Ara stepped out onto the quiet terrace outside the ballroom, the cool night air hitting her face like a wake-up call. Her hands were still trembling, but she refused to let the tears fall. Not here. Not tonight.
She leaned against the railing, breathing slowly, counting each inhale until the noise inside her head dulled just enough to think.
Freedom.
That word kept echoing.
She had signed the contract believing it was limited—temporary. A shield, not a cage. But the words she had read told a different story.
Conditions layered so carefully that they almost felt invisible. Almost.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
She didn't turn.
"I told you not to read it," Jae-min said quietly.
Ara laughed softly, without humor. "You also told me it wouldn't change my life."
He stopped a few steps away. "It wasn't supposed to."
"But it did," she replied, finally facing him.
"You just decided I didn't need to know."
His expression tightened. "I was trying to protect you."
"From what?" she asked. "Your family? The company? Or yourself?"
The question landed harder than she expected.
Jae-min looked away, jaw clenched. "You wouldn't understand."
"That's convenient," Ara said, her voice steady but cold. "Every time I get close to the truth, you decide for me what I can handle."
Silence stretched between them.
Inside, the music swelled, laughter rising as if nothing was wrong. As if her world hadn't tilted.
"I don't regret marrying you," he said finally.
"But I regret the timing."
Ara's chest tightened. "You regret me."
"No," he said immediately. "I regret that I had to make choices before I could trust anyone."
She shook her head slowly. "Then maybe you shouldn't have involved me at all."
His eyes darkened. "I didn't have that luxury."
"And I did?" she asked softly.
For the first time, he had no answer.
Ara straightened, squaring her shoulders. "I won't expose you. I won't make a scene. But don't expect me to smile and pretend anymore."
"You're my wife," he said.
She met his gaze without flinching. "On paper."
The words cut deeper than anger ever could.
She stepped past him, moving toward the doors. He reached out, stopping himself at the last second—his hand hovering in the air, never touching her.
"Ara," he said quietly. "If you walk away now… things will change."
She paused, her back to him. "They already have."
She went back inside alone.
From across the room, Yura noticed immediately. The absence beside Jae-min spoke louder than any announcement. Her eyes flicked from Ara to him, calculating, satisfied.
Jae-min remained on the terrace, staring at the spot where Ara had stood.
For the first time since the contract was signed, he felt it slipping out of his control.
And the fear that settled in his chest wasn't about exposure—
It was about losing her.