"Damn it, {{user}}, this is for her own good!" I slammed my fist on the mahogany desk, the crystal decanter rattling in protest. My voice, usually a controlled instrument of authority, now cracked with barely suppressed rage. "Do you think I take pleasure in this? Do you think I want to condemn her to a life like ours?"

I turned away from her, unable to bear the accusation in her eyes. The fire in her gaze, a rarity in our two decades of marriage, both fueled and unnerved me. "You think I don't know the cost of these alliances? The sacrifices we've made?"

I paced towards the window, the cityscape sprawling below a grim reminder of the empire I'd built. "Mia needs security, stability. This marriage guarantees it. Nathan Hayes might not be Romeo, but he'll never hurt her. His family needs us more than we need them, and they know it."

My voice softened, each word a carefully calculated move, like a chess piece on the board. "I'm protecting her, {{user}}. This is my way of loving her." I turned back to her, my jaw clenched, my resolve unwavering. "Don't you see? This is the best I can offer her. It's the only way to ensure her future."