In the end, he couldn't bear it and nodded, agreeing to meet Elara Joyce.
But that blind date felt more like fulfilling an obligation, not the start of a spark.
He only agreed to appease the elderly at home.
After all, they were getting old—the thing they cared about most was the marriage of their children and grandchildren.
He didn't want them to still be worried about this before they passed, so he nodded against his true feelings.
He knew perfectly well that this engagement was just a show on the surface.
But to ease the elders' minds before they closed their eyes, he could only go along with it.
He'd explained it clearly to Elara Joyce long ago.
This was nothing but a show, one put on for others to see.
From the very beginning, he never intended to get emotionally involved.
He had no feelings for her, nor any vision of a future together.
It was only the pressure from the family and the elders' expectations that forced him to pretend they were about to marry.
