His Father's Son

Family Ties

The weekend arrived, and Ethan was summoned to his family's estate for a gathering. He had been dreading this event all week, knowing that his relatives would scrutinize his every move, waiting for him to slip up so they could report back to Harrison.

As he arrived at the estate, Ethan was greeted by the familiar sight of his family's sprawling mansion. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air, and the smell of expensive perfume and fine cuisine wafted through the halls.

Ethan's aunt, Catherine, cornered him in the living room, her voice dripping with condescension. "Ethan, dear, when are you going to settle down and take your rightful place in the family business? Your father is getting older, and someone needs to take the reins."

Ethan forced a smile, trying to placate her. "I'm working on it, Aunt Catherine. Dad's been teaching me the ropes."

But Catherine wasn't satisfied. "You need to focus, Ethan. You're a Blackwood. You have responsibilities."

Ethan felt a familiar sense of frustration. He knew that his family would never understand why he couldn't just follow in their footsteps. They didn't know about his passion for photography, or his desire to forge his own path.

Just as he was starting to feel overwhelmed, Ethan spotted a familiar figure across the room – Emily. She was standing by the window, sipping a glass of wine and looking stunning in a red dress. Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he excused himself and made his way over to her.

"Hey," Emily said, smiling up at him. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

Ethan grinned, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "I didn't know you were going to be here either. What brings you to this esteemed gathering?"

As they chatted, Ethan felt a sense of calm wash over him. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could be himself, without the weight of his family's expectations.

But their conversation was cut short when Harrison Blackwood stormed over, his face stern. "Ethan, I need to talk to you about something. Now."

Ethan felt a knot form in his stomach as he followed his father to his study, wondering what he had done wrong this time.