Chapter 296: Portraits and Promises ( 296 )

Words : 1068 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

Chapter 296: Portraits and Promises ( 296 ) And now... Harusawa Corporation is no longer there. Yet Kitayama still saved them. Helping them, with Kazuma’s support, and with my hand as well, we made sure the company was closed cleanly, without debt, and with just enough money left behind. So that Satoshi and Satomi could still live decently, without falling into ruin. After all, no matter what happened, Satoshi was once Kitayama’s son-in-law. And Satomi... she is still Kitayama’s granddaughter. Family ties can’t be erased, even when everything else collapses. Well... from what I heard from Kyouko, they were both scolded harshly. In Tokyo. Kitayama didn’t even allow them to come back to his house. Probably because, back when Kyouko was still Satoshi’s wife, he never once visited Kitayama after the marriage. Not even once. To Kitayama, that kind of neglect wasn’t something you could erase with excuses. And from what I heard from my colleagues... Satomi is working again at her old company. The same place she worked back when we were still married. She managed to get her old position back. Well... she does have talent for working. But not for business. That much was always clear. And from what I’ve been told, she’s still together with Satoshi. Satoshi already sold the old Harusawa residence, and now they’re living in some smaller house. Nothing too grand, nothing too poor. Just... ordinary. But none of that matters to me anymore. What they do, how they live, what choices they make, none of it is my problem. Not anymore. Haruki looked at the clock, then pressed the intercom button. "Miss Kashikawa, call Chief Kajima here." "Yes, Mr. Nakagawa. I’ll tell him right away." He leaned back in his chair, waiting. His hands moved slowly, packing the files and laptop into his case, each motion deliberate. Inside his mind, the thought was simple. Well... the project files can be continued at home, as usual. Work was never the problem. It could follow him anywhere. But right now... there was only one thing I needed. A knock came at the office door. Haruki looked up. "Come in." Chief Kajima stepped inside, his expression composed. "Is there anything you need, Mr. Nakagawa?" Haruki shook his head lightly. "Ah, no. As usual, I’ll be going home early. You’ll take charge while I’m out of the office." Kajima bowed his head. "Yes, Mr. Nakagawa." "Good." Haruki closed his briefcase with a soft click and rose from his chair. "I’m going now." Haruki walked slowly through the corridor, his briefcase in hand. The female staff glanced at him as he passed, their voices dropping into hushed whispers. "Even after all these years, he’s still so handsome..." "Mmm~ his wife is really lucky." "Yeah... not like Chief Kajima. At least our boss doesn’t bloat like him." The others chuckled softly. "Ahem." The women froze as Kajima appeared from the corner, arms crossed. "What are you all whispering about? Back to work." "Yes, Chief," they answered quickly, bowing before hurrying to their desks. Meanwhile, in the seaside house... Kyouko gently laid the baby down in the crib, brushing a soft hand over his tiny chest until his breathing settled. She lingered for a moment, watching the peaceful rise and fall, then quietly pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. Her gaze shifted to the clock on the wall. It’s almost time for our eldest to come home from kindergarten... She pressed her fingers lightly against her lips, thinking. Should I go and pick him up myself? Or perhaps... should she give Haruki a call? Maybe he wasn’t too busy today. She reached for her phone, the soft light of the screen glowing in her hand. And there, on her wallpaper, was the same picture she had cherished for years. Haruki, topless, his strong arms wrapped around her from behind. His muscles framed her body, his chin resting gently on her shoulder. Her cheeks warmed just looking at it. He hadn’t changed at all... still the same man, still carrying that strength and charm that made her heart race even now. Perhaps I should change the wallpaper... she thought softly. To our family photo, with the children smiling together. But then her thumb hovered, and a tiny smile curved her lips. No... I love this picture too much. She looked at the picture one more time before scrolling through her contacts. Her finger paused on his name, then she pressed it. The line rang only once before connecting. "Hello, darling~" she said softly, her voice carrying that gentle smile of hers. On the other side came his steady reply, deep and warm. "Yes, honey?" "You’re not busy, are you?" "Not really... why?" "I was thinking about picking up Itsuki from kindergarten, but little Hinano just fell asleep. I don’t want to wake her." There was a short pause before his voice came, certain and reassuring. "Ah... don’t worry. I’m already heading there now." "Are you sure? It’s not going to interrupt your work?" "Don’t worry." His tone grew lighter, almost teasing. "I’ll bring our boy back. You just rest, Kyouko." Her lips curved, her heart warming at how naturally he said our boy. "Mm... thank you, Haruki." After the call ended, Kyouko lingered for a moment, staring at the picture again. Her smile softened as she slipped the phone carefully into the pocket of her apron. She turned her gaze toward the crib. Hinano was still sleeping peacefully, tiny lips slightly parted, her breath steady and light. Kyouko leaned close, brushing her fingers gently over the baby’s hair before straightening. Hinano was still sleeping soundly in the crib, her tiny breaths steady and peaceful. Kyouko let out a quiet sigh of relief. Maybe I should take this moment for myself... After all, caring for my beauty and body is also part of my duty. For Haruki... and for myself. Even after becoming a mother again, she wanted to stay radiant, to remain the woman he fell in love with. She smoothed her apron with delicate fingers, then untied it slowly. Since Hinano is resting, I’ll take a quick shower, she thought, her eyes shifting toward the adjoining bathroom inside the bedroom. Her smile softened. The crib was close enough; she could still hear if her baby stirred. With that gentle assurance, she gathered a fresh change of clothes and moved quietly toward the bathroom door. ( End Of Chapter )

Chapter 296: Portraits and Promises ( 296 )

Comments (0)