

Where she could see him every day.

Where she could make sure no girl from the outside got close.

That was the day she regained control.

She had him under the same roof.

With her mother watching.

With the schedule set.

And she could still disappear at night.

Back to the arms that first claimed her.

Everything was in place.

Harusawa Corporation was rising—

their business stronger than ever.

New deals. Long-term contracts. Prestige.

She had done her part.

There was no longer any use for Haruki.

The contract they needed was secured.

His name served its purpose.

And Satoshi had already told her.

It was time to let him go.

There was no need to sneak around now.

No more hiding their nights behind locked doors.

She had all the time in the world now.

To let Satoshi enjoy her.

To let him ravish her without worry.

Their house was theirs alone now.

No more cautious whispers.

No more silent footsteps in the hall.

She could moan as loud as she liked.

Climb on him whenever she wanted.

No more husband to pretend for.

No more playing the role of a loving wife.

Because the future was finally wide open.

Just the way she always wanted it.

Satoshi glanced at her.

She was lounging on the couch, hair down, legs curled up against him, completely at ease.

He ran his hand gently down her thigh.

"What’s wrong, Satomi?"

His voice low. Smooth.

She blinked, then turned and smiled faintly.

Satoshi watched her for a moment.

"Because you had to divorce Haruki?"

She tilted her head, still smiling lazily.

Satoshi leaned back, amused.

"You sad because your mother found out about us?"

Her smile widened—almost playful.

She turned to him, eyes soft and unwavering.

"Because I never loved Haruki anyway."

"He was useful. That’s all."

Her hand slid over his chest, fingers tracing lightly.

She leaned closer, lips near his neck.

"You’re the only one who ever made me feel good."

A slow, satisfied smile.

The kind only a man who got everything he wanted would wear.