Aunt Rose gently brushed my hair away from my forehead.
“Slowly this time.” I obeyed.
Little by little, my eyes adjusted to the light until Aunt Rose’s worried face finally came into focus.
Only then did I realize I was still in my bedroom.
She was sitting on the edge of my bed, watching over me.
“What…
happened?” I tried to sit up, but my throat felt painfully dry.
Without saying a word, Aunt Rose reached for a glass of water.
She carefully helped me drink a few sips before supporting me against the headboard…
“You didn’t come downstairs for breakfast.” “I came to check on you, but you wouldn’t answer.” “So I used the spare key.” Her eyes filled with concern.
“When I came in, you were curled beneath the duvet, shivering with a high fever.” I frowned, trying to remember last night.
The pounding headache…
The exhaustion…
After that…
Everything became a blur.
Almost instinctively, my hand drifted toward my left ring finger.
The diamond ring was still there.
The moment my fingertips touched it, the memories from last night came rushing back one after another.
The engagement.
The applause.
Alexander placing the ring on my finger.
Isabella’s tear-filled eyes.
It hadn’t been a dream.
Noticing where I was looking, Aunt Rose gently held my hand.
“Don’t let this weigh so heavily on your heart, Alice.” Her voice was soft.
“You know your uncle and I would never do anything that wasn’t for your own good.” I looked at her, countless questions pressing against my chest.
“But…” My throat was still too dry.
It hurt just to speak.
“…Why?” The single word came out almost as a whisper.
Before Aunt Rose could answer, Uncle shedrak walked into the room.
“You’re still sick, Alice.” He gave me a gentle smile.
“We can talk after you’ve recovered.” I immediately shook my head.
Tears had already begun gathering in my eyes.
“I want to know.” My voice was hoarse but firm.
The room fell silent.
Uncle shedrak and Aunt Rose exchanged a long look, as though silently deciding something.
Finally, they both turned back to me.
Aunt Rose reached over and gently squeezed my hand.
“Please calm down, sweetheart.” “We never wanted to hurt you.” Uncle shedrak nodded before speaking.
“You already know we’ve been having problems with the shareholders regarding the Johnson Culinary group.” I nodded quietly.
Five years ago, after my parents passed away, I was still in high school.
When Uncle asked what I wanted to do with the company, I willingly left it under his care until I finished my studies.
Because he already managed one of the largest business empires in B-City, none of the shareholders objected at the time.
But now that I had graduated…
And it was finally time for me to take over my parents’ company…
Everything had changed.
“The shareholders refused to support the transition.” “We held meeting after meeting.” “But no matter what we tried…” “We couldn’t reach an agreement.” He paused, studying my expression carefully.
Then he let out a quiet breath.
“So…” “Your aunt and I decided to take another approach.” “I looked between the two of them, even more confused.
‘Another approach?’ I whispered hoarsely.
‘But…
Uncle, you already announced the handover of the company last night.’ Aunt Rose nodded gently.
‘The shareholders believe you’re still too young and inexperienced to lead the Johnson Culinary group on your own.’ She paused before Uncle Shedrak continued.
‘No matter how many meetings we held, they refused to change their minds.
They insisted the company needed stronger security before they would fully support your appointment.’ My brows slowly knitted together.
‘Security…?’ ‘They wanted reassurance,’ Uncle explained calmly.
‘Something that would guarantee that, no matter what happened in the future, the Livingston Corporation would always stand behind the Johnson Group.’ I frowned.
‘But…
our companies are already partners.’ ‘Partnerships can end,’ he answered quietly.
‘Business agreements are rewritten every day.
Contracts expire.
Alliances change.’ His voice became heavier.
‘The shareholders wanted something they believed couldn’t be broken so easily.’ My fingers instinctively tightened around the blanket.
‘Something permanent…?’ Silence settled over the room.
Then Aunt Rose gently squeezed my hand.
‘Family.’ The single word made my heart sink.
She looked at me with eyes full of guilt.
‘To them…
marriage was the strongest guarantee.’ I lowered my head, staring blankly at the engagement ring resting on my finger.
‘So…
this was the only choice?’ Neither of them answered immediately.
After a long silence, Uncle Shedrak finally spoke.
‘It was the only solution that protected both companies without stripping you of what rightfully belongs to you.’ I bit my lower lip.
‘But…
what about Alexander?’ My voice cracked.
‘I can’t ask him to sacrifice his life just so I can become CEO.’ ‘You’re thinking about this the wrong way,’ Uncle said.
‘This arrangement isn’t only for your benefit.’ I slowly looked up.
He continued, ‘Over the past few years, the Livingston Corporation has suffered setbacks in its agricultural division.
Several of our major farms were devastated by pests.
We managed to recover production, but public confidence in our products declined considerably.’ I nodded.
I had heard bits and pieces about it while studying abroad.
‘The Johnson Restaurant Chain, however, still enjoys the trust of the public,’ he continued.
‘If both companies become more closely connected, we’ll be able to rebuild that trust together.’ I understood the business logic…
but something still didn’t feel right.
‘We could still achieve that through our existing partnership.’ Uncle nodded.
‘We could.’ ‘But a partnership can be questioned.’ ‘Shareholders can challenge it.’ ‘Future management can dissolve it.’ He paused.
‘A marriage…
gives both families stability while the two companies grow stronger together.’ The room became quiet again.
Then Aunt Rose spoke softly.
‘This isn’t meant to trap either of you.’ Her voice trembled slightly.
‘Your uncle and I have already agreed that if, after three years of marriage, neither of you wishes to continue…
we’ll support your decision to divorce.’…