14. Commotion

Maxmilian is stunned by the words and gesture of James' mother. Her expression of pain and fury turns to surprise and confusion.

Still enraged, the woman coughs before continuing to scream:

"My son was a good man! A man of integrity! He never got into trouble, he was always responsible. He had a great job, he was my greatest pride! And then YOU got in his way... And he died!"

Isabella, for her part, quickly reacts to the situation, intervening to calm the enraged woman.

"Please, Mrs. Simpson, contain yourself! You are at the wake of my daughter-in-law, who like your son, was a victim of a horrendous crime! What are you implying? My son has nothing to do with this!

The woman, her eyes watering with tears, stares at Isabella with a mixture of pain and anger. She takes a deep breath before she speaks, her voice laced with grief.

"The wife of this... this monster you call a son... she was pregnant with his child and he abandoned her!"

Everyone around seems shocked by the revelation. A gr