Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 143

"I'll let you know once I replace out." Stefan replied.

Patrick responded, "Make sure you dig deep; if there's solid evidence, don't let anyone off the hook, no matter who's behind it. Do what needs to be done. Anyone who dares to harm the Anderson family is seriously pushing their luck."

Stefan's face hardened, "If anyone hurts Lucy, I'll make them pay!"

He hadn't figured out the details about Lucinda's background yet, so he didn't explain it to Patrick.

They knew from the start that Lucinda wasn't a blood relative of the Moore family. As for whose child she really was, the two elders thought it was best for Stefan to investigate. It would also win him some brownie points with Lucinda.

"Let's go." Patrick said as he rose from his seat. "Let's chow down before your grandma gets suspicious." He added, while heading for the dining room.

The atmosphere was pretty chill between the two elders and the young couple. Savannah even ate a bit more with the kids around.

While things were peachy for the Anderson family, the Martinez family was another story.

Owen had been summoned home by his grandpa, forcing him to cancel his evening plans. He returned home in the company of his bodyguards.

"Trenton is waiting for you in the study." The butler said respectfully as soon as Owen got out of the car.

"What's the rush?" Owen asked as he walked towards the house.

"You'll know once you see him." The butler replied with a smile.

Owen didn't ask again. He knew that if Trenton was waiting for him in the study, it must have been something big.

When he got inside, he didn't see his parents. He guessed that they must've gone out. His Mom was feeling down after being scolded by Grandpa, so his Dad must've taken her out to lift her spirits. Owen crossed the hall and headed upstairs.

He knocked on the door to Trenton's study. "It's me, Owen. I'm back."

"Come in."

Owen opened the door and saw Trenton sitting on the couch, flipping through a calendar. His ID was on the table. After seeing this, Owen couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

"Close the door." Trenton ordered.

Owen knew they were probably about to have a spat, and with the door closed, no one could overhear them. He shut the door.

"Come sit down. There's something I want to talk to you about."

Owen sat down next to him, smiling and patting his shoulder, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm picking a good day for you and Cecilia to get your marriage license."

It was worse than he'd imagined!

Owen's smile vanished as he stood up. "Are you pulling my leg? You want me to get a marriage license with Cecilia? We barely know each other! Even if we've been introduced, we're not exactly each other's cup of tea. And now you want me to marry her?"

He'd already been forced into an arranged meeting, and now he was being pushed to marry Cecilia.

Trenton closed the calendar, "The day after tomorrow is a good day. Tell Cecilia tomorrow and get the wedding rings ready. Once you've married, you both need to wear your rings to show that you're married." "Grandpa!" Owen exclaimed as he frowned, "Can you stop meddling in my love life? I love Ruby a lot. I won't love anyone else but her. I don't love Cecilia, and I won't marry her. Do you think that anyone but Ruby is good enough for me?"

Owen never thought Trenton would want him to marry Cecilia.

Ruby was from a well-off family, and Trenton didn't approve of her. Now, he surprisingly approved of Cecilia, a normal girl.

Regardless of Ruby, Owen thought Cecilia was ordinary, but she had her merits. At least they got along okay, although sometimes she left him speechless.

"You indeed love Ruby, but does Ruby love you?" Trenton asked calmly.

"I've seen how she treats you for over a decade. You grew up with me, and you're my favorite. She used my beloved grandson, do you think I'm okay with that?"

"I thought you'd give up when she broke your heart, so I waited for you to wake up and stop being used by Ruby. But you disappointed me."

"Owen, it's not that I can't accept Ruby; she's just too much. If she had a shred of sincerity towards you, I would've waited for you to win her heart completely."

"But you've seen it; she's obsessed with Stefan. Even though Stefan is now married, she still can't let go. Once she's out of the police station, she'll be even more desperate and devious in trying to break up Stefan's marriage. I can bet you on that."

"And the ones she can rely on are you and your clueless mom. You're deeply in love with her, and she's using you even though she knows it. Don't you feel jealous and hurt when you're helping her chase Stefan?"

Owen's face turned pale.

Trenton's words were harsh and direct.

He knew perfectly well how Ruby treated him.

"Owen, you're my protege. You're doing great in every other aspect, and I'm satisfied. But you've messed up when it comes to relationships, and that's not okay."

"All in all, as long as I'm around, you can forget about being with Ruby. If you dare marry Ruby, we'll cut ties and consider my 20 years of hard work a waste."

Owen cried out in pain, "Are you really going to push me like this? Cecilia and I have no feelings for each other. If you force me to marry her, our marriage won't be happy. Even if I marry her, I won't consummate the marriage. She'll be like a widow. Ruby will always be the goddess in my heart. You're just hurting Cecilia."

"If you're making me marry Cecilia, it must be because you like her. Can you bear to see a young woman who is only 24 years old live alone for decades? Aren't you worried about me not having descendants?

Trenton coldly said, "I've got more than one grandson, you know. If you don't have any kids, Harry can. Are you gonna marry her? If not, I'll cut ties with you. You'll step out of the Ikella Group, and you'll give me back everything I've ever given you."

"When you've got nothing, no power, no influence, and you're getting pushed around, I really want to see how you're gonna help Ruby stir up trouble. If Ruby replaces out you're broke, she'll avoid you like the plague. She would probably worry that you'd be a clingy mess."

Owen glared at Trenton, seething with anger.