Part 63

Antony sat in silence in the darkness of his office. His eyes stared blankly out the window. His mind wandered back to Gladwin's words in the hospital a few hours earlier.

"I completely support your relationship if you both like each other," Gladwin had said in a voice that seemed to be meant only for Antony, considering Abigail and Flavia were also in the room. "But everything won't be easy for you."

Antony silently regarded Claire's twin. "My mother isn't someone you can easily conquer," Gladwin explained. "Especially since Claire is the only woman in our family.

"Forget about my two older siblings. My second brother will likely agree with me and approve of your relationship if you truly love each other.

"As for my eldest brother, Abigail's father, I'm not so sure. Let's just say I'm not as close to him as I am with my second brother and Claire. But from my perspective, he wouldn't strongly oppose it if Claire wants it.

"What you really need to worry about here is my mother. To this day, there has never been anyone who has satisfied her.

"Do you know why Claire has turned out this way? She seems cold and keeps her distance. That's not her choice. If you had known Claire as a teenager, she was no different from Abigail.

"Claire lives with the burden she carries due to my mother's pressure.

"We—Claire and I—can't live normally like typical teenagers. My mother has indoctrinated us to become exceptional children, surpassing other kids our age.

"Throughout our schooling, our days were filled only with studying and more studying. We struggled to socialize. Slowly, Claire lost herself.

"She couldn't connect with others. She couldn't hang out with kids her age because our mother didn't allow it. Until one day, like any typical teenager, she started to develop an interest in the opposite sex. I don't know how my mother found out about it. Because of that, she even transferred us to another school.

"Romance is one thing that must not enter our teenage lives," Gladwin chuckled to himself. "At first, I thought it was something normal—a mother's protection of her child. Then I realized that, in my mother's eyes, no one ever seems to be suitable or perfect. To her, all partners chosen by her children are never perfect.

"No matter how good or great they are. Even if you're the child of an official or a billionaire. Because for her, the right person for her child is her own choice—someone she can indoctrinate at will.

"Abigail's father married through an arranged marriage. Their marriage was without love. Although their home life seems fine, I don't know how deep it goes. All I see is their polite demeanor and mutual respect whenever they are in the same room.

"My second brother took a different path. He refused to be arranged and chose to marry the woman he loves, even though it meant going against our mother. His final choice was to distance himself from her and live in a city quite far from the family.

"Now, while my sister-in-law hasn't given birth yet, my mother keeps pestering her with all kinds of words that I think are inappropriate for a mother to say.

"My brother seems happy, although I don't know how deep their feelings run.

"And Claire now has examples to choose from between her two siblings: marry with my mother's approval or marry without her blessing. Because honestly—please forgive me if I sound rude—my mother will look down on you.

"You may be financially worthy. But your status will be viewed unfavorably, no matter the reason. A widow or widower will always carry a negative connotation in the eyes of society. And my mother is one of the judges who determines that—especially since you have an adult daughter."

"I'm not bragging about Claire. But so far, quite a few people have come wanting her. However, none have seemed worthy in my mother's eyes. And vice versa. It's not the first or second time my mother has tried to set Claire up with her chosen men. Yet Claire seems to be retaliating against our mother. She has rejected all those matchmaking attempts with a 'no' even before they've met. That's why Claire is still single.

"To me, Claire is just an ordinary girl who wants to live a normal life. However, she cannot have that without hurting others—in this case, her partner.

"She's a normal girl who can be attracted to men and fall in love. But so far, she has chosen to hold back and hide her feelings because she doesn't want anyone to get hurt because of our mother.

"As a man, I know you're interested in Claire. Physically, she's beautiful and worthy of being liked. And in fact, Claire has begun to be affected by your presence. But I don't know how deep her feelings truly run.

"The point is, if you're prepared for all the rejection our mother might throw your way, then go ahead and fight for her. But if not, I hope you step back right now. Because above all else, I don't want my sister to get hurt." Gladwin concluded his statement firmly. Antony could only look back and forth between Gladwin and Claire.

"You should think about this more. Tonight, you don't need to wait here for her. I'll leave Abigail in your care. Please take her home." It was not a request but more of a subtle dismissal directed at Antony.

Antony remained silent, rubbing his temples with his index finger. Should he continue with all of this? Should he step back? That was the question troubling his mind since he arrived home.

The sound of his phone ringing brought him back to reality. Antony glanced at his phone and saw Altezza's name on the screen.

"Where are you?" he asked bluntly.

"At home," came Antony's flat response.

"I'm at the apartment. If you're free, we can meet. There's something we need to discuss," Altezza continued.

Antony frowned but then grabbed his car keys and left his study. His parents and Flavia were sitting in the family room, watching something on television.

"Where are you going?" his father asked, puzzled.

"To Altezza's apartment," Antony replied flatly.

"He's there? Why not just tell him to come here?" his mother chimed in.

Antony shook his head. He didn't even know what Altezza wanted to discuss. Truthfully, he was in need of some fresh air and a friend to talk to, so getting out of the house was the right thing to do.