Chapter 48: A WORLD OF OUR OWN

"I think I need to go with my mother to meet with Xina tomorrow, so I can talk to her and apologize properly," Gaia said softly, wiping away the non-existent tears that glistened in her eyes. The tension in the air was palpable after the argument between Greg and Ella had echoed through the house. The heated exchange had been triggered by a phone call to Xina, their estranged daughter. Greg’s temper had been a volatile storm lately, a manifestation of the pressures from his faltering business. The Webster family had desperately reached out to Stefan’s influential family for assistance, but Greg, stubborn in his pride, refused to overextend their favor, especially with Stefan and Gaia's marriage still uncertain. In a last-ditch effort to salvage the family’s fortunes, Greg had pressured Xina into an arranged marriage with a powerful businessman. But, to his shock and rage, she had chosen to sever ties with them instead. Gaia’s expression was one of sorrowful contemplation, a look th