Chapter 7 The interrogation room lights burned all night long until Lily Sinclair and Daniel's psychological defenses finally crumbled , and they confessed to everything . This " Daniel " wasn't the real Daniel at all . The real Daniel had died protecting his teammates during that narcotics operation . This imposter had stolen three kilograms of fentanyl , staged the crime scene , and used a bloody police badge plus an unidentified corpse to fake Daniel's death before fleeing to the border to profit from drug sales . His real name was Marcus Williams . Lily knew the truth from day one but chose to cover for him for money and so - called " love . " Because Marcus was Lily's first boyfriend . Not only that , she'd used her " fallen hero's widow " status to stay close to Ryan - both to use his guilt to cover their tracks and to exploit his position to gather intelligence on police operations , feeding information back to Marcus . When I walked into the hospital room with the interrogation records , Ryan was propped up against his pillows , looking much better though his chest bandages were still prominent . Seeing me enter , his initially serious expression immediately softened as he patted the empty space beside his bed : " Sit . " I handed him the records . He'd suspected something was off about Daniel's " sacrifice " for a long time . After marrying Ryan , I'd accidentally caught Lily making furtive calls to the border , her tone filled with panic that didn't match her ' grieving widow " persona . Following that lead , I'd requested permission from my superiors to go undercover as a " housewife " to gather evidence . So when you asked for a divorce , that was part of the plan too ? " Ryan looked up , eyes holding a trace of hurt but mostly concern . You deliberately picked fights with me , deliberately acted ' unreasonable ' in front of everyone - all to make Lily let her guard down , hinking you were just some jealous ordinary wife , right ? " nodded , remembering how I'd deliberately provoked him in the hospital room , even letting him slap me . My throat tightened lightly : I had to make her believe there were cracks between us . That way she'd feel safer approaching you , and when I ' kidnapped ' her , he'd immediately think to have Marcus rescue her - after all , she thought I was just some woman blinded by jealousy , never magining it was a trap . " yan took my hand , his palm's warmth flowing through my fingertips with that familiar sense of security : I know you had your reasons , but you shouldn't have carried all this alone . When you said you wanted a divorce in the hospital room , I really panicked . " He paused , voice dropping . " And when I slapped you , I ... " 'I know you were performing for Lily . " 13:41 Played the Perfect Housewife for 3 Years Then Revealed I'm FBI's Top Agent ! Chapter 7 I interrupted him with a smile . " That slap looked forceful but didn't actually fourt me at all I hit my own lip for the blood . When have you ever been able to really hit me ? " Ryan smiled too , reaching up to ruffle my hair , eyes full of tenderness . Just then , the hospital room door opened and Ryan's parents walked in with his teammates , carrying fruit baskets . His mother immediately grabbed my hands , eyes red with emotion : " Victoria , I'm so sorry for misjudging you before . I had no idea you and Ryan were carrying such responsibility , having to put on this whole performance for a case . " Officer Diana came over too , face full of guilt : " Detective Victoria , I'm sorry . I misunderstood you before , calling you stupid and selfish ... turns out I was the stupid one , falling for Lily's crocodile tears all this time . " Ryan looked around at everyone , clearing his throat with a note of seriousness : " We couldn't have successfully apprehended Marcus and Lily without Victoria's contribution . She's not just my wife - she's an outstanding detective and someone we should all be proud of . " Everyone nodded , looking at me with genuine admiration . Watching this scene , warmth flooded my heart - all the pretending , hurt , and fear of these past weeks had meaning now that the ruth was out . A few days later , Ryan was discharged and I returned to work at the Criminal Investigation Division . The department held a commendation ceremony for us . Marcus and Lily were formally charged with drug trafficking , harboring ugitives , and endangering national security , facing the full punishment of the law . And the three kilograms of fentanyl that had gone missing years ago were successfully recovered based on Marcus's confession , revented from reaching the streets . hat evening , Ryan and I sat on our living room couch , looking out at the lights of the city . n the days ahead , we'd be like any ordinary married couple - supporting each other , protecting each other . Except this time , we veren't just protecting our little family - we were protecting the peace and justice behind all those twinkling lights .