His eyes darkened for a brief mont, but he didn’t look away. He was calculating, asuring his words carefully. "I can’t explain it all right now. It’s complicated. But I need you to trust . I’ll keep you safe, Zephany. I promise you."
The words felt empty to her. She wanted to believe him, but the silence that followed only deepened her doubts. It was as if Reynold was holding sothing back—sothing important. Sothing that, if she knew it, would change everything.
Zephany remained silent for a mont, her mind struggling to make sense of the situation. She wanted to ask him more, to press him further. But she knew her brother. She knew when he was set on not revealing too much. So instead, she nodded.
"I... I trust you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
But inside, she wasn’t so sure.
Reynold’s gaze softened, and he reached across the table, brushing his hand against hers in a rare gesture of affection. "Zephany, I’m doing this for you. I need you to understand that. I’m not keeping anything from you because I want to. There are just things I can’t explain yet."
She nodded again, though the uncertainty in her chest remained. It was so unlike her brother to keep things from her. He was aloof, distant at tis, but he never hid things from her. Not like this.
The silence stretched between them, and Zephany could feel the weight of the unspoken words hanging in the air. She wanted to ask him about the n—why had he sent them? Did they know more about her than he was willing to admit? But she couldn’t find the courage to ask, not yet. Not when the truth seed so far out of reach.
She picked up her chopsticks, trying to change the subject. "So, uh..." she trailed off, her voice faltering as she tried to keep the mood light. "How long will you be staying here this ti?"
Reynold took a deep breath, clearly lost in thought for a mont. He shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the question. But then, his gaze softened as he t her eyes.
"I’ll be staying for a long ti," he answered, his tone steady, though there was a hint of sothing beneath it that Zephany couldn’t quite place.
Zephany felt a small flicker of hope rise in her chest. She should be happy—this was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? To have her brother around more, to not feel so alone. But then, the reality of her own situation hit her.
She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "That’s great." Her voice was carefully neutral, but inside, she was scrambling for answers.
What about the contract? The arrangent with Kendrick? They were supposed to live in that shared apartnt for at least a year, and now her brother would be around? How could she balance it all?
She pushed those thoughts aside for now, focusing on the al before her. The tension between them had eased slightly, but the undercurrent of uncertainty remained. Zephany wasn’t sure what to say next. She had to figure out how to tell her brother about Kendrick, about their situation. But the words stuck in her throat.
---
[171 Days Left to Live]
The next morning, Zephany awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand. She groggily reached for it, rubbing her eyes as she saw the ssage from Sophia.
"Zephany, Kendrick," the ssage began, "Varen Enterprises is hosting a martial arts competition tonight. You’ll both be attending as guests. You will attend as a married couple. This is non-negotiable—it’s part of your contract, and you need to maintain that image for the event. We’ll be looking forward to it."
Zephany froze for a mont, her mind processing the words.
"What? Another married couple task again?" she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. "Are they serious? And on that big crowd? How can I keep this marriage a secret if it’s going to be like this?"
She frowned, her mind running in circles. "Varen Enterprises doesn’t usually host these kinds of events. Why are they doing it now? Is Cassius finally making his appearance known to the public?"
She sighed, her hand pressing against her forehead. "And my grumpy boss—he’s going to kill if he finds out I was there as a guest but didn’t report anything about it. Damn, what a hassle."
Kendrick was sitting in the living room of their house when he read the ssage. His expression was one of disbelief.
"What the!? Again?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Are they addicted to this act? What do they even get from this?"
Kendrick sighed, setting the phone down on the coffee table.
Just then, on Zephany’s side, a knock on her door made her jump. She quickly rose and went to the door.
"Zeph, breakfast is ready," Reynold’s voice ca from the other side, his usual calm tone filling the air.
Zephany quickly opened the door. "I’ll be there in a minute, Big Brother."
Reynold’s gaze softened, and he nodded. "Don’t keep waiting," he said, turning to leave.
After a few minutes, Zephany stepped out of her room, feeling slightly more awake. She smiled at herself in the hallway mirror, trying to shake off the worries from the morning’s ssage.
In the kitchen, Reynold sat at the table, sipping his coffee. He glanced up as she entered, his eyes lighting up a little. "Good morning!"
Zephany’s face lit up as she walked to the table. "Good morning, Big Brother!" She sat down eagerly, noticing that her favorite sandwich—a fried egg with crispy bacon between two slices of toast—was waiting for her. Beside it was a glass of chocolate milk. It was the perfect breakfast, and her stomach grumbled with anticipation.
Reynold pushed the plate closer to her. "Eat up. We both have a busy day ahead."
Zephany smiled, digging into the al. "Thanks, Rey. This is just what I needed."
She ate quietly for a mont, enjoying the familiar comfort of her brother’s presence. But as she took another bite, the weight of her plans for the evening ca back to her. The contract. The marriage. The event. How was she going to handle it all?
After a mont, she put down her fork, her stomach suddenly turning in knots. "Rey, I have work tonight," she said hesitantly, her voice softer than usual. "I need to cover an event hosted by Varen Enterprises. I’ll be out tonight."
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