Chapter 5

The room fell into complete silence.

Every pair of eyes turned toward the man standing at the doorway. Tall. Cold. Powerful.

Jason Lu walked into the study with slow, controlled steps, his dark tailored suit making his sharp features appear even more intimidating.

My breathing became uneven instantly. It was really him. The stranger from my wedding night. The man from the boutique.

And now—

Young Master Lu.

My husband’s son.

My mind struggled to process everything at once. This was impossible. Absolutely impossible. Yet the closer he walked toward me, the stronger the familiar warmth became.

The same scent. The same eyes. The same voice that haunted my thoughts endlessly. Jason’s sharp gaze finally settled on the lifeless body lying on the bed. For the first time since he entered the room, emotion crossed his face.

Pain. Real pain. The powerful aura around him weakened slightly as he stepped closer to his father.

“Dad…”

The single word sounded unusually heavy. The executives lowered their heads respectfully while silence filled the study once more. Jason stared quietly at the old billionaire for several seconds before slowly shutting his eyes. His fists clenched tightly beside him.

“You should have waited for me,” he muttered bitterly.

Something about the scene made my chest ache unexpectedly. No matter how powerful he looked, in this moment, he was simply a son grieving his father. Suddenly, one of the executives cleared his throat awkwardly. “Young Master… there’s something you need to know.”

Jason opened his eyes slowly. The coldness returned instantly

“What is it?”

The sharp-faced executive glanced toward me briefly before speaking.

“Chairman Lu got married before his death.”

Jason’s expression darkened immediately. The room became tense again.

“What?”

His voice was calm Too calm. Dangerously calm. The executive pointed toward me carefully.

“She is the woman.”

Jason’s sharp gaze landed on me fully now. The intensity nearly made me stop breathing. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Recognition flashed briefly in his eyes. He remembered me too. I could see it clearly. The boutique. The wedding night. Everything. Then suddenly, his gaze shifted toward the contract in my trembling hands. His expression changed instantly.

“What is that?” I swallowed nervously.

“The marriage contract.”

Jason stepped forward immediately and snatched the papers from my hands. His eyes scanned the pages quickly. Then froze. genuine shock appeared on his face. Jason Lu. The groom’s signature.

His signature. The atmosphere turned suffocating.

“This…” he muttered slowly. “What kind of sick joke is this?”

“No joke, Young Master,” one elderly executive answered carefully. “Chairman Lu legally arranged this marriage before his death.”

Jason’s jaw tightened violently.

“He married her to me?”

Nobody answered. But silence itself became the answer. My heart pounded painfully inside my chest. So it was true. I wasn’t married to the old billionaire. I was married to Jason Lu. The same man who spent the night with me. The same man who kissed me until I forgot my fears.The realization made heat rush uncontrollably to my face. Jason suddenly looked toward me again. This time, his expression was unreadable.

“You knew?” he asked coldly.

My eyes widened.

“No!”

“I only found out now!”

His gaze lingered on me for a few more seconds before returning to the contract again. Anger slowly darkened his face.

“That old man…” he muttered under his breath.

Despite his frustration, I could sense something else hidden underneath. Confusion.Conflict. Maybe even guilt. One elderly executive stepped forward nervously.

“Chairman Lu’s final will states that the marriage is legally binding.”

Jason laughed bitterly.

“Even in death, he still controls everything.”

Then suddenly, his eyes returned to me. Sharp. Intense. Dangerously unreadable.

“What’s your name?”

“Mia Laurent.”

The moment I answered, something flickered inside his eyes. Recognition. But before I could understand why, another executive interrupted.

“The media already knows about the chairman’s death. Reporters will arrive soon.” Jason’s expression hardened immediately.

“Prepare the funeral arrangements.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

The executives quickly left the study one after another. Soon, only Jason and I remained beside the dead chairman. The silence between us became unbearable. I lowered my gaze nervously.

“I didn’t know any of this,” I whispered softly.

Jason said nothing. He simply stared at his father’s body quietly.

Then finally—

“He always did whatever he wanted.”

Something about his tone carried years of frustration. I hesitated briefly before asking carefully.

“Did you hate him?”

Jason gave a cold smile.

“Hate?”

He loosened his tie slowly.

“My father loved controlling people more than loving them.”

The bitterness in his voice surprised me.

For some reason, I suddenly realized something. Jason wasn’t as cold as he pretended to be. He was wounded. Deeply wounded. Then unexpectedly, his eyes landed on the bracelet around my wrist. His expression froze instantly. My pulse quickened. He recognized it.

“You kept it,” he murmured softly.

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“I found it after that night.”

For the first time since entering the room, the tension in his face softened slightly. But it disappeared too quickly. Jason suddenly stepped closer. Too close. My breathing became uneven immediately.

“You should stay away from the Lu family politics,” he warned quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“My father’s death will create problems.”

Fear crawled through me slowly.

“And now you’re involved.”

Before I could ask another question, the study doors opened again.

“Young Master,” the elderly housekeeper said carefully. “The reporters have arrived.”

Jason’s expression instantly turned cold once more. He looked at me briefly. Then spoke words that made my heart tighten.

“From today onward…”

He paused slightly.

“You are officially Mrs. Lu.”