Raymond's POV
For a while, we simply smiled and drank, the low clink of glasses filling the silence. The whiskey burned pleasantly as it slid down my throat, grounding me. No one spoke, but the tension in the air was thick, anticipation coiled and waiting. It was Liam who finally broke the silence, as I knew he would.
"If we are going back, at least we need to have a plan." He turned to look directly at me.
"Remember, your father favors your stepbrother over you. He knows you will abhor this marriage and might even refuse it outright. I bet you he's the one pushing for it, so you can say no and the company will go straight to his favorite son."
Liam didn't bother beating around the bush. He never did. He had hit the nail squarely on the head.
"They are the reason I'm going back. " I spat.
