The word “Dad” coming from Regis’s lips made Alejandro chuckle again. He patted his son-in-law’s arm, but Regis suddenly winced and hunched forward.“What’s wrong, Regis?” Alejandro asked, surprised.Regis shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just pulled at the wound a bit,” he replied.“Oh damn, I totally forgot you’re injured,” Alejandro muttered, clearly concerned. He moved quickly to check on Regis’s injury, but Regis stopped his hand.“I’m fine, Dad,” Regis said, trying to show there was nothing to worry about.Alejandro let out a deep sigh. “If you're hurt, you shouldn’t be drinking with me. Go get some rest,” he told him.Regis stiffened. He didn’t want to leave the room yet. There was still something he hadn’t had the chance to ask the older man.“Why are you just standing there? Go on. Ask one of my men to take you to Ray’s room. I’m staying here a while longer,” Alejandro said again.“But … there’s still something I need to ask you, Dad,” Regis said, reminding the man of his earli
Regis could clearly see the confusion in Xavier’s eyes over his decision, but he didn’t pay any mind to it.All Xavier could do was sigh deeply and wonder silently, ‘What exactly are you planning, man?’“If you don’t want to be here, you can go home, Xavier,” Regis said to his best friend. He didn’t want to drag Xavier into his messy family affairs.“No way I’m leaving my best friend in a place as dangerous as this, Regis. At the very least, you’ll have an extra pair of eyes watching your back,” Xavier replied, unwilling to leave.Regis gave him a faint smile and said nothing more.Alejandro ordered his men to escort the guests to their prepared rooms. But just as Regis was about to leave the room with Rayden and Xavier, Alejandro called out to him.“If you don’t mind, would you join me for a drink?” Alejandro said to his son-in-law.The offer was unexpected—and suspicious—but Regis agreed nonetheless.Xavier couldn’t stop him. He only whispered, “Stay sharp.”Regis smiled and patted
“Mr. Volker, I don't think you can blame Regis for this,” Xavier cut in, defending his friend.Alejandro smirked. “You have no right to speak here, Young Man,” he snapped.But Xavier didn’t care about the warning from the mansion’s owner. “I’m in charge of that kid’s safety. That means I have both authority and responsibility. Besides, weren’t you the one who locked Regis up earlier? You have no right to accuse him like that.”Xavier’s words hit Rayden like a jolt. The boy immediately turned to his grandfather with narrowed eyes. “Is that true, Grandpa? Did you lock up my dad?”Alejandro gave a faint smile. “He’s not completely wrong,” he admitted. He didn’t want to lie to his grandson.Rayden’s expression changed instantly. He slid down from the old man’s lap and stared up at him. “Why would you do that? Did you lock up Mom, too?” he asked sharply.Alejandro hesitated. For a moment, he didn’t know if he should admit it, but in the end, he chose to be honest. “You could say that.”Ray
“Don’t you want to tell Grandpa about your journey? How you ended up here, Ray?” Alejandro asked, trying to gently interrogate his grandson.He’d been fascinated by the boy’s bravery all evening. What Rayden had done was far from ordinary, especially for someone his age. Coming out in the middle of the night with nothing but a patrol officer, all to find his mother? That was remarkable.To Alejandro, it was a clear sign of the fearless spirit that ran deep in both the Volker and Lorenzo bloodlines. The only thing he regretted was Rayden’s fragile body.‘If only this boy were in perfect health,’ Alejandro thought, ‘he could grow up to be one of the most feared leaders in the world.’“Why don’t you tell me how you became my grandpa instead?” Rayden shot back, snapping the old man out of his thoughts.Alejandro chuckled. “You really want to know?”“Of course,” Rayden answered with enthusiasm.Alejandro lifted the boy and sat him on his lap. Then, he began explaining how he was connected
“Come here, Ray. Grandpa wants to get a better look at you.”Alejandro patted the empty spot on the couch beside him, inviting the boy to sit.But Rayden only took a few small steps forward and stopped at a distance where the old man could still see him clearly. He was still cautious, unsure whether he could believe what the man had said.Alejandro understood Rayden’s reaction. After all, they were practically strangers meeting for the first time. It made sense that the boy was hesitant. Even so, Alejandro was already grateful just to be speaking with his grandson up close like this.“You’re a handsome and brave boy, Ray,” Alejandro said, offering a warm smile.Rayden didn’t say a word. His hands stayed tucked into the pockets of his shorts as he stared directly at the older man.“But Grandpa’s really curious … how did you get to a place like this?” Alejandro asked, gently trying to dig a little deeper.“I have has my own way, Grandpa,” Rayden answered vaguely, clearly not wanting to
“Go on in. The Boss is waiting for you inside,” said the guard, leading Rayden to the grand main doors of the Volker estate.Rayden tilted his head up to look at the fierce-faced man, then replied, “Thanks, Uncle Bear.”The guard’s brow immediately furrowed, and Rayden flinched. Without waiting for a response, the boy quickly slipped into the room.The man, one of Alejandro Volker’s subordinates—could only smirk at the kid’s reaction before turning around and heading back to his post.Rayden let out a quiet sigh of relief once the bear-like man was no longer in sight. He took a moment to scan his surroundings.“It’s even more amazing inside,” he murmured in awe, taking in the elegant, luxurious interior.Earlier, a guard had driven him up to the estate in a buggy car. He had already been impressed by the perfectly manicured grounds outside, but the European-style mansion was something else entirely on the inside.Even though everything felt completely unfamiliar, Rayden had gathered t