Chapter 3

The ride back to the mansion was painfully silent.I sat quietly in the backseat of the luxurious black car, clutching the bracelet tightly inside my trembling hands while countless thoughts battled inside my head. The mysterious stranger from the boutique…

Who was he?

Why did his voice sound exactly like the man from my wedding night? And most importantly…

Why did my heart react so strongly whenever he came close to me? I slowly leaned my head against the car window, watching the city lights blur past. Nothing about this marriage made sense anymore. Not the old billionaire. Not the strange wedding tradition. Not the blindfold. Not the mysterious young man. Everything felt like a carefully hidden secret. The moment the car stopped in front of the mansion, my chest tightened uneasily. The huge building looked colder tonight. Almost suffocating.

I stepped out of the car slowly and walked inside. The servants bowed respectfully as I passed, but their eyes carried strange pity.As though they knew something I didn’t. That feeling unsettled me deeply. The elderly housekeeper from earlier approached me immediately.

“Young Madam,” she greeted politely. “Master Lu is waiting for you in his study.” My heartbeat skipped nervously. “At this hour?” She nodded. “He said it’s important.” I swallowed hard.

A strange sense of dread crawled beneath my skin as I followed her upstairs. The mansion hallways were eerily quiet. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed against the marble floors. When we finally reached the study room, the old woman gently pushed the doors open.

“Please go in.”

I hesitated briefly before stepping inside. The study smelled strongly of old books and expensive cigars. Mr. Lu sat near the fireplace wearing a dark wine-colored robe. His aging fingers rested against a walking cane while a thick file sat on the table before him.

For some reason, he looked more exhausted than before. Almost fragile.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked softly. He slowly lifted his gaze toward me. “Yes.” His voice sounded unusually serious tonight. “Sit down, Mia.” I obeyed quietly. The moment I sat, his eyes landed on the bracelet in my hand. A strange emotion flashed briefly across his face. But it disappeared too quickly for me to understand. “Where did you get that?” he asked calmly. My fingers tightened around it. “I found it after… last night. ”Silence filled the room instantly. The fire crackled softly nearby. Mr. Lu stared at the bracelet for several seconds before finally sighing. “You should keep it safe,” he said quietly. My confusion deepened. Why was everyone acting strangely about this bracelet? I gathered courage slowly. “Sir… I want to ask you something.” He nodded slightly. “What is it?” I hesitated. Then finally asked the question tormenting me since morning.

“Who exactly came into my room that night?”

The atmosphere changed immediately.A dangerous silence settled inside the study. Mr. Lu’s expression hardened ever so slightly.

“You are my wife,” he answered calmly. “Does the answer matter?” My heart clenched.

That wasn’t an answer. It was avoidance. “I just…” I paused nervously. “Things felt confusing.” For a moment, the old billionaire simply watched me quietly. Then unexpectedly, he smiled. A tired smile. Mia,” he called softly, “have you ever loved someone enough to destroy your own happiness for them?” The sudden question caught me off guard.

“I… don’t understand.”

“You will someday.” Something about his tone made sadness creep into my chest. The old man before me suddenly looked less frightening. Less powerful. And strangely lonely. Slowly, he pushed the thick file across the table toward me.

“This is for you.”

I frowned slightly before opening it. The moment my eyes scanned the contents, my breath caught. Marriage contract. Property transfer clauses. Inheritance agreements. Confidentiality conditions. My hands trembled. “What is all this?” Mr. Lu leaned back weakly in his chair.“A protection. ”For who?” “For you.” I stared at him in disbelief.

The contract stated clearly: Mia Laurent would remain the legal wife of the Lu family heir. No member of the Lu family could remove her status without compensation. If anything happened to Mr. Lu, she would still retain rights within the family. Any betrayal against her would violate the chairman’s final will.

Final will? Fear crawled slowly through my body. Why did this sound like preparation for death? My eyes widened suddenly. “You’re sick…” Mr. Lu chuckled softly. “Very observant.” Panic flooded me unexpectedly. “No… no, you can’t…” I stopped myself. Why was I reacting emotionally? This was the same man I planned to escape from. Yet the thought of him dying suddenly felt disturbing.

“I don’t have much time left,” he admitted calmly. The room suddenly felt colder. “But before I die, there’s something I must protect.” My chest tightened uneasily. “What do you mean?” Instead of answering, he pointed toward the last page of the contract. “There’s one final condition.” I slowly flipped the page. Then froze completely. My signature was already there. But beneath it… Was another signature.

Jason Lu.

My breathing stopped. Jason Lu? Not Mr. Lu? My heart pounded violently. I looked up immediately. “Who is Jason Lu?” The old billionaire’s eyes softened slightly.

“The man fate tied to you long before this marriage began.” My entire body went cold. “What are you talking about? ”But before Mr. Lu could answer, sudden violent coughing interrupted him. His body shook painfully as he struggled to breathe.

“Sir!”

I quickly stood up in panic. Dark red blood stained the white handkerchief covering his lips. My eyes widened in horror. “Someone!” I shouted desperately. “Help!” The study doors burst open immediately as servants rushed inside. The elderly housekeeper gasped in fear. “Master!” Doctors were called instantly. The once calm study suddenly became chaotic. Servants rushed everywhere while Mr. Lu struggled weakly for breath. I stood frozen near the wall, terrified by the sight before me. Amid the chaos, Mr. Lu suddenly reached toward me weakly. “Mia…” I hurried closer.

“Yes?”

His trembling hand slowly pressed the contract into mine.

“Protect… that marriage… "

My tears nearly fell. “Please stop talking.” But he shook his head weakly. Then whispered something that shattered my entire world.

“The man from your wedding night…” My breathing stopped.

“…was never me.”

Everything inside me froze. The room. The voices. The chaos. All disappeared. Only those words remained echoing painfully inside my head. The man from my wedding night was not Mr. Lu, Then who was he? Before I could ask another question, the old billionaire’s hand suddenly fell lifelessly from mine. The monitors nearby exploded into frantic sounds. The servants screamed.

Doctors rushed forward desperately. But deep down… I already knew.

Mr. Lu was dying.....