ared at it for a moment, contemplating whether to answer. It had been a long week, and he was trying to enjoy the few hours of free

" Nicholas said as s

ather's voice, sharp and direct as always.

the part where his father thought he could dictate every little detail of his l

inner," his father announced, his t

tle. How could he get out of this? There was no way he could stomach another evening with Theora, especially now, just days be

red, hoping the exc

e her out," his father demanded,

the one in charge of everything. He hated being cornered, especially when he didn't want to do somethin

said, trying to sound casual. "Remember I told you about it? I'll only be back a day bef

elf to feel relief. Maybe, just maybe, he had dodged the bullet this time. "Alright then, I want you to be back the day

cs, but didn't say anything. It wasn't as though he had much c

beer, his gaze shifting over the lively crowd in the bar. This was suppos

olas's mind. "I've sent you a picture of Theora to yo

r. It wasn't that she was unattractive-it was just that everything about this marriage felt wrong. It wasn't love; it was a bu

holas said, his tone distant, hopi

t behavior, son. This is important,"

dad with the photo attached, but he didn't bother to open it. Instead, he deleted it without a second thought. Theora was nothing

ohol or the anxiety about the upcoming wedding, but either way, he needed something to take the edge off. This was supposed to

. It was eight in the morning, and the bride was already ready. Theora sat in front of a mirror, her friends surrounding her, teasing her a

the room. The chaos in that suite was something Nicholas preferred to ignore. It was a reminder of everything he didn't care for: loud, messy, meaningless. He'd hired the suite next to

Nicholas barely paid attention as the man helped him into the custom-tailored suit. It was a perfect fit, precisely mad

ut none of it mattered. He could see the man he was becoming-someone who traded his soul for success, someone who would spend the rest of his lif

sm. He stared at himself in the mirror, almost wishing it were some