บท 18: "Bound by Family: The Unwanted Proposal"

I watched my brother's face and the way his eyes darted from me to Eirik.

"He has a point," Ezekiel said from my right.

Then I saw it. Christian agreed.

Fuck.

"Can I have a minute with my sister?"

"No," Eirik said swiftly. "You want them to believe we're once again a united front, then I marry Cress. There's no private discussion needed to agree on what makes sense. Either she says yes now or I'll be on a flight first thing in the morning, and you two figure out how to do this without me."

A demand.

One that my brother was considering yielding to. I could tell from the look he gave me that he wanted my cooperation. He was silently demanding that I agree.

"I'm not marrying him. You will not change my mind."

"You will," Eirik said.

His declaration and demand rolled through me, with a promise of reward if I conceded. Had he not been so attractive, I wouldn't be at war with myself or this decision.

But I was.

"Lyle, we can give them a moment to discuss this privately." Ezekiel said quietly after extending to his full height, and only then did Eirik agree. He stood with the appearance that he was in some sort of pain. The tension in his jaw only surfaced for a brief moment, but I caught it.

I wonder what that's about.

I also didn't miss how he presented himself as a complete contrast to both my brother and his. They were in suits. Eirik was wearing dark-washed jeans and a fitted black V-neck. Short sleeves, so there was exposure of the dark lines that created the tattooed sleeve peeking out from the black fabric.

"Nine p.m."

That was only a few hours. Is he insane?

My eyes shot up to his, and he continued. "You have until then to decide. After that, I'm leaving, and the option is no longer on the table." His eyes left me and moved to my brother. The muscles in Christian's jaw flexed as he growled his response.

"You'll have our decision before then."

"Our? You mean me, and I'm telling you no. It's a firm no. I'm not marrying him."

The corners of Eirik's mouth lifted, but only for me in a condescending manner, before the smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "We'll see ourselves out, so the two of you can talk."

Across from me, Christian moved around the desk. I watched him offer a nod, and then both Ezekiel and Eirik were gone, leaving me with my anger and my brother.

"No" was the first thing out of my mouth.

"You said you didn't want this for Jona."

"I don't, and I want it even less for myself. I'm not marrying that man, Chris. Are you seriously considering this nonsense?"

"I'm not considering it."

"Good!" I huffed.

"I'm demanding that you do this. You will marry him, Cress."

"No, I will not."

"Yes…" He approached, stopping a foot away from me. "You will. This family has given you everything and asked for nothing in return. Your studies, your career, your freedom to live the way you wanted, regardless of what that meant to the rest of us"

The tension in the room was palpable as Christian spoke with an unwavering resolve. His demand for me to marry Eirik felt like a betrayal of everything I had worked for and believed in.

I clenched my fists, my anger rising. "I won't be used as some pawn in your business dealings, Christian. I thought you knew me better than this."

Christian's face hardened as he continued, "This isn't about business, Cress. It's about the family, our legacy, and our future. You owe it to us."

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. "I owe it to myself to make my own choices, to live my own life."

Christian's voice was low and threatening, "You don't have a choice in this, Cress. You will marry Eirik, and you will do it for the Omari family."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, and I realized that the brother I thought I knew had been replaced by a man consumed by the family's dark dealings and ambitions. I had a difficult decision to make, and it felt like I was at a crossroads with no clear path forward.