Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime
Chapter 125: A Happy Morning

Chapter 125: A Happy Morning

[115 Days Left to Live]

Zephany woke up with a quiet start, blinking against the soft morning light that slipped in through the thin curtains of their small apartment. The air was cool, the kind that gently coaxed a person to stay under the covers a little longer. But not today.

She sat up slowly, brushing her hair out of her face. For a moment, she remained still, listening.

Silence.

A small, proud smile crept onto her face.

"I woke up earlier than Kendrick again," she whispered to herself, a little pleased hum escaping her lips.

She stood, slid her feet into the fuzzy slippers by the bed, and tiptoed out of the bedroom. The floor creaked gently beneath her feet as she padded toward the kitchen. There was a certain lightness in her steps, like her body already knew the rhythm of her new little morning tradition.

She flicked on the kitchen light, grabbed her apron, and tied it around her waist with a small twirl. The moment it was secure, she glanced at the clock on the microwave.

5:42 AM.

Plenty of time.

She opened the fridge, pulling out eggs, milk, and butter. On the counter, she placed a small bowl of flour she’d prepared the night before. As she started cracking eggs into a mixing bowl, a soft melody slipped past her lips — a random hum, cheerful and light. She didn’t even realize she was humming at first, but once she noticed, she only smiled more.

"I’m getting the hang of this, huh," she muttered, adding a little splash of milk with more confidence than she ever had before.

She stirred the batter, recalling how Kendrick had once stood behind her, gently guiding her hands as she mixed too hard, nearly sending flour flying.

"Slow, not angry," he had teased, a smile tugging at his lips.

She giggled softly now, remembering that moment so clearly. The way he stood close, patient, like he wasn’t in a rush. That memory made her press her lips together in a soft smile.

She moved on to the toast, sliding two slices of bread into the toaster, pausing only for a second to double-check the setting.

"No more burned toast," she told herself.

This time, everything was going smoothly. Pancakes sizzled gently on the skillet, the edges turning golden. She flipped them with ease, then moved on to slice some fruit and scramble the eggs. She worked quietly, focused but relaxed, still humming the same tune under her breath.

"Not bad for someone who couldn’t even fry an egg two months ago," she whispered to herself.

She glanced at the clock again. 6:12 AM.

Perfect timing.

She arranged everything on the small dining table — two plates of fluffy pancakes, a bowl of fruit, a small plate of toast, two glasses of orange juice, and a pot of freshly brewed coffee. She gave the table one last glance, hands on her hips.

Just then, soft footsteps echoed from the hallway.

She froze for a second, then smiled wider.

He’s up.

Kendrick’s footsteps approached steadily, and a few seconds later, he came into view. He walked into the kitchen, wearing his usual soft gray shirt and joggers, rubbing the back of his neck. His hair was slightly tousled from sleep, and his expression still carried the weight of someone not fully awake.

Zephany turned toward him immediately, her smile bright and warm.

"Good morning, Big Panda! Breakfast is served. Perfect timing!" she said, her voice light and cheerful.

Kendrick stopped at the kitchen entrance, his eyes settling on her first — the way her hair was tied up messily, her cheeks slightly flushed from the stove’s heat, her eyes bright with a kind of joy he hadn’t seen in a while. Then his gaze dropped to the food.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Zephany’s smile faltered just slightly, unsure if he was surprised or horrified.

But then he cleared his throat softly — a quiet nervous habit of his.

"Good morning, Zeph... you seem so happy today."

He walked in further, taking in the neatly arranged table.

"Seems my wife is determined to take my cooking role away from me," he added with a teasing smile as he sat down.

Zephany quickly turned her face away, hiding her smile. Her cheeks were already growing warm.

"It... it’s not that," she said softly, fumbling with the plate of fruit. "I just... wanted to help... a little."

Kendrick watched her carefully, amused. The way she avoided his eyes, the way her fingers fidgeted slightly with the table napkin. For some strange reason, he found her too cute right now. He had to resist the urge to reach over and pinch her cheeks.

But he didn’t.

He wasn’t sure how far the boundaries were in their strange, quiet marriage. Not yet.

Instead, he smiled, picked up his fork, and took a bite of the pancake. His eyebrows lifted immediately.

"Not bad," he said with a nod. "In fact... really good. Someone’s been practicing."

Zephany sat down across from him and finally allowed herself to smile again.

"I learned from the best," she said softly, poking at her scrambled eggs.

Kendrick looked up at her again, this time his expression gentler.

"You’re improving, wife. At this rate, I’ll be out of a job," he said with a mock sigh.

The word ’wife’ made Zephany freeze for just a second.

She looked at him, then quickly away. Her cheeks flushed again.

Every time he said that word — "wife" — she could never find a proper response. It always caught her off guard. Maybe it was the fact that when he said it, it felt real.

Too real.

Paired with his face — that calm, handsome face that looked like it belonged in some kind of lifestyle magazine — she was left completely speechless.

She stuffed a bite of toast in her mouth, hoping it would buy her time to recover. It didn’t.

Across the table, Kendrick tried not to smile too widely. He knew what he was doing. But something about seeing her get so flustered made it hard not to tease her.

They ate in comfortable silence after that, with Zephany occasionally humming as she chewed. She didn’t realize she was doing it until Kendrick raised an eyebrow at her.

"You’re humming again," he said.

Zephany blinked, surprised. "Was I?"

Kendrick gave a small laugh. "You must be in a really good mood today."

She smiled but said nothing. Her heart was quietly racing — not from nerves, but from something else entirely. She was looking forward to something, something she hoped would surprise him. Something that might lift the quiet burden off his shoulders.

And she owed that idea to Kaelion.

When breakfast was done, she stood and began gathering the plates.

"I’ll do the dishes. You rest," Kendrick offered, but Zephany quickly shook her head.

"No... no, I’ll do it. I made the mess. You go rest a little more."

Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "Let me."

"Alright," she relented, her eyes softening at the sight of his back as he started washing the dishes.

She then walked back to her bedroom. Once she was dressed for work, she grabbed her bag, checked the time, and smiled to herself.

This was her chance.

As she walked out of her bedroom and neared the kitchen, she peeked in at Kendrick. "I’m off to work. Don’t miss me too much... husband."

Then she quickly made her way to the door, half-hopping with a grin she couldn’t hide.

In the kitchen, Kendrick froze.

He hurried out and turned toward the door she had just exited, a surprised chuckle escaping him.

Stepping out to the front of the apartment, he called after her loud enough for her to hear, "Have a great day at work, wife. I’ll bring you lunch later!"

Zephany, already halfway into her car, turned slightly with an even bigger smile. She didn’t look back but waved a hand as she slid into the seat.

Her cheeks were burning, but her heart was full.

---

When she arrived at Air Media, the newsroom was already alive with activity. Phones were ringing, printers whirred, and someone was already arguing about a headline by the coffee station.

Zephany stepped in, her steps light, her body almost bouncing as she walked toward her desk. She couldn’t stop the little hum escaping from her lips.

At her desk, Pia’s head popped up from behind her computer monitor like a meerkat.

"Zeph! Good morning!" she called with a grin.

Zephany smiled, a little startled. "Good morning, Pia."

Pia narrowed her eyes and stood, hands on her hips. "Oh, someone’s glowing today. Yesterday you looked like the world was ending. Today, you look like you won a lottery."

Zephany chuckled nervously, trying to hide her face behind her cup of coffee. "I’m... just in a good mood."

But Pia wasn’t done.

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "So... yesterday you had a love quarrel with your husband... and then you made up last night? Is that why you’re glowing and humming and walking like you just got proposed to?"

Zephany’s eyes widened, and she blinked at her friend.

"What? No! I mean... that’s not..."

Pia tilted her head, waiting for more information.

Zephany, now thoroughly flustered, shook her head and quickly sat down at her desk.

"I have to finish my report," she mumbled, turning her computer on.

Pia laughed and walked back to her desk, still glancing at her friend from time to time.

Zephany let out a deep breath and smiled slightly to herself.

She wasn’t going to let Pia ruin her mood today. Not when she was this close to finally helping Kendrick. She glanced at her phone and whispered quietly, "Hang in there... I’ll make sure someone sees your art again."

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