Colton’s POV
I almost did not go to the summit.
That is the truth.
Three days before departure, my father walked into my office without knocking, placed a folder on my desk, and said in a tone that did not invite debate, “When you return, we finalize the engagement.”
Not discuss.
Not consider.
Finalize.
To Carmen.
It had been brewing for months. Negotiations disguised as reconciliation. Board pressure disguised as concern. Family expectations disguised as legacy.
I had tolerated it because it made financial sense. Because numbers are clean. Predictable. Obedient.
But marriage is not a spreadsheet.
And I was furious.
Furious at my parents for cornering me. Furious at the board for weaponizing stability. Furious at Carmen for agreeing to something that had nothing to do with love
