Gideon let the words settle, his gaze drifting to the window. The city glittered beyond the glass, bright and distant.
But Arden was somewhere out there.
Not waiting.
Just existing, defiant and brilliant.
The only real thing in a world full of illusion.
Silence fell again, broken only by the soft clink of Gideon’s glass against the desk.
“You’ve always carried this family’s legacy,” Nathan said finally. “But carrying it doesn’t mean you have to carry it alone.”
Gideon didn’t answer.
But in the quiet that followed, something shifted.
Not resignation.
Resolve.
The doorswung open without a knock.
Dan.
He entered like a gust of sharp air, all energy and irreverence, cutting straight through the tension.
“Uncle Nathan, please tell me you’re not trying to out-brood him,” Dan said as he strolled in, casual as ever. “Because I hate to break it to you, but Gideon’s had a head start since puberty. He’s a professional.”
Nathan’s lips twitched, the faintest crack in his calm. “I’m trying to talk some sense into him,” he said, nodding toward Gideon. “Feel free to join the intervention.”
Dan flopped into the chair beside Nathan, sprawling like he owned the place. “What are we intervening about? Evelyn unleash her final form, or are we pretending this is about quarterly projections?”
Nathan gave a dry look. “A little of column A, a little of ‘the family’s plotting against the woman Gideon actually cares about.’”
Dan’s grin dimmed slightly. Not gone, but tempered with concern.
“So… we’re talking about Arden.”
Gideon didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
Dan nodded, tone shifting. “I think your staff likes her more than they like you. She’s got guts.”
Gideon arched a brow, but a flicker of a smile ghosted across his mouth. “Careful, Dan.”
“I’m just saying,” Dan continued, his grin widening. “Anyone who can face off with Sebastian without flinching? She’s got more backbone than half the board. Including me.”
Gideon’s smirk faded. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.
The air shifted—playfulness draining into something heavier. More honest.
Nathan leaned forward slightly, reading the undercurrent.
He and Dan exchanged a glance, silent and instinctive. They’d both heard it. The unsaid thing beneath Gideon’s words.
Nathan stood,the leather creaking beneath him as he placed a firm hand on Gideon’s shoulder.
“You’ve always carried this family’s weight,” he said. “But this? This is different. And some things—some people—are worth carrying it for.”
