Chapter 88

Lucas POV

My words hung heavy in the room, the silence that followed punctuated by the rise and fall of furious breaths.

A sudden thought crossed my mind. I wondered if it was the best idea to anger a room full of Alphas...

My father's face shifted into a mask of disbelief as his hands curled into tight fists.

The tension in the air was nearly suffocating.

"Care to repeat that, son?" my father seethed, his voice barely controlled. Each word out of his mouth was punctuated with anger.

"I won't go through with the engagement, Dad." I held his gaze, unwavering despite the instinct inside of me telling me to run.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" his voice finally cracked with restrained exasperation as he shot up from his chair. The sound of the legs scratching against the floor punctuation around the quiet room.

He slammed a fist down on the table, making all the cutlery clang together.

Stealing a look in Victoria's parent's direction was no less frightening. Their expressions mirrored my father's rage.

As I looked at Victoria, I could see a mix of emotions playing across her face– shock, embarrassment, and perhaps a hint of something deeper that I couldn't quite pinpoint.

Maybe I had misinterpreted her gesture from earlier. Was she genuinely upset with me? I couldn't understand why, since neither of us truly wanted this engagement.

The room felt like a pressure cooker, the stifling tenseness only grew with every breath.

It was as if everyone was processing what had just happened. It must've only been seconds, but it felt like years. Years of everyone staring at me with open mouths and squinted eyes.

My words permanently severed their expectations of the future. It had shattered a bond that had been meticulously crafted and planned by our parents for years.

But I knew this was the right choice. This was the right thing to do, and I didn't regret any of it. Even if it meant my father might kill me based on the look on his face...

I've seen my father angry a handful of times, but nothing could prepare me for the look on his face now.

This had to be the maddest I've ever seen him.

His glare was sharp enough to cut glass, and I felt like he was holding himself back from launching at me. "Lucas, this is unacceptable. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're an ungrateful little brat. You're making a mockery of my family. Of everything we've planned." Victoria's mother shook her head, her eyes narrowing as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Lucas." Victoria's gaze flickered between her parents and me. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

I met her gaze. I realized I had completely blind-sighted her, and I felt bad for not giving her a heads-up earlier. "No, Victoria. It's not a joke. It's my decision."

I knew she might be upset with me now, but I knew deep down she had to be relieved that I had done this for us. A small part of her would be thankful.

The room seemed to vibrate with the intensity of our conflicting emotions.

The fury emanating from my father, the disbelief from Victoria's parents, and the hurt that Victoria herself was struggling to hide created an atmosphere charged with chaos.

"You're being unreasonable, Lucas. I won't let you destroy everything we've worked for," my father's voice was a low growl. His hands gripped the edge of the table, making his knuckles white.

"You think you can just invite us over to dinner and announce the end of generations of tradition?" Victoria's mother leaned forward. Her eyes had completely transformed from brown to a furious red, ablaze with anger.

"Sometimes, traditions are meant to be broken," I said firmly, my gaze locked on hers. "I'll be damned if I sit back and pretend like I'm okay with all this when I'm not. All for what? Some business opportunities? What about Victoria and I? What about our feelings and our happiness?"

"Screw your happiness!" Victoria's father said, slamming his own fist on the table. "Your focus should be on business and cultivating millions."

"You don't even care that you're forcing your own daughter into something she wants no part of?" I asked, looking at Victoria who was staying perfectly silent.

"Victoria knows what her role is, and she's a good girl," Victoria's mother said with a straight face. "She's known what's expected of her all her life. She's been trained for this lifestyle the same way that you have been. She knows her place, and she accepts it."

"You must not know her well enough if you think that," I argued, my voice raising slightly.

Having had enough of this conversation, Victoria's mother stood abruptly. "I think it's time for us to leave. Unless you'd like to apologize for the scene you've created and agree to keep the engagement going."

I took a deep breath. "I'm not apologizing for anything."

Victoria's mother's face twisted into hatred, her mouth opening to speak before my father cut her off.

"Us adults will discuss this privately," he stated, completely ignoring me. "Follow me into my office."

As our parents filed out of the room, Victoria and I were left alone. The air seemed to shift. Victoria's gaze was fixed on her lap where she clenched her fists.

"I know you might be upset with me," I started, "but I won't let this be our fate–two people bound by a business arrangement rather than a real, genuine love."

"Lucas, do you even care about the consequences of your actions?" Victoria spoke and her voice trembled slightly.

"Of course, I care," I said. "I did this for both of us. It had to happen, Victoria. Better that it happens now before it's too late."

"You could've told me what you were planning," she said, finally looking up at me. "That was incredibly humiliating. How could you do that?"

"I'm sorry," I started. "You're right I should've said something to you. I should've let you know, but I didn't know if I'd actually be able to do it. I've never stood up to my father before–let alone a room full of Alphas."

"So," she glanced around, looking helpless. "What does this mean for us now? What about our families? What about business?"

I shrugged because I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. "I don't know. Obviously, I don't want to shun you or your family's business. You're one of our closest partners. We help each other. But us getting married has always been a horrible idea, and you know it."

She pursed her lips. "Am I that awful?"

"No. Of course not," I reassured her. "C'mon, you thought this was a bad idea too, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I did. No offense, but I didn't want to marry you either."

"None taken. Nobody wants to be forced into a marriage," I agreed. "And I know this will be hard to navigate, but we deserve to live our lives the way we want to."

"Listen to that voice deep down in your gut, what is it saying?" I asked. "Because mine is telling me we have to break the barriers that our families have placed upon us. One day these businesses will be ours, and we need to do what's best for us."

Victoria fell into silence, and I hoped that she would understand this was the best thing for us to do.