The night air on the balcony was cool, but the tension between Alexander and me was white-hot. He didn't move away; he stood there, waiting for an answer that could change everything.
"The 'Divine Medic' isn't just a rumor, Alexander," I began, my voice barely a whisper. I looked at my hands—the hands that had spent years learning the rhythm of the human pulse and the secrets of ancient herbs. "It's a legacy. My father spent his life trying to bridge the gap between modern medicine and the ancient healing arts of our people. He called it the 'Ancient Pulse'."
Alexander's eyes widened. "The same records the Board is trying to bury? Why would a billionaire family be afraid of a doctor from a small clinic?"
"Because," I said, stepping closer to him, "your father didn't just build this empire on stocks and real estate. He built it on a discovery my father made—a discovery that was stolen. The contract marriage... I didn't just sign it for the money. I signed it to get close enough to the servers to find the proof."
The silence that followed was deafening. I expected him to be angry. I expected him to call the security guards or the lawyer. Instead, Alexander let out a long, tired sigh and looked out at the lights of the city.
"You think you're the only one with secrets in this house?" he asked softly. He turned back to me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. "My father didn't just 'discover' those records. He became obsessed with them. He spent his final years looking for the 'Divine Medic' because he believed it was the only thing that could save him from the illness that eventually took his life."
I gasped. "He was looking for my father?"
"He was looking for the cure," Alexander corrected. "And now, the Board wants those records because they want to sell that cure to the highest bidder. If they find out you are the daughter of the man they robbed, they won't just break the contract. They will make sure you disappear."
He reached out and took my hand. His palm was warm, and for a moment, the 'Contract Marriage' felt more real than any legal document ever could. "We have to be careful. From this moment on, you aren't just my spouse. You are my most dangerous secret."
A sudden crash from inside the mansion broke the moment. We both turned toward the library. Aunt Catherine's voice rose in a sharp command, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
"They're searching the study," I whispered, panic rising in my throat. "The journals... I left them on the desk!"
Alexander grabbed my arm, his face set in a mask of determination. "Then we have to get there first. If they find those journals, the game is over for both of us."
We ran back into the darkened hallway, the stakes higher than they had ever been. Chapter 55 was the end of our peace—and the beginning of our war against the empire.