*Chapter 56: The Sharpness of Silence*
The penthouse was dim, lit only by the city lights filtering through the curtains. Li Xue sat at the table, textbooks spread before her. The numbers were clear, orderly — unlike the chaos in her chest. She traced a pencil along the equations, but her mind kept returning to the soft click of Zhao Liang's heels approaching from the hallway.
He appeared behind her, silent, observing. "You've been distracted," he said, his voice low and almost casual, yet every word was a blade.
Li Xue flinched slightly, hiding the shiver that ran through her. Clause 18: Wife must be mentally and physically available for all duties. The phrase repeated in her head, ink turning into iron chains around her ribs.
"I… I'm concentrating," she whispered.
He leaned closer, pressing just slightly on her shoulder. The sensation was intimate but oppressive. Her pulse raced, a mixture of fear, anticipation, and the faintest twinge of defiance.
Meanwhile, Mei Yan faced a client whose case echoed Li Xue's struggles: a young woman bound by debts and familial control. Mei Yan listened, comforted, and advised with precision. She thought of Li Xue often, wishing she could protect her friend from the penthouse walls. Shen Wei, leaning against the office door, watched her silently, realizing how fiercely she carried burdens she didn't have to bear alone.
Outside, Han Qiang negotiated with investors over a failing project. His humor veiled anxiety, his laughter masking fear, yet he couldn't stop thinking about Li Xue's pale face and the quiet restraint she carried with her like armor.