Chapter 1089

Margaret, a creature of habit who usually rose early, had slept poorly. Thoughts swirled in her mind, delaying sleep until dawn. A jarring phone call shattered the fragile peace. The noise felt like a hammer blow to her head.

"Hello?" she mumbled, weakly answering the call.

Ralph's voice, laced with anxiety, betrayed his unease. "Mom, you're awake, right?"

Margaret was typically awake by now—a light sleeper due to age—so Ralph's assumption was understandable.

"No, not really. Why?" Margaret sat up, her eyes still closed.

"Nothing much. I wanted to ask about the DNA test results. Are they out yet?"

Margaret would have already read the report if it were available. He couldn't ask his sister, so he turned to his mother.

Ralph's question jolted Margaret awake. Her eyes snapped open, focusing on the report on her bedside table. "Yeah, what about it?" Her answer was evasive.

"So, they're out? What are the results? Alexander isn't biologically related to us, right?" His urgency was palpable.

Margaret's pained expression offered no confirmation or denial; only a frustrated huff.

Confused by his mother's reticence, Ralph pressed on. "Mom, are you okay? Still sleepy? What are the results? Is Alex part of our family?"

Margaret coughed softly into the phone. "I got the results late yesterday. I fell asleep before I could look at them. Let me check and get back to you."

"That's not important!" Ralph declared. "Mom, I have a favor to ask."

Margaret frowned. "What is it? Don't tell me you want me to distract Alex and Lily again. I've already told you I won't. I helped you once—don't even think about it!" She paused. "Wait, didn't you say you were successful last time? What happened with Heather? Did she not keep her end of the bargain?"

Something felt amiss. A successful deal would have yielded Riggs shares; so why this request?

"No, of course not. Why wouldn't Heather keep her end? She desperately wanted the handbook."

Ralph couldn't reveal Heather's deception; it would shatter his mother's trust. Besides, Heather was no longer useful.

He needed to remove Alexander. As head of the Russell family, he'd fear neither Heather nor her company's shares.

"Isn't that enough? What else do you want?" Margaret sighed, massaging her temples.

"Mom, I've always wanted to head the family, not just hold some Riggs shares! This position was supposed to be mine! If my brothers were still alive, I wouldn't have fought Dad's decision.

But I'm young! Why is my nephew inheriting the headship? Do you think I enjoy being a useless uncle with no official position in the company? How does that make me feel?" Ralph exclaimed.

Margaret listened, a growing unease settling over her. She had showered Ralph with excessive love and protection, using him as an outlet for her grief after her sons' deaths. This overprotective love had led to favoritism. Her husband's choice of Alexander as successor had enraged her.