Ivanka rose as well, her face paling. "Demian. You can't do this. Our bond—"
"I can," Demian cut in, meeting her gaze squarely. "And I am."
Ivanka's mother half-stood, her voice trembling with restrained fury. "You will destroy everything! Reputations! Agreements! Futures!"
"Whose future?" Demian asked quietly. "The Kosler family's? The elders'? Or mine?"
Count Kosler rose fully now. "If you refuse to marry Ivanka," he said coldly, "you will face the consequences. Our support will be withdrawn."
Demian nodded once. "I have already accounted for that."
Silence fell. Heavy. Threatening.
Ivanka looked at Demian, her eyes no longer gentle. "So you choose her," she said softly, almost a whisper. "A woman you cannot even give status to."
Demian met her gaze. For a moment, something in his eyes cracked yet his voice remained steady. "I choose not to lie for the rest of my life."
He reached for his coat.
