Lynx POV
Since Louve left, I had come to think as I walked deep into the living room. The city lights streamed through the glass windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor. This was exactly why I had come here first: peace. The family mansion would have been the opposite—questions, orders, and expectations. My family has always been that way, especially when it comes to duty. I leaned back against the couch. Returning to the city had already stirred old tensions, and somehow I knew the moment my parents discovered I had returned without coming straight to the mansion, there would be chaos.
As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone buzzed loudly on the table. I didn't even need to look because I already knew who it was. I sighed. Still, I glanced at the screen.
Mother.
I sighed softly; right on time, I picked up the phone and answered.
"Hello, Mother."
Her voice came through, sharp and controlled.
"Lynx."
No welcoming home, just my name. I already knew she was annoyed with me.
"You are back in the city," she continued.
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
"Yes," I spoke while leaning against the couch arm.
"And yet," she said slowly, "you did not come to the mansion."
I rubbed my temple.
"Mum, I needed some time."
"Time?" my mother repeated.
Before I could respond, another voice cut into the call.
My father.
"Time for what exactly?"
Immediately, I heard his voice, and I slightly straightened. My father rarely joined calls unless the matter was serious.
"Father."
"You returned after five years, and your first decision was to avoid your family."
"That's not what happened."
"Then explain it," my mother demanded.
"I wasn't avoiding anyone. I just wanted to settle into my house first." As soon as I said that, there was a brief silence. Then another voice appeared.
My younger brother.
"Settle in?" He laughed lightly. "You disappeared for years and came back acting like a stranger."
"Marcus," I said firmly.
The laughter stopped as he heard my voice.
Then another voice joined.
My older brother.
"Mother called the mansion staff when she heard you arrived," Rollins said. "They told her you never came here."
I closed my eyes briefly as thoughts began to run through my head. "So they had already investigated?" "Of course they had!" My family never missed anything.
"You could have at least informed us," my mother said.
"I'm informing you now."
"That is not the point."
"I came back to the city; that should be enough," I said calmly.
My father's voice hardened slightly. "It is not."
Silence filled the line again, then my mother spoke. "Regardless of your decision tonight," she said, "we have something important to discuss with you."
I had a bad feeling about this.
"What is it?" I asked.
Father answered this time.
"In four weeks," he said, "you will meet the woman chosen for you."
I froze.
"…what?"
Marcus chuckled in the background.
"Oh, this is good."
Mother ignored his reaction.
"The meeting has already been arranged," she continued. "Her family will be arriving from the northern territories."
My jaw tightened.
"You arranged a meeting for me?"
"Yes."
"Without asking me?"
My father's tone remained firm.
"This is not a casual matter, Lynx."
"And neither is my life."
Rollins spoke again.
"The alliance between our families is important."
I let out a quiet laugh.
"So this is about politics."
"It's about stability," my father corrected.
"No," I said sharply. "It's about control."
The room around me suddenly felt colder.
"Watch your tone," my father warned.
I paced slowly across the room.
"You're arranging my future like it's a business deal."
Then my mother's voice turned colder.
"You are among the heirs of this family."
"I know exactly who I am."
"Then you should understand your responsibilities."
I stopped walking. "I understand them perfectly," I said quietly.
"But choosing who I marry is not one of them."
Marcus whistled softly in the background.
"Well… this just got interesting."
"Marcus, be quiet," Rollins muttered.
My mother spoke again.
"You will meet her."
"No."
The word came out firm.
Final.
Silence fell on the call.
Even Marcus stopped talking.
Then Father spoke.
"That was not a request."
My eyes darkened.
"I'm not a child you can order around."
"You are still part of this family."
"And that means I don't get to decide who I love?"
Mother's voice sharpened.
"Love?"
She almost sounded amused.
"You speak as though this is some romantic story."
My grip tightened on the phone.
"You want me to marry a woman I've never even met."
"That is how alliances work."
"I'm not marrying for an alliance."
My father's patience was thinning.
"You will at least meet her."
"No."
"You will."
"No."
Marcus muttered softly.
"Wow… he's really pushing it."
Rollins sighed.
"Lynx…"
But I continued.
"You don't get to choose for me."
Mother replied calmly.
"We already have."
The words landed like a stone.
I felt anger stir deep in my chest.
"You think I'll just follow along with this?"
"Yes," Father said simply.
I laughed bitterly. "You really don't know me anymore," I told them.
Father's voice grew colder. "We know you very well."
"Then you should know this won't work."
Mother ignored the comment. "Her name is Seraphina Vale."
I didn't respond.
"She comes from a powerful lineage," she continued. "Her family has ruled their territory for generations."
"That's great for them," I replied in a sarcastic tone.
"You will meet her in four weeks."
"I said no."
"You don't have a choice."
The words snapped something in me. "I always have a choice." Father finally lost some of his calm. "You're thinking emotionally."
"I'm thinking like a man who owns his own life."
"Your life is tied to this family."
"That doesn't mean you control it."
Rollins spoke again carefully. "Lynx… listen."
"No," I said quietly. "You listen."
The room fell silent.
"I came back to this city for my own reasons," I continued. "And none of them involve marrying someone chosen for me."
My mother exhaled slowly. "You're being unreasonable."
"I'm being honest."
"You haven't even met her."
"That's not the point."
Father's voice lowered. "What is the point then?"
I looked out the window at the city lights. For a brief moment, an unfamiliar face crossed my mind. Golden eyes. A mysterious presence. Louve. I didn't understand why the thought of her suddenly surfaced. But something about her had stirred a strange instinct inside of me—one I couldn't explain and definitely one I couldn't tell my family about. "The point," I said slowly, "is that the decision should be mine."
Mother remained silent. "You will still meet her."
I closed my eyes in disbelief. "You really aren't listening."
"We are."
"No… you're not."
Then my father ended the argument. "The meeting is already arranged."
"Cancel it."
"No," my mother and father responded at the same time.
"Then I won't attend," I answered back.
Marcus muttered under his breath.
"Oh, this is definitely going to explode." Rollins sighed again. Mother spoke the final words. Four weeks, Lynx. You will be at the mansion. And you will meet her. "The line went silent. Then the call ended. Slowly lowered the phone.
The quiet house felt heavier than before. I ran my hand through my hair again and exhaled deeply. Four weeks; my family had already decided my future. But one thing was certain: they had completely underestimated me, because they thought I would simply walk into that mansion and accept the life they planned for me. They were about to be very disappointed. Somewhere in the city—completely unaware—the twist of fate was already moving closer. "You are the one woman no one had chosen, but the one destiny might have already chosen for me." I became lost in my thoughts.