Three days later, the entire Gu family gathered in Adrian’s hospital suite.

And by entire family, Adrian apparently meant everyone.

Richard Gu.

Evelyn Gu.

Evan.

Me.

The company’s attorney.

Two senior executives.

Even Serena was there.

I stopped at the door when I saw her sitting beside Evan.

Of course.

Adrian had been unconscious for almost nine months, had barely regained the strength to speak, and somehow Serena still managed to get the best seat in the room.

Evan saw me.

“Claire.”

I walked in.

He frowned.

“Why are you late?”

“I was buying croissants.”

His expression became incredulous.

“My brother called an urgent family meeting.”

“Yes.”

I lifted the paper bag.

“He also spent twenty-nine days listening to me complain that hospital food is depressing. I thought he deserved compensation.”

From the bed came a weak sound.

Almost a laugh.

Everyone turned.

Adrian was looking at me.

“Come… here.”

Evan’s expression changed slightly.

I walked toward the bed.

Evelyn immediately stood.

“Adrian, sweetheart, don’t exhaust yourself. Whatever you want to say, you can tell Mommy privately.”

Adrian looked at her.

Then at the Hermès bag beside her chair.

His eyes returned to me.

“Six?”

I froze.

Evelyn frowned.

“What?”

Adrian whispered:

“Hermès.”

I covered my mouth.

Oh no.

His mother looked between us.

“How would Adrian know how many bags I bought?”

Every eye in the room turned toward me.

I raised one finger.

“In my defense, he was unconscious.”

Adrian’s mouth twitched.

The attorney coughed.

Evan stared at me.

“What exactly did you tell him?”

I thought about it.

“Define exactly.”

“Claire.”

“Almost everything.”

His face darkened.

“Everything?”

Adrian interrupted.

“Good.”

The room became quiet.

His voice was still weak, but his eyes were completely clear.

“I heard… enough.”

Richard stepped forward.

“Son, doctors said memories during impaired consciousness can be unreliable. You shouldn’t stress yourself with business matters yet.”

Adrian slowly turned toward his father.

“Project Seven.”

Richard stopped.

One of the executives visibly stiffened.

Adrian continued.

“Regulatory review… failed.”

Nobody spoke.

His gaze shifted toward me.

“Claire told me.”

Richard’s expression became furious.

“You discussed confidential Gu Group business in front of an unconscious patient?”

I blinked.

“Technically, he’s the chairman.”

“Claire!”

Adrian lifted one hand.

It trembled badly.

Everyone fell silent anyway.

“Why,” he asked his father, “was it restarted?”

Richard’s face changed.

“It was reassessed.”

“By whom?”

“This isn’t the time.”

Adrian looked toward the company attorney.

“Mr. Chen.”

The attorney immediately straightened.

“Yes, Mr. Gu?”

“Freeze approval.”

Richard’s face went red.

“You have just regained consciousness!”

“And I’m still chairman.”

That sentence changed the room.

For almost nine months, everyone had behaved as if Adrian were already dead.

But he wasn’t.

And now he was awake.

Evan finally stood.

“Brother, nobody was trying to take anything from you. I only handled the company because someone had to.”

Adrian looked at him.

For several seconds, neither brother spoke.

Then Adrian said:

“Anniversary.”

Evan frowned.

“What?”

“Fifteen hundred.”

My stomach dropped.

Oh.

Oh, no.

Adrian’s eyes moved toward Serena.

“French dinner.”

Serena went pale.

Then toward me.

“Flowers… unnecessary.”

Silence.

Complete, horrifying silence.

Evelyn slowly turned toward her younger son.

“You spent fifteen hundred dollars taking Serena to dinner on your wedding anniversary?”

Evan looked at me.

“You told him that?”

“He was a very good listener.”

“I was in a coma,” Adrian corrected weakly.

I looked at him.

“You never interrupted.”

For the first time, Adrian actually smiled.

It lasted barely a second.

But Evan saw it.

Something strange crossed his face.

“Claire, come outside.”

“No.”

“Now.”

Adrian’s expression immediately cooled.

“She stays.”

Evan stared at his brother.

“This is between my wife and me.”

Adrian answered without hesitation.

“Then perhaps… treat her like your wife.”

Serena suddenly stood.

“This is ridiculous.”

Everyone looked at her.

Her eyes were wet.

“I don’t know what Claire has been telling Adrian, but Evan and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

I almost admired her confidence.

Almost.

Adrian looked at me.

“Phone.”

I frowned.

“My phone?”

He nodded.

“Recording.”

My blood ran cold.

“What recording?”

He took several breaths.

“Day… seventeen.”

I remembered day seventeen.

I had arrived early.

Adrian’s room had been empty except for him.

Or so I’d thought.

Then Evan and Serena had entered the hallway arguing.

I had heard their voices through the partially open door.

Serena asking when Evan would finally stop pretending his marriage mattered.

Evan telling her to wait until the medical partnership between our families was secured.

I hadn’t recorded them.

But apparently—

Adrian’s eyes moved toward the smart speaker beside his bed.

The nurse understood first.

“The room’s voice-assistance system.”

The attorney turned sharply.

Hospital staff checked the device.

A few minutes later, an archived audio file appeared.

Nobody breathed while it played.

Serena’s voice came first.

“How long am I supposed to wait?”

Then Evan:

“Until the Shen contract is renewed.”

My fingers went cold.

Serena:

“And Claire?”

Evan laughed.

“Claire loves me. She isn’t going anywhere.”

I stopped breathing.

The recording continued.

“Once the partnership is locked for another five years, I’ll deal with the marriage.”

Serena asked:

“You mean divorce her?”

A pause.

Then my husband’s voice.

“If necessary.”

Something inside me became completely quiet.

Evan stood abruptly.

“Turn it off.”

Nobody moved.

“TURN IT OFF!”

Adrian raised his hand.

The recording stopped.

I looked at Evan.

For a year and three months, I had wondered whether I was too loud.

Too needy.

Too talkative.

Too irritating.

It turned out the problem had never been that I talked too much.

The problem was that Evan didn’t care what I had to say.

Unless my surname came attached to a contract.

“Claire.”

He approached me.

“Listen to me.”

I laughed.

That stopped him.

“No.”

I removed my wedding ring.

His eyes dropped to it.

“Claire.”

“You spent fifteen months asking me to be quiet.”

I placed the ring on the table.

“So now you can enjoy it.”

His face changed.

“You can’t make a decision like this because of one recording.”

“One recording?”

I looked at Serena.

“Should we discuss the hospital?”

Serena stiffened.

“The car?”

Silence.

“The apartment pipe?”

Evan grabbed my wrist.

“Enough.”

Before I could pull away, Adrian’s monitor suddenly accelerated.

His voice cut across the room.

“Let her go.”

Evan turned.

Adrian was pale with effort.

But his eyes were terrifying.

“I said…”

He forced himself upright slightly.

“Let. Her. Go.”

Evan released me.

I stepped back.

Then Adrian looked toward the attorney.

“Mr. Chen.”

“Yes?”

“Prepare an audit.”

Richard’s expression changed.

“Of what?”

“Everything.”

The attorney hesitated.

Adrian continued.

“Every contract approved during my coma.”

His eyes shifted to Evan.

“Every payment.”

Then to Serena.

“Every consultant.”

Serena’s face drained.

Evan laughed nervously.

“You think I stole from the company?”

Adrian didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at me.

“Claire.”

“Yes?”

“Day twenty-three.”

I searched my memory.

Day twenty-three.

I had spent almost an hour telling him about—

Then I remembered.

The invoices.

My family’s biomaterials company had received a request to alter the payment destination for one of Gu Group’s largest supply contracts.

I had thought it was strange.

I mentioned it to Adrian because I mentioned everything to Adrian.

Absolutely everything.

My eyes widened.

Adrian saw that I remembered.

“Account number,” he whispered.

The attorney leaned forward.

“What account number?”

I looked at Evan.

Then Serena.

And suddenly Serena grabbed her handbag.

“I don’t feel well.”

She headed toward the door.

“Stop her,” Adrian said.

Two security officers outside immediately entered.

Serena froze.

Evan’s face went white.

I stared at Adrian.

He had been trapped inside his own body for months.

Unable to speak.

Unable to move.

While everyone around him behaved as though he couldn’t hear.

And apparently, I hadn’t been the only person who talked in front of him.

Adrian looked at his father.

Then Evan.

Then Serena.

Finally, he looked at me.

“You told me… your secrets.”

His gaze returned to his family.

“They told me theirs.”

The room became deathly silent.

Adrian closed his eyes for a moment, gathering strength.

Then he opened them again.

“And now…”

His voice was barely a whisper.

“…I’m awake.”