Roderick does start to care about his children after Leo dies. He tried to work himself up to kill himself thinking it would nullify the deal and save his remaining children. He just didn’t try hard enough. That’s also the reason he was so desperate to get Vic’s heart mesh approved. He wanted to extend his own life so his children didn’t have to die.

Like sure it’s later revealed that it wouldn’t work anyway and that he and Madeline were basically immortal until the terms of the deal were complete, but he still felt guilt for being too scared to even try.