The evening air outside the Brooks residence was unusually still, as if the world itself held its breath. Inside, the large dining room gleamed under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. The long oak table was set immaculately, plates and glasses perfectly aligned, yet the atmosphere was tense, almost suffocating.

Posie Brooks, twenty years old and a second-year civil engineering student, sat between her older brother Mateo and younger brother Micah. She had spent the morning trying to convince herself that this dinner was nothing more than a routine family meeting. But deep down, she already felt the weight of expectation pressing down on her shoulders. Her stomach twisted with unease, though her expression remained calm.

Across the table, the Reyes family arrived, equally composed and intimidating. Fox Reyes, twenty-nine, her professor for Structures at the university, sat at the center between his two younger sisters, Lena and Ava. Known for his intelligence, discipline, and unshakable calm, Fox exuded the kind of aura that made people sit straighter and speak softer. Posie had seen him in lecture halls countless times, respected him, and even admired him from a distance—but never thought she would be sharing a table like this with him outside the classroom.

The initial moments were filled with polite nods and measured smiles. No one spoke, the silence growing heavier with every passing second. Finally, Mr. Brooks cleared his throat.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he began, his voice formal but firm. “I think we can all agree that recent political developments make it necessary for our families to discuss strategic alliances.”

Posie frowned slightly, exchanging a glance with Mateo. The way her father phrased it made her uneasy. Strategic alliances? This was family dinner, not a corporate boardroom.

Mr. Reyes responded evenly. “Indeed. Our families have stood on opposite sides for years. It is time for a partnership that can stabilize both our interests.”

The words were carefully chosen, but the impact was immediate. Posie felt her stomach lurch. A partnership? What did he mean by that?

Her mother, calm and collected as always, leaned forward. “A marriage, between our children, will seal this alliance. Posie, you will be engaged to Mr. Fox Reyes.”

The words fell like stones into still water, sending ripples through the room. Posie’s fork clattered against her plate. Her heart raced, and she felt the walls of the room closing in.

Mateo’s voice broke the stunned silence. “Absolutely not.”

Micah, the youngest, added, “She doesn’t even know him.”

Fox’s eyes, calm and unreadable, finally met hers. For a brief moment, she saw the same shock mirrored in him that she felt in herself. He spoke with his usual measured tone, but there was a subtle edge to it.

“I was not informed of this arrangement,” he said.

“Neither was she,” Posie whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Lena’s voice rose in protest. “You can’t force him into this!”

Ava echoed, “Nor her. This is ridiculous!”

Their parents, both Brooks and Reyes, remained unmoved. Mr. Reyes’s voice cut through the tension. “This is not open for debate. Our families have made a careful decision. Both children will comply for the greater good.”

Posie felt anger rise, mingled with disbelief. She hadn’t expected this. Not from her parents. Not from anyone. And certainly not from her professor, who now sat silently, perfectly poised yet equally trapped.

As the conversation ended, and the families returned to polite dinner chatter, Posie stole another glance at Fox. His composure was unbroken, his gaze steady. For the first time, she realized that beneath that calm, he was just as aware of the impossible situation they were thrown into.

Neither of them had chosen this. Neither of them wanted it.

And yet, somehow, their lives had been irrevocably changed in a single evening.

The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of blooming jasmine from the Brooks’ garden. Posie stepped onto the driveway, grateful for the brief escape from the suffocating formality of dinner. Inside, voices rose and fell — her brothers debating, her parents’ calm insistence, the distant murmur of Fox’s family trying to keep composure.

Posie wrapped her arms around herself, pretending the chill was the only thing that unsettled her. Her mind, however, was a storm. She hadn’t expected life to feel so unfamiliar, so constricted. And yet, here she was, standing under the faint glow of the driveway lights, trying to gather herself.

“Miss Brooks.”

The voice was calm. Too calm. She froze.

Fox Reyes stepped lightly onto the driveway, his hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. He looked the same as he did in lecture halls — neat, composed, untouchable — yet somehow, seeing him here, outside the rigid walls of the classroom, made her stomach tighten.

“Professor.” Her voice was quiet, cautious.

“Fox is fine,” he said evenly, almost businesslike, yet there was a tension beneath the surface.

Posie folded her arms and stepped back slightly. “I’d rather not get used to saying that,” she said, voice laced with the faintest edge of sarcasm.

Fox’s dark eyes met hers. For a moment, the world narrowed down to just the two of them. Neither had wanted this. Neither had been consulted. And yet, their lives were now intertwined in a way neither could escape.

“I had no idea,” he said finally, his tone controlled, almost neutral. “About any of this.”

Posie laughed softly, a hollow sound that didn’t reach her eyes. “Neither did I. Apparently, we’re both very convenient pieces in a political puzzle.”

He gave a small nod, expression unreadable. “I’m sorry this involves you.”

“You? You’re the one being forced to marry your student,” she shot back, the words sharper than intended.

“And you’re the student being forced to marry your professor,” he replied evenly. “I’d say we’re equally trapped.”

Her lips twitched — almost a smile, but not quite. The absurdity of their situation weighed heavily, yet she couldn’t help the flicker of humor it brought.

“So… what now?” she asked, her voice softer, almost resigned. “Do we just pretend we’re fine with it?”

“I don’t pretend well,” Fox said quietly, dark eyes holding hers.

“And I’m terrible at it,” she admitted, biting the inside of her cheek to stop the words from trembling.

They were silent for a moment, the quiet between them full of unspoken frustration and reluctant understanding. The night breeze carried the faint sound of the families inside, still arguing over details neither of them had the power to change.

“They won’t change their minds, you know,” Fox said, breaking the silence. “Our families have already decided.”

Posie’s hands curled into fists at her sides. “Politics doesn’t care about what we want,” she said bitterly.

“No,” he agreed. “But maybe we can decide how much of ourselves we lose to it.”

Her gaze met his again, the same man who taught structures with unshakable precision and absolute calm. And for the first time, she noticed something different — a subtle weight in his posture, a flicker in his eyes, a hint that he, too, was questioning how much of himself he could give away.

“So we… work together?” she asked softly.

“If that’s what it takes to survive this,” he said.

Posie exhaled slowly, not out of relief, but of acceptance. Not love. Not friendship. Not anything simple.

Just the beginning of something neither of them had chosen.

A week had passed since the shocking family meeting, and Posie still felt the weight of it pressing against her chest. She had tried to focus on classes, on her friends, on anything that would distract her, but the announcement of her engagement to Professor Fox Reyes loomed over every thought.

Now, she had no choice but to face it.

Outside the Brooks residence, a sleek black car waited. Fox stood beside it, tall and impeccable, his dark hair neatly combed, posture perfect. Even the morning sunlight seemed to highlight his composure, as though he had been carved from marble.

Mateo’s sharp voice broke her hesitation. “She’s ready, Fox. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”

Posie groaned inwardly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she muttered under her breath.

Micah, cheerful as always, waved at Fox. “I hope you survive the weekend.”

Fox’s expression didn’t change. He only nodded politely, as if the comment had been directed to someone else entirely.

Posie stepped toward him, adjusting her bag. “Fox,” she said quietly.

“Posie,” he replied, tone even, precise. No warmth. No trace of anything personal. Just… acknowledgement.

The drive to the restaurant was silent at first. Posie stared out the window, tracing the blur of passing trees and streetlights. The silence between them wasn’t peaceful — it was heavy, uncomfortable, filled with all the words neither dared to speak.

Finally, Posie broke the quiet. “So… how’s your week been?”

“Productive,” he replied smoothly, eyes on the road. “Structurals, grading, research. The usual.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Yeah? My week’s been completely normal too,” she said, sarcasm sharp and bitter.

Fox’s eyes flicked toward her, calm and unreadable. “I didn’t ask for details.”

The words stung more than she expected. She turned her gaze back to the window, wishing she could disappear into the passing scenery.

At the restaurant, both families had arranged a polite dinner, smiles carefully measured, conversation flowing around them like a protective barrier. Posie and Fox sat across from each other, maintaining formal politeness, each one acutely aware of the other’s presence, yet refusing to acknowledge it.

Fox, of course, remained perfectly composed. He made small talk when necessary, kept his posture impeccable, and never lost the faint edge of authority he always carried. Posie, meanwhile, struggled to appear calm, every movement deliberate, her thoughts racing faster than she could follow.

At one point, Fox quietly adjusted her chair when she slouched slightly. Posie shot him a sharp look. He only gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, as though acknowledging the silent tension between them.

They talked, just enough to satisfy the families, but no more. Each word felt measured, controlled, and necessary. Neither laughed, neither smiled freely. Yet, beneath the carefully maintained exterior, both felt the strange pull of awareness — of proximity, of mutual understanding, of a situation they hadn’t chosen but now had to navigate together.

When dinner ended, the ride back was just as quiet. Posie exhaled slowly. “I suppose we survived,” she muttered.

Fox gave a small nod, expression unreadable. “We did what we had to.”

For both of them, that was the only truth that mattered. No warmth. No friendship. No affection. Only compliance.

And as the night wrapped around them, Posie realized that survival in this new world of family decisions and political alliances would be far more complicated than she had imagined.