Gloria’s expression changed from pleased to annoyed so quickly that Neville almost couldn’t follow what was going on.

"He is not my man, Catalina. He’s Grayson’s partner."

Seeing as Gloria just rolled her eyes at Catalina, it seemed that she knew that Catalina was just throwing that sentence to determine whether Gloria was serious.

"Grayson’s?" The name left Catalina’s lips with genuine shock. All pretense of playful teasing evaporated. "You’re serious?"

"Why wouldn’t I be?"

Catalina’s gaze snapped back to Neville, looking at him more thoroughly than before. There was no malice in her gaze, just genuine curiosity.

Neville patiently endured the gaze. He had endured worse. One nosy socialite, however beautiful, wasn’t going to rattle him.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Gringer," he said smoothly, rising slightly in his seat to offer a respectful nod. "Sarah has told me wonderful things about you."

"Sarah?" Catalina’s eyebrow arched. "You know my daughter?"

"We work together at Maxwell Corporation. She’s been very kind to me."

Catalina’s eyes flickered with pride and surprise that her airheaded daughter had managed to form a connection with someone so closely tied to the Maxwell family.

"I see. Sarah does have a gift for making friends everywhere."

"She’s talented at her job as well," Neville added. "One of the best senior secretaries in the department."

Gloria gloated beside him, clearly delighted by his social grace. "Isn’t he wonderful, Catalina? Handsome, well-mannered, and appreciates hardworking employees. Grayson couldn’t have found someone better."

"That’s a lot coming from you, Gloria." Catalina remained calm, but Neville caught the slight tension in her shoulders. Her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around her clutch. "When did they start dating? I don’t recall hearing anything about Grayson dating anyone."

"It’s fairly recent," Gloria said breezily and a little frustrated. "You know how private my son is. He doesn’t exactly broadcast his personal life, not even to me if I didn’t catch him red-handed."

"That’s one way to put it." Catalina’s lips pursed a little. "I’m surprised he found the time, given how he was practically married to his work."

Neville sensed something in her tone. It was something more that made Gloria’s earlier displeasure suddenly make more sense.

"Would you like to join us?" Neville offered, gesturing to the empty space at their table. "Chef Heilin’s tea is amazing, and there’s more than enough pastries (cookies) to share."

Gloria shot him a look that clearly asked what he was doing, but Neville maintained his polite smile. Whatever history existed between these two women, inserting himself in the middle of it wasn’t his place.

Better to defuse the tension with hospitality than let it fester.

Catalina hesitated, turning her gaze between Neville and Gloria, thinking. Then she shook her head, her smile returning but notably more strained than before.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have somewhere I need to be." She reached out and patted Neville’s hand in a gesture that might have been friendly but felt more like a promise to continue this conversation later. "It was lovely meeting you, Neville. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon."

"I look forward to it," Neville replied.

Catalina nodded to Gloria, murmured something about calling her later, and left.

Neville watched her go, noting how she paused briefly at the shop’s entrance to glance back at their table before disappearing into the shopping center.

"Well," Gloria said, her voice clearly conveying her irritation, "that was unexpected."

"Is everything alright?" Neville asked carefully. "You two seemed... tense."

Gloria waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry about it. That’s just how Catalina is. She can’t help but stick her nose into other people’s business."

Neville tilted his head, considering his words carefully.

From what Sarah had told him, Catalina Romana Gringer was known for being a chatterbox, the kind of woman who could turn a five-minute conversation into a two-hour gossip session. But the woman who had just left their table had been practically tight-lipped by comparison.

Something doesn’t add up.

"Sarah mentioned her mother was quite... talkative," Neville said, trying to sound casual. "She seemed rather... reserved just now."

Gloria just snorted.

"Reserved? Catalina?" She shook her head. "No, she was definitely holding back. I just don’t know what."

"Why?"

"That’s not something you need to worry about, dear." Gloria reached over and patted his hand reassuringly. "You don’t need to be wary of Catalina, really. She just... has strong opinions about things. And she’s very protective of her daughters."

The protective mother angle was interesting, but it didn’t quite explain the way Catalina had reacted to the news of his relationship with Grayson.

Unless...

No, he told himself firmly. Don’t go down that rabbit hole. You don’t have enough information.

Gloria steered the conversation toward other topics, and Neville joined.

○●○●

Catalina walked as far as possible until she was absolutely certain she was out of Gloria’s line of sight. She moved through three levels of the shopping center, past a jewelry boutique and a hover-car showroom, before ducking into a quiet restaurant tucked away in a corner of the ninth floor.

This place was mostly empty at this hour, its customers either still shopping or had not yet arrived for the dinner rush. A chibi humanoid AI robot greeted her at the entrance, its oversized eyes blinking with programmed enthusiasm.

"Welcome to Stellar Delights! Table for one?"

"Private booth," Catalina said curtly. "And bring me a glass of red wine. The expensive one."

"Right away, ma’am!"

The robot led her to a secluded booth near the back, its cushioned seats and sound-dampening curtains providing the privacy she desperately needed. Catalina slid into the seat, kicked off her heels, and pulled up her light brain’s communication interface.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled through her contacts.

Grayson’s partner. Gloria’s daughter-in-law.

The words kept repeating in her head, each repetition adding another layer of disbelief.

She found Liliana’s contact and initiated a 3D video call.

The line rang twice before her younger daughter’s face appeared on the holographic display.

"Mom?"