"Aiyoo, Josephine, you still are not winning," a woman snickered as she dropped her card down with a triumphant click.

"Come on, I will definitely win this time. Amelia will be here soon," Josephine, a beautiful older woman with spotless black hair answered. She placed a card down and stared at the game with narrowed eyes, as if sheer willpower could change her luck.

The three women sat around a beautifully carved mahjong table in the sunlit private room of an upscale country club. The tiles occasionally sound as they hit the table.

Soft music filtered through the large windows, and the faint scent of jasmine tea and expensive perfume filled the air. This weekly gathering had been their tradition for years — a chance to gossip, complain about their husbands, and most importantly, discuss their grown children.

Josephine (Richard’s mother) sighed dramatically as she lost another round. "These tiles are against me today."

The other two women —Nathan’s mother, Vivian, and their close friend Margaret laughed softly.

Just then, the door opened gracefully. Amelia Vane—Silas’s mother stepped inside, looking elegant in a tailored cream blouse and a pearl necklace.

Her silver-streaked hair was arranged properly and she carried herself with the confidence of a woman who had long mastered both boardrooms and social circles. A woman who won’t blink at any unexpected situation, smart enough to eliminate whatever problem.

"Sorry I’m a bit late, darlings," Amelia said with a warm smile. "Traffic was heavier than expected."

Josephine brightened immediately. "Amelia! Come, sit. We saved your usual seat. You’re just in time to watch me lose again."

Amelia laughed lightly as she took her place at the table, smoothing her blouse before reaching for the tiles. "Don’t worry, Josephine. Your luck might turn now that I’m here."

The game resumed with the familiar click-clack of tiles. For a few minutes, they played in comfortable silence, but the conversation soon turned as it always did to their family and children.

Amelia picked up a tile, examined it, then discarded it with a small sigh. "I’m stressing about Silas again. That boy is twenty seven already, running an empire, handsome as sin... and still no lady in sight. Not even a rumor of a girlfriend. I visit his office, I already gave him an ultimatum and I will definitely keep to it. I’m very sure he would not try to fulfill it, It’s like he’s married to his work."

Josephine nodded sympathetically while arranging her tiles. "Tell me about it. My Richard is the complete opposite — a playboy through and through. Different girl every month, or so it seems. But none of them last. He says he’s ’enjoying his youth.’ Enjoying? At his age? I told him straight last week — bring a proper girl home or I’ll start arranging dates myself."

Vivian (Nathan’s mother) chuckled as she discarded a tile. "At least your sons are focused on something. My Nathan was once like that. Doctor by day, lives at the hospital by night. No time for romance. I keep telling him he needs to settle down before I’m too old to enjoy grandchildren."

Margaret shook her head with a fond smile. "These boys of ours are all the same. Too busy chasing success or pleasure to think about building a family. We raised them too well — now they’re too independent."

Amelia sighed again, deeper this time. "That’s exactly what worries me with Silas. He has everything — money, power, looks. Women must throw themselves at him, I’m sure of it. Yet he brings no one home. I even told him last week that if he doesn’t introduce someone soon, I’ll choose for him."

Vivian’s eyes lit up. "We should take matters into our own hands. Look around their workplaces, their social circles. There must be suitable girls. Doctors, lawyers, businesswomen — plenty of accomplished young ladies who would fit perfectly."

She paused for a minute. "Why did you think Nathan would be married now. I was pressing down on him."

Josephine placed a tile and leaned forward. "Exactly. We can’t wait forever. Our boys are getting older, and so are we. I want grandchildren while I can still chase them around the garden."

Amelia picked up another tile, studied it, then set it down with a decisive click. "Actually, I may have found someone. One of my close friends’ daughters—a beautiful actress. She will be returning to the country in three weeks. She’s poised, intelligent, and from an excellent family. Perfect match for Silas."

The other women leaned in, intrigued.

"But," Amelia continued with a small, knowing smile, "I suspect my son is already keeping someone. A mother knows these things. There’s a look in his eyes lately — distracted, almost possessive. Yet he won’t say a word. Typical Silas. Stubborn as his father." Her eyes flickered as she mentioned his father.

Josephine laughed softly. "Men and their secrets. My Richard is the opposite — he parades them around like trophies, but none are serious. Maybe we should combine forces. Find suitable matches for all our boys before they waste their best years."

Vivian nodded enthusiastically. "We’ll start looking around their places of work too. Doctors’ lounges, law firms, boardrooms — there are plenty of wonderful young women who would make excellent wives."

The tiles continued to click as the game progressed, but their real focus had shifted entirely to their sons’ love lives. Laughter and complaints filled the room, mixed with well-meaning schemes and maternal plots only these women could devise. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Little did they know how complicated Silas’s current situation truly was — and how far from their expectations the person currently waiting for him in his penthouse stood.

Amelia picked up her next tile with a graceful hand, her mind already turning over the details of the actress’s arrival.

Whether Silas liked it or not, she was determined to see her son settled. The mahjong game continued, but the real game — the one concerning their sons’ futures had only just begun.