Catrina drove them straight to their father's office. As soon as they stepped into the lobby, they headed to the front desk where a neatly dressed secretary sat typing away.
"We need to see our father," Catrina said firmly.
The secretary looked up, her professional smile slipping slightly. "Ma'am, do you have an appointment?"
Catrina narrowed her eyes. "Why would I need an appointment to see my own father?"
"I'm sorry, but even families need to schedule time. He's in a meeting right now."
Before the secretary could say anything more, Elias stepped forward, gently held Catrina's arm, and walked past the desk.
"Wait! You can't go in there without permission!" the secretary exclaimed, reaching for the phone. "I'll have to call—"
Elias turned his head slowly, his voice low and sharp. "You should know better than to call security on a Thorne."
The secretary froze, stunned silent by the authority in his tone.
Catrina glanced sideways at her brother, taken aback. What the hell happened to him? she thought. This isn't the same Elias from yesterday. Something's changed—and I don't think it's good.
Without hesitation, Elias pushed open the heavy doors to their father's office without knocking.
Their father, seated at his desk, turned around, clearly displeased at the interruption. His sharp eyes took in the scene—Catrina looking tense and confused, Elias with dried tear stains on his face and an icy expression that didn't belong to the son he knew.
Catrina began, "Good evening, Father—"
But Elias cut her off, his voice clear and steady. "Where is he?"
Catrina's jaw dropped. He didn't even call him 'Father'...
The secretary at the door spoke up, flustered. "He's currently in a meeting, but I assume this is urgent?"
Catrina quickly recovered and answered, "No, not life or death. But we'd appreciate it if someone could bring us clean clothes and something to eat while we wait."
The secretary nodded and left the room.
Once they were alone, Catrina turned to Elias. "Okay. What the hell is going on? Why are we here? He's going to explode when he sees you barging in like that."
Elias, still staring at the door to his father's inner meeting room, spoke without emotion. "He won't explode. Not after he hears what I have to say."
Catrina stepped closer. "And what are you going to say?"
There was a pause. A deep breath.
Elias looked at her, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm agreeing to the marriage."
Catrina's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! Elias—"
"But," Elias continued, a new fire behind his eyes, "only under my conditions… and my own rules."
The meeting finally ended. One by one, the employees filed out of the room, offering polite greetings to both Catrina and Elias as they passed. Elias barely noticed them—his attention was fixed on the door. And then, it happened.
Their father stepped out of the meeting room, his usual commanding presence filling the space. The tension in the air shifted. Elias and Catrina both stood as he approached.
"Father," Catrina greeted him respectfully.
Elias, however, said nothing.
In the past, whenever their father entered a room or even so much as spoke, Elias would lower his gaze, staying silent—like a ghost in the background. But today… Today was different.
Elias didn't drop his eyes.
He stood tall, shoulders squared, and met his father's gaze head-on. Cold, steady, unflinching.
For a moment, their father paused, startled by the look in his son's eyes—a look he had never seen before. It wasn't fear. It wasn't hesitation. It was something else entirely. Defiance? Strength? Or something deeper?
He couldn't tell.
But one thing was clear: Elias had changed.
And whether that change was for the better… or for the worse, he was about to find out.
"Catrina, Elias—sit down," their father said, lowering himself into the leather chair behind his massive desk. His tone was calm, but his eyes burned with frustration.
As they sat, he continued, "Why are you here? Wasn't the drama you caused at home enough? Or do you want the whole office to witness our family problems too? If that's your goal, go ahead—but don't expect me to clean up the mess."
Before he could finish his tirade, Elias cut in sharply. "Father, I'm ready."
His father blinked. "What?"
"I mean... I'm agreeing to the marriage you arranged for me."
A grin slowly spread across his father's face. "So you've finally come to your senses, huh?"
But Elias didn't answer. Instead, he leaned forward, voice sharp and eyes colder than ever. "If I marry him, what do I get out of it?"
His father was caught off guard. "You'll be doing a great favor to the company. He's our biggest sponsor—and his mother is an old friend of mine."
Elias laughed bitterly. "So it's all in your favor. What about me, Father? What do I get?"
For a moment, his father stared at him. It hit him then—this wasn't the same timid son who once trembled at confrontation. This Elias was different. Fierce. Calculating.
Trying to recover his composure, his father replied, "He's rich. He's tall. Owns a mansion. And—most importantly—he's a dominant alpha."
At that, Catrina chimed in with a dreamy sigh, "If I had him, I'd marry him in a heartbeat. Dominant alphas are rare—and he's one of the best."
But Elias didn't waver. "Money? Tall, handsome men? I can find those in bars. There are male models who can satisfy me just as much as he could."
His father burst into laughter, mocking. "What else do you want, then? Did some whore call you and say, 'Come to Mommy'? Is that what made you grow a pair?"
Elias gave him an icy stare that could've frozen fire. "You're doing this because you have a contract with them, right? Fine. Then I'll make one with you."
"A contract?" his father scoffed. "Now your mouth's running too much. What makes you think you have the power to make demands?"
"I'm not negotiating, I'm offering a trade," Elias said calmly. "Agree to my contract—and I'll agree to yours."
His father leaned in, eyes narrowed. "Or else what?"
Elias didn't flinch. "Or else I'll bruise my face so badly that no man will ever want me again—and your precious business deal will be dead."
A gasp echoed in the room—Catrina's hand flew to her mouth. Their father froze, stunned into silence.
Elias stood his ground. "So, do you want to hear my terms or not?"
His father exhaled deeply. "You get one chance. Speak."
Elias smirked. "Now we're talking."
He raised a single finger. "First—I want the right to divorce him after three years."
"Second—I want my full inheritance the moment the divorce is finalized."
"Third—until the day I remarry I will own 30% of the company shares.
He leaned back, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "If you agree to those terms... I'll marry him."