Married at First Sight Chapter 4581 – Donovan looked at River, clearly waiting for an answer.
River took a sip of his coffee, set the cup down, met Donovan’s eyes, and said, “I didn’t realize I had feelings for Romina at first. But that night at the business gala, when I saw her show up with Maddox, something just snapped. I felt really upset—jealous even. I wanted to punch Maddox and separate the two of them.”
“That’s when I knew things had changed. It wasn’t just rivalry anymore. After all the years of clashing, something deeper had taken root. So yes, Brother, since you’re asking—I do like Romina. A lot.”
Donovan let out a long breath, as if finally relieved.
So, River was serious. He wasn’t just playing games with his sister.
Donovan had noticed that River was becoming more gentle with Romina lately. His tone, his looks—everything about him had softened.
“Then if you like her so much,” Donovan asked, “why are you still asking her to set you up on blind dates?”
River smiled. “If I didn’t, would she even have dinner with me? It’s just a blind date. I show up, but there’s no real commitment. Not all blind dates end in marriage.”
“But aren’t you worried some of those women might cling to you?” Donovan asked. “It could mess things up between you and Romina.”
River didn’t answer right away. Instead, he asked, “Brother, you seem genuinely happy about the idea of Romina and me being together.”
Donovan nodded. “You’re a good man. After watching you all these years, I know you’re loyal. You’ve never had a scandal, and you’ve always politely rejected the women who pursued you. You’ve never misled anyone. That tells me you were raised right—and that you’re a real gentleman.”
He added, “Yeah, you and Romina clash. You’re blunt with each other, but that’s because you’re rivals. No one is nice to their competition—it’s understandable. Romina can be fiery too, and just as rude to you. So it balances out.”
“In business, you’re opponents. But as a man, you’re someone I believe my sister can trust with her life.”
River smiled. “Thank you for your trust, Brother.”
He was truly grateful that Donovan saw him as a good match for Romina.
Donovan shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I’m just her older brother. Romina makes her own decisions. Not even our grandfather can force her into a marriage. If she doesn’t like you, there’s nothing I can do.”
River answered with confidence. “I believe I can win her over.”
Donovan took a slow sip of his coffee and then said, “It won’t be easy. Unless you’re ready to make some serious sacrifices, your relationship won’t move forward.”
“What kind of sacrifices?” River asked. “As long as Romina can accept me and stop fighting with me, I’ll love her like any devoted partner. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Really?” Donovan raised an eyebrow. “You’re the second-largest shareholder of Yantail. You’ve helped build it into what it is today. But Yantail is in direct competition with Lafond Group. Have you considered that if you and Romina are together, you may not trust each other? Or she may not trust you?”
“Think about it,” he continued. “Will you both feel secure enough to fall asleep next to each other at night, or will you be scared the other might steal company secrets in their sleep?”
River fell silent.
Married at First Sight Chapter 4582 – 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 their 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.