The luxury SUV pulled into the gravel driveway of the mansion with a sound that felt like a death knell. I stood by the grand window, my fingers trembling slightly as I smoothed out the wrinkles in my silk dress. This wasn't just a social visit; it was an interrogation.
"Remember the rules," Alexander whispered, his breath warm against my ear as he stepped up behind me. He placed a possessive hand on my waist, but his grip was tight—a warning. "We are in love. We are happy. And most importantly, we are a team."
"Even if we aren't?" I shot back, looking at his reflection in the glass.
"Especially if we aren't," he countered.
The heavy oak doors swung open, and Aunt Catherine stepped in, looking every bit the matriarch of a global empire. Behind her walked Mr. Sterling, the family's lead lawyer, carrying a leather briefcase that likely held the very papers that could ruin me.
"Alexander," Catherine said, her voice like velvet wrapped around steel. She didn't hug him; she inspected him. Then her sharp eyes turned to me. "And the 'spouse' I've heard so much about. You look... well-rested for someone living in such a high-stakes arrangement."
"I'm happy, Aunt Catherine," I said, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Alexander makes sure I have everything I need."
Mr. Sterling cleared his throat, opening his briefcase on the foyer table. "I apologize for the intrusion, but there are certain... discrepancies in the updated contract filings. We need to verify the medical background clauses immediately."
My heart stopped. The medical background? Did they know I was looking into the "Ancient Pulse" records? Did they know my medical skills weren't just for show, but part of a deeper search for the truth about my family's past?
Alexander didn't flinch. "My spouse's medical history is private, Sterling. We discussed this."
"Private from the public, yes," the lawyer replied, sliding a document across the table. "But not from the Board of Directors. There is a rumor that a 'Divine Medic' has been interfering with the company's research. We need to ensure that person isn't living under this roof."
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Alexander's hand tightened on my waist. I knew then that the mystery of the medical empire was no longer a secret I could hunt in the shadows. It was staring me right in the face.
"I have nothing to hide," I said, stepping forward. But as I looked at the document, I saw a name at the bottom that made my blood run cold. It was a signature I recognized—one from my father's old journals.
The game wasn't just about a marriage anymore. It was about a global empire, and I was right in the center of the storm.