Alarm rushed through Ashlyn in an instant. She jerked her head toward the sound, and her eyes landed on a horrifying sight—a massive black guard dog dragging a man toward the rear courtyard. Blood stained the man's clothes, his body barely moving as consciousness slipped away from him.

The color vanished from her face as a freezing sensation spread across her scalp, leaving every nerve in her body tense.

Only then did the reality of the situation crash down on her. Eric was more terrifying than the rumors suggested. He wasn't just cold-blooded; he was completely unhinged.

And she had just walked straight into his territory and provoked him. Could she really leave here unharmed?

Eric noticed every subtle change in Ashlyn's expression.

A faint trace of mockery flickered in his eyes as he turned to look at her.

"What? Already starting to regret your decision?" he asked.

Ashlyn's heart jolted with unease, but she had already made her choice. There was no way for her to back down now.

Eric might be ruthless, but the memories from her two lifetimes told her one thing clearly: he was nothing like Nicholas. Manipulation and schemes had no place in his world. To him, such tricks were beneath him.

"No. And I would never dare deceive you. If you have doubts about my ability, then we can begin the examination and treatment immediately."

Ashlyn met his gaze head-on, her expression steady and unwavering.

She had not come here on a whim. Every step had been calculated, every possibility considered.

Based on what she had uncovered in her previous life, she knew there was still one functioning nerve hidden within Eric's damaged legs. It was a detail that another doctor would only uncover years later after developing a specialized method of examination.

She had already mastered that very technique. As long as she could locate the nerve, she was certain she could restore his hope and secure him as an ally.

For the first time, a trace of genuine interest appeared in Eric's eyes.

With a small gesture from him, someone immediately went to make the arrangements. Not long after, Ashlyn was escorted into the living room.

Eric had changed into formal attire. The precision of his appearance only made the cold surrounding him feel even more intense than before.

His gaze settled on Ashlyn, his voice calm.

"Begin the examination, Ms. Quinn."

Those deep, unreadable eyes passed over her, exuding a quiet dominance.

Ashlyn forced herself to swallow the tension rising in her throat before moving closer to him.

As she drew closer, a chilling, dangerous glint sharpened in his gaze.

She pretended not to notice. Holding her breath, she lowered herself in front of him.

The bodyguards nearby immediately reacted, their stares turning hostile as they watched her every move.

Seeing that, Eric lifted a hand. That single gesture was enough to make them retreat.

His attention remained fixed on Ashlyn. His expression gave nothing away, but the faint curiosity in his eyes revealed that he wanted to see exactly what she was capable of.

Ashlyn tightened her lips and placed her slender fingers against his legs. Beneath her touch, the muscles felt far leaner and firmer than she had expected. She spent a long moment searching, her focus unwavering, until she finally located the exact nerve hidden along his inner thigh.

Without wasting another second, she began performing the technique she had spent so much time studying. The process demanded an immense amount of concentration and energy. Before long, tiny beads of sweat gathered along her forehead.

Completely absorbed in the treatment, she failed to notice that her movements had loosened the collar of her clothing. The slight shift revealed an accidental glimpse of the soft curve beneath the fabric.

Eric had never been the type to show interest in women, yet for some inexplicable reason, his throat tightened when he noticed that.

At that moment, a searing bolt of pain tore through his leg. His body reacted before his mind could, the muscles in his legs suddenly jerking with violent force. Ashlyn's lips parted in a startled gasp as she lost her balance, tumbling forward and landing directly onto his lap.

A wave of panic crashed over her. Instinctively, she threw out her hand to steady herself, but the moment her palm made contact with something hard, her entire body went rigid.

For a brief second, she could only stare in shock. Then, understanding hit her all at once, and heat rushed to her ears. His legs might have been crippled, but that didn't mean the rest of him was.

Ashlyn immediately moved away, scrambling backward as she blurted out an apology.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Reynolds. I didn't mean to do that..."

Eric's pupils narrowed, a storm of emotions flickering deep within his eyes. Yet the reaction vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Within a single breath, he had forced his emotions back under control.

The only thing remaining in his gaze was satisfaction of feeling a reaction from his legs again and experiencing a pain he had long been unable to feel.

After allowing a brief silence to settle, he merely lifted a hand and made it clear he wasn't offended by what had just happened.

"It seems you are really telling the truth, Ms. Quinn. You've proven your ability. Please, have a seat," Eric said.

The suffocating pressure that had filled the room slowly faded away.

The sharp disdain in his voice was gone, replaced by a trace of courtesy.

Only then did Ashlyn finally release the breath she had been holding. The tension coiled tightly inside her began to ease.

She moved to the sofa and sat down facing him. A servant quickly arrived with coffee, and after taking a small sip, Ashlyn returned her attention to the agreement they had yet to finalize.

"Now that you've seen what I can do, Mr. Reynolds, I can help bring feeling back to your legs with daily treatments. But before I help you walk again, there's one condition you need to agree to."

"What is it?"

Ashlyn calmly placed her cup back on the table. Then, with her arms folded, she lifted her eyes and met his gaze without hesitation. "I want to become the director of the DeepSea Research Lab."

The moment those words left her lips, a shadow settled over Eric's eyes. His bodyguards standing nearby instantly stiffened. Their gazes turned sharp and hostile, locking onto Ashlyn. Beneath their black shirts, their muscles tightened, every one of them prepared to move against her at Eric's command.

The entire room fell deathly silent.

A few seconds later, Eric lowered his coffee cup onto the table. The faint tap of porcelain meeting wood cut through the suffocating silence that had settled over the air.

"How do you know about the DeepSea Research Lab?" he asked Ashlyn.

His tone was casual, almost indifferent, as though the question meant nothing.

But the coldness lurking in his eyes told Ashlyn something more. The slightest mistake in her response could turn this room into the place where she took her last breath.

Still, her expression stayed composed, neither submissive nor arrogant, as if the murderous pressure surrounding her did not exist.

"That isn't the point. What matters is that your legs can only be restored with a specific neural repair medicine. The DeepSea Research Lab is the only place capable of developing it, and the patent rights will belong to me. To make that happen, I need complete secrecy and the highest level of authority within the lab. And I won't be taking advantage of your resources for nothing. The tissue-repair compound your lab's researchers have been struggling to produce... I can solve the problem for them."

Those few straightforward sentences struck Eric harder than the revelation that she knew about the DeepSea Research Lab.

A surge of emotion flickered deep within his eyes, but it vanished almost instantly, buried beneath the same unreadable calm he always wore. The corners of his lips slowly curved upward, forming a faint, amused smile.

"I'll give you what you want. But if you can't deliver, be prepared to face the consequences," he said.

When his agreement finally came, Ashlyn silently released the breath she had been holding. A bright spark returned to her eyes, confidence quietly burning within them.

"I'll only claim ownership of the patent for the neural repair medicine, as well as anything new I personally create in the future. Everything the lab has already developed, including all current research projects, remains yours. I won't touch any of it."

Eric's gaze changed slightly, a deeper curiosity slowly emerging in his eyes. "You keep bringing up your contribution because you're planning to use it to negotiate another condition, right?"

At his response, a trace of admiration surfaced in Ashlyn's gaze, followed by a slight smile.

How did he know that? Was he capable of seeing straight through people's thoughts?

"The thing I'm asking for isn't complicated. I only need you to handle a small matter for me. I heard your people are the best in the world when it comes to collecting information. I need you to send someone to the Quinn family's residence and install a few hidden cameras for me. I want complete coverage, no blind spots at all. And no one in the Quinn family can find out about it."

Ashlyn was fully aware of Eric's power. The people working for him were all exceptionally capable, and gathering information like that was the kind of task they handled every day. And this was more than a favor. It was a test of his willingness to cooperate—and the first move toward establishing the trust their partnership would depend on.

A hint of scrutiny surfaced in Eric's eyes, his fingertips tapping a slow, measured beat against the tabletop.

The silence stretched for several moments before he finally responded, his voice carrying a casual indifference, "I'll agree to that."

No surprise showed on Ashlyn's face as she waited for the inevitable condition from him. She knew he would ask for something in return.

Sure enough, Eric continued, "But I need a guarantee."

"What kind of guarantee?" Ashlyn was confused.

Eric narrowed his eyes. "I don't like complications left hanging. I need you to get married to me right now."

Shock flashed across Ashlyn's face, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Right now?"

Eric didn't even blink, his expression staying as calm as ever.

"Don't mistake this for anything else. We're partners, nothing more. And while this arrangement lasts, you are not allowed to develop feelings for me."

For a brief second, Ashlyn stood completely still, caught off guard by his words.

If anyone else had said something like that, it would have come across as shameless arrogance.

But looking at Eric's striking face and the calm, refined presence he carried—his disabled legs unable to diminish his elegance—Ashlyn found herself thinking that his request was actually perfectly reasonable.

After weighing the matter briefly, she made her decision.

"Fine. However, for my plan to go the way I need it to, this marriage cannot be made public. No one outside this room can know about it."

Her words came with absolute certainty, leaving no room for hesitation.

If marrying Eric now was what it took to send Nicholas straight into hell, then she could accept it. Whether it happened today or later changed nothing.

Eric's lips lifted slightly, almost too faint to notice, as he observed the woman before him. She was far more interesting than he had expected.

With a simple gesture, he summoned someone to take care of the arrangements. Then, he turned back to his plants and continued trimming them.

Ashlyn remained in the courtyard, standing quietly as she waited.

Two full hours passed before the preparations were complete. The prenuptial agreement was ready, and the staff from the courthouse was here.

By the time Ashlyn finally stepped out of the estate and returned to her car, she stared down at the marriage documents resting in her hands, a strange feeling washing over her.

She had joined the Reynolds family again. But the man she married this time was no longer Nicholas; it was his uncle, Eric.

After suffering through two lifetimes filled with despair and ruin, she would not let this one end the same way. She would turn every advantage in her favor and make Nicholas suffer a fate far worse than death itself.

After being reborn twice, she had finally uncovered the truth hidden behind it all.

Nicholas had chosen to marry at this specific moment—and had married women he didn't love in both of her past lives—all because of a strict family rule. No heir could inherit the Reynolds empire until they were wed. He needed a marriage to secure his position and force Eric out of the line of succession entirely. And the woman he actually loved was someone he could never openly marry.

This time, Ashlyn was determined to find out exactly who that woman was.

With Eric's laboratory at her disposal, she would completely take down the powerful research lab backing Nicholas.

She would make him stand there helplessly and watch as everything he had built crumbled before his eyes.

Once their agreement was finalized, Ashlyn and Eric exchanged contact details, and she turned to leave.

But before she could go, Eric's voice stopped her.