Marcus offered a mild smile in response. "Of course."

Thomas gestured to Melissa, “Let's proceed.”

They navigated through the club to a more opulent private room, where Weldon was seated, steeped in thought over his tea.

Upon their entry, Thomas announced softly, “Weldon, Melissa has arrived."

Weldon lifted his gaze to meet Melissa's, his look filled with a mixture of remorse and longing that he hadn't shown earlier. It was as if Melissa's presence brought someone else to his mind.

Melissa met his gaze without faltering.

After a moment, Weldon's voice, rough with emotion, broke the silence.

"You bear such a striking resemblance to your mother... Please, take a seat."

As Melissa seated herself across from him, Weldon lapsed into memories of her mother, recalling their first meeting with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with his usual demeanor. "When I first encountered her, she seemed like a gentle force, unexpectedly entering my life. You remind me of her, eliciting a similar sense of empathy."

Perhaps the combination of his authoritative position and vast influence lent a tone of regret to his reflections on past romances.

However, for Melissa, these musings rang with unmistakable irony.

Melissa held back her emotions. "Yet, you deceived her. You led her to believe you were unmarried, without a wife waiting at home. So, at just 20, she chose to follow you, a man on the verge of 40."

Weldon let out a soft sigh. "I did love her, truly."

Melissa's response was edged with scorn. "Your so-called love was nothing but a profound mistake. Perhaps there was love at the start.

However, when she became pregnant with your child, when she became a threat to your family, you discarded her like something worthless.

Are you aware of the hardships she faced giving birth alone? Can you even imagine the pain she endured afterward, or the struggle of the child she raised on her own? You know nothing. You remain oblivious, wallowing in self-pity only when it suits you."

Her voice faltered slightly. "Had I been given the chance for a normal family, Marcus and I wouldn't have had to break up in the first place. And now, you presume to act as a concerned father?

Don't you find pointless?"

Weldon asked quietly, "Do you hate me?"

"I don't," Melissa replied, her voice steady. "It's my mother who had every reason to. You betrayed her trust, and she carried that betrayal to her grave. Now, with no ties binding us, I wish for no further contact. I refuse to bear the Smith name."