Chapter 98

Leon tapped his index finger against Edwin's forehead. "What nonsense are you spouting all day long?" Edwin clutched the edge of the blanket and yanked it over his head, covering both his face and body, using his actions to reject any further interaction with Leon. Leon adjusted the blanket slightly, leaving enough space for him to breathe. Seeing Edwin shutting his eyes tightly and deliberately ignoring him, Leon did not try to wake him. Instead, he spoke with the same patience and gentleness as always. "Rest well and don't overthink things. No matter what happens between your mother and me, our love for you won't change." Edwin did not respond. He kept his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. Leon bent down and placed a goodnight kiss on his small forehead. "Goodnight." Even then, Edwin showed no intention of acknowledging him. Leon switched off the lights. As the door closed behind him, Edwin opened his eyes in the darkness. His once pure and untroubled gaze was clouded with complexity. After leaving Edwin's room, Leon went to check on Victoria. She was still lying in the same position, peacefully asleep without any signs of restlessness. He sat down by the bed, watching her quiet face. Her breathing was steady, and she looked so well-behaved in sleep. Almost instinctively, his broad, warm hand rested against her face, his palm fitting against her soft cheek. A thought crept into his mind. Why could she not be this obedient when she was awake? He did not leave immediately. Even though he knew she was drunk and would sleep soundly until morning, he could not help but feel uneasy. Worried that something unexpected might happen, he remained at the bedside, sitting there in his dress shirt from around 9:00 pm until past 4:00 am. Only when Victoria furrowed her brows slightly, showing signs of waking, did he leave the room without a sound. He retrieved his jacket from the couch and headed downstairs. Perhaps Edwin's words had affected him more than he realized. After leaving, a feeling of frustration spread in his chest, lingering without relief. Instead of returning to Waterside Manor, he called Aaron and told him to come out. Aaron yawned. "Do you even know what time it is? Just because I can stay up until 4:00 am doesn't mean I can wake up at 4:00 am. What's so urgent that it can't wait?" "It's nothing. Go back to sleep," Leon said, realizing the time and preparing to hang up. Aaron suddenly became alert. Under normal circumstances, if Leon had woken him at this hour, he would have held a grudge for weeks. But this time, he did not seem to mind. "What happened? Did something go wrong?" He did not hang up and continued asking. Leon's voice was calm. "Nothing. Go back to sleep." With that, he ended the call. Aaron was left hanging. He immediately redialed. The phone vibrated continuously in Leon's hand. He knew it was Aaron calling back, but his thoughts were so occupied that he did not even have the energy to lift his hand, let alone answer the call. It had been a long time since he felt like this. Not since that incident all those years ago. After one unanswered call, Aaron did not keep trying. Instead, he got out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and drove out. He did not need Leon to say anything to know exactly where to find him at this hour. Twenty minutes later, on the second floor of an exclusive club under Quigley Corporation, Leon was sitting on the couch with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. The private room was empty except for him. On the table in front of him was nothing but car keys and a phone. Aaron stepped inside and immediately took in the scene. He walked over quickly and tossed his car keys onto the table. "Alright, tell me. What's going on?" Leon's deep and unreadable eyes opened. Seeing Aaron, he looked a little surprised. Aaron smirked. "Don't look at me like that. I'm here for the gossip—and to check on the supposedly untouchable Leon. What's with that expression?"