Chapter 3

Liam sat at his desk, tapping his pen lightly against the smooth wooden surface. The large windows of his room flooded the space with late afternoon sunlight, casting long shadows over the bookshelves and meticulously organized files scattered across his desk. He had been staring at the same sentence in his textbook for over ten minutes, but his mind was elsewhere, drifting back to the countless business meetings he had attended recently.

He leaned back in his chair and glanced across the room. His father’s study door, which was typically closed, was slightly ajar. That was unusual. Liam rarely saw his father at home during the day. He was usually too busy managing their family’s branch of the business empire. Liam’s mother had passed away when he was young, so it had always just been the two of them. A housekeeper, Mrs. Hart, was there to make sure everything ran smoothly, but she mostly kept to herself.

His father was a man of few words, but his expectations were always clear. Liam was being groomed to take over the family business, and every step he took was measured against that goal. There were days when the pressure felt suffocating, but Liam had learned early on that showing any sign of weakness was not an option.

He pushed his chair back and stood, his hand hesitating over the door handle before stepping into the hallway. He could hear muffled voices from his father’s study, so he quietly approached.

“…yes, but we’ll have to confirm the details with the board,” his father was saying in that controlled, low tone he always used during business discussions. Liam knew better than to interrupt him when he was in the middle of a conversation like this.

He leaned against the wall, waiting. His eyes flicked to the family portraits that lined the hallway. There was one of his parents—his mother’s soft smile forever frozen in time—and another of his father in a business suit, shaking hands with one of their most prominent partners. Each photo told the same story: success, ambition, and the unyielding expectations placed on every member of the family.

Finally, he heard his father’s deep voice say goodbye and the unmistakable sound of the phone being hung up.

Liam waited a moment before stepping forward and knocking lightly on the door.

“Come in,” his father called out.

Liam pushed the door open. His father was seated behind a large mahogany desk, his fingers steepled together as he looked over at Liam. His gaze was calm, but there was always an undercurrent of something more—something unreadable.

“Did you need something?” his father asked, cutting straight to the point as usual.

“Not really,” Liam replied, stepping inside. “I just wanted to see if you had any time later to go over the presentation for the quarterly review.”

His father nodded. “I’ll review it later tonight. You’ve been preparing well, I assume.”

Liam nodded, though the knot in his stomach twisted just a little. He had been preparing, but no amount of preparation ever felt like enough when it came to his father.

“Good. We’ll go over the financials first thing tomorrow morning,” his father said, already shifting his attention back to the files in front of him. “Make sure you’re ready.”

“Of course,” Liam replied, his voice steady. He turned to leave but paused in the doorway. “Dad?”

His father didn’t look up, but his silence invited Liam to continue.

“Do you ever… I don’t know, feel like things are moving too fast? Like everything’s already planned out?”

His father raised an eyebrow, his gaze finally lifting from the papers. “This is the path we’re on, Liam. It’s not about speed; it’s about direction. And you know where you’re headed.”

Liam nodded, his shoulders slightly tense. “Yeah, I know.”

“Good. Stay focused, and you’ll do fine,” his father said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Liam walked out of the study, pulling the door closed behind him. His father’s words echoed in his mind, the weight of the future bearing down on him once again.

He wandered into the living room, where Mrs. Hart was quietly dusting the shelves.

“Everything alright, Liam?” she asked, her voice gentle.

“Yeah,” Liam said, though he didn’t feel quite so certain. “Just… you know, the usual.”

Mrs. Hart gave him a sympathetic smile. “You work too hard, young man. You should take some time for yourself.”

Liam forced a small smile. “I’ll try.”

But he knew better. There was no “time for himself” when the future was already laid out so clearly. Every decision, every action, was tied to the family business. And while Liam was good at it—he had the sharp mind, the drive, and the discipline—sometimes he wondered if he was really doing it for himself or simply following the path that had been chosen for him.

As he wandered out into the garden, the late afternoon breeze ruffled his hair. The estate was vast, beautiful even, but it often felt empty—just like his father’s gaze during those long business meetings.

Sitting down on one of the stone benches, Liam looked out at the horizon. The future seemed so certain, yet so distant. And while his father was confident in their direction, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

Maybe it was freedom. Maybe it was something else. But whatever it was, Liam knew he wasn’t likely to find it while sitting at his desk, buried in financial reports.

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