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.