The estate gates closed behind them with a muted thud, the sound echoing louder in Nicole's chest than it should have. The car ride back had been unbearable—too quiet, too heavy. Her father's words replayed on a relentless loop, but worse than that was Gu Sean's voice cutting through the chaos at her parents' house.
I love your daughter.
They were already married—legally bound, signatures dry—but those words still felt like they crossed a line she hadn't agreed to yet.
As soon as they stepped inside the house, Nicole slipped out of her heels and walked a few steps ahead, needing space to breathe. The grand living room felt too big, too quiet, like it was listening.
She stopped suddenly.
"I need to ask you something," she said without turning around.
Gu Sean halted behind her. "Okay."
She faced him then, arms folding around herself, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion weighing on her shoulders. "Why did you say that back there?"
He didn't pretend not to understand. "Say what?"
"That you love me," Nicole said plainly. "We're married on paper, yes—but that wasn't part of the agreement. That wasn't rehearsed."
Her voice wasn't angry—just unsettled.
Gu Sean studied her carefully, as if choosing honesty over strategy for once. "I know."
"Then why say it?" she pressed. "You put me in a position I wasn't ready for. We agreed this was a contract marriage. Practical. Clean. You saying that makes it… messy."
His jaw tightened, but his voice stayed calm. "Because I couldn't let him tear you down anymore."
"That doesn't explain it," she said. "You could've defended me without saying you loved me."
"You're right," he admitted. "But it wouldn't have been the truth."
Nicole felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"That's what scares me," she said quietly. "We barely know each other like that. We're married, yes—but love? That's not something you just decide."
"I didn't decide," Gu Sean replied. "It happened."
She shook her head, unsettled. "This is moving too fast. I don't know how I'm supposed to process this."
"I'm not asking you to," he said. "I know this is strange. I know it's uncomfortable. And I know you don't trust it."
She laughed softly, humorless. "You're right. I don't."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, almost reluctantly, he spoke again—lower this time.
"When your father flipped the table," he said, "your first instinct was to shield your left side."
Nicole stiffened.
"You always do that," he continued. "Even now. When you're overwhelmed."
Her stomach dropped. "How would you know that?"
Gu Sean's eyes never left hers.
"You hate the smell of saltwater," he said quietly. "Not because you dislike the ocean—but because it reminds you of how cold it was that night."
The room seemed to tilt.
Nicole swallowed hard. "Stop."
"You stopped fighting before you were pulled out," he went on, voice steady but careful, "because you were exhausted—not because you wanted to give up."
Her pulse roared in her ears.
"That's not something you told me," Gu Sean added. "You've never told anyone."
Her breath came shallow. "How do you know that?"
Silence stretched between them, heavy and dangerous.
"I was there," he said.
Nicole stared at him, disbelief crashing over her in waves. "No," she whispered. "That's not—"
"You never saw my face," he said softly. "You were barely conscious. But you grabbed my sleeve. You wouldn't let go."
Her knees felt weak.
"You kept apologizing," he continued, voice rougher now. "You said you were tired. That you didn't want to be a burden."
Tears burned her eyes.
"That's impossible," she said, backing away a step. "If you were the one who rescued me, why wouldn't you tell me? Why wait until now?"
"Because I didn't save you so you'd owe me," Gu Sean said firmly. "And I didn't marry you because of that night."
"Then why tell me now?" she demanded, emotions spiraling—confusion, suspicion, something dangerously close to betrayal.
"Because you deserve the truth," he said. "And because I realized today that letting your family hurt you while I stayed silent about that would be the real betrayal."
Nicole pressed a hand to her chest, breathing uneven.
"You should've told me," she said hoarsely.
"I know," he replied. "And you have every right to be angry. Weirded out. Suspicious."
She laughed shakily. "This is beyond weird."
"I'm not asking you to trust me immediately," he said. "We're married, yes—but trust isn't something I expect just because of that. Take your time. Question everything if you need to."
She looked at him—really looked at him—and for the first time, the memory of strong arms pulling her from the water aligned too perfectly with the man standing in front of her now.
"I don't know what to do with this," she admitted.
Gu Sean nodded. "Then don't do anything yet."
He stepped back, giving her space. "Just know this—my feelings didn't start with the contract. And they didn't start today."
Nicole stood there long after he left the room, heart racing, mind unraveling.
They were married.
And suddenly, everything she thought she understood felt fragile, rewritten by a truth she wasn't sure she was ready to face.