Chapter 5 5: When Things Go South

Emily's POV.

The air in my father's study was thick with tension, and my voice rose so high that I thought the walls might actually crack. "You've got to be kidding me!" I yelled, pacing back and forth across the hardwood floor, my heels clicking like gunfire. "You expect me to marry Cole Grayson? That arrogant, self-absorbed..." I stopped mid-rant, my chest heaving, and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You can't be serious!"

My father, ever the picture of calmness, sat in his leather chair, his elbows resting on the armrests, his hands folded neatly in front of him. He regarded me with the same infuriating neutrality he used in board meetings. It was like yelling at a wall.

"Yes, Emily," he said, his voice maddeningly steady. "I mean it. You're going to marry Cole Grayson."

My jaw dropped. I felt like I'd just been punched in the gut. "You're actually serious?" I demanded, the disbelief clear in my voice. "You want me to marry him? Today, I meet him for the first time in years, and tonight you decide to play matchmaker?"

His calm nod was the last straw. "This isn't about romance, Emily. It's business. A partnership between the Hart Enterprise and Grayson Corp's is what's best for both families. For the companies."

I let out a bitter laugh, throwing my hands up. "Best for you maybe! Have you lost your mind? I'm not ready to get married! I have a company to run, a life to live. I don't have time for this."

My father's gaze didn't waver. "You'll have time. And the marriage won't interfere with your work. On the contrary, it will strengthen your position."

"Strengthen my position?" I spat, pacing again. My heels dug into the floor as I turned sharply to face him. "Dad, I'm already CEO of Hart Enterprise. I've earned my position. I don't need to marry some...some man to validate that!"

His silence only fueled my rage. My breaths came fast and shallow, and my hands shook as I ran them through my hair. I felt trapped, like a caged animal.

"And why him?" I demanded, my voice cracking with the force of my anger. "Of all people, why Cole Grayson? I despise him! He's arrogant, insufferable, and so full of himself he doesn't even have room for basic human decency." I stopped pacing, glaring at my father. My voice dropped to a lower, more desperate tone. "This is insane. You can't make me do this."

My father sighed, his calm demeanor finally breaking as he leaned forward in his chair. "Emily, listen to me. This isn't just about you or Cole. This is about securing the future of our company...your company. The alliance with Grayson Corp will put us on the global map in ways we can't achieve alone. It's the logical step forward."

"Logical?" I echoed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You mean convenient. Convenient for you and Nicholas Grayson."

"Yes," he said simply, his expression unflinching. "And for you too, if you let go of your stubbornness and see the bigger picture."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him. My throat tightened, and I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing the emotions back. "You've already discussed this with him, haven't you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "You and Cole's father have planned everything, and Cole...he knows?"

"Yes," my father admitted. "Cole is aware, and he's agreed. This alliance will solidify both companies' legacies. You must do this, Emily."

"Must?" I repeated, my voice trembling with a mixture of fury and despair. I stared at him, my vision blurring as the tears I'd been holding back threatened to spill. "You're not giving me a choice."

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not. Because this is bigger than you, Emily. It's for the best."

The best. The words echoed in my head like a cruel joke. How could this be for the best? My father had just casually announced that I was to marry the one man I'd spent years despising, the man who had ruined my self-worth and humiliated me beyond repair.

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. But the tears won. They brimmed in my eyes, blurring the room around me. My voice cracked as I whispered, "You don't care about what I want, do you?"

My father stood, his expression softening just slightly. "I care about your future, Emily. And this is the right path. You'll see that in time."

I stared at my father, wide-eyed, as though he'd just told me I had to wrestle a bear for breakfast. My heart pounded against my ribcage, and I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. My lips parted to say something...anything...but no words came.

And then he dropped the final bomb.

"You'll be meeting with Cole and his father tomorrow evening to discuss the arrangements," he said, his tone calm and matter-of-factly, like he was announcing the weather. "The wedding will take place in a week."

I felt the air leave my lungs. My knees wobbled, and for a moment, I genuinely thought I might faint. "A week?" I choked out, my voice shaky.

"Yes," he said, his brow furrowing slightly as though he couldn't understand why I wasn't on board with his ridiculous plan. "It's better to move quickly. There's no reason to delay."

I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing, but my heart was hammering so hard it felt like it might explode. "You're not serious," I said, my voice trembling with disbelief.

He folded his arms across his chest, his expression firm. "I've never been more serious, Emily. This is happening. Tomorrow evening, we'll finalize the details."

I took a step back, shaking my head like that would somehow erase everything he'd just said. My breathing quickened, and my stomach twisted into knots. "A week?" I repeated, my voice rising with panic. "You're giving me a week to get married to a man I can't even stand?"

"Emily," he said sharply, his voice like a blade cutting through my protests. "This isn't up for debate. I expect you to be at that meeting tomorrow evening. And I expect you to act like the professional I raised you to be."

Professional? Professional?! I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw something, to smash the pristine vase on the desk into a thousand pieces. Instead, I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms, and I glared at him, my chest heaving.

"You can't do this to me," I said, my voice cracking. "You can't just decide my life for me like this. I'm not a pawn you can move around for your stupid business deals."

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was the one who was exhausted. "Emily, this is for your own good. You'll see that eventually."

"No," I snapped, my voice rising with fury. "I won't see that. I'll never see that. This is insane! How do you expect me to marry someone I barely know? Someone I despise?"

My father didn't flinch, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Because you're a Hart," he said simply. "And Harts do what's necessary."

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and filled with anger. "Necessary? This is necessary to you? Selling me off like a business transaction?"

His expression darkened, and he pointed a finger at me. "Enough, Emily. You'll do this, or you'll face the consequences."

My jaw tightened, and tears pricked at my eyes again. I felt like the ground was spinning beneath me, like I might collapse under the weight of everything. My throat tightened, and I pressed my fingers to my temples, willing the growing headache to stop.

Tomorrow evening. One week.

The room felt too small, the walls too close. My pulse thundered in my ears as I stumbled back a step. "I can't..." I whispered, my voice breaking. "I can't do this."

But his response was final, delivered with a coldness that made my stomach churn. "You don't have a choice."

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.