Silence.
It was the first thing Sharon noticed after the door clicked shut. The absence of the Hayashi team left a void in the room.
A void quickly filled by the quiet, smug satisfaction of the Nakamura Corp team.
She had done it and she had won.
The words echoed in her head, but they felt empty. There was no surge of triumph or thrill of victory.
Only a cold, heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. She stared at the empty space where Kenzo had stood. The look in his eyes just before he left… it wasn't just anger.
It was a final, chilling dismissal. She had become the enemy.
"Outstanding!"
Leo Nakamura's voice boomed through the quiet, shattering her thoughts. He clapped a heavy hand on her shoulder, his grin wide and victorious.
"Absolutely masterful, Sharon! You sliced through their proposal like it was nothing! Did you see his face?" He laughed, a sharp, victorious sound.
"He looked like you'd just punched him in the gut. Beautiful."
His words were like salt in a wound. She forced her lips into something resembling a smile. It felt stiff and unnatural on her face.
Mr. Tanaka, the senior strategist, offered a slight, formal nod. It was the most approval she had seen from him.
"A precise and effective analysis. You identified the critical flaws in their strategy."
His praise should have meant something. It only made her feel more like a traitor.
The Goldlight executives were shaking hands with Nakamura, offering congratulations.
She stood there, numb, as the world moved around her. She was the architect of this victory, but she felt like a ghost haunting her own success.
The walk back through the gleaming corridors of Goldlight was a blur.
Her team chattered excitedly around her, their voices a buzzing hum. She heard none of it. Her mind was replaying the last few minutes on a loop.
You have left yours exposed.
Mr. Bernard's verdict echoed Kenzo's own accusation from the family dinner. You know where they're weak.
She had. And she had used that knowledge with brutal efficiency.
They spilled out onto the busy sidewalk. The afternoon sun was bright, hurting her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to clear the fog in her head. It didn't work.
Nakamura turned to the group, his chest puffed out with pride. "Everyone! Back to the office immediately. Drinks are on me. We are celebrating this historic win!"
There was a cheerful roar of approval from the team. They began to move toward the waiting cars, a wave of euphoria she couldn't share.
Nakamura fell into step beside her, his voice dropping, for her ears only.
"That was exactly what I hired you for. You understand? You didn't just win a contract today. You sent a message to the entire industry. Hayashi Tech is vulnerable. And we have the key to their downfall."
He looked at her, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "This is just the beginning."
His words were a cold splash of reality. This wasn't a one-time battle. It was the first move in a long, ugly war. A war she had just enthusiastically joined.
The car ride to the Nakamura Corp office was the opposite of the silent tomb with Kenzo.
Her new colleagues were laughing, replaying the highlights of their win. Someone popped open a small bottle of champagne, the cork hitting the roof of the car with a festive pop.
They offered her a plastic cup. She took it. The bubbles stung her nose, but she couldn't taste it.
She was going through the motions. A perfect puppet. A brilliant weapon.
They arrived at the office. The celebration was already in full swing. Music was playing from a speaker. More champagne was being poured.
The large monitor in the main common area displayed a giant "CONGRATULATIONS!" message.
She was swept into the crowd. People she barely knew were clapping her on the back, toasting her. "Incredible job, Sharon!" "You destroyed them!"
Each word of praise felt like a stone added to the weight on her chest. She smiled. She nodded. She raised her glass. She was the star of the show, and she had never felt more empty.
She managed to slip away from the main crowd, finding a sliver of quiet space near a window. She looked out at the cityscape.
Somewhere out there, in another towering glass building, Kenzo was licking his wounds. Planning his counter-attack.
She thought of the jade comb, still tucked away in her apartment. A symbol of a future that was now a lie. A future she had personally helped destroy.
A fresh wave of guilt washed over her, so strong it made her dizzy. She had used his family.
She had used Obaasan's kindness as a shield, all while sharpening the knife for his back.
"Not much of a celebrator, are you?"
Mr. Tanaka's voice came from beside her. He held a glass of whiskey, his expression as unreadable as ever.
She didn't look at him. "It's been a long day."
"It has," he agreed. He took a slow sip. "A very successful one. You proved your value today."
"Did I?" The question slipped out, quiet and weary.
He was silent for a moment, studying her profile. "You are conflicted."
She finally turned to face him. "I just did my job."
"You did," he said. "And it was a messy, brutal, and effective job. That is what war is. It is not clean. It is not kind." His gaze was piercing.
"The question is, are you prepared for the consequences? He will not take this lying down. The real fight begins now."
Before she could answer, Leo Nakamura's voice cut through the music. "Sharon! Stop hiding over there! This victory is because of you!"
He was beckoning her back into the center of the room. Back into the role of the conquering hero.
She pushed away from the window. She forced her shoulders back. She fixed the empty smile back on her face.
She walked back into the noise and the light, the cheers of her colleagues ringing in her ears. But inside, all she could hear was the deafening, final sound of a door closing. The door to her old life. The door to Kenzo.
The war was here. And she was standing on the wrong side of the battlefield.