*Chapter 59: The Quiet Storm*
Li Xue's fear had become a constant hum in her chest. Zhao Liang's presence in the room, even without touch, forced her heart into rapid rhythm. His rules, his clauses, the contract itself — all converged to make her life a carefully orchestrated tension.
At school, she struggled to focus on calculus, her pencil shaking as the numbers danced across the page. A classmate offered a smile of encouragement, but she barely returned it, afraid the distraction would anger him.
Mei Yan planned a small dinner for the friends — an attempt to give Li Xue a semblance of normalcy. Shen Wei teased her as she arranged plates; Han Qiang grumbled about missing business calls, but the humor felt hollow. Yet Li Xue's presence at the table, laughing quietly with Mei Yan, allowed brief moments of light.
That night, when Zhao Liang returned, the penthouse was silent, heavy. His approach was deliberate, measured. His gaze, focused and intimate, forced Li Xue to flinch, to shrink into herself. Yet beneath fear, a small ember of defiance remained — quiet, hidden, fragile.