"Have you lost your mind, Mom?" Roderick snapped, his frustration boiling over. "I told you—I won't have any relationship with Orabela. She's not the only rich woman in the country who can help me secure an early succession as chairman." His grip tightened on the file in his hand, his knuckles whitening.
Fiona, visibly upset, shook her head in disbelief. "But you've been with Orabela for months, Roderick. Why are you suddenly acting like this? She's been nothing but good to you and to me. She takes care of me even though you two aren't even married yet. Orabela calls me every night before bed—where will I ever find such a well-mannered daughter-in-law?"
Roderick clenched his jaw, refusing to continue the conversation. Arguing with his mother would only make him angrier, so he stormed out of the room, leaving her in a stunned silence. As he walked downstairs, he spotted his grandfather, Alekis, engrossed in conversation with James Cooper, the family's long-trusted secretary.
