Milana's POV
There's a certain heaviness that clings to family dinners in this household
Maybe it's the polished silence, the clink of cutlery too careful to be casual or how Dad actually puts his phone away for longer than five minutes
Either way, my stomach's already in knots and I haven't taken a single bite.
"Relax," Serena whispers beside me, her hand brushing mine under the table "You look like you're bracing for an ambush."
"I am," I whisper back, lifting my glass to hide the words.
She smirks, elegant as ever in pearl earrings and a silk blouse the kind of effortlessly put together. Serena's always been like that,graceful, calm, annoyingly perfect and somehow, still my favorite person in this entire house.
Across from us, Cole sits like a statue jaw tense, arms folded, eyes flicking between Dad and the untouched wine in his glass. He hasn't said a word since we sat down, and knowing him, that's not a good thing.
He's every bit the golden son, sharp suited, serious, and already molded into Dad's image, The same image I've spent years quietly resisting.
Dad clears his throat. "I know things have been… busy but there's something important we need to discuss."
Since Cole married Nova,his wife, who's surprisingly easy to like and Serena got married too, it's just been my parents and the staff left in the house.
Dad continues "We've finalized the agreement. The engagement between Milana and Adrian Sinclair will formally be announced this weekend."
Serena glances at me, her features tight with tension.
Cole doesn't even blink.
I set my fork down "You make it sound so simple,like it's just some business deal you're closing."
"That's because it is," Cole says flatly
Oh, so now you talk?" I snap, glaring at him.
His voice is cold, clipped "This marriage saves the company, saves our name. You may not care about that, but the rest of us do."
You think I don't care?" I snap. "I've given up more than you know just trying to keep this family and the company from falling apart"
Cole's voice rising "You've never sacrificed a damn thing Milana, This is the one thing you've ever been asked to do for this family, One thing!!!"
"So you're just going to hand me over like I'm a bargaining chip?"
Cole slams his palm on the table " You've lived in comfort your whole life while the rest of us handled the real pressure, For once, you're being asked to do something that matters, and you're already throwing a tantrum."
"Enough," Serena says, tension cracking through her calm "Can we not do this here?"
But I'm already leaning forward, pulse pounding "You don't get to do that Cole, not when you've spent your whole life doing exactly what he wanted just to get his approval."
Cole's jaw clenches "Better than whining about responsibility and running away when it's time to fucking grow up."
"Stop it, both of you," Mom's voice slices through the chaos like a whip, calm but with an edge that silences all of us instantly.
Dad clears his throat, his presence filling the room like a final curtain drop.
"You will marry Adrian Sinclair," he says, tone absolute "This decision is not up for debate, It is what's best for all of us."
I pushed my chair back hard enough that it screeched against the floor, and stood up slowly. "No, It's what's best for you,don't pretend this is about family, It's all about control."
"Milana….."
But I'm already walking.
Out of the dining room.
Out of the conversation.
Out of their perfectly orchestrated plan.
I don't stop until I reach my room and when I slam the door, I swear it echoes all the way to hell.
…
My room is the only place that still feels like mine.
Not the mansion,not the family name. Just this room, the pale linen curtains, the soft hum of the AC, the vanilla candle I forgot to blow out.
I sat on the edge of my bed, still in the dress I wore to dinner, staring at nothing.
Ever since Dad dropped the bomb on me earlier, I've felt it ticking beneath the surface like a landmine waiting to go off.
But… accepting it,like I was a pawn already moved across the board,that part still stings.
A soft knock breaks the silence.
I didn't answer
The door opens anyway slowly, carefully and Mom steps in.
She doesn't say anything right away, just closes the door gently behind her and walks over like she's stepping into fragile glass.
"Can I sit?" she asks
I nod, eyes still fixed on the carpet
She sits beside me, folding her hands in her lap
"I know tonight was… a lot," she says softly
I exhale a sharp laugh. "That's one way to put it."
"I didn't want you to find out until you've settled but your father felt he was out of time."
I finally turn to look at her "And what about you? You agreed too, didn't you?"
Her expression softens, a flicker of sadness in her eyes "I didn't agree easily, Milana, I wrestled with it, I thought about you, I still am."
"Then why?" My voice cracks "Why let him do this? Why let them decide for me?"
She reaches out and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, just like she did when I was little "Because sometimes… Being part of a family means carrying a weight that's not yours and that doesn't feel fair and I know you've been sheltered from a lot of it, but things are different now. Alcrest is hanging by a thread."
I look away, swallowing down the knot in my throat
"I know.. but.. marrying someone I don't even know,a total stranger…." I whisper
"I know." She places her hand gently over mine "And I'm not here to force you"
I blink hard, fighting tears.
And for a few seconds, we just sit like that hand in hand, in a house that suddenly feels colder than ever.
"I don't know if I can do this," I whisper eventually
"You don't have to know yet," she says gently "Just… don't close your heart completely,sometimes, the things we least expect become the ones that save us."
…
Milana's Pov
The sun is up, but I haven't opened my curtains.
I've been in my room for hours, just… thinking, which, for the record, is exhausting.
There's a knock at my door, three sharp taps.
I drag myself out of bed and crack the door open.
There she is
Isla Dane, my closest friend.
Wearing high waisted jeans, a cropped hoodie, oversized sunglasses… and carrying two iced lattes like it's a peace offering.
"Good morning, future Mrs," she says with zero shame.
I groaned "Don't start."
She walks in "Too late, I've been waiting twelve hours to scream about this, Serena told me everything."
Of course she did.
Serena trusts Isla almost as much as I do.
I climb back into bed, and Isla flops beside me.
"I brought caffeine and judgment," she says, handing me a drink "Pick your poison."
I take the latte without a word, one sip and the tension in my shoulders drops by a fraction.
Isla glances at me. "So, on a scale of one to emotionally spiraling, where are we at?"
"Somewhere between disowning my family and faking my death."
She snorts "That bad, huh?"
I stare at the ceiling "I feel like a pawn, Isla, A literal pawn on my dad's chessboard and the worst part is, everyone's already playing along like it's done."
Isla doesn't say anything right away.
"I don't even know this guy" I added
"From what I know, Richard Sinclair has three sons," Isla says, squinting at me over her iced latte "Which one are you getting married to?"
"I was too busy being against the whole thing to actually catch his name," I muttered.
"Well, it's definitely not Nicholas, the firstborn, He's already married and obnoxiously boring," she says, counting on her fingers "And it's definitely not the youngest, Paxton, That guy's basically a walking red flag with a trust fund, so that leaves… Adrian, The second son."
"And…?"
"And nothing."
I sat up a little "What do you mean nothing?"
She shrugs "I mean literally nothing
There's barely anything about him online, Just a few corporate articles, a couple photos at black tie events, and a list of achievements that scream 'intimidating genius with no social life.'"
I stare at her
"So yeah," she adds with a straight face, "basically your soulmate."
I throw a pillow at her,she ducks, laughing.
"Okay, but seriously," she says, sitting up, "what are you going to do?"
Shrugging my shoulders "I don't know…..run away and become a yoga instructor in Bali."
"Hot," Isla says "But maybe… meet with him first?"
I blink at her "Are you on their side now?"
"No." She rests her chin on her knee "I'm on your side,aways but maybe you should at least meet the guy before you decide whether or not to destroy his life with your wrath."
I exhale slowly "It's not like I get a say in any of this, My father's already pushing it through, I just… I just wanted to be able to decide this one thing for myself."
She nods, quieter now "Then decide how you go through this,choose to walk in like a storm or like a queen,either way, I've got you."
I glance over at her, and despite everything, I manage a small smile.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For being the only person who doesn't treat me like I'm part of a portfolio."
"Please." She tosses her hair "You're way too dramatic to be in finance."
We sat there sipping our lattes, like a world isn't waiting just outside the door.