Chapter 4 - The Line in the Sand
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The following Monday, Nathaniel stood in his glass-walled office and made the call.
"I’m not going to marry Victoria Bowmont," Nathaniel said the moment his father answered. "Communicate that to Harrison in whatever way you think is appropriate."
Douglas Ashcroft was silent for a long time.
"You’re having a moment," his father finally said, his voice cold and dismissive.
"I’m not."
"You’ve been distracted this quarter. I’ve noticed it. You will come to dinner on Thursday, and we will discuss this."
"This isn’t a negotiation, Douglas. I’m telling you where I stand."
Another pause. Nobody had called the patriarch 'Douglas' in twenty years.
"Thursday," Douglas repeated, and hung up.
Twenty minutes later, his mother called.
"You upset your father," Eleanor said, skipping any form of greeting.
"I told him the truth."
"You know what this alliance means, Nathaniel. This family is the company. That isn’t a metaphor."
"I know. I just don't agree that it has to be."
Eleanor's tone sharpened. "Is there someone else?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Her name is Clare Whitmore. She’s a healthcare policy analyst."
Eleanor let out a dry, bitter laugh. "Does she know who you are?"
"She knows exactly who I am."
"That isn’t what I asked, Nathaniel. I asked if she understands what it means to cross us."
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The line went dead.
Nathaniel stared at his phone, a cold knot forming in his stomach. He had drawn the line in the sand. But he knew his parents would never just let him walk away. The war had officially begun.
