Real Heiress: Flash Marriage With Boyfriend's Uncle - Chapter 347

Chapter 347: How quickly you moved on
The name displayed on the screen was Orabela. Roderick frowned, his fingers hovering over the phone for a brief moment before he decided to ignore the message. With a sigh, he placed the device aside and focused on the road ahead, driving straight to his office.

Upon his arrival, his secretary, James, greeted him with a respectful nod and promptly informed him of the day’s schedule. Roderick listened attentively before settling into his chair, his eyes scanning the progress report of an ongoing project.

Flipping through the pages, he spoke without looking up. “James, I’ll visit the site after lunch.”

“Understood, Sir,” James responded, bowing slightly before exiting the office.

For the next two hours, Roderick immersed himself in reviewing pending files, his pen gliding over papers as he signed off on various documents. Just as he reached for the last file, James reentered the office.

“Sir, someone is here to see you,” James announced.

Roderick, still focused on signing, asked absently, “Who is it?”

“Orabela Rosenzweig,” James answered.

The moment the name left his secretary’s lips, Roderick’s hand came to an abrupt stop. His grip tightened around the pen as he lifted his gaze from the document.

After a brief pause, he exhaled sharply. “Bring her in.”

James bowed and left.

Roderick leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the desk. ‘What does she want now?’ he mused with annoyance.

Meanwhile, in the lobby, Orabela stood the moment the receptionist informed her that she had been granted entry.

With a polite nod, she followed the receptionist to the elevator. The moment she stepped inside, the metallic doors slid shut, enclosing her in silence.

As the elevator ascended, she took a slow breath, steadying herself. Upon reaching the top floor, reserved exclusively for the company’s senior executives, she stepped out. James was already waiting for her. Without a word, he gestured for her to follow.

Reaching the office door, James pushed it open and stepped inside first.

“Miss Rosenzweig is here, Sir,” he announced before retreating to give them privacy.

The door clicked shut, leaving Roderick and Orabela alone.

Roderick set aside the last file he had been reviewing and finally looked at her. She had changed since the last time he saw her, her demeanor, her attitude, but none of it mattered to him anymore.

“You didn’t answer my call,” Orabela said, breaking the silence. “That’s why I came to see you.”

Roderick’s expression remained impassive. “Take a seat,” he said out of courtesy.

Orabela hesitated for a fraction of a second before sitting down.

Roderick leaned forward slightly, his tone turning cold. “I didn’t respond because I have no interest in seeing you. There’s nothing left between us. I’d advise you to stop contacting me or showing up like this.”

Orabela exhaled softly, her fingers clasped together. “I couldn’t forget you,” she admitted. “I’ve been working in London as a manager for a company now.”

Roderick scoffed, his lips curling into a humorless smile. “That’s irrelevant to me. I don’t have a shred of feeling left for you, Orabela. Every choice I made in the past—every moment I spent with you—I regret it all. Stop pursuing something that no longer exists. You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.”

A tense silence followed. Orabela studied him, searching for any crack in his demeanor, but there was none.

After a moment, she shifted the topic. “Alright,” she said, composing herself. “Do you know where Layla is? I went to look for her, but she’s not in Italy. Dad told me.”

“Layla and Uncle left for a trip. I don’t know the exact location, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.” He felt Orabela could be a threat to both of them. “Depending on your intentions, that information could be dangerous.”

Orabela’s jaw tensed, but she said nothing.

Roderick observed her reaction before speaking again, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. “Do you even know what your mother did?”

A flicker of bitterness crossed Orabela’s face. “I don’t want to talk about her,” she said stiffly.

“Why not?” Roderick pressed. “She tried to ruin Layla and Uncle. Orabela, whatever your reasons are, I hope you never follow in her footsteps.”

Orabela met his gaze, her eyes flashing with hurt and defiance. “You act like you’ve suddenly become righteous,” she scoffed. “I know what’s right and wrong, Roderick. But what upsets me the most is how easily you discarded me—how quickly you moved on with another woman the moment you were done with me.” Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to continue. “But it doesn’t matter anymore. I loved the wrong man,” she muttered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Roderick’s frown deepened as he watched her abruptly turn to leave.

“Your mother tried to kill my uncle,” he stated coldly, his voice laced with contempt. “She put his life at risk, and I hate myself for ever choosing you over Layla.” His eyes darkened with unspoken resentment. “If you have any sense of dignity left, you shouldn’t even step in Italy again—unless you want to save yourself from further disgrace.”

Orabela halted mid-step, turning to face him, her expression a mixture of anger and disbelief. “I’ve told everyone countless times. I don’t consider her my mother. Her actions have nothing to do with me,” she stated firmly.

Roderick leaned back, studying her with an unreadable expression before a wry smirk curled his lips. “Great,” he drawled. “Then, I assume you wouldn’t mind apologizing to Layla and my uncle for your mother’s crimes, would you? Though it should have been Seraphina, but she’s already dead.”

Orabela froze. Her breath hitched as the words registered. “What?” she whispered, her eyes widening. “She’s… no more?”

Roderick watched the shock spread across her face. “Yeah,” he confirmed, but then hesitated. “Wait… you didn’t know?” A flicker of regret crossed his mind for delivering the news so bluntly.

Orabela shook her head, her lips slightly parted in disbelief. “No,” she murmured.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.