Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime
Chapter 118: Tease Back

Chapter 118: Tease Back

They ate in silence for a few minutes, the comfortable kind. When they were done, Zephany started to gather the dishes.

"Since you cooked, I’ll handle the washing," Kendrick said, standing up.

Zephany turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Didn’t you do everything before? Even when you were the one cooking, you still washed the dishes. So let me do it too."

He shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I’m happy doing those things for you."

She straightened her shoulders. "Well, I’m happy doing those things for you too."

They stood there, both holding onto the dishes, neither one wanting to back down. The air grew stubborn between them, playful but persistent.

Kendrick narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice warm but teasing. "We can argue about this all morning, you know."

Zephany huffed, not quite meeting his eyes. "I can be stubborn too."

"Oh, I noticed."

Just then, the chime of Zephany’s phone alarm filled the air.

She froze. "Oh no. That’s my prep alarm." She glanced at the clock. "I didn’t realize it’s already that late."

Kendrick gave her a triumphant smile. "Looks like I win."

Zephany frowned slightly, trying not to smile.

"Now, let me handle the washing," Kendrick continued, already moving toward the sink. "You still have to go to work, while I’m just staying here the whole day. So please, my dear wife, let me handle the dishes for you."

Her breath hitched.

It wasn’t the word itself. It was how casually he said it, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they were truly husband and wife.

Zephany quickly looked away, hoping he didn’t notice the blush rising to her face. Her heart thudded awkwardly against her ribs.

Without saying much, she turned toward the hallway. "Fine," she mumbled. Then, louder, "I’ll leave it up to you... my husband."

Kendrick blinked, momentarily taken aback. He didn’t expect her to tease back.

She didn’t look at him. She just disappeared into her room, the soft click of the door echoing in the hallway.

He chuckled to himself, running a hand through his hair. "Now she knows how to tease back."

Shaking his head fondly, he turned toward the sink and started washing the dishes.

His mind wandered.

What was he supposed to do today? He’d already finished going through the files Sophia had given him. They were full of detailed data, sure, but somehow none of it offered any real leads. Just more medical stuff. Nothing concrete. Nothing that actually pointed to what he was looking for. Besides, it was all dated way back, before he was even born. No new missions had come in from The Archive either. It had been too quiet.

Too quiet.

How could he level up if there was nothing to solve? And if he couldn’t level up, how could he ever reach the truth behind what happened back then?

Was fulfilling his one-year marriage contract with Zephany the only key to uncovering the truth?

He wiped a plate dry, frowning.

Or maybe... maybe there was more in those files than he first realized. Something buried in the layers. Something he missed.

His thoughts broke when he heard footsteps approaching.

Zephany appeared again, now dressed in her work attire. A navy blazer, crisp white blouse, and a loose bun replacing her usual messy one. She looked... different. More confident, though her eyes still had that familiar nervous flicker.

"I’ll be heading to work now," she said as she grabbed her bag from the counter.

Kendrick dried his hands on a towel. "Want me to drive you? Or at least walk you to the garage?"

She paused, then shook her head. "No need. You look really tired. You should rest."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she was already walking away, waving her hand.

"I can handle it! Bye. See you later, Ken!"

Kendrick laughed quietly as he watched her go. There was something strangely cute about the way she hurried down the hallway, shoulders squared like she was about to march into battle.

"You’re something else," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Zephany arrived at work, stepping into the office building with her thoughts still tangled.

Why did his voice sound so gentle when he called her wife?

And why did her chest squeeze a little when she said husband back?

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. The elevator ride was short, and before she knew it, she was stepping into the newsroom.

But her steps halted.

Sitting casually in her chair, spinning slightly as if it were his own, was Kaelion Voss. He looked up the moment he sensed her presence.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, Idol."

Zephany sighed, adjusting the strap on her bag. "Kaelion, why are you in my chair again?"

---

Back in the apartment.

Kendrick stretched his arms as he leaned back from the sink, drying the last plate with a kitchen towel. The sun continued to stream softly through the window, warming his skin and the lingering scent of breakfast in the air. The clinking of dishes echoed quietly in the background, mingling with the distant hum of traffic outside.

He hadn’t expected this morning to go this way.

Especially not that part.

"Fine, I’ll leave it up to you... my husband."

The words had echoed in his head more than once already. He smiled, a little dazed, as he thought about the way she said it—quickly, teasing, but with that nervous flutter behind it. It was the first time she called him that.

He wasn’t sure if she even realized it herself.

"Now she knows how to tease back," he murmured to himself, chuckling softly as he rinsed off a spoon. He placed it carefully on the rack. His chest felt light. Warm. But at the same time, his mind was already drifting elsewhere.

What was he supposed to do for the rest of the day?

Should he ask Sophia what exactly the files were? Maybe she had unknowingly given him the wrong ones. Maybe Cassius had swapped them without her knowing.