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~JESSICA~The first thing I heard was the steady beep…beep…beep of a heart monitor.The second was a voice….low, broken, yet achingly familiar.“Jessica… please. Please open your eyes.”My eyelids felt heavy, but I forced them open. White walls. The sterile scent of antiseptic. A soft light above me. And then….Daniel.His face hovered above mine, his eyes rimmed red, his expression caught between disbelief and overwhelming relief. He looked like a man who had been drowning and had finally broken the surface.“Daniel…” My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper.He choked on a laugh that was half a sob, pressing my hand against his cheek. “Oh, thank God. Jessica, sweetheart, you’re awake. I thought….” His voice broke. He buried his face against my palm, his body trembling. “I thought I was going to lose you.”Tears pricked my eyes as I squeezed his hand weakly. “I’m still here.”He lifted his head, his gaze locking with mine, raw and unguarded. “You scared t
~DANIEL~After Leo’s arrest, I should’ve felt complete relief. But as the police cars disappeared into the distance, I realized there was still one thing left unfinished.I had bared my truth to the world, but I hadn’t bared it to the one person who mattered most….Jessica.Not in the way she deserved.Not with conditions. Not with contracts. Not with desperation.But with love.Our marriage had begun with papers, contracts, and deception. She had given me her love despite everything, and I wanted the world to see that this time… it wasn’t business. It was forever.So, for the first time in my life, I planned something unforgettable. Not for business, not for image, not for reputation… but simply for her. ~JESSICA~I thought we were attending another one of Daniel’s business galas, an extravagant charity ball hosted in a glass-domed ballroom overlooking the city skyline.The public criticism had calmed down, but we were yet to hear from Mr
~JESSICA~I sat in the back of the crowded press hall, my hands trembling as Daniel took the stage. My heart thundered in my chest, every nerve in my body on edge.I hadn’t known what he was going to say. I hadn’t even had the chance to ask. When he told me he was calling a press conference, I thought it would be about damage control….a carefully worded denial, a safe half-truth crafted by lawyers and PR.But as soon as the first words left his mouth, my blood ran cold.“The marriage between myself and Jessica Adams… began as a contract. A business arrangement. A lie.”Gasps echoed around me, but mine was the loudest in my own head. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. No, Daniel. Why would you admit it like that?Every flash of a camera felt like a dagger. Every furious murmur from the press like a blow. He was handing them the truth on a silver platter….the very thing we had fought so desperately to protect.And then… his voice shifted. Stronger. Cleare
~DANIEL~I stood in the mirror staring at myself all dressed up in suit.Jessica walked to me and adjusted my tie. I had told her I was calling a press conference but I didn't tell her what I had in mind to say.She would find out later. She's going with me to the press conference.She's also dressed in a beautiful black, short gown that fitted her so well even despite the shootout of her belly in the dress.I took my phone and dialed my lawyer's number. He answered the call almost immediately.“Mr. Sutherland,” he called.“Is everything set for the press conference?” I asked.“Yes” he replied.“Alright, I'll be there soon” I told him and dropped the call.The next person I called was my secretary.“Is everything set?” I asked her.“Yes, Sir. The bouncers are on their way to your house already” she informed me.Just then, I heard the sound of screeching tires outside the gate.“I think they're here” I told her. Immediately I ended the call. “Let's go, swee
~JESSICA~Mr. Isogawa's line clicked.“Jessica,” his deep voice came through, clipped and furious. “Do you have any idea the damage your little stunt has caused? Do you realize the humiliation I suffered this morning? My board, my shareholders—everyone is calling me a fool for trusting Sutherland!”Tears spilled down my cheeks, but I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling yet steady enough to carry. “Mr. Isogawa, please… this was all my fault. Not Daniel’s.”There was a pause on the line. “What?” he demanded sharply.I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. “Daniel… he liked me. He… he wanted me. But I didn’t feel the same back then. I didn’t want to be with him, so I only agreed to the arrangement on one condition—that it was a fake marriage. He signed it for me, because he loved me that much.”Silence. My hands shook as I clutched the phone tighter. “But then… then everything changed. I fell in love with him. Completely. Truly. We’ve been together ev
~DANIEL~My lawyer’s words echoed in my ears as I hurriedly unlocked my phone. My heart dropped the moment the screen lit up with endless notifications….news alerts, emails, dozens of missed calls.The headlines glared back at me like a cruel joke:“Daniel Sutherland’s Marriage a Sham?”“Exposed: Fake Marriage Contract Between Sutherland and Jessica Adams!”“Corporate Fraud or Strategic Betrayal?”My stomach clenched. The file. Somehow, someone had leaked the damn contract.I scrubbed a hand over my face, my pulse hammering. “Who leaked it?” I asked the lawyer through clenched teeth.“We don’t know yet,” he replied quickly, “but the news is everywhere. Every blog, every outlet, every shareholder group chat. It’s spreading like wildfire.”Before I could reply, another call came through….this time from my assistant. I switched lines, my voice sharp. “What?”“Sir, the CEO of the Armitage companies just called. He’s livid. He’s demanding answers. If this story is tr