As the older one, she still had to take care of her fiance, Norihiko.
Hearing that Azuma Hisato had finally agreed, Kamezo Gozou looked at the reluctance on that beautiful face and broke into a wide grin.
Meanwhile, Norihiko looked deeply moved.
Seeing the sacrifice his fiancee was making for him, he spoke to Azuma Hisato with emotion in his voice.
"Hisato-chan, thank you. Honestly, I don't want this either. But if I go to prison and leave you all alone outside, I really can't accept that."
"So I'll have to trouble you for now, Hisato-chan. I'll definitely work hard in the future and repay this kindness."
Hearing those heartfelt words, Azuma Hisato's eyes became slightly moist.
"Norihiko..."
"The feelings between you two really run deep. Norihiko-san, being able to have a woman as wonderful as Mrs. Hisato is truly enviable," Kamezo Gozou looked at the loving couple with a smile. A strange excitement flickered in the small eyes on his plump face.
After Azuma Hisato and Norihiko exchanged a few more affectionate words, Kamezo Gozou suddenly stood up and said to Azuma Hisato, "Mrs. Hisato, come into the office with me."
Azuma Hisato raised her head and asked in confusion, "President, what's wrong?"
Kamezo Gozou explained, "The secretary contract is inside. After all, this involves such a large debt. A verbal agreement isn't enough. We need to sign a contract. We businessmen value the spirit of contracts the most."
Even after hearing that, Azuma Hisato still felt it was strange. Why not bring the contract out directly instead of specifically calling her inside to sign it?
But Norihiko beside her had already started urging her, "Hisato-chan, hurry and go in with the president. The contract has to be signed..."
Hearing her fiance urging her, Azuma Hisato could only stand up and follow behind Kamezo Gozou into the president's office.
———
"Close the office door."
The moment she entered the office, she heard Kamezo Gozou's command from ahead.
Although she found the order a little strange, thinking that both she and her husband would soon be working under him, Azuma Hisato didn't feel comfortable disobeying. She obediently reached out and closed the door.
Seeing this, Kamezo Gozou nodded in satisfaction and returned to the boss's chair behind the desk.
He reached into the drawer on the right side of the desk, pulled out a contract, tossed it onto the tabletop, and said to Azuma Hisato,
"Mrs. Hisato, sign the contract."
"Sign this contract and work as my secretary for three months. Then I can waive most of your husband Norihiko's debt."
Hearing that, Azuma Hisato picked up the pen on the desk and instinctively prepared to sign.
But seeing the strange smile on Kamezo Gozou's face and his increasingly bold gaze, she felt uneasy.
She reached out and flipped through the contract.
When she turned to the last page, the hand preparing to sign suddenly froze.
Azuma Hisato abruptly raised her head and stared blankly at Kamezo Gozou sitting in the boss's chair.
"What's wrong? Hurry up and sign!", Seeing Azuma Hisato stop suddenly, Kamezo Gozou urged her.
But Azuma Hisato did not sign. Instead, she put down the pen.
She raised the contract in her hand and opened it to a certain page in front of Kamezo Gozou.
Frowning, she asked, "Wait a moment, President Kamezo. According to what you said before, wasn't my job supposed to be serving as your secretary and helping with work-related matters?"
"What does this clause mean? 'During the secretary period, the secretary must unconditionally handle the president's needs'?"
Hearing her questioning voice, Kamezo Gozou leaned back in the boss's chair.
Unhurriedly, he lit a cigar. After taking a puff, he slowly smiled and replied,
"What's there not to understand? As my female secretary, that should naturally be part of your job."
"If the president's needs aren't taken care of, how can he work properly? How can he lead the company toward prosperity? Right?"
"T-That's completely ridiculous!", Hearing him say those words as if they were perfectly natural, Azuma Hisato blurted out.
"What? Mrs. Hisato, you don't want to sign?", Kamezo Gozou suddenly put on a stern expression and sneered coldly.
"I... I can't accept this!", Azuma Hisato was embarrassed and angry. Her beautiful face turned red as she glared at him.
"Fine. Then please compensate the company for its losses with one hundred million yen," Kamezo Gozou sneered.
"W-We don't have that much money right now...", Hearing his words, the anger inside Azuma Hisato seemed to be doused with cold water. She lowered her head slightly with a troubled expression.
"Then let your fiance spend some time reflecting in prison."
"Hmph! He caused such huge losses and can't even pay compensation. I've already made concessions and offered such good terms, yet you still won't accept them. You're really asking for too much."
Kamezo Gozou coldly glanced over Azuma Hisato's full figure. He comfortably took another puff of his cigar, smoke slowly drifting from his nose and mouth.
Listening to his scolding and smelling the thick cigar smoke filling the office, Azuma Hisato, who had spent the past several years as a housewife away from society, felt dizzy and didn't know what to do.
"Mrs. Hisato, have you thought it over? Didn't you say you're older than Norihiko and should take care of him?"
After enjoying her panicked appearance for quite a while, Kamezo Gozou asked again calmly.
"C-Could I compensate the company some other way? I can work longer hours. As long as... as long as I don't provide that kind of service..."
With a red face, Azuma Hisato asked weakly.
"No!"
Kamezo Gozou rejected her immediately. After all, this had been his goal from the start. There was no way he would give it up.
"Mrs. Hisato, I'm only giving you two choices."
"Actually, I don't like forcing people."
"But I'd still advise you to honestly come work as my secretary."
"After all, Madam, you don't want your husband to go to prison, do you?"
Leaning back in the boss's chair with one leg crossed over the other, Kamezo Gozou wore a smug smile and threatened her arrogantly.
"I..."
Faced with those obvious threats, Azuma Hisato looked completely shaken.
She truly couldn't accept the idea of Norihiko going to prison.
Under Kamezo Gozou's pressure and because of her feelings for her fiance, she almost agreed instinctively.
But just as she opened her mouth, something seemed to flash through her mind.
A figure she had encountered before leaving home suddenly seemed to stand in front of her, blocking the path into the abyss.
The words she had almost spoken circled once in her mouth before she swallowed them back.
Looking at Kamezo Gozou's fat, greasy, self-satisfied face, Azuma Hisato said coldly, "I refuse your conditions, President Gozou."
"If you've agreed to be my secretary, then come over, kneel down, and open your mouth to help me take care of this fir—hm? You said you refuse?"
Kamezo Gozou had already assumed she would agree and had begun issuing orders arrogantly. Only halfway through did he realize he had been rejected.
He immediately looked at Azuma Hisato in surprise.
"That's right. I refuse your disgusting conditions. I don't want to use my body to please someone as disgusting as you."
Azuma Hisato looked at him with obvious disgust.
Seeing that look, veins bulged on Kamezo Gozou's forehead, "Do you understand what you're saying right now, Mrs. Hisato?"
"Do you really want your husband to go to prison because he can't repay the debt?"
He had thought he already had her in hand, yet she was now looking at him with such disdain. It made him both angry and excited, and he immediately threatened her again.
"We'll repay the company's losses. And I won't let Norihiko go to prison!"
Azuma Hisato replied coldly.
"Heh! That's nearly one hundred million yen."
"With your financial situation, where you haven't even finished paying off your mortgage, even if you save for decades, or your entire life, you won't be able to repay it."
Kamezo Gozou spoke as though he knew their household finances inside and out.
"That's none of your concern, President."
"In any case, don't ever say such disgusting things to me again."
"Otherwise, I'll definitely call the police and report you for sexual harassment."
After saying that, the angry Azuma Hisato turned around, opened the door, and quickly walked out of the president's office.
Watching her leave without any hesitation, Kamezo Gozou slowly frowned.
"That doesn't make sense..."
"According to the information I gathered, one hundred million yen should be an impossible amount for Norihiko's family to repay."
"My plan didn't have any problems. Just now, Azuma Hisato was about to agree. Why did she suddenly change her mind?"
"What's going on... How did this happen?"
Annoyed, Kamezo Gozou crushed the unfinished cigar into the ashtray and tapped his fingers against the desk, unable to understand it.
"Hmph! I get it."
"That woman is just putting on a brave face. She's probably still trying to save face. In any case, Norihiko definitely doesn't have that kind of money."
"But she really is stubborn and strong-willed. She's got some nerve too, talking to me like that."
"It really pisses me off. But a woman like that will be even more enjoyable to play with."
"Now I'm looking forward to it even more."
"Losses worth over one hundred million, I'll see how long you can keep holding out, Azuma Hisato."
"When the time comes, making this woman, whose body is seductive while her heart remains faithful, kneel in front of me and open her mouth will definitely feel great. Hahaha!"
After thinking it over, Kamezo Gozou quickly regained his confidence and laughed loudly.
———
Meanwhile, seeing his fiancee Azuma Hisato come out of the president's office looking like something was wrong, Norihiko quickly hurried over.
"Hisato-chan, how did it go? Is everything settled? Did you sign the contract to become the president's secretary?"
"No..."
Looking at his anxious expression, Azuma Hisato suddenly felt guilty and uneasy.
In the end, she could only shake her head helplessly.
"Ah?"
Hearing the news, Norihiko was shocked.
"What happened? Why didn't you sign the contract? Did the president change his mind?"
"I..."
Just as Azuma Hisato was trying to think of an explanation, the office door behind them suddenly opened.
"Your wife rejected my conditions and refused to become my secretary, Norihiko," Kamezo Gozou walked out of the office and spoke slowly.
The moment he heard that, Norihiko's expression changed.
He turned toward Azuma Hisato in disbelief.
"Huh? Hisato-chan, is what the president said true?"
"You weren't willing to accept the president's conditions?"
"Didn't you already agree just now?"
"Didn't you say you'd make up for my mistake and work as the president's secretary for three months?"
"Hisato-chan, it's only three months. That's not very difficult, right?"
"Aren't you always the hardest worker and the one most willing to endure hardship?"
"Why won't you agree?"
Norihiko had thought the serious trouble he caused had already been resolved.
But now he found out that because Azuma Hisato had refused, that hope seemed to be gone, and he might end up in prison after all.
His emotions immediately started slipping out of control.
"Norihiko, I... I don't want to be the president's secretary. Anyway... let's think of another way. There must still be some other solution..."
Looking at the emotional Norihiko, Azuma Hisato hurriedly spoke to him in a low voice.
Seeing her trying to persuade him, anger suddenly rose in Norihiko's heart.
"A solution? What solution do we still have? Sell the new house that's still being renovated?"
"And even if we sell it, we still can't repay that much money!"
Seeing his irritated appearance, Kamezo Gozou smiled, "That's right. I have a general understanding of your financial situation, Norihiko-san."
"And you've always worked hard and seriously at the company."
"Although this loss was caused by your operational mistake, I don't really want to blame everything on you. I think that if another employee had been in your position, the result might have been the same."
"But a country has laws and a family has rules. If I don't punish you after such a major mistake, what will everyone else in the company think?"
"How could I continue being president?"
"Would the company even be able to keep operating?"
"But you've always worked hard. I've seen that."
"That's why I'm willing to give you a chance."
"Let your wife come help at the company and work as my secretary to show some sincerity. Then we'll consider the matter settled."
"But even such a small request..."
He glanced at Azuma Hisato.
"...forget it. Maybe I was forcing her too much. I shouldn't say any more. I wouldn't want to affect your relationship."
Hearing those words, Norihiko immediately bent over in a deep bow.
"I... I understand your kindness, President."
"I know it."
"You've always taken good care of me at the company."
"I've always remembered your kindness."
"I never expected my wife to be so unreasonable and put you in such a difficult position."
"I'm truly sorry."
"I'll talk to her properly!"
After saying that, Norihiko stood up, turned around, pulled Azuma Hisato to a corner, and said through clenched teeth in a low voice, "Hisato-chan, just do it for me and be the president's secretary for a few months!"
"It won't even be that hard!"
"You don't really do anything at home anyway. Just come help out at the company. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Looking at how anxious he was, almost as if he were blaming her, Azuma Hisato felt like she wanted to cry but couldn't.
If it were really just being a secretary for a few months and helping out for a while, then for Norihiko's sake, she would never refuse.
But that man Kamezo Gozou clearly had bad intentions.
He wanted her to repay the debt with her body.
Even though she was extremely anxious and angry, there was no way she could tell Norihiko.
She knew very well how cunning Kamezo Gozou was.
Even the contract had been something he wanted her to sign in secret.
If she said now that being his secretary actually meant giving up her chastity and body to repay the debt, Kamezo Gozou would definitely deny it immediately.
Back in the office, she had noticed that he had prepared more than one contract.
There were clearly two versions, one in the open and one hidden.
That dark contract would never be allowed to reach Norihiko.
And judging from how much trust Norihiko currently had in Kamezo Gozou, he probably wouldn't believe her anyway.
He might even think she was lying because she was lazy and unwilling to help him.
So Azuma Hisato quietly said, "Norihiko, let's discuss this after we get home. Don't we still have a few days before the deadline? Let's talk about it after we get back."
Hearing that, Norihiko had no other choice but to nod.
But just as the couple was about to leave, Kamezo Gozou suddenly spoke.
"Norihiko, wait!"
Norihiko immediately turned around.
"President, is there something else you need from me?"
"There are still a few things I'd like to discuss with you," Kamezo Gozou smiled.
"Then, Hisato, go home first."
Norihiko immediately said to Azuma Hisato.
"Norihiko..."
Looking at him, Azuma Hisato wanted to say something but stopped.