The ride back to the mansion was unusually quiet.
Rain tapped gently against the windows of the black car as it glided through the empty streets. The city lights blurred past like distant stars.
Amara sat beside Alexander in the back seat, wrapped in his coat. It still carried his faint scent—clean, sharp, and strangely comforting.
Neither of them spoke.
But the silence was different tonight.
It wasn't the cold distance that had existed between them since the contract began.
It felt… aware.
Alexander leaned back slightly, his eyes closed. The hospital had cleared him to leave, but the poison had clearly taken its toll. His breathing was calm, though a faint line of tension remained on his forehead.
Amara glanced at him.
For a man who controlled billions and commanded an empire, he suddenly looked very human.
Vulnerable.
And that thought unsettled her.
She quickly looked away.
This marriage was fake.
Temporary.
Just a contract.
The car finally turned through the tall iron gates of the mansion. The guards immediately opened them, their expressions serious as the vehicle passed.
The attack at the charity gala had shaken everyone.
When the car stopped, the driver hurried to open the door.
Alexander stepped out first.
The mansion stood tall and silent in the night, its massive windows glowing softly under golden lights.
He turned back toward Amara.
"You should rest," he said.
"So should you."
Alexander gave a faint smirk.
"Are you always this stubborn?"
"Only when necessary."
For a brief moment, the corner of his lips lifted into a small smile.
It disappeared quickly.
Inside the mansion, the staff had clearly been waiting. The housekeeper approached immediately.
"Sir, the doctor has sent additional medication—"
"Later," Alexander interrupted calmly.
His gaze shifted toward Amara.
"Make sure Mrs. Kingston eats first."
Amara blinked.
Mrs. Kingston.
The title still sounded strange.
The housekeeper nodded respectfully. "Of course."
Alexander turned to walk toward the staircase but paused halfway.
Then he looked back.
"Amara."
"Yes?"
"Thank you… for staying."
The words were quiet.
But sincere.
Amara felt her chest tighten slightly.
"You would have done the same," she said.
Alexander didn't answer.
Instead, he gave a small nod before continuing upstairs.
Later that night, the mansion was completely silent.
Amara stood by the large window in her bedroom, staring out at the rain-soaked gardens.
Her mind replayed everything that had happened.
The poisoned wine.
The hospital.
The rain outside.
And the moment Alexander had placed his coat around her shoulders.
Something about it kept lingering in her thoughts.
She sighed softly.
"This is dangerous," she whispered to herself.
Because the rules of the contract were clear.
No emotions.
No attachments.
No real relationship.
But tonight…
It didn't feel fake anymore.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
She opened the door.
One of the maids stood there holding a tray.
"Mr. Kingston asked that you drink this tea before sleeping."
Amara blinked.
"He did?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She took the tray slowly.
"Thank you."
When the maid left, Amara looked at the cup.
It was a simple gesture.
Yet it made her heart feel strangely warm.
Across the hall, Alexander sat alone in his private study.
A glass of water rested on the table beside him.
He stared at the security monitor screens lining the wall.
Footage from the charity gala replayed silently.
Someone had tried to kill him.
And they had nearly succeeded.
But that wasn't what occupied his mind.
Instead, he remembered something else.
Amara standing in the rain outside the hospital.
Waiting.
For him.
He leaned back in his chair slowly.
For years, Alexander Kingston had trusted no one.
Not his business partners.
Not his employees.
Not even most of his own family.
Yet tonight…
For the first time in a long while…
He felt something unfamiliar.
He turned off the monitors and stood.
Then he walked toward the large window overlooking the dark grounds of the mansion.
"This was supposed to be simple," he murmured.
A contract.
A temporary marriage.
A solution to a problem.
But now…
The lines were beginning to blur.
And deep down, Alexander knew something dangerous was happening.
The contract was beginning to feel real.
And that could destroy everything.