Faux Vows, True Desires

"Dad, what has Owen done that has got you so ticked off? Why are you dragging Ruby into this? Ruby just got back from abroad, did she screw up somehow?"

Owen's mom was still in the dark about Ruby's arrest.

She had not been keeping up with the latest buzz.

"Olina, I don't ever want to see Ruby in our house again!"

Instead of answering Olina's questions, the old man ordered her not to bring Ruby home again.

He knew Olina was quite fond of Ruby.

He believed Ruby was a total phony, deceiving his grandson and daughter-in-law.

In reality, Ruby hasn't deceived his grandson at all - it was his grandson who chased after Ruby willingly and got used by her.

Olina frowned, asking with confusion, "Dad, can you tell us what exactly happened between Owen and Ruby? What did they do wrong that got you so mad? Owen is busy right now, you want him to come home straight away?"

As the couple descended the stairs, they saw the elderly man engrossed in a phone call. Once he hung up, his expression was distinctly displeased.

"Dad, who was on the phone? Did they spill something about Owen?"

Without waiting for a response, Olina burst out, "Who's trying to undermine my son? Are they envious of his position? If they're brave enough, they should confront him directly, instead of plotting behind his back!"

"Olina," the old man chided, "Who are you even railing against? Haven't you both kept up with the current events?"

"Everything's chaotic now, and here you are pointing fingers at the wrong people," Olina defended.

"As long as you're under this roof, Ruby is not welcome! She's a terrible influence on Owen. Because of her, he's under Stefan's thumb, and I bet that Lawrence is reveling in it."

families wasn't new. However, with Owen's generation, tensions had escalated to new

hastily pulled out

Martinez said, "Dad, has

I'd be happy, but he's just pining after Ruby. Ruby, out of jealousy for Stefan's wife, led people to trash

to inform me about this,"

definitive upper hand. Their respective sons were content with maintaining the status quo in their businesses, neither venturing out nor expanding.

of his grandfather's

was the crown jewel for

in the business arena, reigniting the rivalry with fervor. There was

Stefan who

wonder the old man was so pissed

the old man feel

news, Olina learned that Stefan had

young lady of the Anderson family came from a humble background. Her brother and Stefan were classmates, which might be the

a turn

precious son on the

If she gives up, wouldn't her

happy

insistence, Shane Martinez reluctantly called his son, telling him

Owen understood the implications.

got home as fast

brought you your favorite apple pie," Owen shouted as he entered

fortune with the old man's generation. The old man had experienced poverty when he was young and always remembered the apple tree in front of his old house, hence

a soft spot for modest apple pie. He sat in silence, his expression

on his face. He set the apple pie he'd bought on the table in front of his grandfather. Sitting beside the old man, he affectionately put an arm around him. "Grandpa,

Owen's way of life closely mirrored that of Stefan. Given how frequently his grandfather drew parallels between the two, it wasn't surprising that their