Chapter 4

• “Are you going to just stand there and let this happen?” Funmi’s voice is sharp, cutting through the stillness of the room.
• I don’t answer at first, my eyes locked on her, studying the way her shoulders tense, the rigid set of her jaw. She’s trying to hold it together, but I can see the cracks beneath the surface. The soft flicker of vulnerability she’s been hiding ever since I entered the room.
• I swallow hard. “I don’t have a choice.”
• “Everyone has a choice,” she retorts, her words like a slap. “You think I want this? You think I want to play the part of the dutiful bride just because my father demands it?”
• She steps forward, closing the space between us, her eyes flashing with something dangerous. “You’re not the only one trapped here, Cole. You’re not the only one being controlled. So don’t stand there looking like the martyr. You’re just as much a part of this as I am.”
• I take a step back, the weight of her words sinking in. I want to argue, to tell her that she doesn’t understand the pressure I’m under, but I can’t. Because she’s right. She’s been trapped in this world, this game of family power, just like me.
• I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. The silence between us is thick, charged. We both know what’s at stake.
• Finally, I find my voice. “You don’t have to do this, Funmi. You could walk away.”
• Her laugh is bitter, hollow. “And leave my sister with everything? Leave Kemi to wear the crown and claim the throne?” She scoffs, shaking her head. “No, Cole. I don’t get to walk away. Not anymore.”
• Her words hang in the air, a harsh reminder of the game we’re both trapped in. I don’t know what to say to that. I know nothing about Funmi’s life outside the walls of the Bruno empire, but the weight of her words tells me everything I need to know. She’s been fighting for her place in the world her entire life, and Kemi’s always been the one who gets the spotlight.
• I want to reach out, to comfort her, but I can’t. Not yet. The walls between us are too thick, too fortified.
• “I didn’t choose this,” I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper.
• “I know,” she says quietly, her gaze softening just slightly. “Neither did I.”
• For a long moment, we just stand there, the tension between us shifting. But before I can say anything else, the sound of a door opening interrupts the moment.
• Kemi steps into the room, her smile as calculated as ever, her eyes sweeping over both of us. She’s wearing the mask of someone who’s been rehearsing this moment for a long time.
• “Well, well,” Kemi says, her voice sweet but with an underlying edge. “What’s this? A little heart-to-heart? How touching.”
• Funmi’s expression hardens instantly. “You’re late.”
• Kemi doesn’t flinch, but I can see the flicker of annoyance in her eyes. “Not everyone lives their life on your schedule, Funmi.”
• The air thickens with a new kind of tension, one that feels more dangerous than anything I’ve felt before. The unspoken rivalry between the sisters is palpable, a battle for control, for power, for a place in their father’s world.
• “Enough.” My voice rings out sharply, and both women look at me, surprised by the sudden change in my tone. “This isn’t about you two. This is about what’s best for the company. For all of us.”
• The words feel like a lie as soon as they leave my mouth, but I push on. “We’re not here to argue. We’re here to make decisions that will affect everything.”
• Kemi’s smile widens slightly, a glimmer of something dangerous in her eyes. “You’re right, Cole. But I think you’ll find that this decision isn’t yours to make.”
• My chest tightens, the weight of her words crashing down on me. “What do you mean?”
• She steps forward, closing the distance between us. “I mean that I’ve already made my decision. And I’m not leaving this room until I know where I stand.”
• “Don’t be ridiculous,” Funmi snaps, her voice laced with bitterness. “You think you can control everything? You think you can just walk in here and take whatever you want?”
• Kemi doesn’t back down, her gaze steady and unyielding. “You’ve had your turn, Funmi. Now it’s mine.”
• My heart is pounding in my chest, the tension between the sisters so thick it feels like it could snap at any moment. I can feel my own frustration bubbling up, but I fight to keep my composure. This isn’t the time for emotions. Not when everything is on the line.
• “I’m not choosing between you,” I say, my voice low but firm. “I’m not playing this game.”
• Kemi steps closer, her breath warm against my ear. “You don’t have a choice, Cole,” she whispers. “You’re already in the game. And if you think you can just walk away from it all, you’re fooling yourself.”
• I turn, my back to her, trying to shake off the unease she’s planted deep in my chest. This whole situation is a mess. My father, my future, the business—it’s all spinning out of control, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending like I have a grip on it.
• I glance at Funmi, who’s standing a few feet away, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looks resigned, like she’s already accepted the fate that’s been forced on her. But I can see the crack in her armor, the way her eyes betray the hurt she’s trying to hide.
• She’s not the one who’s won this battle. Not yet.
• The room falls silent, the weight of unspoken words pressing in on all of us.
• I want to speak. I want to tell them I won’t do this. That I’ll fight. But I don’t know where to start. The moment feels like it’s slipping through my fingers, like I’m being pulled into a game I never wanted to play.
• Before I can form another thought, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
• I pull it out quickly, but the message on the screen makes my blood run cold.
• “It’s time to choose. Your decision is final. Make it count.”
• My hands tremble as I stare at the screen. The weight of my father’s ultimatum is too much. This isn’t a choice anymore. It’s a command. A command I can’t ignore.
• “Cole?” Funmi’s voice is soft, cautious, but I don’t turn to look at her. I can’t.
• I stare at the message, and for the first time since I entered this mess, I feel truly trapped.