*Chapter 69: Echoes of Control*
Zhao Liang returned later that evening, and the air shifted immediately. Li Xue stiffened instinctively, every nerve on edge. He observed her silently, noting her calmness and the faint trace of a smile she hadn't yet erased. To him, even this small moment of comfort was an affront, a challenge to his authority.
Clause after clause returned to her mind — the rules she must obey, the penalties for disobedience, the constant surveillance enforced by the contract. Fear coiled tightly in her chest, and she realized that moments of reprieve were fleeting, delicate, and easily destroyed.
Her younger brother had left for the night, sensing tension and giving her space. Li Xue remained, trapped in a cage of fear, with only memories of her day to provide faint light against the looming darkness.