CAMPBELLS VS. THORNTONS

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4

The formal sitting room felt like it could barely contain the tension inside. The air was so thick with it that each breath felt heavier than the last. This wasn't just another dinner or family gathering. It was a battlefield, with each side lined up like opposing armies, poised and ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

The room itself was a testament to Campbell wealth. The chandelier overhead, dripping with crystal, cast a golden glow over the high-backed velvet chairs and the polished mahogany table that gleamed beneath the soft flicker of the fire. Every inch of the space exuded opulence—from the heavy tapestries that lined the walls to the antique silverware that adorned the side tables, gleaming under the candlelight.

It was a room designed for power, and tonight, it was a stage for war.

The Campbells and Thorntons had seated themselves directly across from each other, as though the room had been arranged for confrontation. At the head of the table sat my father, Charles Campbell, his back straight, his fingers drumming lightly on the armrest of his chair. Across from him, Tobias Thornton mirrored his posture, his dark eyes cold and calculating, his lips twisted into a thin, humorless smile.

To my father's right sat my mother, the epitome of grace and elegance, though I could see the sharpness in her gaze as she assessed the room. Across from her, Trisha Thornton, Tobias's wife, sat with an air of quiet amusement, her perfectly manicured fingers resting delicately on her lap. Next to Tobias sat Tanner Thornton, his brother, who had an arrogance about him that set my teeth on edge. Opposite him sat Uncle Carl, his posture stiff and his expression locked in open disdain, the years of animosity between the two men plain to see.

Beside me, Caleb was seated across from Trystan Thornton, who leaned back in his chair with a lazy smirk on his face, like he found the entire situation amusing. To my right, Cindy sat quietly, her eyes flicking nervously between Tiffany Thornton, Trent's sister, who sat across from her, and the rest of the room. And finally, directly across from me, sat Trent Thornton, his dark eyes fixed on me with an unreadable expression, a faint, almost mocking smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The silence in the room was suffocating, a charged tension that seemed to hum in the air. No one had spoken since the Thorntons arrived, and it felt like the entire room was holding its breath, waiting for the first blow to land.

Then, my father broke the silence.

"I would say it's a pleasure to see you again, Tobias," he said, his voice cold and sharp. "But we both know I'm not one for false pleasantries. Let's get to the point. What makes you think I would even consider entertaining this ridiculous proposal of yours?"

The tension in the room shifted, growing heavier.

"But the proposal has not been said yet." Tobias started, after no response his lips curled into a thin smile, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned forward. "You've always been so direct, Charles. It's something I've always respected about you."

My father's gaze didn't waver. His fingers continued their steady drumming on the armrest, his expression unreadable. "And yet, respect has never been something the Thorntons have demonstrated. So again, I ask—why should I entertain this farce of a proposal?"

Tobias's smile didn't falter. He sat back slightly in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. "We're offering what we've always offered, Charles. A fair division. An equal share of the resources, the territories. Fifty-fifty. It's only right, given our history."

The moment the words left Tobias's mouth, a collective groan swept across the Campbells. It was like an unspoken agreement, each of us reacting in perfect synchrony. Caleb leaned back in his chair with an exaggerated eye roll, while Uncle Carl let out a heavy sigh, his fingers tightening around the armrests of his chair. Even my father's fingers stilled, his expression tightening with thinly veiled irritation.