The confidence in Helga’s voice sent a ripple through the room. The brothers stood in stunned silence, Ray’s fury faltering under her composed gaze. It was clear that Helga wasn’t just a secretary. She was soone who understood Es better than anyone in that room, and the power in her words made Ray’s anger seem almost small in comparison.
Helga’s mind raced as she stood in the room, her disdain for the Aron brothers solidifying with each passing second. These n—especially the new brother who had just appeared—hadn’t been there when Es was suffering, hadn’t even known she was ill. They acted like they cared now, but it felt shallow, almost as if their sudden concern was more about their own egos than about Es’s well-being. They didn’t appreciate the imnse effort Es had put in, the way she fought to keep herself together despite the poison coursing through her veins.
They shouted, demanded answers, but where were they when Es needed them the most? They had neglected her then, and now they thought they could swoop in and fix things? No. Helga wouldn’t risk it. She wasn’t about to let them get too close, to discover Es’s true vulnerabilities. The brothers might only know that Es was sick and poisoned, but if they ever found out how it had happened—or worse, who was behind it—it could unravel everything. It could an the end of the contract, and even worse, it could an Es being trapped in a relationship she could never escape from.
Helga’s instincts scread at her to protect Es, to keep the truth buried, and to prevent these n from gaining any more power over her. They didn’t deserve Es, and Helga wasn’t about to let them use her for their own gain. Not now. Not ever.
His voice trembled with restrained fury as he spoke, "You think you can just waltz in here, dictate what happens to my wife?" He stopped abruptly, locking eyes with Helga, who remained calm, almost defiant in her silence. "You have no right—none—to tell when to stop or how to handle this. She’s my responsibility."
Helga’s calm expression only stoked Ray’s anger further. It was as though she wasn’t taking him seriously, as though his concern for Es was sothing she could just dismiss. His voice rose, almost shaking with rage.
"Do you even understand what’s at stake here? Es’s life—her very existence—is hanging in the balance, and you expect to just back down? To stop trying to help her?"
Helga’s unwavering calm, her refusal to bend or show even the slightest hint of intimidation, set sothing off in Ray.
"You are just a secretary!" he roared, the words coming out harsher than intended. "You think you know Es better than her husbands? You don’t get to decide how we handle this."
But even as he raged, Helga’s eyes remained locked on his, resolute. She wasn’t budging, wasn’t flinching in the face of his outburst. Her calmness only enraged him more, a reminder that in this battle of wills, he wasn’t the one in control.
"I’m not going to stand by while you make decisions that could cost Es her life," Ray continued, his voice laced with venom. "You may think you know what’s best for her, but I’m not going to let you gamble with her future."
"I’m not gambling, Mr. Aaron," Helga corrected with an icy calm, her eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms in defiance. "I’m just stating a fact." Her words were sharp, unyielding, as she held his gaze. "Maybe you’ve forgotten, but yes, you are her husband — her contract husband."
Ray’s expression darkened, his fists still clenched at his sides as Helga continued. "You might have been married to her, but it was for the sake of that contract. As soon as it’s completed, you and Es will be nothing more than strangers. She won’t owe you anything, and you, Mr. Aaron, won’t have anything to do with her life."
Ray’s jaw tightened at the cold reminder. Helga’s words cut deep, stripping away the illusion of attachnt he had begun to build around Es. The truth of the contract lood like a barrier between them, a constant reminder that no matter what feelings he might develop, they were bound by terms — not by love.
"And you think that gives you the right to decide what’s best for her?" Ray retorted, though the weight of Helga’s words hit him harder than he’d care to admit.
Helga didn’t flinch. "Yes, I do. Because I care about her well-being — more than you realize. And I won’t stand by and watch as she’s forced into a situation she can’t escape, just because of a contract. When this is over, she’ll walk away free, and I will make sure that happens. Your duty ends when that contract is fulfilled, and I will not let you act like it doesn’t."
Ray stood frozen, his anger and frustration colliding with an undeniable truth. Helga wasn’t backing down, and for the first ti, he was forced to face the harsh reality — his claim on Es, no matter how deep his feelings went, was limited by sothing neither of them could escape. The contract was the only thing tethering them together.
As soon as those thoughts entered Ray’s mind, he found himself stunned. The wave of emotion that had washed over him left him montarily paralyzed.
He couldn’t believe the intensity of what had just surfaced in his heart. Why am I even feeling this anger? he questioned himself, confused by the turmoil churning inside him.
What Helga said wasn’t wrong. He had no real connection to Es — nothing beyond the paper-thin bond of a contract. The logic was simple, the facts undeniable. And yet, the thought of Es walking away as a stranger stirred sothing in him he couldn’t quite grasp.
Ray felt like a fool. Why did it matter so much to him now? Just monts ago, he would have agreed — it was just a contract, and they were nothing but temporary partners.
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