The Heartbeat Paradox

My brother hated me for years.
In the final moment before I died, I made a wish: that he could find the person he loves and live happily ever after.
The next second, I was in a wedding dress, shooting bolt upright in my coffin.
My brother, Adrian, was placing a ring on my finger.
A notification chimed in my mind:
Wish System activated. Target is currently with his most beloved person. Mission progress: 10%.
Please continue your efforts, Host, to fulfill your own wish.
Me: "?"

1
"Do you promise to cherish her, to never leave her, until the end of time?"
"I do."
As Adrian Grant spoke those two words, my eyes snapped open inside the coffin.
Brilliant light poured through the chapel's stained-glass dome, only to be blocked by the man kneeling before me. His eyes were downcast, his hand holding mine, sliding something onto my ring finger.
A massive diamond threw blinding shards of light across the room.
He was dressed a little too formally for a funeral. His cold, handsome features were cast in the heavenly light, giving them a deathly stillness.
Oh. That was my brother.
The person who despised me more than anyone else in the world.
He actually came to my funeral?
Whispers rustled through the pews.
"The old man is really going through with it."
"Of course, he is. Mel was his precious granddaughter. Her dying wish was that she loved Adrian. What does he care about propriety at this point? Adrian had to marry her, dead or alive."
"Poor Adrian. He was supposed to marry Zoe. Now he has to spend the rest of his life bound to his dead sister."
"An adopted son what's the difference between him and a dog, really?"
The words I was hearing didn't sound much like a eulogy.
Grandfather was forcing Adrian into a posthumous wedding with me?
I did confess to Adrian before I died, but I also told him I wanted him to be with the person he truly loved. The old man must have only heard the first part.
"Mr. Mr. Grant" the officiant stammered, his voice trembling.
Adrians movement stopped. He followed the officiant's gaze and his eyes locked onto mine. His expression froze. His grip on my wrist tightened, a crushing pressure that felt like it would snap the bone.
Pain shot through me, and I gasped. Seriously, does he have to hate me this much?
Suddenly, a gentle, mechanical voice echoed in my head.
Wish System activated. Target is currently with his most beloved person. Mission progress: 10%.
"What's going on?" I thought, bewildered. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
The voice in my head explained patiently, The Wish System is randomly distributed to grant the final wishes of the dying. Our records show your final wish was for your brother to be with the one he loves and find true happiness.
"And?"
Well, the person your brother loves most is you, Host. So, we've brought you back to life. You'll have to complete the wish yourself.
The words struck me like a bolt of lightning.
Wait a second
Adrian loves me?

2
The first to reach me were my parents. They shoved a stunned Adrian aside and pulled me from the coffin, hugging me tightly, their tears streaming down.
"Mel! You're alive! Our daughter is alive!"
The air was squeezed from my lungs. I felt like a wooden doll, my gaze fixed on Adrian, who was still standing where he'd been pushed. The ring was clutched in his hand. His dark eyes were lowered, his perfect features lost in shadow. A fresh gash marred the back of his hand from the shove, a thin line of crimson welling up.
He calmly wrapped a handkerchief around the wound and turned to leave.
I lifted a hand, my voice barely a whisper. "I I want Adrian."
The room fell silent. Adrians eyelids twitched. He slowly looked up at me.
I pulled away from my parents and threw my arms around him, a dam of years of unspoken feelings finally breaking.
"Don't go," I cried, burying my face in his chest. "Don't leave me."
Adrian went completely still.
And in my head, I heard the notification: Mission progress: 11%.

3
"Absolutely not. Mel cannot marry him."
"Exactly. That was when we thought Mel was gone. She's alive now. Why would we let her be with someone so calculating?"
In the living room, my parents were arguing with Grandfather again.
Adrian acted as if he heard nothing. He tucked me into my bed, pulled the covers up, and turned to walk away.
I shot out a hand and grabbed the hem of his shirt.
"Adrian can you can you hold me?"
I would never have dared to say something so audacious before. But the system had assured me, repeatedly, that my brother was head-over-heels in love with me, so I found the courage to try.
The last rays of the setting sun slanted into the room, outlining his silhouette in a lonely light.
Adrian looked back at me, his face half-hidden in shadow. A faint, mocking smile touched his lips. "Are you done playing, Mel? Was faking your death fun? Is messing with your brother fun, too?"
"I didn't"
He walked back towards me, his tall frame casting an oppressive shadow as he backed me against the wall. His beautiful face was cold, his eyes like ice.
"When you're happy, you feed me sweet nothings. When you're bored, you call off the engagement. Is that how you treat me, Mel? Like something you can just throw away?"
"No, that's not it"
He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Then tell me. What is it you really want?"
My breathing grew ragged. I took a few desperate gulps of air and, bracing myself, said, "Happy birthday."
The room plunged into an unnerving silence.
Adrian's eyes turned glacial. If the system hadn't pinged to tell me the progress had just jumped by 5%, I would have bolted.
"They all forgot your birthday today," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes. I wiped them away. "I just I just wanted to celebrate with you"
In the dead quiet, I clumsily recited the only formal blessing I could remember, one we used for Grandfather. "May may your years be many and your fortunes grow, may the the winds of spring"
My voice trailed off under his blank stare. "May the sun shine upon you for thirty years more"
Shut up, you idiot!
The silence was now laced with a fresh layer of humiliation.
Adrians voice was a low murmur. "The last line."
"The last line" I averted my eyes. "I forgot"
An eternity of silence stretched on. He didn't move.
The system was in a frenzy.Warning! Warning! Target's heart rate is dangerously high! Host, continue with your current strategy, but be careful not to overstimulate him!
I took a deep breath. "I didn't get you a cake. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you next time, I"
Suddenly, Adrian's mouth was on mine.
He didn't kiss me; he devoured me. A fierce, unresolved anger fueled the assault as he pinned me against the wall. His hand wrapped around my neck, not choking me, but holding me captive, a silent threat that he could snap it if he wanted to.
My mind went blank. The system's alarm was screaming. This must mean he really, really liked me.
A tremor of excitement ran through me. Something deep inside my heart, long buried, finally broke through the soil, a tiny sprout swaying joyfully in the wind.
He gave me no chance to escape, pressing me against the door until the lack of oxygen forced a desperate sob from my lips. On the other side of that door, I could hear the muffled voices of my family, their words dripping with prejudice and contempt for him.
"You hear that?" Adrians voice was a cold rasp against my ear. "What makes you think I don't hate them? Every insult they throw at me you'll be the one to bear it."
The system cackled in my head.He's just posturing! Don't listen to him. If his heart beats any faster, he's going to need an ambulance. Host, choose your next words carefully. Don't actually give your brother a heart attack.
I fell silent, seriously asking the system, "So when can I say the next thing?"
Give him thirty seconds. Let him recover.
"Got it."
Adrian tilted my face up, the darkness in his eyes threatening to drown me. My silence seemed to be driving him mad.
"Scared? If you're scared, then"
"Adrian, let's get married."
The system shrieked.Whoa! What are you doing? You were supposed to wait! You're going to kill him!
But I knew I had to seize the moment.
I clutched his sleeve. "I'm not calling it off. Not even if I die again. You you go tell them."
The storm in Adrians eyes subsided into a dead calm. He stared at my face, his thumb tracing the swollen outline of my lips.
"Fine," he said. "I'll go tell them."

4
They all said Adrian had lost his mind.
He was unyieldingly stubborn about our marriage. It offered him no benefit, yet he clung to it like a feral dog with a bone.
"Maybe he really does love Mel Grant. Who knows."
"You must be new here. Remember that kidnapping case from years ago? The one that was all over the news?"
"Adrian was nearly killed. And you know what happened when he came back? The Grants didn't even ask if he was okay. They just punished him for failing to protect Mel. If you ask me, he's getting revenge on the family. Mel's life is going to be hell."
Right then, the "doomed" bride in question had just pushed open the door to Adrian's office.
"Adrian."
He looked up, his expression as impassive as ever. But now, with the system as my guide, I wasn't afraid of his cold shoulder. I held up a cake box and waggled it at him with a grin.
"I'm here to give you your make-up birthday celebration."
Adrian had beautiful eyes, but his aloof nature meant he usually kept them lowered, ignoring the world. Now, being the focus of his gaze, I felt my heart begin to race.
"I spent a whole hour on it!"
I opened the box and fell silent.
The white frosting had collapsed on one side. On the left, a lopsided "Adrian" was scrawled in strawberry jam; on the right, a wobbly "Mel." In the middle, a clumsy heart contained the tacky word "LOVE." The baker had apparently remembered halfway through that this was a birthday cake, not a confession, and had hastily squeezed "Happy Birthday" in red jam across the remaining empty space.
Adrian stared at the cake for a long moment before looking away.
The system pinged.Yay! Mission progress is up to 20%! But wait something's not right.
"What's not right?"
Based on how much he loves you, this should have been enough to send the progress bar to 100%.
I was baffled.
Adrian's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Grandfather spoke to me."
"About what?"
His face was bathed in sunlight, but his eyes were unnervingly calm. I had a bad feeling he was about to say something I didn't want to hear.
"I will take responsibility for you. I will never hurt you. So you don't have to go this far. You don't have to force yourself to like me."
The candle I'd stuck in the cake finally gave up.
Plop.
Its flame was extinguished in the creamy frosting.
Adrian's smile was faint. "And I don't celebrate my birthday. You don't need to go to the trouble in the future."
Ooh, drama!The system was practically eating popcorn.So that's the reason. A severe case of 'I'm not worthy.' Host, give him a piece of your mind! How dare he question your sincerity?
I was in no mood for the system's teasing. I silently picked the fallen candle out of the frosting. I'd even put in a bunch of them because he was older.
Silence hung in the air. Adrian loosened his tie, his gaze fixed on a contract he hadn't turned the page of. "If there's nothing else, you should go. I'll pick you up for dinner later"
"Dinner? To hell with your dinner!" I snapped.
I shoved the frosting-covered candle right onto the lapel of his expensive suit. "You're an asshole! Go eat by yourself!"
Without waiting for his reaction, I stormed out of the office.
"Mel, wait, I was just coming to see your brother"
I brushed past a woman, ignoring her completely.
The system yelled,Host! Are you crazy? You can't fight with him!
"I don't care! I spent an hour on that cake! And he doesn't want to celebrate his birthday?"
Okay, okay, calm down,the system soothed.So we lose a little progress, we can make it up laterholy crap! It went up?
"What went up?"
The progress bar! He likes it when you get angry at him?
"Don't ask me," I grumbled. "Maybe your sensors are broken."
By the way, who was that woman?
"Zoe, probably. His college friend. Everyone assumes they're going to get married."
The rival,the system summarized.
I paused, then turned to go back. I raised my hand to the door, then stopped.
"This is pathetic."
It's not pathetic,the system encouraged.It's called recon. Just press your ear against the door.
I slowly leaned in. "Fine."

5
My memory of Zoe was from Adrians college days. Id run away from home after a fight and gone to see him. I saw her at a debate tournamenthis teammate.
Zoe was the walking embodiment of the perfect, popular girl from a novel: beautiful, kind, graceful. She shone like a star. Everyone said they were together. The news made me both sad and happy. Sad for myself, happy because my brother deserved to be with someone good.
Later, Adrian came home and joined the family company. Zoe came back too, becoming his business partner and confidante. That's why, on my deathbed, I had genuinely wished for him to be with the one he loved.
Inside the office, I could hear Zoe's cheerful voice. "Who's the cake from? Let me have a bite."
Peeking through the crack in the door, I saw Adrian pick up the cake, moving it away from her.
"Mel made it."
The system let out an excited squeak.Ooh, 'Mel made it.'
Zoe paused. "But you don't eat sweets. Why not let me have it?"
Adrian placed it on a nearby shelf without a word.
"Adrian?"
"Is there anything else? If not, I have to go pick Mel up for dinner."
Danger! Host, run!
I took off down the hall, sending Adrian a quick text: "Don't look for me tonight. I'm staying at a friend's."

Are you sure this is a good idea?
It was 11 PM, and I was sitting in a bar, staring into a drink I couldn't identify.
"What's wrong with it? Do adults have curfews?"
"Mel, you're here too."
The face from earlier today appeared before me again. Zoe had changed into a stunning dress, every movement exuding a captivating charm.
"Hi," I nodded politely.
She sat down beside me, glancing at my glass. "That's pretty strong, Mel. I wouldn't drink that in front of your brother if I were you. You might" She smirked. "show your true colors."
My head snapped up, my face paling. "I don't know what you mean."
"Last year, at New Year's, you left in a hurry and dropped a photo album at my brother Ethan's place. I took a look. Do you want me to be honest?" Zoe tilted her head. "Those photos were rather disgusting."
Her words hit me like a physical blow.
Ethan was my classmate and Zoe's younger brother. Wed seen each other at a reunion. I must have dropped the album getting out of the car. By the time I went back for it, he'd already left the country. I'd been hoping, foolishly, that no one had found it.
"That wasn't me, it was"
"I'm not interested in your excuses," Zoe interrupted, paying my tab and grabbing her coat. "I just find that kind of thing repulsive. Oh, by the way, Ethan has always had a thing for you. Maybe you two should talk."
If there was one person in the world I truly despised, it was Ethan. A trust-fund kid with no concept of personal boundaries, warped by a hedonistic foreign lifestyle.
And there was one secret I was terrified of Adrian ever discovering.
A secret that was now in Ethan's hands.

6
It was nearly midnight when I got home. A few minutes earlier, a message had popped up on my phone.
Ethan: It's a date then, babe. Saturday, 5 PM. Don't be late.
The system said,He just wants you to see a movie with him at the mall. One simple request in exchange for the album. It's a fair trade. Just be discreet so your brother doesn't find out.
"I guess."
As I stepped toward the elevator, I saw a figure standing in the shadows.
Adrian?
I'd moved into my own place after I turned eighteen. Very few people knew the address. How did he find me?
The light from the hallway illuminated his face. His collar was unbuttoned, and he smelled faintly of alcohol, as if he'd just come from a business dinner.
I stiffened, pretending not to see him.
"Mel."
His voice, low and hoarse, came from behind me. He grabbed my wrist. I struggled to pull free, keeping my head down. "Don't touch me. I've thought it over. We should just go our separate ways."
Adrian pulled me into his arms. "I ate the cake. I ate all of it. Please, don't throw me away. Okay?"
That's when I realized something was wrong. He felt hot. He was running a fever.
"Are you crazy? You're drinking with a fever?"
He leaned against me. "I don't know I don't know It's always like this"
Always? Does this happen a lot?
His phone rang. It was Grandfather. I answered it for him.
"Adrian, about that project tonight, we need to renegotiate. Once we secure that land on the west side"
"Grandfather, he's sick."
There was a pause. Then his tone became sickeningly sweet. "Mel? Put your brother on. A little fever is nothing. I have important business with him."
So that's what "always" meant.
"It's after hours," I stated flatly. "My brother is off the clock."
I hung up.
When I looked up, Adrian was watching me, his eyes dark and bright. He leaned in slowly, cautiously. When I didn't pull away, he kissed my eyes, my nose, and finally, my lips.
"I was wrong."
"Mel, I shouldn't have made you angry today."
When he was sick, he was like a different person. So much more honest.
I took his hand. "Alright. Since you're being so sincere, you can come home with me."
He let me lead him into the elevator. My apartment was sparsely furnished, but luckily, I had a spare blanket. Adrian sat quietly while I looked for it. When he closed his eyes, his long lashes cast soft shadows on his cheeks, making him look peaceful and serene.
Looking at his face, I felt a sudden urge to tell him everything. To confess my secret.
But I stopped myself. I couldn't be fooled by this harmless facade. Adrian was still Adrian. If he started to hate me, it would be all over.

7
The next morning, I opened my bedroom door to find Adrian in the kitchen, making breakfast.
"Adrian"
He heard me and said, "Breakfast is on the table. I have to go on a business trip today, so I can't be with you."
A small pang of disappointment hit me. Just as I expected, one night and he was back to his cold, distant self. But today was also the day I was meeting Ethan. It was probably for the best that he was gone.
Still, I felt a strange reluctance to see him go. I followed him around like a puppy. "How long will you be gone?"
"Just three days. I'll be back before you know it."
"Then we'll get our marriage license as soon as you're back."
He ladled hot porridge into a bowl for me. "Okay," he murmured.
My mind at ease, I suddenly remembered that the birthday present Id ordered for him had arrived. I jumped up. "I'm going to get a package!"
"Put a coat on."
A few minutes later, I was in the elevator, holding the gift, when the systems voice filled my head with alarm.Huh? Why did the progress drop?
Holy! It's plummeting! Oh god, it's below 10%! What's happening?!
Panic seized me. "What's wrong?"
Don't freak out! Stay calm, Host. Give me a minute, I need to contact tech support. It's probably not your fault.
"Okay, please hurry."
I sprinted back to my apartment. When I opened the door, Adrian was clearing the dishes, his back to me. The morning sun stretched his shadow long across the floor.
"Adrian."
He turned, his expression unchanged. But something felt off.
"Here's your present. Don't open it until you're on your way!"
"Alright." Adrian grabbed his jacket. "It's getting late. I have to go."
I didn't want to mess up his schedule. I snatched my phone from the table and stood on my toes to give him a quick kiss. "Text me when you get there!"
A small smile touched his lips. "I will."
...
I let out a long breath as he left. Glancing at my phone, I felt a ridiculous pang of guilt, as if I were cheating. A few minutes ago, Ethan had messaged me.
Babe, is your brother gone yet? I can't wait to see you. Can we meet earlier?
I typed back a curt reply: Shut up!
After a moment's thought, I decided it was better to get it over with. Daytime was fine. I arranged to meet Ethan at a coffee shop.
The system still hadn't returned, and a sense of unease settled over me. I couldn't wait to get that album and burn it.
The sun was just rising, but the streets were already warming up. When I entered the cafe, Ethan was already there. He stood up and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Ethan!" I hissed, for what felt like the hundredth time. "We are not in Europe!"
He grinned and sat back down. "Long time no see. You seem happier than last time."
"Give me the album," I said, getting straight to the point.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't look at me like that. Spend the day with me, and it's yours."
I've always been a patient person. If I can solve something peacefully, I will.
After a full day of trailing Ethan around the mall, he suddenly changed his mind about the movie.
"Darling, do me a favor."
"What?"
He leaned in close, his warm breath stirring my hair. "My sister's here. She's always trying to set us up. I don't want to hear about it when I get home."
I instinctively tried to pull away, but he grabbed my wrist. "This is the last condition."
I waited impatiently for him to back off. "Can I have it now?"
He gave me a meaningful smile. "It's in the car. Come with me."
I got into his car. He pulled the red box I'd been agonizing over from the back seat. My heart finally settled.
Ethan started to say something else, then whistled. "I was going to offer you a ride, but it looks like you don't need one."
I followed his gaze and my heart stopped.
"Your brother's here for you."
Adrian was standing across the street. He got out of his car, crossed the road, and pulled open the passenger door of Ethan's car. His face was a calm, cold mask.
"I'm here to take Mel home."
Ethan looked amused but nodded politely. "Alright. See you, Mel."

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