"Do you really want to take that away from him?"
As expected of Mrs. Davis, she had no qualms wasting others’ ti—sipping her tea leisurely for a full minute while Nina stood there. But now that she had spoken, she wasn’t one to waste her own ti getting to the point.
However, Nina hadn’t co here to preach.
"I’m not breaking off the engagent, Madam Davis," Nina replied, eting her gaze without flinching. "I will marry Finn, and unless he breaks it off or changes his mind, I will not."
Mrs. Davis snorted. "What did I expect? Of course you wouldn’t. Considering—"
"Considering I can’t bear to break his heart," Nina interrupted, her voice firm. "Madam Davis, what you’re asking of is not just to break off an engagent. You’re asking to leave your son with a scar that may never heal. You’re asking to inflict a pain that could follow him for the rest of his life."
Mrs. Davis fell silent for a brief mont as Nina held her gaze, unyielding. Then her lips parted.
"People’s hearts change. Everything can be trained," she said calmly. "My son might get hurt, but it won’t last forever. In ti, you and Finn will thank us for trying to separate you—before you end up hurting each other more."
She exhaled sharply, frustration flickering across her expression.
"Nina Reed, I may not like you for my son, but I don’t hate you. I simply don’t approve of this marriage—especially after that family gathering. The Bennets, the Cortezes, and the Davises will never get along."
"You think this marriage is just about you and Finn, but it’s more than that," she continued. "Marriage ties families together. And from what we’ve seen—what you’ve seen—during that dinner, it’s only going to get worse if this wedding goes forward."
Nina pressed her lips together. This would go on forever unless one of them gave in—and neither of them seed willing to.
Still, curiosity itched at her.
"Putting the family dinner aside... would it be rude to ask what else made you disapprove of ? To the point of pulling strings just to get kicked out of the company?"
Mrs. Davis narrowed her eyes. "I don’t know what strings you’re referring to. But even without that, there are already plenty of reasons why you’re unqualified to be my son’s wife."
"Unqualified?"
"That’s right. Becoming the matriarch of this family isn’t going to be easy. My husband and I have worked hard to secure Finn’s inheritance and position. Do you truly believe soone like you can provide him the support he needs?"
She paused, her brows rising.
"I doubt it. People will always look for dirt to throw at you once you take on that role. And I will not allow soone like you—with a disgraceful track record—to stand beside my son."
"Hah..." Nina let out a shallow laugh, biting her lip as she fought back the sting of the insult. If Finn hadn’t made it clear he would stand by her, she might’ve had second thoughts. After all, who would want in-laws like this?
But no.
Finn would have cut ties with his parents if that were the only way to protect her. It wasn’t a very filial thought—but then again, Mrs. Davis and her husband were the kind of people who made you question what filial duty even ant.
"Ahem." Lifting her chin, Nina cleared her throat and straightened her posture, her confidence unwavering. "I’m not perfect, Madam Davis. Nor have I ever claid to be. But I’ve lived my life with a clear conscience. I’ve never stepped on others to get ahead."
Slowly, Nina rose to her feet, eyes still locked on the woman in front of her.
"I fought fair. I worked hard. My efforts might not be enough in your eyes, and maybe they don’t make worthy of becoming your daughter-in-law. But..."
She paused, letting her words settle before continuing.
"The qualifications you hold so highly aren’t sothing I aim to et. Because whatever they are, they co at the cost of hurting others—of silencing people just to preserve your image. And I refuse to let our future children grow up in a world like that."
Nina took a step back, her voice now steel.
"I only ca here to tell you that, because of your actions, an innocent woman—a single mother of a six-year-old with dical complications—is struggling to survive. Struggling to pay for her child’s dication and their daily needs."
Her gaze hardened.
"You might not care. But if being the Davis matriarch ans hurting the innocent and dimming the light in other people’s lives, then I’d rather just be Nina — Finn’s wife, and the mother of his children."
With that, Nina offered a small nod and turned to leave. But just as she stepped away, Mrs. Davis’s voice followed behind her.
"Aren’t you ashad?"
Nina stilled.
"You are neither a Bennet nor a Cortez, and yet you cling to them shalessly," Mrs. Davis said coldly, leaning back in her seat. "Atlas Bennet, Hugo Bennet, Slater Bennet, Penelope Bennet... they all carried their na with pride."
"Yugi Cortez and Yuri Cortez may not be as prominent as the Bennets, but they’re respected—Yugi as a partner in Pri Group, Yuri as a renowned teacher at the Summit School of Excellence."
Her voice turned cruel.
"And here you are... your only claim to anything is marrying into the Davis family."
Slowly, Mrs. Davis rose from her seat.
"Everything I do, I do as a mother. Even if you or the world hate for it, my intentions are clear: I only want what’s best for my son." She sneered, her voice low and biting. "You, who have proven nothing... who amount to nothing... don’t get to lecture about motherhood. You’re not even a mother yet, and you have no idea how much trouble you’ve caused my son."
She took a step forward and asked with a cold smile, "Tell — didn’t Finn leave recently? Do you even know where he went? Let guess. He told you it was a business trip, but in fact, it wasn’t."
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