I could feel the walls closing in on me as I sat alone in the dimly lit room, the silence around me as deafening as a scream. The threats from Sydney's family reverberated in my mind, a relentless reminder of the precariousness of my situation.
They had cornered me, leveraging my company, my life's work, to coerce me into something I couldn't fathom—marrying Sydney. Every fiber of my being rebelled against it, but the fear of losing everything I'd built was overwhelming.
My company was more than just a business; it was my legacy, my passion, the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and determination. The thought of it being torn apart, of everything I had worked for being destroyed, was unbearable. Yet, the idea of being forced into a loveless marriage, of betraying my heart and Elena, was equally devastating.