Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 145: Shattered Moment

Just after they checked each other for injuries, both Zephany and Kendrick breathed out a shaky sigh.

The glass shards were scattered across the floor, the scent of scorched rubber still heavy in the air. The restaurant’s pristine ambiance now felt like a quiet crime scene.

Kendrick gently reached for her arm. "You okay? Let me see your hands."

Zephany nodded, her voice soft. "I think I’m fine. Just a few cuts... I mean... I thought I had cuts."

Kendrick held her palms up, then blinked.

The scratches were healing—right before his eyes.

Now, there was nothing.

No blood. No scratches. Not even the faintest mark.

His lips parted in disbelief.

Zephany didn’t notice Kendrick’s reaction—she was focused on inspecting his forearm, where a shard had grazed him just moments ago.

"What the..." she muttered, trailing off.

The cuts had healed instantly. Now, they were gone.

They looked at each other.

In perfect silence.

Their eyes widened in unison. Minds spinning.

Zephany felt her heart slam against her chest. ’No... no way... beside me, the only person I know who has that ability is...’

Kendrick took a shaky breath. ’That kind of regenerative healing... it’s rare. I’ve only seen it in one other person.’

His eyes scanned her face.

Zephany stared back, her mind in chaos. ’No! He can’t be...’

"She can’t be that loud, short-tempered woman," Kendrick whispered to himself.

Zephany shook her head furiously. "No... he can’t be that silent, obnoxious man."

The realization hovered like a fog between them.

Did I... marry my secret partner in crime?

They both shuddered.

The romantic ambiance was completely shattered.

Their confession plans. The wine. The carefully chosen restaurant. All of it now hung suspended in a surreal moment neither of them knew how to process.

Outside, the world moved again. The driver of the car was slumped against the steering wheel. People began to gather. Phones were out. Voices murmured and rose into shouts.

The restaurant manager, pale with panic, was already on the phone calling an ambulance.

Kendrick instinctively helped Zephany to her feet. His hand hovered at her elbow longer than it needed to. He wasn’t just guiding her anymore. He was grounding himself.

But his thoughts were a mess.

’I was supposed to propose to her tonight,’ Kendrick thought bitterly. ’But what am I supposed to do now?’

His mind replayed the moment of her skin healing. Flawless. Immediate. No trace left behind.

’Is she Eclipse?’ The thought made his stomach twist.

’No. That can’t be. Zephany is clumsy. Soft-spoken. Gentle. Eclipse is reckless. Loud. Always fighting someone or something.’

He shook his head to clear it. ’But... what if she is?’

Zephany wasn’t doing much better.

She stumbled slightly and clutched Kendrick’s arm, but her mind was spiraling.

’No. Kendrick is clearly the opposite of that man!’

She tried to steady her breath.

’Obscura is silent. Cold. A total jerk! And Kendrick... he’s warm. He’s always trying to take care of me. He even picked a peaceful restaurant just for me!’

But another voice in her mind whispered, ’Then how did he heal like that? Who else can do that besides me and Obscura?’

She swallowed hard.

’Maybe he’s just like me. Maybe we aren’t the only ones. Maybe there’s someone else out there with the same abilities.’

Yeah... that had to be it.

She clung to that logic like a lifeline.

Both of them sighed at the same time. The sound was low, breathy, almost synchronized. They both felt it.

The shared frustration. The fear. The uncertainty.

Zephany glanced at Kendrick, unsure. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

’I was supposed to tell him I like him tonight. I was going to do it. But now? What now?’

Kendrick rubbed a hand over his face. The tension in his shoulders tightened again.

’I wanted to propose tonight. I was ready. I even gave instructions to the staff for when to bring the ring. But if she is Eclipse... can I accept that?’

He remembered Eclipse’s wild temper, her relentless determination, her sharp tongue. He had crossed paths with her too many times.

’Would she even say yes?’

Then something else crashed into him.

’Wait... I still haven’t told Zephany about who I am. About being Obscura. About being an agent. She only knows this version of me. The kind, gentle man who works as an artist and takes care of his mom and sister. Not the one who tracks dangerous people. Who hides behind masks. Who lies for a living.’

He exhaled sharply.

’If she’s just Zephany... not Eclipse... will she accept that side of me?’

Zephany, on the other hand, had her own internal battle.

’If Kendrick has nothing to do with Obscura, can he still accept me if I tell him? About the real me? That I’m not just some shy, clumsy journalist? That I’m someone who craves action. Who picks fights in alleyways. Who has enemies. Who’s killed.’

She rubbed her arms as if the thoughts chilled her skin.

’But... what if he is Obscura? That man doesn’t even like me! He ignores me. Never speaks unless it’s necessary. Would he accept that I’m Eclipse? The one he always argues with on the field?’

Before either of them could untangle the storm inside their heads, sirens pierced the air.

An ambulance pulled up at the curb. Two paramedics rushed out, flanked by the restaurant manager, who was gesturing wildly.

"They’re the ones! They were closest to the car. They might be injured! Please, check on them!"

The medical staff hurried over.

"Are you both alright? Do you feel any pain? Dizziness? Bleeding?" one of the paramedics asked, already pulling out a flashlight to check their pupils.

Zephany blinked. Kendrick raised his hands.

"We were hit with some glass, but... I think we’re fine."

The other medic crouched, checking their arms and legs.

"No cuts. Not a scratch. Are you sure you were close to the crash?"

Kendrick and Zephany exchanged a quick glance, then nodded mutely.

The paramedic frowned. "Strange. The manager said he saw glass fly toward your table. But you look completely unharmed."

Zephany gave a soft, nervous laugh. "Maybe... we just got lucky."

Kendrick added, "Or maybe the glass missed us somehow."

The medics seemed unconvinced but didn’t press. They turned their attention to the driver of the car, who was now being pulled onto a stretcher.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, the only evidence of the injuries they sustained had vanished. Had the ambulance arrived minutes earlier, they might have witnessed it. The spontaneous healing. The impossible.