*Chapter 3: Shadows of the Past*
The morning light spilled through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the penthouse floor. Li Xue woke to the unfamiliar silence, the absence of Zhao Liang's usual morning greetings making her heart ache more than she expected. She lay still for a moment, the weight of last night's conversation pressing down on her chest.
She knew this wasn't just a marriage of convenience — it was a battlefield. Every glance, every word, every breath between them was laced with tension and unspoken memories. Zhao Liang's amnesia was a wall between them, and the contract was the thin thread forcing them to coexist.
In the kitchen, she found Zhao Liang staring blankly at the coffee machine, his brow furrowed in frustration. "I don't understand why you're here," he muttered without turning around.
Li Xue's voice trembled, but she answered firmly, "Because this contract is the only way to keep you safe — and maybe, to remind you who you really are."
He scoffed softly, the sound bitter. "Safe? This is a prison. I don't know you. I don't know *us*. Why should I pretend?"
Her eyes stung. "Because I remember everything. The nights we spent dreaming about a future. The promises we made. The love we shared. You may have lost your memories, but I haven't."
Zhao Liang finally looked at her, his eyes clouded with confusion and something deeper — a flicker of recognition that frightened him. "How can you be so sure? What if it's just my past haunting you?"
Li Xue stepped closer, steadying herself. "Because I'm not giving up. Not on us. Not on the man I know is still inside you."
For a moment, silence wrapped around them again. But beneath it, a fragile hope began to stir — a hope that perhaps this contract marriage wasn't just a trap, but a chance for a new beginning.
And with that thought, Li Xue vowed to fight for their love, no matter what shadows lay ahead.