CHAPTER-9
499 Words
Evelyn’s fingers trembled under the table, her nails digging into her palm as she sat frozen.
Lucian still hadn’t sat back down. His chest rose and fell sharply. He looked at his father. Then his mother. Then finally at Evelyn—his enemy, his chaos… his future?
Evelyn’s voice cracked the silence.
“You’re really going to disown us… if we don’t do this?”
Her mother spoke softly, carefully.
“It’s not what we want, darling. But this is bigger than just you two. This is about family. Legacy. Stability.”
Lucian finally sank back into his seat, eyes dark and distant.
“Why us? Why me and her?”
His father replied plainly.
“You’re not dating anyone. She isn’t either. You’re both smart, capable, and most importantly… you understand each other.”
Evelyn laughed dryly.
“We hate each other.”
Her father chuckled softly.
“And yet, neither of you has ever cared enough to hate anyone else. That says something.”
Lucian’s mother added gently:
“You don’t have a girlfriend, Lucian. And Evelyn, you haven’t brought home a boy in years. If love isn’t in the picture anyway… then why not choose family over stubbornness?”
Evelyn’s throat tightened.
Evelyn:
“So you’d rather see me in a loveless marriage… than wait for someone I actually care about?”
Her mother reached across the table, taking her hand.
“No, baby. We’d never want you unhappy. But sometimes… the right person doesn’t come in the package you expected.”
Lucian scoffed quietly.
“Well, this is definitely not the package I expected.”
Her father added gently:
“You’ve always loved us, Evelyn. We’ve never asked you for anything—this is the one thing. Just... consider it.”
Lucian’s father turned to him.
Mr. Blackwood:
“Son, this isn’t a command. It’s a choice. We know we raised you right. And if you still choose to walk away—we won’t stop you.”
The room fell silent again.
The weight of it all hung heavy.
Lucian ran a hand down his face. His voice, when it came, was rough.
“…I hate this.”
Evelyn whispered, heart in her throat:
“Me too.”
But when she looked at her mother, then her father—faces filled with hope and unspoken desperation—she felt her heart squeeze.
Evelyn’s voice broke.
“I don’t want to lose you both.”
Lucian stared at his parents, that same storm in his chest.
“After everything you’ve done for me… I can’t just throw it all away.”
Silence. Then—
Evelyn muttered:
“Fine.”
Lucian, after a long pause, echoed quietly:
“Fine.”
Their parents smiled—relieved, emotional.
Her mother whispered:
“You made the right choice.”
Evelyn whispered under her breath, not looking at Lucian.
“Then why does it feel so wrong?”
Lucian said nothing.
But his silence screamed louder than any answer ever could.
- Writer
