Hearing her son''s words, Mary scoffed. “How did I raise such a fool? She''s just a woman. Your top priority right now is to secure your position! Don''t let anyone else have a chance to pull you down!"


    "Lionel was brought down because of another woman. Otherwise, do you think you would have ever had the chance to sit in that chair?"


    Mary''s voice grew louder, her gaze fixed on him with a look of utter disappointment.


    "What do I care about Hannah''s reputation? What I want is for my son to be the sole heir of the Rosenberg family! Once your position is stable, you can have any woman you want, not just Hannah!"


    "They''ll all be yours for the taking. Besides, Hannah is now a Temple. No matter how bad things get with Lionel, even if they divorce, do you really think the Temple family would let their daughter marry another Rosenberg?"


    His mother''s words were a sharp wake-up call.


    Quennel clenched his fists.


    She was right.


    "And even if Hannah weren''t a Temple, even if they did divorce, you still couldn''t marry her! As the elder brother, marrying your divorced sister-inw... the scandal would be immense. You may not care about your reputation, but I care about mine!"


    Looking at her son, who seemed incapable of thinking strategically, Mary''s headache grew worse.


    She muttered under her breath, "But you want her, not a marriage. You can keep her in your home, lock her away by your side, and who would ever know? What is a marriage certificate anyway? Lionel has one, and he still fools around with his mistresses! All you need is to have her."


    Seeing that her son wasn''t arguing, but was instead listening intently, Mary pressed


    on.


    "Let the topic trend for a few more days. Once her reputation ispletely destroyed, you can go andfort her. Seize the opportunity, help her sign the papers with Lionel and finalize the divorce. After that, you can console her properly. How could she not fall for you then?"


    Mary''s words struck a chord deep within him.


    Seeing her son fall silent, she knew she had gotten through to him.


    "Quennel, it''s not that I''m forbidding you from marrying her, but it''s simply not appropriate, logically or emotionally. You may not care about public opinion, but Hannah, as a woman, certainly will,” Mary O continued. "At the end of the day, she is a woman, and women are what the public loves to gossip about most. Besides, her reputation has already been ruined by Lionel. You can''t possibly want to damage it further, can you?"


    After a long silence, Quennel finally spoke. “I understand, Mother."


    "As long as you understand. Now, go down and have dinner.”


    "Yes."


    A faint smile touched Mary''s lips, pleased with her son.


    At the Temple estate.


    Hannah returned home from work, and the servant informed her of Lionel''s visit.


    "You''re like a psychic. You said he woulde, and he actually did,” Samuel said, full of admiration.


    "It''s because I know him too well. Good thing we were prepared," Hannah said. Must don''t knowe, who''s behind keeping this topic trending."


    The Temple family had also spent money trying to suppress the story.


    It couldn''t be Sandra who was paying for it; she wouldn''t have that kind of money.


    "We''ve found Sandra!" Samuel''s


    phone rang. He took the call and


    hung up, his face alight with


    excitement as he looked at Hangah.


    "She''s in Roxa. Should we go and bring her back?"