Gage clears his throat. "Perhaps we should focus on the present, rather than rehashing old grievances."
My father turns to him. "I told you she would be difficult. We should proceed as planned, with or without her willing participation."
I feel the blood drain from my face. "What does that mean?"
Gage's expression hardens slightly as he looks at my father. "It means nothing. That's not how this will proceed." He turns to me, his tone more measured. "Your father is understandably eager to conclude our agreement, but I've made it clear that I prefer your willing participation."
"Willing participation under duress isn't willing," I argue.
"Semantics again." My father drains his glass. "The fact remains, Penelope, that your little experiment with independence is over. The marriage will proceed as agreed. The only question is whether you'll be sensible about it or continue this pointless rebellion."
"William." Gage's voice has an edge now. "That's enough."
Something in his tone makes my father pause. For all his bluster, there's a deference in his posture when he addresses Gage—the subtle shift of a man accustomed to power acknowledging someone with more of it.
"I merely want to ensure my daughter understands the gravity of the situation," my father says, more subdued now.
"She's intelligent enough to grasp it without your... elaboration." Gage moves to his desk, retrieving a folder. "Perhaps we should discuss the specifics of the financial arrangements. Penelope deserves to understand exactly what's at stake."
My father looks uncomfortable. "Is that necessary? The details are?—"
"Essential," Gage finishes firmly. "If you expect her cooperation, she deserves complete transparency."
He hands me the folder. Inside are financial statements, legal documents, and what appears to be evidence of fraud on a massive scale—all tied to Everett Enterprises.
"Ten years ago," Gage explains, "your father's company was on the verge of collapse. Not merely bankruptcy, but criminal charges that would have sent him to prison for decades."
I flip through the documents, understanding enough to recognize the severity. Tax evasion. Embezzlement. Fraud across multiple states and international boundaries.
"I approached your father with an alternative to prosecution," Gage continues. "Financial restructuring, legal protection, and a merger of families through marriage—specifically, to you, once you reached an appropriate age."
"Why me?" I look up from the damning evidence. "Why not Violet?"
My father shifts uncomfortably. "Violet was already promised to the Montgomery family. A long-standing arrangement between our families."
"So I was the spare," I say bitterly. "The one you could trade away without disrupting your precious social connections."
"You were always difficult, always questioning everything," my father snaps. "Violet understood her responsibilities to the family name. You were too busy playing rebel to appreciate the opportunities your position afforded you."
"Opportunities?" I laugh harshly. "Like being sold to cover your crimes?"
"Enough." Gage's command silences us both. "What's done is done. The question now is how we proceed."
I close the folder, unable to stomach any more evidence of my father's corruption. "And I still have a choice in this?"
"To an extent," Gage acknowledges. "As I explained last night, you can agree to the marriage, maintaining a version of your current life with certain... adjustments. Or you can refuse,in which case the legal protection extended to your father would be withdrawn."
"You'd go to prison," I tell my father, not bothering to hide my satisfaction at the prospect.
"Not just me." My father's smile is cold. "These documents implicate several executives who've since moved on—including your mother's brother. The scandal would destroy multiple families, including your precious sister's engagement to Charles Montgomery."
"The Montgomery family would withdraw from any connection to scandal," Gage confirms. "Your sister's future would be... significantly altered."
I stand, pacing to the window. Outside, the estate grounds stretch toward distant security fencing. A beautiful prison.
"So my choices are marry a stranger who's been stalking me for years, or destroy my extended family, my sister's happiness, and watch my father go to prison." I turn back to face them. "Some choice."
"Most choices in life come with constraints," Gage says simply. "This one is merely more explicit than most."
