Married at First Sight

River hadn't thought about that at all.

Seeing his reaction, Donovan let out a quiet sigh. As expected.

Romina had already considered this angle. She was always the cautious one.

After a while, River asked, "Are you saying I should leave Yantail? Or... let the

Lafond Group acquire it?"

Donovan shook his head. "That's for you to figure out. I won't make that decision

for you. I get it-men value their careers. You worked hard to build Yantail from

the ground up after coming to Eaglioncile. It wouldn't be right for me to ask you to

throw all that away for Romina." "But," he continued, "there might be a middle

ground. What if Yantail shifted into a different industry? As long as you're not in

the same field as Lafond, there's no conflict, no competition.

No reason for suspicion."

"River, we all respect you. You're incredibly capable. Even if Yantail changed

direction, I'm sure you'd still succeed."

Donovan glanced out the window. "Lafond is a massive group. We're involved in

multiple industries already. It's not easy for us to change course quickly. But we're

trying. The current industry landscape is getting more difficult by the day."

While Lafond Group was diversified, some sectors were more difficult to pivot out

of. But Donovan didn't mention that to River.

River, on the other hand, didn't say what he was really thinking either. Lafond's

diversification made it easier to shift out of one industry without destabilizing the

whole company. But Yantail was just starting to branch into new markets. It wasn't

stable yet.

Still, if Yantail's new sectors started showing real profits, River would be ready to

lead a full transition.

He knew Donovan was testing him—to see how much he was willing to give up

for Romina.

River replied, "I'll think it over carefully. But no matter what happens, my feelings

for Romina won't change."

The men of the York family were known for their loyalty. When they gave theirnoveldrama

heart to someone, it was for life.

If Romina refused to be with him in the end, River would remain single forever.

He had plenty of nieces and nephews. There was no pressure to marry or have

kids of his own. And even in old age, he'd never be left behind.

The York family would never let their beloved Uncle River go hungry.

Donovan gave a thoughtful hum. "There's no rush. Think it through. This is your

future we're talking about—your whole life."

He understood that asking someone to give up their career was a huge ask. And

he also knew River wouldn't be able to decide immediately.

Part of him regretted that River had to be Yantail's boss of all people.

After finishing his coffee, Donovan checked the time and said, "I've got a lunch

meeting, so I'll head out. The coffee's on me."

"Thanks for the treat, Brother." River stood to see him off.

Romina still hadn't arrived. It wasn't quite noon yet.

Knowing her, she wouldn't rush. She'd wait until work officially ended, maybe

even take her time.

With traffic, she probably wouldn't get to the hotel until around one in the

afternoon.