Chapter 3 Chapitre 3

Chapter 3

Alexandre sat at the head of the large table, his gaze scanning each face around him, lingering just a moment longer on Élisa, as if to measure the impact of his words. He was used to speaking like this, slowly, with this precision that knew how to be heard without ever raising his voice. It was not so much the brutality of his words that frightened, but their weight, this invisible burden that he imposed on each of those who listened to him.

"I've been thinking," he finally began, his voice calm but firm. "It's time to stabilize our family's position, Elisa. And for this, I believe it is necessary to strengthen our ties with the Vernays. »

Elisa felt a knot forming in her stomach. She was far too used to her father's decisions, family projects, strategic alliances, but there was something in the air that evening. She had never been invited to these discussions where the future of the empire was at stake, and even less so in the area of marriages. But today things were different. Why this announcement so abrupt? Why now? She looked for escape in Nathan's eyes, but he looked elsewhere, like he wasn't even there.

Alexandre, as always, waited for a response, but she remained there, her eyes fixed on her father, her lips tight. She knew what that entailed. This marriage wasn't about feelings. It was not a proposal, it was an order. He was talking about Mr. Vernay, a man that no one really knew beyond his polished image and his investments. A name that floated like an opaque mist. But it was more than just a name. It represented the key to the security of the empire, a key that Alexander deemed necessary to the stability of their fortune and influence. But what did he think?

"You know what that entails, Elisa," her father continued. "This marriage is not a favor, it's an obligation. Vernay can offer much more than promises. We need this man in our circle. »

The words floated through the air like swords, each one sharper than the last. She looked away, but this time she didn't try to run away. She was fighting, in her head, to cope. She had to answer. She had to say something. But what was there to say when everything had already been decided?

"What about me in all this? she asked in a voice that she knew was quieter than she would have liked. "What am I supposed to feel? »

Her father, without a moment's pause, looked at her, his face impassive, as if her question had no importance. "You owe it to yourself to feel what is necessary. This is how it is. It is for the good of the family. »

She stood up abruptly. The voices around the table died away in a split second. She had never been so angry, so lost. She had never felt such betrayal, as if her father had decided to play a game that didn't belong to him. His dreams, his hopes, his choices, none of that mattered. He wanted her to submit. And that was it. She looked away. She couldn't look at him anymore.

"I'm not a pawn, Dad. Nor an object. Nor a commodity. »

The words came of their own accord, but they cost him. She had never dared to challenge him, never. She had always respected him, but tonight was different. It was not a simple family contract, it was a direct attack on his autonomy, on his right to choose.

Alexander did not answer. He just looked at her for a long time, as if he were weighing each syllable he was going to say. Then he turned to Nathan, who had remained silent until then.

Nathan had heard. He was not the type to get involved in these kinds of conversations, preferring to play the role of the shadow rather than the main actor. But there was a tension in his body, a tension that everyone could feel. When he spoke, his voice deep and almost desperate, he caused a heavy silence to fall.

"You have no right to impose this on him, father. »

Elisa then turned to Nathan. She had seen him confront his father, defy him at other times, but never like this. Never with such intensity. Never with this brutality.

Alexandre did not move, but his eyes darkened. He looked at them one after the other, his face rigid, impenetrable.

"I do what I deem necessary for the future of the family, Nathan. It's my decision. Not yours. »

Tension was building in the room, and suddenly what seemed like a simple family disagreement became a battle. There was no more space for discussion, only opposing positions, irreconcilable ideas. Nathan didn't move, but the air around him became electric. It was a silent war. But Élisa knew that this was not the end.

"Do you really think this marriage is what is necessary for her? » Nathan asked, his voice cracking with bitterness. "That's not what she wants. »

Nathan's words had hit like punches. But it was more than words. It was a declaration of war. Against his father, against the family, against everything they were supposed to embody. It was a silent cry, a desperate attempt to preserve what remained of Elisa's freedom.

Alexandre, although implacable, ends up responding in an icy voice: "She doesn't have to want to. She must do what is expected of her. »

There was a moment of silence, then Nathan stood up abruptly, his hands clenched into fists. He walked towards the door without saying another word. Élisa followed him with her gaze, unable to understand what had just happened. Why had Nathan defended her, and why did her father seem to have made this decision solely to silence her?

The doors closed with a dull thud. One last shot. And the atmosphere broke into a muffled murmur.

Elisa stood up slowly, her mind racing. The words of her father and Nathan mingled within her. She no longer understood anything. She was the prisoner of a game that she had not chosen, but which seemed to be constantly being played around her. And that evening, more than ever, she felt lost, in the middle of a war of which she knew neither the rules nor the stakes.

But one thing was certain. Nothing would ever be the same again.