The Family Meeting

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.

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