Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 91

"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."

The longstanding feud between the two families wasn't new. However, with Owen's generation, tensions had escalated to new heights.

Shane Martinez and his wife exchanged a look, then both hastily pulled out their phones to catch up on the latest updates.

After reading, Shane Martinez said, "Dad, has the Anderson family kid gotten married?"

"Owen's the same age as him, 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 their shop, and Owen is eager to make reparations. This is just humiliating."

"Stefan even reached out to inform me about this," the old man said, his anger escalating.

He and the Anderson family patriarch had been rivals 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 grandsons. Consequently, during their reign, both families coexisted peacefully.

Owen was the apple of his grandfather's eye, a cherished grandson.

Similarly, Stefan was the crown jewel for the Anderson patriarch.

When both young men assumed leadership roles, they displayed immense prowess in the business arena, reigniting the rivalry with fervor. There was no need for the elders to fan the flames; the two naturally became fierce competitors.

"So it was Stefan who tattled." Olina finally understood.

No wonder the old man was so pissed off.

Stefan's tattling made the old man feel very embarrassed, hence his anger.

Seeing the hot news, Olina learned that Stefan had gotten married.

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

What a turn of events!

Stefan definitely lost to her precious son on the marriage front.

Most importantly, now that Stefan is married, Ruby should give up. If she gives up, wouldn't her own son have a chance to be with Ruby?

Olina felt happy for her son.

At Trenton's insistence, Shane Martinez reluctantly called his son, telling him to come home immediately.

Owen understood the implications.

He got home as fast as he could.

"Grandpa, I brought you your favorite apple pie," Owen shouted as he entered the house.

The Martinez family started their 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 his love for apple pie.

Despite the Martinez family's rise 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 and his wife chose to remain quiet, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home," Owen greeted as he walked in, a broad smile 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, work has kept me away for days. I've missed you."

Owen typically resided in a villa registered in his name. He'd 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, it wasn't surprising that their lifestyles had evolved to be so alike.

"Busy? Busy with what? Compensating for Ruby?" The old man removed his hand and snorted.

"Grandpa, Ruby was just impulsive. You know, she has deep feelings for Stefan. When Stefan suddenly got married, she couldn't accept it and acted out destructively. Stefan is too cold-hearted. Such a small matter, couldn't it have been dealt with privately? He had to call the police." Owen explained.

The old man slapped Owen on the shoulder.

In front of his respected Grandpa, Mr. Martinez could only endure the slap and still had to smile, "Grandpa, you're so strong, don't hurt your palm."

"A minor issue? She took a bunch of thugs to trash someone else's store, hurting people. How is that different from gang behavior? This time, it's just compensation and detention. If someone had gotten hurt, it wouldn't be so simple."

"Who's power is she riding on? Yours, you jerk."

"Stefan is way smarter than you. He chooses virtuous partners, and Ruby isn't one. That's why he'd never fall for her tricks. But you, once Ruby deceives you, you're stuck."

"Look at you, you're in deep trouble for Ruby. Even though we, the Ikella Group, operates fairly, it's still damaging our reputation. The stock market opens today, and our stocks are bound to take a hit."

Old folks don't need to check the stock market.

Owen tried to appease, saying: "Grandpa, I've dealt with it, the impact isn't significant."

The old man stared at him for a long time before slapping him again.

"Grandpa, don't hurt your hand."

Shane Martinez and his wife felt sorry for their son, but didn't dare to make a sound at this moment.

The old man snorted heavily.

"How capable are you to completely solve this problem? Don't forget, the store Ruby destroyed belongs to your rival's new wife."

Owen was speechless.

When he found out Ruby took people to trash Lucinda's store, he knew this problem wouldn't be easy to solve.