**Charismatic Shoemaker Lloyd**
Benton barely heard the rest of Harold’s words.
They hung in the air like smoke sweet on the surface, choking underneath.
Marry his daughter?
Become his in-law?
It wasn’t just a business arrangement; it was a chain disguised as a handshake.
Benton sat there, fingers drumming against the arm of the chair. Across the table, Harold’s smile stayed fixed, but his eyes… They were measuring him, weighing him like a piece of merchandise.
He felt Madam Lisa’s gaze on him too. A silent warning. A silent plea. He couldn’t tell which part of him wanted to say yes to play along, walk straight into Harold’s circle, and learn every move from the inside. The other part of him wanted to stand up, knock over his chair, and tell the man exactly what he could do with his
