*Chapter 51: Silent Commands*
Li Xue had grown used to the silence of the penthouse, but familiarity did not ease fear. Zhao Liang's footsteps echoed in the hallway before he entered. His eyes scanned the room, noting every detail — the notebooks, the textbooks, her posture. Each step toward her carried a weight she could not escape.
"You didn't finish the last assignment," he said quietly, holding her math notebook in one hand. The casual tone masked the strictness behind it.
"I… I tried," Li Xue whispered.
He leaned closer, his presence pressing into her chest. Clause after clause of the contract flooded her mind — her loyalty, her obedience, her submission. The air between them became suffocating. She flinched slightly, and he noticed. A slow smile crossed his face, not cruel exactly, but laden with power.
Meanwhile, Mei Yan struggled through another complex case involving corporate fraud. She thought of Li Xue often, worrying for her friend who navigated fear and control every day. Shen Wei dropped by the office later, offering a casual dinner to lighten her mood, but his mind was constantly on Li Xue too.
Across the city, Han Qiang faced setbacks in a business merger, feeling the sting of failure for the first time in years. He laughed with friends to mask his anxiety, but inside, he felt the emptiness of responsibility — a subtle echo of Li Xue's own isolation.