Chapter 396

Chapter 396
Meanwhile, at the President's Official Residence.
The atmosphere in the luxurious living room was stifling.
Daniel Spector sat on the sofa, his posture as rigid as a soldier at court martial. Across from him sat his parents: President Celso Spector and First Lady Elisa.
Daniel hated being summoned there, especially when he knew exactly what the meeting was about.
“My son...” Elisa began, her voice soft but laden with meaning. “You understand why we called you here, don't you?”
“Yes, Mom. I understand,” Daniel replied, letting out a heavy, resigned sigh.
The topic was invariably the same: marriage.
Daniel hated it when his parents brought up that subject, but he was trapped by his own promise.
“Daniel, I heard from your aunt that you liked a girl,” Elisa continued, with an innocence that hurt. “But a few days ago, when I asked her again, she said you weren't seeing her anymore.”
What happened? Did she reject you?“
The question was like a stab in Daniel's chest. The wound he had been trying to ignore opened up again. The image of Lilian popped into his mind—the love that could never be.
”Mom..." Daniel clenched his jaw, his expression turning bitter. “Please don't listen to your aunt...”
Elisa didn't notice the pain in her son's eyes and continued:
“That girl your aunt is talking about... is she the same one you promised to bring to meet us?”
Elisa remembered the promise well. Her son had sworn to introduce them to someone, but time passed and no one appeared. If they didn't pressure him now, before the turn of the year, he would remain single forever.
Daniel didn't answer. Frustration and sadness shone in his eyes. He lowered his head, staring at his hands in his lap, unable to face the hope in his mother's eyes.
“Daniel.”
Celso Spector's deep, authoritative voice cut through the air.
“Don't make that face in front of your mother,” the President reprimanded him calmly, but with a firmness that was like a slap in the face.
Daniel immediately straightened up, putting on his general's mask.
“I'm sorry, Mom. I've been having trouble controlling my emotions lately,” he said, forcing a smile to reassure her.
Elisa smiled back affectionately and turned to her husband.
“Celso, don't be hard on him. Our son must be stressed. We're putting too much pressure on him to find a wife.”
“Oh, Elisa, he's getting stubborn because you spoil him!” Celso retorted impatiently.
“He's not a kid anymore. He's thirty-one!”
The President turned his icy gaze to his son.
Emily, out of arguments, just sighed, looking sadly at Daniel.
“You made the promise, Daniel,” Celso continued, relentless. His voice no longer had the paternal softness; it was the voice of a man demanding results. “You asked for until you were thirty to bring us your bride. Today, you are thirty-one, and we still have no news. I hope you still remember your word, my son.”
“I remember, Father,” Daniel replied, restrained. “But finding a woman to marry is not like recruiting soldiers. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“I agree. That's why we didn't pressure you until you turned thirty. But how long are you going to stay single?” Celso shook his head. “Even your cousin Rose has three children! I'm dying of envy of my younger brother, Nicholas. He already has grandchildren running around the house!”
Daniel felt a wave of irritation wash over him. He cursed his cousin Rose and her husband, Evan, in his mind. “Damn them and their perfect margarine commercial family. I have to pay them a visit and ask them to stop rubbing their happiness in my parents' faces.”
Daniel's silence irritated Celso. The President opened his mouth to continue his lecture, but stopped when Elisa's soft hand touched his arm, asking him to calm down.
Celso turned to Elisa, but when he saw his wife shake her head in a silent plea for patience, he decided to back down. He smiled at her and pressed his lips together, choosing to let her deal with their only son.
“Thank you, my love,” Elisa whispered to her husband before turning her attention back to Daniel. “Son, as promised... if you don't have a girlfriend by the time you turn thirty-one, we will intervene. We will arrange a suitable marriage for you. You remember that, don't you?”
Daniel felt his stomach churn.
“Mom, Dad... let's be realistic. How am I supposed to find a girlfriend now?” he argued, with a look of helplessness he rarely showed his subordinates. “You know I have no life outside my military duties. I just returned from a critical mission. I don't have time for dating.”
He prayed silently that his argument would work.
The idea of an arranged marriage, of being forced to live with a stranger chosen for political or social convenience, made him nauseous. He preferred loneliness to a sham.
“Choose a partner for me...”
Suddenly, Gabriela's voice echoed in his mind, as clear as if she were in the room:
"I'm in no hurry. Only consider me if you're trying to move on. Or, if your parents force you to marry... please consider me too. I'm the woman who likes you, and you already know that."
Her words, which had previously seemed like nothing more than a bold confession, now sounded like a prophecy—or salvation.
Slowly, a feeling of warmth spread through Daniel's chest. There was a way out.
But before he could formulate a plan, Celso Spector's deep voice cut through his thoughts.
“Daniel, that's exactly why your uncle transferred you to the capital. You no longer have to do secret missions in the field. Now you have the time and opportunity to find your soul mate.” The excuse of lack of time was over.
Celso no longer seemed insistent, just practical. His son's age was a real concern for the Spector dynasty.
Daniel realized he was cornered. If he didn't act now, his fate would be sealed by his parents.
“Please... give me some time,” he asked, his voice firm. “I promise I'll bring her to meet you.”
He no longer cared about his broken heart or his grief for Lilian. He needed to move on, if only to survive socially.
Elisa's eyes lit up instantly.
“My God... Daniel!” She put her hand to her chest, beaming. “You like a girl? Is there someone already?”
“Yes, Mom...” Daniel replied calmly.
Inside, he was screaming at himself: “Stop lying, man! You're digging your own grave!”
“Well, well! So what are you waiting for? Go after her! Bring her to dinner! We want to meet her!”