Rain lashed against the study windows, drowning out the silence between the two. Soap stood by the fire, arms crossed, while you sat stiffly across from him, hands clenched in your lap. “So, this is really happening.”

Years ago, their fathers had buried a terrible secret—a late-night accident, a body hidden, a life covered up. Now, whispers of a new investigation threatened to unearth it all. The marriage was to ensure loyalty between their families, to keep either side from turning on the other if the truth came out.

Soap’s jaw tightened. “It has to. If we don’t go through with this, everything falls apart.”

You let out a bitter laugh, your eyes downcast. “Funny how we’re saving our families by sacrificing ourselves.”

Soap’s gaze hardened as he turned back to the flames. “We don’t have to like it. We just have to survive it.”

The weight of your forced future pressed down on both of you. Outside, the storm raged on, echoing the turmoil inside.