Chapter 2

The moment the door shut behind me, I didn't look back.

It wasn't that I wasn't angry; I knew one more word would only push things in the direction she wanted.

My phone rang as soon as the car pulled out of Carter Estate.

The name on the screen was Emily's mother, Mrs. Carter.

I didn't answer right away.

Streetlights streaked across the windshield, but my thoughts had never been clearer.

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. They'd been waiting for the right time to say it out loud.

I didn't pick up until the third ring.

"Alex," Mrs. Carter said gently, "don't take what happened just now to heart."

I kept one hand on the wheel. "If you have something to say, say it."

After a brief silence, she sighed. "Emily's still young and softhearted. You know Ethan's situation, he was truly out of options."

I listened without interrupting.

"You're meant for bigger things," Mrs. Carter went on. "Why argue with a kid? If this gets out, it won't do anyone any good."

It won't do anyone any good.

I knew exactly what she meant, and somehow, the Carter family wasn't included in that "anyone."

"So?" I asked.

She clearly hadn't expected me to throw the question back. After a pause, she said, "Our families go back too many years to fall out over one incident. If you take a step back, people will remember you did the decent thing."

Take a step back.

I let out a quiet laugh. "Mrs. Carter, your family proposed the engagement, and your family set the date. Now your family is the one changing everything.

"This isn't the step I should be taking back."

Her tone turned noticeably colder. "Alex, don't say things so absolutely. You're angry right now. Calm down and think about it again later."

I didn't bother replying. I hung up.

The second the call ended, I felt even clearer inside.

They hadn't called to discuss anything; they had called to pressure me.

The next morning, Kevin followed me into the office the moment I arrived. "Mr. Collins, a few people on the board are asking about the wedding. There are already rumors outside."

I took off my coat, my tone flat. "That's normal. Respond through the usual channels. No need to explain more than that."

He nodded, then hesitated. "There's one more thing. The Carter family wants to arrange a dinner."

I looked up at him. "Turn it down."

"They said it would be the family sitting down together."

"Then there's even less reason to go."

I sat down and started on my paperwork like nothing had happened.

But there was never a shortage of eyes in the company.

At the morning meeting, the second I walked into the conference room, several gazes landed on me at once, probing, sympathetic, openly curious.

I acted like I didn't notice and took my seat.

The meeting itself went smoothly, with every project and deadline staying on track.

Someone finally tested the waters. "Mr. Collins, you've had a lot going on in your personal life lately?"

I closed the file and looked up. "Personal matters don't affect work. If you're worried about the project, stay behind and talk to me one-on-one."

He shut up immediately.

After the meeting, someone deliberately lingered behind. "Alex, what are you planning to do about this?"

It was one of the company's old-timers, a man who'd been with me for years.

"I'll handle it by the book," I said. "Whoever made this mess can own it."

He looked at me, nodded, then sighed. "That temper of yours hasn't changed a bit."

At noon, I skipped the cafeteria and ate something simple in my office.

My phone rang again. This time it was an unknown number.

When I picked up, the uneasy voice on the other end said, "Mr. Collins, this is Ethan."

I leaned back in my chair and said nothing.

"About Emily, I wanted to explain something," he said. "I know you're upset."

"Explain what?" I asked.

He was clearly choked up for a second. "I didn't mean for this to happen. If the Foster family hadn't pushed so hard, I never would've..."

"Ethan," I cut him off.

He fell silent.

I continued, "With your current status, you don't need to explain anything to me. If you're getting married, my approval isn't part of the process."

The line went quiet for several seconds. "But I don't want you to misunderstand. Emily still has feelings for you."

That finally made me frown. "Her feelings have nothing to do with me, and your choices don't need my blessing."

I hung up.

That afternoon, someone from the Carter family showed up anyway.

It wasn't Emily. It was her father, Mr. Carter.

When he appeared at my office door, he looked far calmer than the night before. "Alex, let's talk."

I motioned for Kevin to step out.

Once the door closed, Mr. Carter got straight to the point. "We didn't think this through well enough. But what's done is done. If you keep digging in your heels, it won't do you any good."

"And who exactly does it help?" I asked.

He went silent for a moment before saying, "At the very least, it keeps things from getting uglier."

I looked at him. "The only reason it feels ugly now is because I didn't play along. If I had agreed, the ones looking bad wouldn't have been your family."

His expression shifted. "You're forcing our hand."

"No. Your family is the one making a choice."

The room turned heavy.

Mr. Carter stood, lowering his voice. "Feelings can grow later. But once you lose your place, it's hard to get it back."

I stood too, my voice calm. "Nobody gets a place because someone else steps aside."

He stared at me, then left without another word.