The announcement rippled through the room like a stone dropped in still water—questions flying, worries bubbling up, everyone talking over each other in the way only family can.

Ryder stayed steady, rising to his feet, his broad frame casting long shadows across the wide-planked floor. His voice carried that unmistakable mix—southern drawl softened by years in Manhattan boardrooms, smooth yet unshakably firm. “We don’t see the need to delay. We’re ready to start our life together. ...