Just as the Rowland family sat down for breakfast, Mr. Rowland received an unexpected call from his assistant, Lucas.
"Good morning, sir. Did you receive any information from the Daniel family last night or this morning?" Lucas asked.
"No, is there something I should know?" Mr. Rowland inquired, slightly puzzled.
"Yes, sir. But I thought you had been informed before the press release, but it seems you weren't," Lucas responded cautiously.
"Lucas, I'm with my family having breakfast. If this news isn't urgent, it can wait until I'm at the office," Mr. Rowland said, about to end the call.
"Wait! It's important. The Daniels just released a statement calling off the engagement between Brian and Melissa," Lucas blurted out.
"WHAT? How is that possible? Did they give any reasons for this decision? When was the press release made? Do they not have the decency to inform us before going public?" Mr. Rowland fumed.
"I'm not sure about the details, sir, but public opinion is not in our favor. This could affect our shares, especially with the upcoming announcement of Brian taking over as CEO," Lucas explained.
"What are people saying?" Mr. Rowland asked, growing more agitated.
"Most are speculating that something might be wrong with Brian. And if this narrative continues, it might cause investors to pull out their investments" Lucas warned.
"Daniel owes me an explanation, and I intend to get it today," Mr. Rowland said firmly, ending the call.
The entire Rowland family, who had been silently listening to his conversation at the dining table looked at him expectantly. Brian, still trying to understand what was going on, remained confused. Meanwhile, Mrs. Priscilla and Hilda, knowing exactly what was happening, having been the masterminds that orchestrated the situation kept their expressions calm.
"Have either of you seen what's happening online?" Mr. Rowland asked, directing his question to his wife and daughter.
"Hailey and I have been in the kitchen supervising breakfast preparations," Mrs. Priscilla replied while Hilda nodded her head agreeing with her mom.
"I haven't, Dad. I've been reviewing documents since last night till this morning. What's going on?" Brian responded.
"Check what's trending online; we're going to the Daniels' house. They owe us an explanation," Mr. Rowland announced, grabbing his suit jacket.
"An explanation? What for?" Brian asked, growing concerned.
"Go online and see for yourself," Mr. Rowland responded, already heading for the door.
The entire family quickly followed him. Mrs. Priscilla and Hilda, eager to see the drama unfold, were right behind, while Brian was still struggling with a poor internet connection, trying to access the news.
Meanwhile, at the Daniels' house, the family was about to start breakfast when their butler interrupted.
"The Rowlands are here to see you, sir," the butler informed.
Mr. Daniel, expecting a confrontation but surprised at how early it came, sighed. Melissa, still unaware of the full situation, thought the Rowlands were visiting for a pleasant surprise.
Before Mr. Daniel could instruct the butler to let them in, Mr. Rowland stormed in, his face flushed with anger.
"Good morning, Mr. Rowland," Mr. Daniel greeted, trying to maintain composure.
"I'm not here for pleasantries. Don't act like you don't know why I'm here. Why would you release such news without informing us first? Does your family think they're above consulting us?" Mr. Rowland demanded, his voice seething with frustration.
"Please, let's sit down and discuss this," Mr. Daniel offered, trying to calm the situation.
"Oh, so now you want to 'discuss' things? Where was this civility before releasing the statement? Do you think the Rowlands are a family you can disrespect so easily?" Mr. Rowland snapped.
Still lost, Brian asked, "Can someone please tell me what's going on? I don't understand. What did the Daniels do?"
Before Mr. Daniel could respond, Hilda spoke up, her voice carrying a false air of concern.
"Brian, Melissa called off the engagement. It's not necessarily a bad thing if she has someone else but they should have at least spoken to us before making it public," she said.
"WHAT? Why would she do that?" Brian asked, clearly shocked.
Melissa bewildered and having no memory of calling off the engagement, tried to speak up but was interrupted by her mother, who quickly interjected.
"Yes, Melissa decided she didn't want to marry you anymore, Brian. We tried reasoning with her, but she was firm in her decision. We can't force her that's why we felt it necessary to issue the press release. We owe you an explanation for our actions," Mrs. Kate said, her tone apologetic but firm.
"But, Mom—" Melissa started to protest, but Mrs. Priscilla cut her off.
"It's okay, Melissa. We understand you don't want to marry Brian anymore, but your actions were a bit harsh," Mrs. Priscilla said, subtly fanning the flames.
As the women of both families exchanged words, trying to justify the situation, Mr. Rowland, still fuming, made his position clear.
"If Melissa has truly decided to call off the engagement, then there's no point in continuing this alliance. We'll terminate every contract we have with the Daniel family. After all, it was your family who broke the alliance first," Mr. Rowland said, supported by his wife.
"You all know that if we cut ties, your company will go bankrupt within hours. But if you can offer us a suitable alternative, we might reconsider," Mrs. Priscilla added, her voice cold and calculating.
Acting desperate, Mrs. Kate offered a solution. "How about Linda replaces Melissa as the bride?
"What makes you think we would want Linda as a replacement? Since it was your family that called it for, we deserve a public apology, a replacement, and compensation.
" It's a win-win. Linda is next in line to inherit the company, what do you think?"
After much heated discussion and argument, both families reluctantly agreed to each other terms—Linda would replace Melissa as the bride.
While the families were having a heated argument, each wanted to benefit from the other, but Melissa was trying to explain she knew nothing about the engagement being called off.