Chapter 2: The Husband Appears
Miller had exactly ten minutes to prepare for the most important—and potentially fatal—meeting of his new life.
Which he spent… pacing in circles.
"This is bad. This is really bad," he muttered, fixing his tie for the fifth time. "Meeting Andro means the plot officially starts. And when the plot starts, the villain suffers. And when the villain suffers—"
"He dies," he finished dramatically, pointing at himself in the mirror.
He took a deep breath.
"No. Stay calm. I just need to act normal. Not evil. Definitely not evil."
He paused.
"…What does 'normal villain assistant' even look like?"
Before he could spiral further, his phone buzzed.
A single message.
Cloe: Car. Now.
Miller froze for a second before rushing out like his life depended on it—which, honestly, it did.
The car ride was silent.
Too silent.
Miller sat stiffly beside Cloe, trying his best to look professional while internally screaming.
Cloe, on the other hand, was completely calm, flipping through documents on her tablet like she wasn't about to meet her contract husband.
"You're unusually quiet today," she said without looking at him.
Miller forced a smile. "Just… conserving energy."
"For what?"
"…Breathing."
Cloe slowly turned her head and looked at him.
Miller looked straight ahead.
Don't make eye contact. Predators detect fear.
"…You're definitely acting strange," she said.
"Thank you," he replied automatically, then immediately regretted it.
Cloe narrowed her eyes but didn't push further.
"Today's meeting is simple," she continued. "We'll finalize a few remaining terms. After that, the contract marriage proceeds as planned."
Miller nodded, though his brain was stuck on one sentence.
Contract marriage proceeds.
So it really was happening.
No turning back.
He swallowed.
"Andro… will agree, right?" Miller asked cautiously.
Cloe's expression didn't change, but her voice became slightly colder.
"He already agreed."
Of course he did.
Because Andro was that kind of person.
Patient. Quiet. Enduring.
The kind of man who would accept a loveless marriage without complaint… and still care more than anyone else.
Miller felt a strange discomfort in his chest.
Right… and I'm supposed to ruin that guy's life.
"…Yeah, no. Definitely not doing that," he muttered under his breath.
"What?" Cloe asked.
"Nothing! I said… great. Very great."
The car stopped in front of a high-end restaurant.
Miller stepped out, his legs feeling slightly weak.
"Okay," he whispered to himself. "Rule one: don't provoke the male lead. Rule two: don't act like a jealous psycho. Rule three: survive."
"Are you coming or planning to live here?" Cloe's voice cut in.
"Coming!"
They entered together.
The atmosphere inside was quiet, elegant, and expensive enough to make Miller nervous about breathing too loudly.
And then—
He saw him.
Andro.
Sitting by the window, dressed simply but neatly, his posture straight, his expression calm.
There was nothing flashy about him.
And yet… he stood out.
Miller blinked.
Oh.
So this is the male lead aura thing.
Because even without doing anything, Andro had a presence that felt… steady.
Warm.
Dangerously easy to rely on.
"Miss Cloe," Andro said, standing up politely.
"Mr. Andro," Cloe replied with a small nod.
Then his gaze shifted.
To Miller.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
And Miller felt it.
A strange pressure.
Not hostility.
Not anger.
Just… quiet awareness.
Like Andro could already tell something was different.
"…Assistant Miller," Andro said.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Miller immediately straightened.
"Mr. Andro! Nice to meet you! I mean—not nice to meet you—we've met before—I mean—"
Abort mission. Abort mission.
Cloe glanced at him, clearly questioning her life choices.
Andro, however, just watched him silently.
"…You seem different today," Andro said.
Miller froze.
Why does everyone keep saying that?!
"Haha, really? Just trying a new personality," he said nervously.
"…I see."
They sat down.
The meeting began.
At least, it was supposed to.
But Miller's brain refused to cooperate.
Because he couldn't stop noticing things.
Like how Andro naturally pulled the chair slightly for Cloe without making it obvious.
Or how he poured water for her first before touching his own glass.
Or how he listened—actually listened—when she spoke.
And Cloe…
Didn't notice.
Or maybe she did.
But didn't care.
Because to her, this was just a contract.
Nothing more.
Miller clenched his jaw slightly.
This is exactly how it starts.
Small things ignored.
Feelings unnoticed.
Until it's too late.
"Assistant Miller."
He snapped out of his thoughts.
"Yes?!"
"Focus," Cloe said coldly.
"Right. Focus. Very focused."
Andro's gaze lingered on him again, thoughtful.
Miller quickly looked down at the documents.
Stay out of it, he reminded himself. This is their story.
But somehow…
The more he tried to stay out—
The more he noticed everything.
And the more he noticed…
The harder it became to pretend he didn't care.
As the meeting ended, Andro stood up.
"I'll agree to the terms," he said calmly.
Cloe nodded. "Good."
Simple.
Clean.
Just like a business deal.
And yet…
As Andro turned to leave, he paused for a second.
Then, quietly—
"Take care of your health," he said to Cloe.
She frowned slightly. "I'm fine."
But he just gave a small nod and walked away.
Miller watched him go.
That one sentence echoed in his mind.
Take care of your health.
Such a small thing.
But in the story…
That's exactly the kind of care Cloe would only understand after losing him.
Miller exhaled slowly.
"…This is going to be a mess," he muttered.
"What is?" Cloe asked.
Miller looked at her.
At the woman who didn't yet realize what she would lose.
"…Nothing," he said.
But inside, his resolve wavered.
Because for the first time—
Avoiding the story didn't feel enough.
And he had a terrible feeling…
That no matter what he did—
He was already part of it.