Cynthia set her glass down with deliberate calm, letting the clink echo between us. “You really think I’m going to change now, Lucas? After ten years?” Her voice was sharp, but I caught the tremor underneath.
I didn’t back down. “I don’t care if you change. I care if we change. This empire, this life we’ve built… it means nothing if there’s no future to it. No child and no family, just… emptiness.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line and for a moment, she looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she turned and strode toward the balcony, hands resting on the railing. “And what if I refuse? What if I don’t want to give you what you want?”
I followed, letting my anger simmer into resolve. “Then I’ll do it myself. I’ve lived ten years in this charade, Cynthia. I won’t waste another momen
