"Rose wasn''t just some actress; she was beautiful, kind, and cherished everything in this world. But you treated her like a pawn in a marriage alliance. You made her marry me, and though she did it without a word ofint, you shouldn''t have been the cause of her


    death! I''ve already given up too much for this so-called Burke International!"


    "You!"This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Bea looked at her son, her eyes welling up with tears. "For whom did I do all this? Everything was for the Burke family! I devoted my entire life to it! And in return, I get two ungrateful children! Get out! Just get out! You''re not my son! You don''t deserve to be!" As Bea spoke, a sharp pain gripped her heart, and she slumped into the chair, unable to move.


    Joseph, staring at the mother who had pushed him all his life, remained expressionless. "You did it for your own selfish desires, your own glory and wealth. You''re ignorant, backward, and heartless. I should have made you apologize to Rose, but you''re my mother... From now on, you''ll spend your days confined to this bed. As your son, I''ll make sure you''re looked after until the end."


    As Joseph uttered these words, a single tear slipped from Bea''s eye.


    But she couldn''t speak or move, lying on the sofa as if paralyzed.


    Had she been wrong?


    To Bea, Ruby was just a pawn to strengthen their power.


    Bea recalled her first meeting with Ruby. She was graceful, gentle, obedient, and well-mannered.


    Bea always favored such girls, easy to manage andpliant, destined to support her son as a wise and virtuous wife.


    But when she saw her son truly falling for Ruby, she hesitated. Even the strongest can falter at the beauty''s gate. What if Joseph acted irrationally for Ruby and put Burke International at risk?


    Soon, Bea realized Ruby wasn''t as submissive as she seemed. Ruby had her own ideas and was stubborn.


    She loved dancing, singing, and acting.


    Women in showbiz often had a bad reputation, anding from the Reeves family, Bea felt Ruby was a disgrace to them.


    She called Ruby to her side, but Ruby was firm in her choices.


    Even her once-obedient son began siding with Ruby.


    Bea felt her grip on the family slipping.


    Seeing her son''s affection for Ruby, Bea concocted a n.


    If thedy of Burke International had to be docile, why not find someone else?


    By then, Ruby was pregnant and terribly sick Bea had someone tamper with her medication to worsen her condition, ensuring that after childbirth, the baby would live, but Ruby would die from


    ove


    But Joseph lost his mind. After Ruby gave birth to James and suffered


    severing, Joseph nearly


    drained his blood to save her


    Ruby survived, but her health deteriorated, and she passed away soon after.


    Bea sighed in relief back then. A woman like Ruby, in the Burke


    family, would only be a burden


    swnovel


    inevitably bringing misfortune.


    Ruby''s death was no loss.


    After she died, Joseph locked himself away, refusing food and water, ignoring the chaos at Burke International.