The Heirmaker's Bride のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 171 - チャプター 180

That one hit. And for a brief second, something flickered across Damian’s face.Not anger.Something closer to restraint.Sera stepped forward now. “Enough. Both of you.”This time, her voice held authority. It cut through the tension.For a moment.. Silence.Then... Damian suddenly inhaled sharply. It was subtle. But noticeable.His hand gripped the armrest of his wheelchair. His jaw tightened.Sera turned instantly. “Damian?”He didn’t answer immediately. His breathing shifted. Uneven. Controlled. But strained.“Damian?”She moved to him without thinking.All attention gone from Adrik.“What’s wrong?”He shook his head slightly. “…Nothing.”“That’s not nothing.”She crouched slightly in front of him, her voice shifting completely.Professional.Focused.Concerned.“Where does it hurt?”He hesitated.Then exhaled quietly.“Lower spine.”Sera’s expression changed immediately.“Pain level?”“…Eight.”Her eyes widened slightly. “That’s too high.”She reached toward him instinctively, ch

Lysandra leaned back.“Listen carefully.”She placed a small tablet on the table and turned it toward her.On the screen, the layout of the medical center. The treatment room. Equipment positioning. Access points.“You work second rotation in the neural therapy wing.”The woman nodded slowly.“Yes.”“You assist with calibration and system checks.”“…Yes.”“You have access to the interface controls.”A pause.Then...“Yes.”Lysandra’s gaze sharpened slightly.“That’s all I need.”The woman’s breath hitched.“…I don’t like where this is going.”“You don’t have to like it.”“I could lose my license.”“You could lose your family’s home.”That landed.Hard.The woman went quiet.Lysandra’s voice softened just slightly. Not kind. Just… controlled.“I’m not asking you to kill anyone.”The woman looked up quickly.“…You’re not?”“No.”A beat.“I just need… an incident.”The woman frowned.“What kind of incident?”“One that looks like a mistake.”Her stomach twisted.“That doesn’t make it bett

“Stabilize him!” Sera shouted.“Now!”The system finally cut.Silence crashed into the room.Heavy.Deafening.Sera’s hands moved quickly, checking his pulse.Weak.But there.“Come on…” she whispered under her breath.“Come on…”Her chest tightened painfully.“Don’t do this.”Behind her Adrik stood still. Watching.And in that moment..He knew.Not from logic.Not from words.But from the way she looked at him.The way her hands trembled.The way her voice broke.The way her entire world narrowed down to one man in that bed.He had lost.Not officially.Not completely.But enough.Enough to feel it.Deep.Unavoidable.Sera pressed her forehead briefly against Damian’s hand.Just for a second.A silent, desperate plea. Then...A breath.Rough.Uneven.Damian’s chest moved.“…kh..”A faint sound escaped him.Sera’s head snapped up.“Damian?!”His fingers twitched slightly.Another breath. Weak. But real.The room exhaled all at once.“He’s responding!”“Vitals stabilizing!”Nikolai cri

For a moment everything went still. Not the room. Just her.Sera stood there, staring at Adrik like he had just shifted the ground beneath her feet… and expected her to walk like nothing changed.“I love you, Sera.”The words lingered. Heavy. Unavoidable.She opened her mouth then closed it again.Nothing came out.Because what was she supposed to say to that?Her mind felt… blank. Not empty.Just overwhelmed.Too many thoughts crashing into each other at once.Too many truths she wasn’t ready to look at.Adrik didn’t look away.Didn’t take it back.Didn’t soften it.He meant it.Every word.And that made it worse.Sera swallowed, her fingers curling slightly at her sides.“…Adrik…”His name came out quieter than she intended.Careful. Like she was trying not to break something fragile. Or maybe, like she already knew she would.He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t rush her.Just waited.And that patience?That steadiness?It made her chest tighten in a way she didn’t like. Because he deserved

Two days later, the air inside the rehabilitation room felt different. Like something was waiting to happen.Even the machines seemed quieter, as if they were holding their breath with everyone else.Sera stood at her usual position, tablet in hand, but her focus wasn’t scattered this time. It was sharp. Grounded. The storm from the previous session had passed, but it had left something behind in her.Caution.Precision.No room for error.“Nikolai,” she said without looking up, “final calibration.”Nikolai nodded seriously, fingers moving across the console with surprising steadiness for someone his age.“I reduced the feedback surge limiter,” he explained. “It’ll smooth the signal when he transitions to full weight.”Sera glanced at the screen. Then at him. A small nod. “Good.”Across the room, Damian was already secured in the harness again. But today, there was something different about him too.He rolled his shoulders slightly, exhaling slowly as he looked at the setup. Then at S