Contracted: Love In The Shadow의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

~~~~ Lucian let out a slow breath, ignoring the man standing at the door with his eyes fixed on him. He did not need anyone to tell him what Jake was thinking. And truthfully… he did not care. Hell no. That answer came quickly in his mind. There were bigger things on his plate than Jake’s opinions. His gaze dropped back to the document, another sigh slipping out. It was all there… and yet, not what he needed. Fragments. Pieces. Surface details. Everything about Mira after she became unstable. After the anger. After the chaos. But nothing about before. Nothing about the moment that broke her. Nothing about what made her run. He had spent money, time, effort… and still, that part of her life remained hidden. That alone told him something. Someone had buried it. And there was only one person who would go that far. Nicholas. Lucian’s jaw tightened slightly. That incident… whatever it was… had to be important. Not just important. Crucial. The kind of truth that could either destr

~~~~ As the moments passed, my memories came rushing back, faster and clearer. Everything replayed in my mind, one after the other, like it had just happened. I wanted to hold onto my sanity, to hide it for as long as I could. But it was obvious. Everyone in the room had noticed the change, even the maid. But... Would that be a problem? If he finds out I am not fit to be his wife… would he let me go? Yes, that thought crossed my mind. But during those few moments when I lost my memory, he did not leave me. He did not treat me badly either. Instead, I remembered the way he cared for me, even if it was just for a short moment. For that brief time, he almost felt like a real husband. Now, looking at his concerned face, I felt confused. He should let me go. “Yes, I am okay,” I said as he gently helped me back to the bed. Lucian sat beside me but said nothing. He signalled to Jake, who walked over with his medical tools. While he examined me, I stayed quiet, thinking. Should I prete

~~~~~ The room was way too quiet for my liking but I didn't say anything... Not at first. Lucian Creed sat across from me, watching without interrupting. Not relaxed, not fully tense either. Just alert. Like a man trying not to miss a single word that could either save him or ruin him. And honestly, I liked that. Because this was not a game anymore. This was business. Dirty, personal, dangerous business. Now let's share my plan. “It is funny,” I said, leaning back slightly, “how the smell of raw money is the only thing that can drag Nicholas Dolman out of whatever hole he crawled into.” Lucian did not react much. Just a small shift in his eyes. “That is not far from what I was thinking,” he said calmly. “Yeah? But it is different,” I cut in immediately. My eyes stayed on him. “For this to work, we both have to play our parts properly. My father probably thinks I am either sold off or locked up somewhere crying like a useless bitch.” A small silence followed that. I meant e

~~~~~ Just as Jake had advised, Lucian was spending enough time with Mira. They talked about the plan to bring Nicholas down, stretching it further. Along the way, they ended up talking about each other and their separate families. At first, he did not think the information was necessary, but as time went on, he soon found out that he had no choice in the matter. Answers to her questions just kept coming out of his mouth naturally, as if it had always been meant to be. All of a sudden, the idea of being close to her no longer disgusted him. And that scared Lucian deeply. **** “So, you are okay with doing it my way?” I asked him. “Well, compared to the brutal plan I had, yours seemed better,” he replied. “Brutal?” “Yes,” he said, then continued without hesitation. “But I just realized now that killing him would be a waste. It is better to make him suffer first, and then make him suffer more, even when he begs for it.” He paused slightly. “And if possible, I would love to st

~~~~ Sighing, I could not believe I was actually hoping for a better gown when I should be calling this whole thing stupid. Ignoring their sudden excitement, I sat down in front of the large mirror, staring at my reflection while the maids got to work on my hair and makeup. Seriously… God is amazing. How in heaven did He create human beings, especially women? For the past few weeks, I looked like someone who had just walked out of a mental hospital, which, to be fair, was not far from the truth. I had even tried putting on a little makeup before, just in case Lucian came into my room. But right now… Just a few brush strokes… And I looked completely different. “Damn, I look good,” I whispered. Josie smiled behind me. “Yes, Ma’am. You are beautiful. You should always look like this,” she said, then hesitated. “I mean no offense. It is just that since you married Mr. Creed, you have not really gone out or dressed like… you know.” she glance at me from head to toe. I raised an ey