Tokyo's night wind was soft, the neon lights casting layered shadows across the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows. Ryan stood before the glass, his sake untouched, gazing at the distant glow of the Asakusa temple. Peace eluded him.
"You've got a few minutes left. Thought of how to explain this yet?" Lucas's voice cut through the room—low, firm, irrefutable.
Ryan turned, calm as ever. "Which version do you want? A strategic alliance? Or another tale of misunderstood brothers?"
Lucas didn't smile. He sat down by the coffee table and flipped open a folder. "Tan Holdings is already murmuring about your so-called engagement. Were you planning to drop this little performance on me in the middle of a major signing trip?"
Ryan's fingers tightened around the glass. He knew Lucas wasn't looking for answers—only submission. But tonight, Ryan wasn't going to yield.
"I just want to live on my own terms. For once."
"By faking a marriage?" Lucas's gaze was ice-sharp. "Do you understand the risk? If this gets out, it'll damage our name, our firm, everything we've built."
Ryan stayed silent. Outside, the muted sound of city brakes faded. Emily's laughter still echoed in his memory—their rehearsal earlier, her scribbled notes, the mock-scolding, the unexpected hug.
Lucas's eyes shifted from the folder to Ryan. His voice cut deeper. "I looked into her. Into you. Since university. The money transfers. The debt payments. The sudden proposal. Tell me—did she manipulate you, or did you fool yourself?"
"I didn't lie to anyone," Ryan said, quietly. "It was my decision."
"You're naive," Lucas snapped. "Don't think emotional stunts come without cost. Do you remember why our father crashed that night? He made his 'own decision' too late."
Ryan's face darkened. "That's cruel."
"Reality doesn't care about cruelty." Lucas's tone turned glacial. "He couldn't cut ties with that man. And when Mother found out, she lost control—literally. You know it. You just choose to forget."
Ryan's throat tightened. At nine, his memories were fragmented. But Lucas remembered everything.
Lucas exhaled, pouring himself a glass of water, voice lowering.
"Listen. I'm not here to threaten you. But there's still time to walk away. Before tomorrow's signing dinner, we can announce a mutual separation. Emily won't be blamed. I'll see to that."
Ryan didn't respond, only gripped his glass harder.
"Does she know about Mother's jade bracelet?" Lucas asked suddenly.
Ryan flinched.
Lucas tossed a photo on the table—Emily mid-selfie on a Tokyo street, the bracelet gleaming on her wrist. "She might mean no harm. But this stopped being your private drama long ago."
A pause.
Lucas's voice grew sharper. "I checked everything. Her father is hospitalized. Their family is deep in debt. Her mother runs a weekend night food stall to make ends meet. This marriage might be her shot at a better life—but for you, Ryan, this is just another escape."
Ryan's expression stiffened. "You investigated her?"
"I investigated you," Lucas corrected, standing up, stepping closer. "From your last semester to now. I had to know if she tricked you—or if you're just lying to yourself."
Ryan looked away, his jaw tense. "I made the decision. It's mine."
Lucas didn't back down. "Don't pretend this is noble. Emotions won't protect you from consequences."
Just then, a soft knock echoed from the door.
Emily entered, dressed in a pale blue dress still damp from the rain. Her hair clung to her neck, and the tension in the air stopped her in her tracks.
"Am I interrupting?"
Lucas stood, civil but cool. "Perfect timing. We're finished here."
She glanced between the brothers, catching the emotional debris still lingering.
As Lucas walked past her, he paused. His voice dropped.
"Miss Chen, if all you want is a degree and a visa, I can arrange that. But if you think you can walk into his life without consequence—you're underestimating how far I'll go to protect my brother."
Emily froze. His words were colder than a threat.
Lucas exited. Even his shadow seemed to cut the room in half.
Silence.
"He knew?" Emily asked.
Ryan nodded.
"So what now?"
He stared at the floor. Then whispered, "I don't know. But I'm not backing down."
Outside, the rain returned.
And in Tokyo's storm-soaked night, what began as a contract had become a reckoning neither expected.