A wealthy tycoon made his son tie the knot with a down-to-earth farmer as a tough lesson. But he was blown away by what his son pulled off…

My father called yesterday. He… He offered me a way out. Emma didn’t react right away.

She just stared at him, her face carefully blank. A way out? He wants me to come back to New York, to take a position at the company. But… Richard hesitated, the weight of the next part making his chest ache.

But if I go back, I have to leave the farm, leave you. Emma’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in her eyes, something Richard couldn’t quite read. She stood up, walking over to the window and looking out into the night.

For a moment, the silence stretched between them, thick and tense. So, what are you going to do? She asked quietly, still not looking at him. Richard ran a hand through his hair, feeling more lost than ever.

I don’t know. This is what I wanted, right? To go back, to leave all of this behind. Emma turned to face him, her gaze steady but filled with a kind of sadness that cut through him.

Is it? Is that really what you want? The question hung in the air, and for the first time, Richard didn’t have an immediate answer. He had spent so much of his life chasing after what he thought he wanted, money, status, power. But now, standing in this old farmhouse, surrounded by the quiet of the countryside, he wasn’t sure anymore.

I don’t know, he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. Everything I thought I wanted, it doesn’t feel the same anymore. Not after being here, not after meeting you.

Emma’s eyes softened, and she took a step closer to him. Then maybe you’ve changed. Maybe this place, this life, maybe it’s become something more than just a punishment.

Richard looked at her, the firelight casting warm shadows across her face. She had always been strong, always been the one who held everything together. But now, he could see the vulnerability in her eyes, the unspoken question of whether he would stay or leave.

And suddenly, the decision didn’t feel so impossible. He reached out, taking her hand in his. I don’t want to leave, Emma.

I don’t want to go back to New York and pretend like none of this ever happened. I don’t want to pretend like you don’t matter. Emma blinked, her breath catching in her throat.

Are you saying… I’m saying I want to stay, Richard said, the words spilling out with a kind of certainty he hadn’t felt in weeks. I want to stay here, with you. For a moment, Emma just stared at him, as if she wasn’t sure whether to believe him.

Then, slowly, her lips curved into a small, tentative smile. You’re sure? I’m sure, Richard said, pulling her closer. I’m more sure of this than I’ve ever been about anything.

Emma’s smile grew, and for the first time, Richard saw a softness in her that she had kept hidden for so long. She wrapped her arms around him, and they stood there, wrapped in each other’s embrace, the weight of the decision lifting off Richard’s shoulders. The next morning, when Henry called again, Richard answered with a new sense of clarity.

I’ve made my decision, Richard said firmly, his voice unwavering. Henry didn’t respond right away, the silence on the other end of the line heavy with expectation. And… I’m staying here, Richard said, the words coming easily now.

I’m not coming back to New York, not to the company, not to the life I had. I’m staying on the farm. There was another long pause, and then Henry’s voice turned cold…