Chapter 22

Ramon POV

The moment Lake and Ollie disappeared down the driveway, my mother’s entire demeanor shifted. The doting grandmother facade evaporated, replaced by the sharp-eyed matriarch who had built her own business empire before marrying into the Ramon family.

“Sit,” she commanded, pointing to the chair across from her with the kind of authority that had made grown men quake during board meetings.

I remained standing, crossing my arms over my chest. “Mother—”

“Ramon Gabriel Ramon,” she said, using my full name in the tone that had preceded every serious conversation of my childhood, “you will sit down and explain to me why I had to learn about my grandson and daughter-in-law through viral internet photographs.”

The use of ‘daughter-in-law’ made my chest tighten with an emotion I wasn’t ready to examine, but I took the seat she’d indicated.

“It’s complicated,” I began, but she cut me off with a sharp gesture.

“Complicated?” Her voice ro