CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR – THE STORM LEGACY

For a long moment, mother and son faced each other in a silent standoff, the air thick with unspoken challenges and barely-restrained fury. Finally, Barbara's perfectly sculpted mask of composure cracked, her expression twisting into one of cold disdain. "Very well," she said, her tone clipped and laced with quiet venom. "If you insist on forsaking your family for that...that girl, then so be it. But make no mistake, you are turning your back on everything our name represents – status, dignity, high society respect." Kayla felt Lance tense beside her, clearly shaken by his mother's harsh words but resolute in his stance. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as he responded. "If having those things means losing Kayla, then I don't want any part of that legacy," he replied, his voice steady despite the storm of emotion swirling in his eyes. "She's more important to me than any misguided notions of pedigree or societal approval." A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd at Lance's