Aaron scoffed in disbelief as he watched his grandfather completely ignore his existence, all his attention focused solely on Leo.
Not that he minded—well, not entirely—but he had always believed himself to be Edward’s second favorite grandson. And despite being disowned earlier, Aaron was convinced it was only because the old man had been upset.
"Second Master, your juice."
Butler Ben’s voice pulled Aaron out of his thoughts, yet he refused to look away.
"Butler Ben, what’s wrong with Grandpa? Why is he suddenly giving the cold shoulder after making drive here?" Aaron asked, clearly displeased.
He had planned to spend so quality ti with his nephew after being away for a while. But the mont Edward called, he had dropped everything and rushed over.
Now, he felt like he didn’t even exist.
"It feels like I’m invisible here," he muttered, taking the glass and sipping his juice with a slight pout.
Aaron had always believed Edward was not the kind of man to act petty. But after being ignored for nearly an hour, he was starting to think people really could change.
"My great-grandson, how was your day? Did you study well?"
Edward’s warm voice imdiately drew Aaron’s attention back to him.
Leo, happily enjoying his donuts with a banana smoothie, humd as he chewed.
"It was nice, Gappy. I had a wonderful day," he said, his smile reaching his eyes.
Edward nodded, his expression softening further.
"Is everyone treating you well? Your teacher... your classmates?"
At that, Leo paused. He blinked, then swallowed the food in his mouth.
"Gappy... why are you asking that?" he asked cautiously.
Aaron frowned too, noticing the shift in Edward’s tone. But what Edward said next made him gape.
"Because Gappy found out that soone has been troubling you at school."
"Troubling? Who?" Aaron demanded, imdiately alert.
He had only been away for a short ti—but only he knew how hectic that trip had been. Seminars, etings, endless work... it had stretched longer than expected.
And now this?
How much had he missed?
Edward’s lips twitched slightly as he cast a sharp glance at Aaron, who didn’t flinch. Instead, Aaron quickly moved closer to them.
Leo looked between the two n and gulped.
He had thought his father wouldn’t tell Edward about what happened at school. But now, with both of them watching him so intently, he couldn’t help but sigh.
"Gappy, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m following Mommy’s advice, and it’s helping a lot," Leo said with a bright smile before taking another bite of his donut.
Mommy? As in the woman staying with them? Edward wondered.
Aaron, on the other hand, frowned deeply.
That imposter... what kind of advice is she giving my nephew? Don’t tell she’s teaching him voile—
Suddenly, his thoughts flashed back to the mont he had been pinned to the ground, nearly choked.
No. No. Don’t get distracted, Aaron, he quickly shook off the mory and focused on Leo again.
"What advice did she give you?" Aaron asked.
"What advice are you talking about?" Edward asked at the sa ti.
"..."
Both of them spoke in unison, causing Leo to pause again and look at them in confusion.
Aaron and Edward exchanged a brief glance. Edward’s lips twitched in irritation, while Aaron slowly stepped back with a cheeky grin.
"You go first, Grandpa. Hehe... I can wait," Aaron said.
Edward ignored him and turned back to Leo, his voice softening once more.
"My great-grandson, what advice are you talking about?" he asked gently, easing the confusion on Leo’s face.
Edward might not fully trust the woman Xander had brought into the house, but he needed to understand her intentions toward Leo.
Only Edward knew how hard he was trying to control his anger after learning that Nate had been giving Leo a hard ti at school.
Edward might not fully trust the woman Xander had brought into the house, but he needed to understand her intentions toward Leo.
Only Edward knew how hard he was trying to control his anger after learning that Nate had been giving Leo a hard ti at school. But when he discovered it had turned physical, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of guilt.
While Edward had always been upset with Xander’s decision to take Leo away, he now realized it hadn’t been an impulsive choice. It had co from the life Xander himself had endured while growing up in the Erson household.
Aaron, on the other hand, noticed the silence that had settled over Edward and imdiately picked up on it.
"Mommy said you should never let anyone walk over you—even if it’s soone close to you," Leo said, standing proudly as he spoke.
"..."
Did she really teach him that? Both Aaron and Edward wondered, exchanging a quiet glance.
For Aaron, the words stirred sothing deeper. His mind drifted back to his own childhood—when he had been bullied simply for standing by Xander. The harassnt had continued for a long ti... until the day he finally fought back.
That day had changed everything. Because after that, no one ever dared to ss with him again.
***
anwhile, back at the Erson Mansion, the doctor examined Ivy while she remained unconscious.
"Everything seems to be fine. However, I strongly suggest that Miss Ivy allow her body to fully recover," Dr. Gioden said as he turned to Xander, who had been watching Ivy the entire ti.
After being shot in the chest, Ivy had barely survived. And considering the aftermath of her surgery, it was easy for her body to give out if she pushed herself too hard.
"Is that all?" Xander asked coldly.
The doctor nodded.
Xander said nothing after that, and Dr. Gioden quietly took his leave.
Now alone in the room, Xander slowly walked toward the bed, his gaze fixed on Ivy.
No one could tell what was going through his mind. But seeing the woman lying there asleep—the sa woman who had run through the streets like a madwoman before taking down those n and forcing them to their knees—left him feeling strangely unsettled.
After standing there for a while, Xander finally turned on his heel and headed toward the garden area.
There, he found Teddy along with the rest of the guards running across the lawn under the scorching heat. They had failed to do their jobs, and now they were facing the consequences.
Xander didn’t spare them a single glance. His eyes landed directly on the man sitting stiffly in the chair before him.
It was the sa man he had seen Ivy talking to earlier.
And also the reason she had fainted.
Without wasting another second, Xander walked over and sat down on the chair across from him, crossing one leg over the other with an unreadable expression.
His sharp gaze slowly scanned the man before settling on the pair of eyes desperately avoiding his.
"How... do you know Ivy?" Xander asked calmly.
Too calmly.
Though he appeared composed on the outside, his mind still lingered on the mont he had seen this man holding Ivy. The mory stirred sothing dark and unpleasant inside his chest.
But seeing the man already looking seconds away from confessing every sin committed by his bloodline, Xander decided not to show it.
anwhile, Sal was having a complete emotional breakdown internally.
I’m dead.
That was the only thought echoing in his mind.
The mont he had seen Xander standing there earlier—with that terrifying assistant beside him—Sal’s soul had practically left his body.
He had even tried to run.
Unfortunately, before he could take even one proper step, Xander had walked past him, picked Ivy up into his arms, while the assistant grabbed Sal by the collar and dragged him along like a kidnapped chicken.
Sal had cried the entire way.
"It wasn’t ! I didn’t hurt her! I swear on my electricity bill!" he had shouted.
Sadly, nobody listened.
All Sal rembered after that was Xander’s deadly aura and those terrifying eyes that sliced through him every single ti he tried to breathe too loudly.
Now sitting before the devil himself, Sal forced an awkward smile onto his face.
"Haha... know her? What a funny question, Mr. Erson. Humans know humans, right? Society and all that..."
Xander stared at him in utter silence, causing Sal’s smile to twitch violently.
"Actually... now that I think about it, maybe I don’t know her that well. In fact, who even is Ivy? Such a common na—"
Bang!
Xander suddenly punched the glass table beside him.
The loud crack echoed through the garden as the table shattered instantly.
Sal nearly jumped out of his soul.
"Mother of—!"
His entire body trembled violently as he stared at the broken table in horror.
T-That fist almost had my face’s na written on it!
Even the guards standing nearby flinched.
Xander slowly lifted his cold gaze toward Sal again.
"I’ll ask one last ti," he said quietly, which sohow sounded even scarier. "How do you know Ivy?"
Sal imdiately straightened like a student caught cheating during an exam.
"I’LL TALK!"
His voice cracked so badly that even Teddy had to look away to hide his laughter.
Sweat rolled down Sal’s forehead as he pointed at himself with trembling fingers.
"We—we t by accident! Pure accident! Divine coincidence! Movie-level encounter!"
Xander’s expression remained blank.
Sal swallowed hard.
"She... saved once."
That finally made Xander pause slightly.
Sal noticed it and quickly continued before the man changed his mind and broke another table—or his spine.
"You know those n from earlier? They were trying to rob , and Miss Ivy—like an angel descending from heaven—saved from getting looted," Sal explained dramatically, though internally he was crying and praying the man before him would believe every single word.
Xander frowned slightly as he listened.
None of it sounded like a lie.
Because when they had arrived earlier, he had indeed seen those n chasing after Sal while Ivy went after them.
User Comments
0 comments from readers