My father exchanged a glance with President Marks before turning back to me. "Eli will come around," he said with confidence. "He's emotional right now, but he'll see reason. Once he understands the importance of this, he'll do what's expected of him." His voice was steady as if he believed in this without a shadow of a doubt.
President Marks nodded in agreement. "Eli has always been headstrong, but that doesn't change what needs to be done. This union is vital to our families and to maintaining our influence. He'll accept it in time, and so will you."
I looked between the two of them, feeling trapped. They spoke as if Eli's resistance was nothing more than a temporary inconvenience, something that could be smoothed over with enough patience and pressure. They weren't asking me what I wanted—they were telling me what I had to do. It wasn't about love or even personal choice. It was about power, alliances, and keeping the Marks and Liam families at the center of it all.
