The conference hall doors closed quietly behind Adrian the moment he stepped out into the long corridor of the Cross estate.
For the first time since the meeting began, the pressure sitting heavily inside his chest eased slightly.
Only slightly.
The corridor remained silent except for the distant footsteps of assistants moving through another section of the estate. Large glass windows stretched along the walls, allowing the fading afternoon sunlight to spill softly across the polished floor beneath his feet.
Adrian loosened the knot of his tie slowly as he walked forward.
The meeting had ended exactly the way he expected.
Business calculations.
Investor confidence.
Public stability.
Every sentence spoken inside that room had sounded polished and reasonable.
Yet somehow the entire discussion still left a bitter feeling behind.
Because despite everything said during the meeting, nobody had discussed marriage like something personal.
It was strategy.
Timing.
Influence.
