CHAPTER 80: WALKING SEPARATE PATHS

(Inserted Chapter before the scene from the last Chapter)

At Hariston Mansion...

The Hariston mansion stood in all its grandeur, where luxury touched every corner no matter where one’s eyes wandered.

Chandeliers sparkled, polished floors reflected the golden glow of the lights, and the air carried the heavy silence of prestige.

The maids stood in neat rows, heads bowed in respect, as the family gathered around the long dining table. The only sound breaking the stillness was the echo of footsteps against marble.

"Son, it’s been so long since I last saw you. How have you been? How’s our company... and your new company doing?" Rome’s mother greeted warmly.

Rome’s gaze shifted to her. Her lips curved into a sophisticated smile, softening her otherwise stern face.

How did she even know about his newly established company?

His eyes slid toward Daniel, who was just then taking his seat across from him.

Sure enough, Daniel met his glance with a wide, almost mocking grin. Rome’s jaw tightened. Of course—it must have been him.

Now that he knew Daniel was Gabriel’s father, his anger only burned hotter. His twin brother had shamelessly abandoned his responsibility, pushing it onto him—and that was something he could never forgive.

The man sitting across from him—grinning like he had finally won—didn’t deserve to be a father.

"It’s going well, just as you’d expect it to be managed."

Rome replied flatly, deliberately avoiding Daniel’s gaze. He couldn’t stomach that smug expression for another second.

"Pffft—why would you even create another entertainment company when we already have a well-established one?" Daniel remarked, his grin widening.

"You’re the heir to this family’s empire, Rome. Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to compete with our own company?"

"Greece, don’t say things like that to your brother. Your brother would never do such a thing.."

Their mother said softly, her expression warm and gentle. Daniel’s face softened for a second before his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

"Mom, I know. I’m just teasing my brother. Haven’t you gotten used to that by now?"

Rome couldn’t help but clench his fist under the table.

"Oh, my lovely sons," their mother continued, looking pleased. "It makes me happy to see that you’re still close with each other. In the end, no one else will have your back except the two of you. This mother is content as long as I see you getting along."

"Tsk."

The quiet scoff instantly silenced the table.

"Don’t baby them, Estella." their father finally spoke.

"They’re grown men now. Rome already has his own family, and Greece will have his own soon. The two of them can manage themselves just fine."

The atmosphere grew heavier after that. Everyone knew Rome’s divorce was already being processed, yet his father still mentioned his family as if the divorce weren’t happening. It was almost as if he was deliberately refusing to acknowledge it.

"Oh, is that so? Now that you mention it, we are getting old. Becoming a grandmother to many grandchildren doesn’t sound bad at all. Maybe it’s also time for Gabriel to have siblings and cousins, don’t you think, my sons?"

Rome didn’t answer. He simply pressed his lips together, staring down at his plate. His parents had always been good at pretending everything was perfectly fine, as if their family had no flaws.

But he knew better—nothing slipped past them.

"Mom... Dad, I’m still young, and I have the right to start my own family. And about Rome..." Daniel’s lips curved into a sly grin.

"I heard he’s getting a divorce. I suppose he’ll soon be a bachelor again, just like me."

Rome’s mother froze mid-bite, her fork suspended in the air.

The dining room, once filled with the quiet clinking of silverware, suddenly turned heavy and cold.

His father’s sharp, icy stare cut across the table, making the air even harder to breathe.

Rome, unable to contain his irritation any longer, clenched his jaw.

Daniel had always been good at twisting the atmosphere, poisoning moments that should’ve been peaceful. He lived up to his image as the family’s problematic son.

"No one in this family will ever have a divorce."

His father’s voice rang firm and absolute.

Rome’s hand trembled, and his spoon slipped from his grip, falling against the plate with a loud clang.

The sound shattered the silence, making every pair of eyes turn to him.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, meeting his father’s cold stare with one just as unyielding.

"But I already did." Rome said, his voice steady yet heavy with defiance.

"Are you going to disown me now, Dad?"

His father didn’t even flinch.

"Do you want me to? Then from this moment on, you’re no longer my son if you insist on walking this path."

Rome’s mother glanced back and forth between them, her hand pressing against her temple. The weight of their words cracked the sophisticated poise she always tried to maintain.

"H-hon... Rome... please. How can you two say such things to each other? Rome, son, take back what you said about the divorce—for Gabriel’s sake, at least. And you—" she turned to her husband with glassy eyes.

"Please don’t say such things to your own child. He didn’t mean it. Maybe he was just carried away by his emotions... by everything Ingrid has done—"

"I’m not being swayed by my feelings, Mom," Rome cut her off firmly. "This isn’t about emotions or whatever you think it is. Ingrid already cheated on me, and what we had is broken beyond repair. I will never take her back, because someone like her could only bring more ruin to our family."

Estella paused for a moment, her lips tightening into a thin line. She herself didn’t like Ingrid, but no other woman came close to matching her influence, coming as she did from a well-known family.

She despised Ingrid for being reckless, but even then, Estella knew she could still be useful at some point.

"How about Gabriel, your son?" Estella asked, her tone now cold. "Have you even thought about how he’ll feel? How he’ll grow up knowing his parents are separated—that he belongs to a broken family?"

Rome’s eyes darkened as he met his mother’s gaze, her expression filled with a calculated concern he had once fallen for.

If she had said this to him years ago, he might have faltered, let his emotions sway him, and obeyed her wishes. But not anymore.

He was no longer his mother’s puppet, dancing to the strings of her will. He loved her, yes, but he hated the way she always tried to dictate his life.

"I already talked to Gabriel," Rome said in a low, cold voice. "So you don’t have to worry. He’s fine with me and his mom separating, as long as he stays under my care."

Then he shifted his gaze toward Daniel, whose smirk had slightly faded.

"You really think your son is truly fine just because you spoke to him once?" his father said coldly. "No, he isn’t. He’s still just a five-year-old boy, still in need of a complete family. You can still take your wife back—for his sake. As the future heir of this family, I don’t want him growing up as a child from a broken home."

"But my decision is already final. One more thing—just so you all know, Gabriel is not my real son."

He turned his gaze toward Daniel, whose smug expression vanished instantly.

"Gabriel is the child born from Ingrid’s betrayal. That alone is more than enough reason for me to divorce her, isn’t it?"

The entire table fell into a heavy silence.

He glanced at his mother—she didn’t look surprised, just as he expected. That only meant she already knew. Or perhaps she had even known all along that Gabriel was Daniel’s son.

His father, on the other hand, faltered for a brief moment before quickly regaining his usual stoic composure.

Rome didn’t flinch under the cold, heavy stare his father gave him.

In the past, he would have folded immediately, submitting to his father’s authority without question.

But now, for the first time, he realized—he didn’t have to. He could disobey. He could stand on his own.

A bitter thought crossed his mind.

If I had done this earlier... if I had chosen to go against him back then, how different would my life be now? Maybe Sylvia and I would have been married a long time ago.

His jaw tightened.

Tsk... why am I thinking of her now, of all times? In this kind of situation?

His father’s cold voice cut through his thoughts. "If your family is this chaotic, then I have no choice but to stop holding you back. As of today, you are no longer the chairman of Hariston Enterprises."

Rome’s mother gasped.

"H-hon! What are you saying? Rome is the only one truly fit for that role! No one else can handle it as well as he can—how can you say something like this?!"

"Estella."

Her words died at once. His father’s voice was cold enough to silence her. He almost never raised his voice at her—unless he was truly angry.

"Rome is not my only son. If he is so certain of his decision, then Greece can take his place."

Rome’s mother froze, her face pale, before her eyes slowly moved to Daniel.

Daniel’s lips no longer carried their usual mocking smirk—his expression had turned serious.

Rome pushed back his chair and stood. He could feel the weight of every gaze in the room, but the heaviness that once chained him here was gone.

Now that his so-called perfect family had revealed its cracks, he no longer had any reason to stay.

He had already expected this outcome—expected to be stripped of his position in the family company. That was why, long ago, he had prepared for this moment.

He had built his own company, free from his family’s grasp.

This time, he was determined to walk his own path.