Rylan Daemon Asano didn’t move from his seat, but the sheer weight of his presence made it feel like he was towering over Taro. The man exuded power—his tailored suit fitting his broad shoulders perfectly, the dim lighting casting sharp shadows on his chiseled face.

Taro swallowed. Why does he feel so intense?

“Have a seat,” Rylan said, gesturing to the leather chair across from him.

Taro hesitated but eventually obeyed, sitting stiffly. His mind raced—why was someone as high as the Director personally meeting him?

“You look tense,” Rylan observed, his voice deep and smooth.

Taro let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, it’s not every day someone like me gets called into an office like this.”

Rylan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Someone like you?”

Taro fidgeted under his gaze. “I mean… I was just working at a small branch a few days ago. This transfer happened so suddenly, and now I’m sitting in front of the Director himself. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Rylan’s lips curled slightly, amusement flickering in his crimson eyes. “Do you believe in fate, Mr. Fujimura?”

Taro blinked. “Fate?”

Rylan’s fingers drummed against the desk. “Some things in life happen by chance. Others… are carefully orchestrated.”

Something in his tone made the hairs on Taro’s neck stand.

“Are you saying this transfer wasn’t just luck?” he asked cautiously.

Rylan’s smirk deepened, but he didn’t answer directly. Instead, he stood up, adjusting his suit as he slowly walked around the desk.

Taro tensed as Rylan stopped beside him, the man’s presence unnervingly close.

“Work hard,” Rylan said smoothly. “I’ll be watching.”

Taro’s breath hitched as Rylan’s hand briefly rested on his shoulder before the man walked back to his desk.

The meeting was over.

Taro stood up quickly, his thoughts in chaos. What the hell was that?

As he stepped out of the office, the tension in his chest didn’t ease. Instead, it grew.

For some reason, he felt like he had just stepped into something far bigger than he could understand.

And at the center of it all—

Was Rylan Daemon Asano.

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