The next day, the atmosphere at the lunch table was thick with tension. Markus could barely swallow his food, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. His mother’s machinations were nothing new, but this time she had gone too far. Matching him with one of her chosen drones was one thing, but Angelica was really irritating him? The fact that she was a regular visitor of his mother and her parents, along with other councilor's families, made it unbearable. Angelica's presence at the table, throwing him seductive glances while maintaining her lady-like composure, was the last straw. Markus was one century old, far beyond falling for these cheap maneuvers.
He looked in his mother's direction with a pissed look, but there were too many present at the table to make a scene. His mother play
