The silence following Nova's revelation was heavier than any weapon. Damien paced like a lion in a cage, while Elara sat unmoving, her expression unreadable.
"They planned for our feelings," she murmured. "They knew love could undo control."
Damien stopped pacing. "This wasn't a marriage, it was a leash. A mechanism of surveillance, coercion, and now, assassination."
Nova leaned against the wall, arms folded. "The contract isn't just a document. It's a weapon. If it senses a breach, a shift in emotion, it triggers a failsafe."
Elara's voice dropped. "How would they monitor that?"
"Neural resonance tracking," Lyne answered, entering with a grim look. "Microchips, yours and Damien's. Embedded during the wedding rites. They're active. They're listening."
Lyne and Nova moved quickly. They constructed a dampening field in the core bunker, shielding Damien and Elara from the contract's sensors.
Jeren stood guard outside, tension in his stance.
