Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime
Chapter 108: Fleeting

Chapter 108: Fleeting

The white sheets rustled lightly as Zephany stirred in her hospital bed. Her lashes fluttered open, and the stark brightness of the ceiling above slowly came into focus. She blinked. Her head felt heavy, like she had just woken from a long dream she couldn’t quite remember. Her hand weakly gripped the edge of the blanket. A strange stillness hung in the air, and her limbs were sore as if they had been asleep for days.

Across the room, Kendrick’s fingers twitched. He groaned softly and opened his eyes. For a moment, he just lay there, trying to understand what had happened. The sterile smell of the room, the faint hum of machines, and the soft beeping near his bed slowly pulled him into full awareness.

Their eyes met across the room. Zephany’s heart skipped. Kendrick blinked a few times, surprised.

"Kendrick?" she said weakly.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. His voice was hoarse. "Zephany?"

For a second, they just stared. There was confusion, a flicker of recognition, and something else. Something unspoken. But before either could say more, a wave of drowsiness crashed over them again. Their eyes slipped shut almost at the same time, as if the moment had simply been borrowed from something fleeting, like a memory too brief to grasp.

Outside the room, Cassius stood in front of a tall glass panel. His reflection stared back at him, quiet and unreadable. He shifted his gaze to Sophia, who stood beside him like a statue, her arms crossed.

"Make arrangements," Cassius said in a low voice. "Christy and Levy cannot know. Not now."

Sophia gave a curt nod, already taking out her phone. "Understood. I’ll handle it."

Cassius didn’t speak for a few seconds. The mention of Kendrick’s family seemed to crack his usual sharp composure. His expression softened. The aloof, ever-calm businessman faded just for a moment. There was an ache in his eyes, a quiet sadness that slipped through his usual indifference.

"They don’t deserve this kind of pain," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Sophia didn’t comment, but she looked at him differently, with a faint flicker of curiosity or maybe empathy. She had rarely seen that side of him, only when it came to Kendrick and his family.

At the corner of the hall, Brent was on a secure call, speaking in low tones. "Yes. They’re stable now. Just woke up a bit earlier but fell asleep again. No, Larman, the doctors say the transfusions worked. For now, they’re safe."

He listened to the voice on the other end, nodding. "Yeah. A week. I’ll stay close. You should rest."

The call ended, and Brent slid the phone into his coat pocket with a sigh.

One week later...

Sunlight streamed through the half-drawn blinds, warming the room with a soft glow. Zephany woke first, eyes blinking open slowly. She winced slightly as she sat up, instinctively pulling the blanket higher over herself.

Across the room, Kendrick groaned and shifted, slowly opening his eyes. When he noticed her, his body tensed.

"You’re awake," he said, voice low and scratchy.

"So are you," she replied softly.

They stared at each other for a second. Then Zephany looked down at the IV in her arm, confused.

"What... happened?" Kendrick asked, sitting up carefully. "Why are you here?"

Zephany frowned. "I should be asking you the same thing."

She looked around. "We’re in a hospital?"

"Looks like it," Kendrick said.

They both fell into a short silence, processing it.

"I must’ve collapsed from exhaustion," Kendrick said with a sheepish shrug. "I was working late."

Zephany nodded. "Me too. I was about to leave for work that morning. I thought maybe I skipped breakfast or something."

At the same time, both whispered under their breath, "Sorry for making you worry."

Their eyes widened as the words overlapped.

Zephany gave a shy, nervous laugh. Kendrick rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling too.

"Well," he said. "Didn’t expect this scenario."

"Nope," she smiled. "Not at all."

Kendrick looked around the room. "But... where are we, exactly?"

As if on cue, the door opened. Cassius stepped inside with Sophia following behind. He had a tablet in one hand and an expression that gave nothing away.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up," Cassius said, his voice carrying a note of humor. "Had us thinking you two were trying to break a sleeping record."

Sophia walked to the foot of Zephany’s bed, checking the chart.

Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "Cassius? You brought us here?"

Cassius nodded. "Diamond Private Hospital. Best facility available. Not exactly a five-star hotel, but it’s quiet and discreet. We needed you safe, both of you."

Zephany blinked. "Wait... what do you mean? Safe from what?"

Sophia closed the chart with a soft thud.

"You were both in critical condition. Severe internal symptoms. High-level cell degradation. We had to act fast."

Kendrick frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Sophia gave a small shrug, her voice lighter. "I’m just kidding. Honestly, the two of you just overworked yourselves. Burnout caused your bodies to suddenly collapse."

She lied, trying to hide the truth. After all, the results from the doctors here showed exactly that, as if they had simply passed out from exhaustion.

Only the team at the advanced lab working privately with Larman knew what was really going on with their bodies, unlike the surface-level reports from the regular hospital lab.

Cassius sighed, placing the tablet on a side table. "You’ll know everything soon enough. For now, rest. You both were out for a week."

"A week?" Zephany and Kendrick said in unison.

Yeah, a week, Cassius thought to himself. Last time, it only took them three days to regain consciousness and start feeling better. But this time, it really did take a full week, exactly seven days.

Brent entered the room then, looking relieved. "You’re up."

Cassius tilted his head toward him. "Brent made all the arrangements. He’s the one who ensured your treatment was carried out fast. You can thank him later."

Zephany turned to Brent. "Thank you..."

Kendrick stared at the ceiling. "A week..." he repeated quietly.

Cassius stood at the foot of Kendrick’s bed, crossing his arms. "Look, I know this is overwhelming. But right now, all that matters is you’re stable. We’ve kept this quiet. Your family doesn’t know. And we’re doing our best to keep it that way."

Kendrick turned his head, his voice soft. "Mom... Levy... they don’t know?"

"No," Cassius said gently. "And it’s better they don’t. Not until we understand this fully."

For a second, something flickered across Kendrick’s face. Relief, mixed with guilt.

Zephany curled her fingers into the blanket, quiet. "Thank you," she said again, softer.

Cassius offered a half smile, though his eyes carried the weight of too many secrets.

"I’m going to step out," Sophia said. "You two need rest. I’ll update the files."

She walked out, and Cassius followed after a moment, leaving the two alone again.

Zephany leaned back against the pillow, still dazed.

Their eyes met again. Something about it felt familiar, though neither could place it.

Maybe it was just the strange comfort of knowing someone else had gone through the same thing.

Maybe it was something more.

They didn’t speak again for a while. The room was quiet, the sunlight soft on their faces. And somewhere just outside, the world kept moving.

One hundred thirty-eight days left.

And ticking.