The drive back to the mansion was painfully quiet.
Neither Rachel nor Lukas spoke.
The unknown caller's words echoed in both their minds.
End your contract with Lukas.
Stop searching for Ethan.
Forty-eight hours.
Rain began to fall again, tapping softly against the windshield.
Lukas broke the silence first.
"They're trying to separate us."
Rachel kept her eyes on the passing city lights.
"I know."
"They're scared."
She turned to him.
"Scared?"
"If they weren't, they wouldn't care whether I stayed or left."
Rachel remained silent.
She hated admitting it, but he was right.
The threats weren't random anymore.
Someone believed Lukas was becoming a problem.
When they arrived at the mansion, the butler was already waiting at the entrance.
His face looked unusually tense.
"Miss Rachel..."
She frowned.
"What happened?"
"You have visitors."
"I told everyone to cancel my appointments."
"They insisted."
"Who are they?"
Before the butler could answer, two men in dark suits stepped into the hallway.
Rachel recognized them instantly.
Members of Hawthorne Group's Board of Directors.
Mr. Sullivan.
And Mrs. Brooks.
Neither of them looked pleased.
Mr. Sullivan folded his hands behind his back.
"Miss Hawthorne, we need to talk."
Rachel sighed.
"It can wait until tomorrow."
"I'm afraid it can't."
Mrs. Brooks glanced at Lukas before returning her attention to Rachel.
"This concerns your marriage."
Rachel's expression hardened.
"My marriage is none of the board's business."
"It became our business the moment your husband started appearing in tomorrow's headlines."
Lukas frowned.
"What headlines?"
Mrs. Brooks placed a tablet on the table.
Rachel picked it up.
Her eyes narrowed.
The front page of every major business website showed the same photograph.
It was taken outside the hospital.
Lukas kneeling beside Rachel after the elevator accident.
The headline read:
Hawthorne Group CEO Risks Company Over Mysterious Husband.
Another article followed.
Board Questions CEO's Judgment After Recent Incidents.
Rachel clenched her jaw.
"They're using the media."
Mr. Sullivan nodded.
"Our investors are nervous."
Mrs. Brooks crossed her arms.
"And nervous investors sell shares."
Rachel looked up.
"So what exactly are you suggesting?"
The room fell silent.
Finally, Mr. Sullivan spoke.
"We believe your contract marriage has become... a liability."
Lukas's expression darkened.
Rachel's eyes turned cold.
"You've investigated my private life?"
"No."
"We've protected the company."
Mrs. Brooks stepped forward.
"If ending this marriage restores confidence..."
"...then perhaps it's time to consider it."
Lukas looked at Rachel.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't hesitate.
Her answer came without a second thought.
"No."
The room went quiet.
Mr. Sullivan blinked.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said no."
Rachel stood slowly.
Her voice remained calm, but every word carried authority.
"I built this company."
"I doubled its value."
"I protected every employee during the recession."
"And now..."
"You expect me to sacrifice someone who has done nothing wrong because investors are uncomfortable?"
Mrs. Brooks frowned.
"This isn't personal."
Rachel's eyes met hers.
"It became personal the moment you tried to decide who belongs in my life."
Neither board member spoke.
Rachel walked to the door and held it open.
"Our meeting is over."
Mr. Sullivan sighed.
"You still have forty-eight hours."
Rachel's expression didn't change.
"So do you."
He frowned.
"What does that mean?"
She smiled—a cold, unreadable smile.
"If the board thinks they can threaten my family..."
"...perhaps it's time I remind them who owns fifty-one percent of this company."
The two directors exchanged uneasy glances.
Without another word, they left.
The mansion doors closed behind them.
Silence filled the room.
Lukas looked at Rachel.
"You called me family."
Rachel froze.
She hadn't even realized she'd said it.
For the first time in years...
The word had slipped out naturally.
She looked away, a faint blush touching her cheeks.
"I..."
Before she could finish, Lukas smiled.
"You know..."
"I don't think that was part of the contract."
Rachel couldn't help it.
She laughed.
A real laugh.
The first one in a very long time.
But upstairs...
Hidden behind the curtains of an empty guest room...
A tiny red light blinked once.
Then disappeared.
Someone inside the mansion had been recording everything.