Contract Marriage: The President's Stand-in Lover - Chapter 27:

A Belated Embrace

Night fell over Paris with a quiet drizzle. Streetlights flickered on one by one,

their golden glow spilling across the slick cobblestones.

Lin Vianne stepped out of the subway station, holding an umbrella.

The wind swept in from the Seine, cool and sharp,

carrying the faint scent of osmanthus blossoms. She had just finished work,

a few documents in her hand, her pace unhurried.

She walked this same street every evening, but tonight, the air felt heavier.

She didn’t notice the black car parked across the road, engine silent, its headlights dimmed.

Inside, Gu Chen gripped the steering wheel tightly,

his gaze fixed on her slender figure as she walked away.

For two weeks, he had stayed in Paris under the guise of business, never once approaching her.

But tonight, watching her walk alone through the rain,

something inside him finally cracked.

He opened the door and stepped out.

Rain hit his shoulders, cold and biting, yet he walked forward.

Vianne.

Her steps faltered. Her fingers tightened around the umbrella handle.

That voice too familiar, too close. Her whole body trembled before she could stop herself.

Slowly, she turned around.

Gu Chen stood in the rain, his suit damp, his dark hair plastered against his forehead.

The city lights traced his face, revealing the sorrow and

defiance in his eyes raw, human, unguarded.

You don’t have to forgive me, he said softly. But stop pretending I don’t exist.

Vianne lowered her gaze, her tone even. I’m not pretending.

It’s just that our story has ended.

He took a step closer, his eyes locked on hers. Ended?

Then tell me why do you still tremble every time I’m near?

Because I’m afraid. Her voice broke. Afraid that if I believe you again,

I’ll end up shattered all over.

For a moment, he was silent. Rain drummed against the umbrella between them,

trembling like their hearts.

Then he reached out, pulled the umbrella away, and let the rain fall freely on both of them.

Then let me be the one who’s afraid this time. His voice was rough, almost pleading.

Afraid you’ll never turn back, afraid I’ll spend the rest of my life with no way to make it right.

Gu Chen—

He cut her off, his gaze steady, burning. I used to think love was about control, about calculation.

But you showed me it’s about losing control. It’s about realizing that after losing everything,

you’d still give what’s left of your life to make it right.

His breath hitched; his fingers trembled slightly. You said you wanted to live for yourself.

I respect that. But could you let me—just once—live for you?

Vianne froze.

Rain slid down his cheek, blending with what might have been tears.

She couldn’t tell whether the wetness on his skin came from the storm or the ache in his heart.

The wind gusted. The umbrella flipped backward, and rain poured over them both.

Something inside her gave way. The tears came hot and unstoppable.

Why are you saying this now? she choked. I waited for so long

from the contract, to the lies, to the moment I fell for you I waited for just one honest word.

Gu Chen stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, his whole body trembling.

The world fell silent.

Rain crashed around them. Cars passed distantly. The city blurred into a soft fog.

He held her tightly, as if this fragile embrace could redeem everything he had broken.

I’m sorry, he whispered against her ear, his voice hoarse and raw. I was wrong.

Wrong for realizing too late that you were never anyone’s shadow.

You are the only person I’ve ever wanted to keep.

Vianne closed her eyes. Her tears soaked through his shirt.

She said nothing, only tightened her arms around him.

In that embrace was pain, and ruin, and a love that had come too late

but still, somehow, love.

The rain fell harder, but neither of them moved.

When night finally swallowed the city, the lights along

the Seine shimmered like scattered stars across the water.

They walked side by side through the rain, silent, their hands brushing just once.

Gu Chen turned to her, eyes soft and sure.

Some chances can never return.

But some loves, even if they come late, are still worth holding onto.