"Mr. Woods, your water," Butler Rupert said politely, placing a glass in front of Taylor.
But Taylor... didn’t move.
He simply sat there, staring blankly ahead, still deeply traumatized by the turn of events that had nearly cost him his life.
So this is what it feels like... when your life almost ends...
Taylor swore he had just seen his entire life flash before his eyes.
If Leo hadn’t called out his na at that exact mont, he would’ve been a gone case.
A frad photo with a black ribbon. Maybe even a dramatic funeral speech.
Taylor couldn’t help but shuddered at the thought.
Just as he was starting to recover, his eyes accidentally t Ivy’s.
Sharp. Calm. Unbothered.
"..."
Then, like a man possessed, he lunged for the glass.
Gulp.
Gulp gulp gulp.
Taylor drank the water as if it were his last chance at survival—because, frankly, it felt like it.
God forbid he delayed and she changed her mind.
anwhile, Ivy watched him with a faint frown, clearly puzzled.
Why is he acting like this? Her gaze lingered on him for a mont.
He wasn’t this fragile when he was pointing a gun at on that cliff.
She gave a small shrug, dismissing it.
Humans were strange.
Very strange. But then, she felt another gaze.
Ivy turned slightly, and there he was.
Xander, staring at her. Again.
Her brows knitted faintly. What is wrong with him now? Why does he keep staring at like that?
Was there sothing on her face? Or had he finally lost his mind?
Honestly, at this point... both seed equally possible.
"This is entirely your fault!" a voice interrupted them all.
Leo placed his hands on his hips, his tiny face scrunched up in pure disappointnt.
While Xander remained calm, Taylor froze.
"...Excuse ?" Taylor croaked, still clutching his empty glass like it was his emotional support.
"You ruined the ga!" Leo accused, pointing an accusing finger at both of them. "I was this close to winning!"
Xander raised a brow, unimpressed. "You an running away and laughing counts as winning now?"
"It does!" Leo shot back instantly. "And I would have won if you didn’t barge in like villains!"
Taylor looked personally attacked. "Villains?! I almost died protecting you!"
Leo blinked at him. "...From what?"
Taylor opened his mouth to speak but closed it. Then pointed dramatically at Ivy.
"From her!"
Ivy, who had been silently observing, crossed her arms. "You attacked first."
"I was being cautious!" Taylor defended weakly.
"You ca at with a stick."
"...A defensive stick."
Leo sighed deeply, shaking his head like a disappointed parent.
"Unbelievable."
Then, with full authority only a child could carry, he declared—
"We’re playing again."
"No."
Taylor’s response was imdiate. Firm. Absolute.
"No, young master. Respectfully—no. I choose life."
"You don’t have a choice," Leo said sweetly.
"I absolutely do—"
"You’re it."
"...What?"
"You’re going to wear the blindfold this ti," Leo continued, already picking it up. "And you have to catch us."
Taylor stared at him in horror.
"Us?"
Leo grinned.
"Yes. ... and Mommy."
Taylor slowly turned his head toward Ivy, who was already looking at him.
Calm. Silent. But most importantly, deadly.
"No," Taylor whispered, shaking his head. "No, no, no. This is a setup. I refuse. I officially resign from this ga."
"Too late," Leo chirped, marching toward him.
Taylor scrambled back on the sofa. "Boss! Say sothing! Stop your son!"
Xander, who had been watching everything unfold with faint amusent, leaned back casually.
"Seems fair."
Taylor looked betrayed. "Fair?! I was almost strangled five minutes ago!"
"And yet," Xander replied calmly, "you’re still alive."
"That’s not comforting!"
Leo had already reached him.
"Co on, Uncle Taylor," he said, trying to tie the blindfold around his head.
"I don’t want to be promoted to ’late Uncle Taylor’!" he protested, struggling weakly.
Ivy tilted her head slightly, watching the chaos with mild interest. Then, after a brief pause, a faint smirk appeared on her lips.
"Don’t worry," she said calmly and watched Taylor still.
Hope flickered in his eyes.
"Really...?" he asked, almost emotional.
"I’ll go easy on you."
The hope died instantly. "That’s worse!" he cried.
Leo burst into laughter. And within seconds, Taylor Woods, unwilling participant and recent survivor of near-death, was officially blindfolded.
Standing in the middle of the room.
"...If I don’t make it," he muttered dramatically, stretching his hands out in front of him, "tell my family I was brave."
"You don’t even have a family," Xander pointed out dryly.
"...Then tell soone!" Taylor snapped.
"Ready?" Leo whispered excitedly to Ivy as she gave a small nod, her eyes glinting with amusent.
And just like that—round two began with Taylor unknowingly walking straight into danger.
***
anwhile, inside the Erson family’s ancestral residence, Elder Erson sat quietly, his eyes fixed on his phone.
A deep frown settled on his wrinkled face as he watched the video from the mansion.
On the screen, laughter echoed—Leo running around, Taylor stumbling blindly, and Ivy moving with calm precision.
"Young Master seems happy."
Another aged voice spoke from the side, pulling Edward Erson out of his thoughts.
"He is always happy when he plays gas," Edward replied, his tone asured.
Butler Ben pursed his lips and nodded in understanding, his gaze also shifting toward the screen.
Edward Erson—the patriarch of the Erson family—humd thoughtfully as the video played to the end. Once it finished, he slowly lowered the phone.
Disappointnt flickered across his expression.
His grandson had kept a secret from him.
And not just any secret.
It was only after hearing about the recent attack on Xander that Edward discovered the truth—that the woman who had saved his grandson... was none other than Leo’s biological mother.
"Ben," Edward spoke, arching a brow slightly, "why do you think my grandson is still hiding the truth about Leo’s mother from ?"
Everyone knew how desperate Edward had been to see Xander settle down.
For years, he had pushed for marriage—introducing countless eligible won from powerful families, all eager to beco part of the Erson lineage.
But Xander had rejected every single one of them without hesitation.
Edward’s only wish was simple: to see his grandson married... and for little Leo to finally have the mother figure he had been missing all his life.
And yet—
The irony.
The woman already existed.
Not only that, she had been in Xander’s life far longer than Edward had known.
"Ahem... Master, I believe the young master must have his reasons," Butler Ben replied carefully. "He is not soone who would keep you in the dark without cause."
Only if the reason isn’t because you once spiked his drink to test his interest in won...
Ben wisely kept that thought to himself.
Years ago, Edward had grown concerned that Xander showed no interest in won at all. In his impatience, he had taken matters into his own hands.
The result?
Leonard.
A living, breathing reminder of that "experint."
Edward, however, simply nodded, accepting the answer on the surface.
"Even so... I would like to know more about the woman he is trying to hide."
His tone turned thoughtful—calculating.
Slowly, he turned his head, eting Ben’s eyes with a knowing look.
Ben straightened slightly. "Yes, Master."
Edward was well aware that Xander would not take kindly to interference.
His grandson was not a man who tolerated intrusion—least of all in his personal matters.
But Edward Erson had not built an empire by stepping back.
If this woman was truly Leo’s mother...
Then he needed to know.
Was she trustworthy?
Or had she only appeared now—after realizing she had once been involved with a man of imnse wealth?
Either way— Edward intended to find out.
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