Love Together, Be with you never

Lucas escorted Sarah somewhere silent and then they sat on the bench. 

"Sarah," Lucas began, his tone soft and unsure. "Can I ask you something... hypothetical?"

Sarah looked at him curiously. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

Lucas hesitated, then smiled nervously. "So, let's say... I have a friend. And this friend has a best friend. Over time, he realizes he likes her, more than a friend should. But now, he's stuck. He's scared that if he tells her, their friendship might be ruined. What do you think he should do?"

Sarah blinked, taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation. She tilted her head, trying to gauge where this was going. "Hmm," she started, choosing her words carefully. "Well, if his feelings are genuine, I think it's important he shares them. Keeping something like that inside can be painful, and it might make things awkward anyway."

"But," she added quickly, "he should also be prepared for her reaction. It's not always easy to hear something like that, especially if she doesn't feel the same way."

Lucas nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground. "So... you think he should risk it?"

Sarah smiled softly. "I think honesty is important in any relationship. If their bond is strong enough, they'll find a way to work through it, no matter what her answer is."

Lucas looked up, his heart pounding. "And if she doesn't feel the same? What then?"

Sarah's expression grew thoughtful. "Then he'll have to give her time and space. It might hurt, but true friendship can survive almost anything... if both people want it to."

Lucas swallowed hard, her words simultaneously comforting and terrifying. "Yeah... you're right." He smiled faintly, trying to hide the storm brewing inside him. "Thanks, Sarah. That helps."

Sarah leaned back, looking up at the stars. "Your friend is lucky to have someone like you to talk to."

Lucas chuckled lightly, though his heart felt heavy. "Yeah... lucky."

After college, Sarah's mom had invited her to attend a launch party for the new venture she had started with William's mother. Sarah wasn't particularly excited about attending, but she couldn't avoid it. Her mom was eager for her to show support, so Sarah went along with it, hoping the evening would be over quickly.

When Sarah arrived at the venue, she was surprised by the grand setup. The place was beautifully decorated, filled with well-dressed people mingling and sipping champagne. It felt like one of those upscale events where everyone seemed to know everyone, and she was just another guest in the crowd.

As Sarah walked through the room, she saw William talking to a few people near the refreshments ta"Sarah! Over here!" Her mom called, waving her over.

Sarah made her way to where her mom was chatting with William's mother, who was dressed in an elegant suit and looking every bit the businesswoman she was. Sarah's mom introduced her to some of the guests, but her attention was distracted by the conversation she overheard between William's mom and some of the other attendees.

William's mother clinked her glass to get everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen," she began with a beaming smile. "I'm thrilled to announce that this venture has been a wonderful success, and we look forward to even greater things ahead. However, there's something else that I'd like to share with you all tonight."

Sarah's curiosity piqued as she saw everyone's eyes turn to her and William's mom.

"We've decided to take this partnership to the next level. As part of this venture, our families have agreed that an engagement between our children, Sarah and William, will soon be announced."

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone waited for a reaction. Sarah's eyes widened in shock. She glanced at William, who stood there frozen, his face betraying nothing. He hadn't mentioned anything about this.

Sarah's heart skipped a beat. She was caught off guard. William's mom continued, "We believe this arrangement will bring our families even closer together and strengthen our busineSarah's mom, standing beside her, smiled proudly. "It's an exciting new chapter for both our families, and we couldn't be happier for them."

William's mom took a step back, letting the words sink in as she exchanged a look with Sarah's mother. The room buzzed with whispers and congratulations as people began offering their well-wishes.

Sarah felt like the floor had dropped out from beneath her. She had no idea this was happening. William, on the other hand, seemed as equally stunned.ss prospects. 

After William's mother made the unexpected announcement, the room was filled with congratulatory comments and chatter. Sarah could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she quickly excused herself from the crowd, retreating outside to the garden area.

William followed her, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"What just happened back there?" Sarah demanded, her voice shaky but sharp. "Did your mom seriously just announce our engagement? Without even asking me?"

William sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm as surprised as you are. I didn't know she was going to do that."

"Great," Sarah muttered sarcastically. "Just great. I would rather die than get engaged to you, William."

William raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching as if he were holding back a smile. "You really think I'm thrilled about this whole thing?" he replied, his tone cool. "I've been nice to you these past few days because of everything you've been going through, but that doesn't mean I'm going to marry you. Trust me, I'm not ready to jump into any engagement, least of all with you."

Sarah blinked, her jaw almost dropping at his blunt response. "Oh really? Glad to know I'm not the only one feeling trapped in this situation."

"Believe me," he said, crossing his arms, "if I had a choice, I'd be nowhere near this."

Sarah took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. "So what, we just go along with this because our moms decided it for us? Are we supposed to pretend we're okay with it?"

William looked at her, his eyes softening. "No one's saying you have to. We'll figure this out. But let's be real, neither of us has much say in this at the moment."

Sarah stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "This is insane. You know that, right?"

William smirked, his eyes twinkling. "Oh, I'm well aware. But if we have to go through this nonsense, at least let's make it interesting."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh despite herself. "What, you think this is all a big joke?"

"No," William said, his voice suddenly serious. "But you're not the only one who's frustrated. I'm stuck in the middle of this too."

There was a brief pause, and Sarah finally let out a deep breath. "Fine, we'll figure it out. But don't think for a second that I'm okay with this arrangement."

William raised his hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it. And just so you know, I'm not going to pretend I'm happy about being engaged either."

Sarah shook her head, smirking despite herself. "Well, this is going to be one awkward ride."

"Tell me about it," William replied with a dry chuckle. "But hey, at least we won't be bored."

Meanwhile after talking to Sarah yesterday night Lucas was sure that he has a chance and might she would also feel the same way for him. He was happy and he told everything to Ava, Ava didn't reacted that well as it was indirect confession but then she told him about the party where Sarah was. He replied let her enjoy then night, she barely enjoys nowadays and I want her to be happy. The next morning while drinking coffee Lucas was scrolling his phone where he read the article 

Two Conglomerates, Two Heirs, Half Engaged—An Arrangement Between Families."

He swallowed hard, the weight of the words sinking into his chest. It's official now, he thought, his heart tightening. They're getting engaged. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

With a frustrated sigh, he turned and walked away, his thoughts a whirlpool of regret. There was no going back now, and it felt like everything he had hoped for was slipping through his fingers, just as it always had.