Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 54: Bitter Taste

Reynold paused, his hand stilling on his coffee cup. He looked at her, his expression unreadable—but just the mention of Varen Enterprises made a flicker of frustration flash across his face. His jaw tightened.

"I see," he said, his tone neutral, though Zephany could feel the tension beneath it. "I hope it’s nothing too dangerous."

She shook her head quickly, trying to reassure him. "No, no. It’s just a martial arts competition. It’ll be fine." But even as she said the words, she knew it was far from the truth. She just didn’t want to worry her brother more than she already had.

Reynold took a long sip of his coffee before placing the cup back down. He stared at her for a moment, his gaze almost too intense.

"Varen Enterprises," he muttered under his breath. He seemed frustrated, as though the name alone made him angry. "Why do they keep dragging you into their business?"

Zephany shrugged, trying to make light of it. "It’s part of my job. I don’t have much choice."

Reynold nodded, though the frustration on his face lingered. He didn’t say anything else, but Zephany could tell he wasn’t happy about the situation. Neither was she—but she didn’t know how to change it.

The rest of breakfast passed in a more comfortable silence, but the uneasy feeling in Zephany’s chest didn’t go away. She had to go. The event was part of the deal she had made, but the thought of facing the crowd as a "married" couple with Kendrick—and the fact that her brother would be left in the dark about it—didn’t sit well with her.

When they were both ready to leave for the day, Zephany gave Reynold a small, tight-lipped smile.

"Thanks for breakfast, Rey. Have a good day ahead."

He nodded, his face softening a little.

"Be careful, Zeph."

"I will," she said, walking out the door with a quiet sigh. The day ahead seemed like it was going to be more complicated than ever.

---

Kendrick stepped back into his room, the door clicking softly behind him as he let out a quiet breath. His mind was racing, and the familiar weight of unease settled in his chest.

He closed his eyes, sitting down on the edge of his bed. The words "martial arts competition" echoed in his mind, souring the air around him. They were too familiar, too close to something that used to bring him pride—something that had once been the center of his world.

But everything had changed that night.

He had been a champion—always the one to win, always the one standing at the top. The competitions were his, and the crowd cheered for him with every victory. Those days seemed like a different life now.

The echoes of the crowd, the excitement, the rush of adrenaline... all replaced by a hollow emptiness that filled him every time he thought about the arena. That night—the night when everything had come crashing down—lingered in his mind like a ghost he couldn’t escape.

Since then, his mom and Levy had kept him away from any event that would remind him of that place. They had been protective, almost overly so, not wanting him to feel the sting of those memories. Not wanting him to feel the loss. It was as if they thought avoiding it would make it go away—that shielding him from the past would somehow keep the hurt from reaching him again.

But now, the same competition was going to take place, at the same venue, and Kendrick had no choice but to go.

His stomach churned at the thought.

He sighed heavily, shaking his head to try and push the thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Not now. Not when tonight loomed ahead with its own set of challenges.

Just as his mind was beginning to settle, there was a knock on the door.

"Brother! Breakfast is ready. Mom’s waiting," Levy called out from the hallway.

Kendrick’s shoulders relaxed slightly at the sound of her voice. He rose from the bed and opened the door, offering his sister a faint smile.

Levy stood there, looking at him with a mixture of impatience and affection. She was always like that—pretending to be annoyed, but Kendrick knew better. She cared, even if she didn’t always show it.

"Coming," he said quietly, following her down the hall into the kitchen.

His mom, Christy, was already at the table, a warm smile on her face as she set down the last of the dishes. It wasn’t the usual breakfast spread of bacon, eggs, and toast. Instead, there was a healthier layout—an assortment of fruit, whole grain toast, scrambled egg whites with spinach, and a side of avocado. Kendrick raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Mom, what’s all this?" he asked, his voice soft, though a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Christy shrugged lightly, placing a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of him.

"Well, I thought we’d try something different today. You can’t keep eating like a teenager forever, you know."

Levy snorted, grabbing a piece of toast and sitting down.

"Yeah, right. He’s already getting old."

Kendrick shot her a look, though there was no malice behind it.

"You’re one to talk," he said, sitting down beside her. "You can’t even remember to pick up your own laundry half the time."

Levy rolled her eyes, clearly unfazed by his teasing.

"At least I don’t have to work out a thousand hours just to look good."

Kendrick chuckled, the familiar banter between them making him feel a little lighter. He reached for the scrambled eggs, digging in.

But as he chewed, his mind kept drifting back to the upcoming event. He had to figure out how to tell his mom he would be out tonight. She had always been so protective, and he knew she wouldn’t like the idea of him going alone.

But how could he explain that he had to be there? That it was part of a deal? That he had no choice but to be a part of the charade with Zephany?

He opened his mouth to speak but froze when Christy set down her fork and looked at him.