"Marriage is more complex than checking boxes, Son. The board will want to see stability. Commitment. Not just a ring and some paperwork."
Heat crawls up my neck, but I maintain composure. "Grace and I are committed."
"Are you?" He stands, moving to the bar cart and pouring two fingers of scotch without offering me any. "Because from where I'm sitting, this all happened very quickly. Met in January, married in May. That doesn’t scream stability. It feels impulsive."
I clench my jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. "What do you want from me?"
Studying me over the rim of his glass, he takes a long sip. "I want to know this marriage will last. That you're not going to embarrass this family with a divorce before your first anniversary."
"It will last." The lie tastes familiar on my tongue.
"Convince me." He sets the glass down. "Convince the board. Convince everyone at this party that you're not just playing house to get what you want."
"I've done everything you asked?—"
"And that's exactly the problem," he cuts me off. "Everything you've done has been calculated. Strategic. The board knows that. They see through it."
My hands curl into fists at my sides. "So what, then? I'm supposed to wait until Dove?—"
"Your sister has been planning her wedding for a year. She's put in the work, built the relationships. She doesn't treat this like a checklist to complete."
"Because she actually wants to get married," I snap before I can stop myself.
Leonard's smile is sharp. He’s caught me. "And you don't?"
The question hangs between us, loaded.
"I want what's mine," I say finally. "What I've earned."
"Thenearnit." He moves back to his desk, dismissing me without another word. "Enjoy the party, Son. We'll discuss succession after we see how you handle a weekend with the family."
I turn and leave before I say something I'll regret.
The hallway feels too narrow, too hot. I loosen my tie, heading back toward our room.
Grace better be ready to put on the performance of a lifetime.
Because my father just made it clear—this weekend is a test.
And failure isn't an option.
NEW STORY IDEAS
We meet the heroine in her tragically boring life. Maybe she’s broke?
The heroine is rescued from her average life by the enigmatic billionaire.
The heroine and the hero make a mutually beneficial agreement.
