"What are you guys doing in here?" Tom's voice cut through the room as he stepped inside, sharp and unsteady with tension.
Everyone turned at once.
The atmosphere shifted instantly—like the air itself had tightened.
Before anyone else could speak, Chairman Yang leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Tom.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked, calm… but dangerously controlled, like he already knew the answer.
Tom stopped.
For a brief second, the confidence he carried earlier flickered.
Anna, standing behind him, felt her stomach drop the moment her parents turned toward her.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it before it even happened.
Slowly, she stepped forward. Each step felt heavier than the last, like her legs didn't fully belong to her anymore. Her hands were cold, trembling at her sides.
And then she saw them.
Her parents.
Her mother's expression wasn't just angry—it was shaken. Confused. Hurt.
"So it is true?" her mother asked, voice breaking slightly.
Anna's breath caught.
"What…?" she whispered, almost soundless.
Her mind went blank. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears, drowning everything else.
She tried to speak again—but nothing came out.
Her mother stepped forward.
"You've been hiding this from us?" she asked, voice rising. "You were dating him this whole time? And you even brought him here?"
Anna shook her head slightly, panic flashing across her face. "Ma… it's not like that… we were just—just talking outside…"
But her voice cracked.
And she knew.
It wasn't convincing.
"You have a boyfriend and he proposed to you?" her mother continued, eyes glistening now. "And Kevin? What about Kevin?"
Anna flinched at the name.
"We are not in a relationship," Tom interrupted flatly, stepping forward.
Her mother's head snapped toward him instantly.
"Shut up!" she snapped, pointing at him. "I am not asking you!"
Tom went silent—but his jaw tightened.
Then her mother lifted her phone.
Her hands were shaking.
"This is not a so-called relationship?" she said, voice breaking as she turned the screen toward them.
The photo lit up the room.
Anna and Tom.
The kiss.
The engagement scene.
The exact moment everything had collapsed into chaos.
"Look at this!" her mother cried, tears finally spilling. "What do you call this?! Flirting?! A joke?!"
Silence.
Dead silence.
Anna's breath stopped completely as she stared at the image.
Her face drained of color.
Her knees felt weak.
Behind her, Tom didn't speak—but his expression darkened, unreadable, as the weight of the situation finally hit everyone in the room at once.
And for the first time—
no one knew how to fix what had just been exposed.
"Ma… it's not true," Anna said quickly, her voice breaking. "Please… I promise."
Her hands shook as she stepped forward, trying to reach her mother, trying to hold onto something—anything—that could still fix the moment.
But her mother didn't move.
"How could you do that?" Tom suddenly turned sharply toward Chairman Yang, his voice rising with frustration.
The room went tense again.
Before anyone could respond, Anna's mother lifted her hand.
And threw another set of photos onto the table.
Slap.
The papers scattered across the surface—printed images from the engagement night, frozen moments of closeness, laughter, the kiss, the ring.
Proof.
Anna stared at them.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She couldn't even deny it anymore… but she couldn't explain it either.
Because how do you explain something that already looks like betrayal?
Her lips trembled.
"Ma… I—please…" she begged softly, tears finally spilling over.
But her mother's voice broke first.
"We trusted you," she said, eyes red and trembling. "Papa trusted you. Is this what we taught you? To lie to us?"
Anna shook her head, tears falling freely now. "No… please… I didn't mean—"
"Go upstairs," her mother cut her off sharply. "Go to your room. You're grounded."
The words landed like a final strike.
Anna froze.
Tom stepped forward immediately, anger flashing across his face.
"Stop," he said firmly, turning to her mother. "What are you doing? You can't treat her like that."
"Tom—" Janet tried to intervene, standing up from her seat. "Calm down first."
But Tom ignored her.
"There's a misunderstanding here," he insisted, voice tight. "I'm sorry, but this isn't what it looks like."
Her mother let out a bitter laugh through tears.
"And what do you want me to believe?" she asked. "After this?"
"Ma, please let me explain," Anna tried again, desperate.
But before she could finish—
SMACK.
The sound echoed across the room.
Anna's head turned slightly from the force of the slap.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Her hand slowly rose to her cheek, disbelief flooding her expression more than pain. Her eyes widened—not just from the sting, but from humiliation. From shock. From the realization that there was no space left for her voice anymore.
Tom's expression changed instantly.
"Hey!" he snapped, stepping forward again, voice dangerously low. "That's enough."
But Marvin stood up quickly, blocking him. "Tom, sit down. You're not helping this."
Anna's mother's breathing was uneven now, tears streaming down her face.
"How dare you lie to us…" she said shakily. "You were engaged for months and still wanted to explain yourself?"
The room felt smaller. Heavier.
Everyone was watching Anna—but she couldn't even lift her head anymore.
Then Anna's father finally spoke, his voice quieter, almost disbelieving.
"Brother and sister…" he repeated slowly, a bitter edge forming. "And now you're kissing?"
His eyes moved from Anna to Tom.
Tom held his stare.
And for the first time that night—
no one in the room looked innocent anymore.
"Do you really think we were born yesterday?" Anna's father replied coldly, his voice cutting through the room like steel.
Tom slowly looked away.
He exhaled, controlled—but barely.
Across the room, Anna stood frozen, silent tears still slipping down her cheeks. She didn't wipe them anymore. She just… let them fall, like she had already run out of strength to hold anything in.
Tom's eyes flickered toward her for a brief moment.
And something in his expression softened—just for a second.
Pity.
Regret.
Or something he refused to name.
Janet gently guided Mrs. Rodriguez toward the kitchen, trying to calm her down as voices faded into murmurs behind them.
Anna stayed behind, unmoving.
Until—
she suddenly turned and followed them.
"Ma…" Anna's voice cracked as she entered the kitchen. "Please… I'm sorry… I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
Mrs. Rodriguez didn't even look at her.
Her voice was quiet—but final.
"I don't want to see your face right now, Anna."
Anna froze.
"Ma, please…" she begged, stepping closer. "I'm really sorry…"
But her mother stood up abruptly, tears still in her eyes.
"Get out."
The words were sharp. Absolute.
Anna's lips trembled.
She stood there for a second longer, hoping—waiting—for something else. Anything else.
But nothing came.
Slowly, she stepped back, her shoulders shaking, and left the kitchen in silence.
Mrs. Rodriguez walked back to the living room with Janet, sitting down heavily beside her, exhausted and broken.
A thick silence followed.
Then Chairman Yang cleared his throat.
"I think the best solution we have…" he said slowly, deliberately, "is to let them marry."
The entire room shifted.
Tom's head snapped toward him.
"What?" he said sharply.
"Chairman Yang!" he protested, stepping forward. "That is not going to happen."
Every eye in the room turned to him.
"You proposed to her," Chairman Yang replied evenly, "and now you refuse to marry her?"
Tom clenched his jaw. "We already talked about this—this isn't what we agreed on this morning."
Chairman Yang tilted his head slightly. "What did we talk about? Because I don't remember."
A deliberate pause.
Tom's eyes darkened. "Chairman Yang."
"Uh-huh," the old man interrupted calmly.
"Tom," Janet warned softly, sensing the rising tension.
But Tom had already stood up.
He walked toward the main door.
Slow. Controlled. Dangerous.
"And where do you think you're going?" Chairman Yang asked behind him.
Tom stopped.
The room held its breath.
Chairman Yang's voice dropped, firm and final.
"Don't try me, young man."
Tom walked back toward the sofa and sat down beside his father.
His posture looked calm—composed even.
But inside, something in him was burning.
Hot.
Restless.
Like a fire he couldn't put out.
He stared forward as the conversation resumed, jaw tight, hands slowly curling into fists on his lap.
"Let's settle this now," Chairman Yang said firmly. "We need to arrange the marriage as soon as possible."
A heavy silence followed.
Anna's father straightened. "As long as my daughter finishes her studies first," he said firmly. "She will not get married while she is still in school."
Chairman Yang nodded slightly, as if he had already accounted for that. "Don't worry. She will finish this semester. Tom will not disturb her studies. She can focus."
Then, without hesitation—
"I was thinking… next month. Before the year ends. We settle everything. The company, the arrangement… and the wedding."
"Oh my…" Tom muttered under his breath.
He stood up abruptly.
"Are we done?" he asked, voice low, controlled—but sharp enough to cut through the room.
No one answered him immediately.
Then Mrs. Rodriguez spoke.
And the temperature in the room dropped.
"Are you sure this is the man my daughter is going to marry?" she said coldly, eyes fixed on Tom. "I'm sorry… but I don't like your son's attitude."
The reaction was instant.
Tom's family froze.
Janet's lips parted in shock. Marvin's expression stiffened.
"Ugh… I apologize for my son," Janet quickly said, forcing composure. "But I assure you, he is a good person."
Mrs. Rodriguez shook her head slightly. "Can we postpone the wedding? My daughter is still young. She doesn't even fully understand what marriage means."
Chairman Yang responded smoothly. "Don't worry. Janet will guide her."
That made Mrs. Rodriguez go still.
Her eyes glistened again—but this time, not from anger alone.
From helplessness.
"If they love each other…" Anna's father said slowly, looking directly at Tom, "then why can't we support them?"
Tom didn't move—but he felt that gaze land like weight on his chest.
Anna's father continued, voice steady but firm.
"Don't hurt my daughter. Marriage is not a game. It's not something you enter and leave when you want. It's commitment… learning each other's flaws."
His voice cracked slightly.
"And if you plan to hurt her… then bring her back to us. She is my precious child. My pearl. My wealth."
Silence.
Even Tom couldn't look away this time.
Marvin finally spoke, calm but firm. "I assure you, that won't happen. Anna is already part of our family since the engagement was arranged."
Anna's father nodded slowly, accepting it—but not fully at peace.
Then Chairman Yang spoke again.
"Done," he said simply. "The wedding will be next month."
The words landed like a final stamp.
No one celebrated it.
No one smiled.
Because in that room—
it didn't feel like a beginning.
It felt like a decision no one truly agreed to… but everyone was now trapped inside.