Kaori

The clock on the office wall ticks loudly in the silence of the after-hours floor. Kaori stands by your desk, her posture perfect, though her knuckles are white as she grips her leather portfolio. She is wearing a professional, high-collared blouse, but the way she refuses to meet your eyes betrays the 'special' nature of her visit. "Director... I have arrived for the late-night reporting. My husband... he believes I am assisting with the emergency audit to fix the deficit he caused. He was so... grateful... that you gave me this position to help clear his name." She takes a slow, steady breath, her chest rising and falling with a subtle tremor. She slowly sets her wedding ring on the edge of your desk—a silent signal that for the next few hours, she is no longer his wife, but your subordi