The descent in the private executive elevator was dead silent, but the air felt charged with static. Ren’s grip on Lily’s wrist was tight—not enough to bruise, but firm enough to make it clear she had no choice but to follow.
Lily looked down at his gloved hand wrapped around her wrist, then up at his profile. His eyes were fixed on the descending floor numbers, his jaw set in a hard, dangerous line.
"Mr. Ishida," Lily said softly, breaking the tense silence. "You're gripping me a bit too tightly."
Ren glanced down, as if only just realizing he was still holding her. He didn't let go immediately. Instead, his thumb brushed lightly against the inside of her wrist, right over her racing pulse, before he finally released her. A dark, amused smirk played on his lips.
"Your mouth says you want me to let go, Secretary Lily, but your pulse is telling a completely different story," Ren murmured, leaning his shoulder against the elevator wall. "Scared?"
"Excitment and fear feel very similar to the heart, Mr. Ishida," Lily replied, lifting her chin and offering a calm, unbothered smile. "I'm just trying to figure out which one this is."
Before Ren could respond, the elevator chimed, opening directly into the underground parking garage. The sleek, matte-black luxury sedan was already waiting, its engine purring in the dark. The two mafia soldiers from earlier stood by the doors, bowing deeply as Ren approached.
"Young Master, the perimeter is clear, but the warehouse firewalls are collapsing," the lead soldier reported, holding the rear door open. "We need to move now."
Ren stepped into the back seat and gestured sharply for Lily to follow. As soon as the doors slammed shut and the car sped out into the rainy Tokyo streets, Ren pulled his oversized headphones back over his ears. He tapped his tablet, pulling up a live, encrypted security feed of the Ishida Group’s private vault.
Lily watched him work. In the dim, shifting shadows of the moving car, he didn't look like a corporate billionaire at all. He looked like a predator mapping out his territory.
"If the warehouse is under attack, why aren't you calling the police?" Lily asked quietly, leaning in a little closer to look at his screen. The subtle scent of her camellia perfume filled the small space of the car, instantly breaking through the heavy smell of leather and rain.
Ren paused, his fingers hovering over the glass screen. He turned his head slowly, his cold gray eyes locking onto hers. They were so close she could see the faint reflection of the tablet's blue light in his gaze.
"Because the police don't regulate the things inside that vault, Lily," Ren whispered, his voice dropping to a low, seductive purr. He reached out, his gloved fingers gently catching her chin, tilting her face up just a fraction—exactly the way he had hovered over her in his office. "And because the person who leaked those codes is sitting on my corporate board of directors. If I involve outsiders, the rat hides. If I handle it myself... I get to exterminate them."
Lily didn't pull away from his touch. Her breath hitched slightly, but she kept her gaze steady. "And what happens to the temporary secretary who accidentally learned your dark little secret?"
Ren’s gaze flicked down to her lips for a split second before returning to her eyes. His thumb gently traced the line of her jaw.
"That depends entirely on how useful you are to me tonight," he murmured. "Don't make me regret keeping you alive."
Suddenly, the car screeched to a violent halt. The tires smoked against the wet asphalt. Outside the tinted windows, the dark, abandoned docks loomed ahead, and the warehouse doors were already forced open. Faint smoke was beginning to billow from the roof.
"We’re here, Boss," the driver called out, his hand already moving to the holster inside his jacket. "They're still inside."
Ren dropped his hand from Lily's chin, his expression turning instantly into absolute ice. He reached into the side pocket of the car door and pulled out a sleek, heavy black handgun, checking the magazine with a practiced, terrifying ease.
"Stay in the car, Lily," Ren commanded, his corporate suit jacket flaring as he stepped out into the pouring rain. "If anyone other than me tries to open this door... run."
But as Ren walked toward the burning warehouse, Lily noticed something on the floor of the car that he had left behind. His tablet was still unlocked, and the security feed wasn't just showing the vault—it was displaying a decrypted list of names.
At the very top of the leaked list was her own brother's name, marked with a single, red word: ELIMINATED.
Lily’s breath caught in her throat. The mystery wasn't just Ren's double life anymore. He was holding the answers to the secrets she had been searching for all along.
Ignoring his warning, Lily pushed the car door open and stepped out into the rain, chasing after the dangerous CEO.
[TO BE CONTINUED]
💡 MangaToon Author Note Suggestion:
"Oh no! Lily found something she shouldn't have! 😱 Is Ren responsible for what happened to her brother, or is he her only hope? Let me know your theories in the comments, and don't forget to like for Chapter 3! 🖤✨"
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