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."

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

Martinez and his wife exchanged a look, then both hastily pulled out their phones to

Shane Martinez said, "Dad, has the Anderson family kid

he's already married. What's Owen doing? If he's dating formally, 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," the old man said, his anger

for decades, yet neither had gained a definitive upper hand. Their respective sons were content with maintaining the status quo in their businesses, neither venturing out nor expanding. Instead, they chose to pass on their legacies to their

the apple of his

Stefan was the crown jewel

reigniting the rivalry with fervor. There was

Stefan who

wonder the old man was so pissed

made the old man feel very embarrassed, hence

hot news, Olina learned that

Anderson family came from a humble background. Her brother and Stefan were classmates, which might be the reason why she became the

a turn of

to her precious son on the

now that Stefan is married, Ruby should give up. If she gives up,

happy

insistence, Shane Martinez reluctantly called his son,

Owen understood the implications.

as fast as he

your favorite apple pie," Owen shouted

had experienced poverty when he was young

to being the city's second wealthiest, the patriarch still had a soft spot for modest apple pie. He sat in silence, his expression unreadable. Shane Martinez

on the table in front of his grandfather. Sitting beside the old man, he affectionately put an arm around him. "Grandpa, work has kept

only return to the ancestral home for festive meals with the senior members of the family. Intriguingly, Owen's way of life closely mirrored that of Stefan. Given how frequently his grandfather drew parallels between the two,