*Chapter 44: Fear Carved in Silence*
Zhao Liang returned one night without warning. The way he approached her was deliberate, slow, controlled. His hand brushed hers briefly — almost tender, almost casual — but the intent behind it was suffocating.
Li Xue stiffened, heart racing. The fear wasn't in pain; it was in anticipation, in the knowledge that he could claim her at will. Clause after clause, rule after rule, tightened around her like invisible chains.
Her math classes offered fleeting relief. In the classroom, she solved equations mechanically while her mind raced with fear and memories. Her professor noticed her detachment but chalked it up to concentration.
Every night, she replayed the contract clauses in her head, questioning what she could do and what she couldn't. Fear had become a constant companion, shaping every thought and movement.