"Second Young Master, how was your trip overseas?" Butler Rupert asked with a warm smile.

The tension in the living hall eased—just a little. But the moment Ivy and Aaron let go of their hands, the staring contest resumed like it had never paused.

Butler Rupert hesitated.

He had always known Aaron to be charming, someone whose easygoing nature won people over instantly. Even his patients adored him enough to actually show up for follow-ups on time, which was nothing short of a miracle.

But this? This cold hostility toward the future lady of the house was highly concerning.

Sensing the rising tension again, Butler Rupert quickly stepped in.

Aaron, who had been staring Ivy down like she was a medical mystery he refused to misdiagnose, blinked and turned to him. Instantly, his usual bright smile slipped back into place, eyes softening as if he hadn’t just been mentally declaring war.

"It was nice," Aaron said smoothly. "I didn’t realize how much I needed a break."

Butler Rupert smiled politely and stepped back, thinking his job there was done—

"Oh, Butler Rupert," Aaron added suddenly, "I brought something for you from my trip. I’ll send it to you later."

That earned him a small nod of appreciation before Butler Rupert finally made his exit, wisely choosing self-preservation over curiosity.

"Leo, how about you go change?" Ivy said, gently running her hand over his head.

"Yes, my dear nephew," Aaron chimed in with a smile that was just a little too sweet. "Why don’t you go freshen up?"

Leo pursed his lips, glancing between the two of them. His instincts screamed danger.

Leaving these two alone felt like signing a peace treaty... right before a war.

"Ah, don’t worry," Ivy added with a cheeky smile. "I won’t break your uncle’s bones."

Aaron choked on absolutely nothing.

"Ahem—" he cleared his throat, refusing to let the embarrassment show on his face, even as his soul momentarily left his body.

Leo hesitated for a second longer, still suspicious... but then Ivy gave him a reassuring nod.

Instantly, his worry melted into a bright smile.

"Okay then! Time to freshen up!" he declared before happily running upstairs.

And just like that, the battlefield was cleared. Or so did they thought.

Now, with only Ivy and Aaron left sitting across from each other, the air turned thick again, heavy with unspoken threats.

Aaron leaned back slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"What are your intentions, lady?" he asked bluntly, not bothering to sugarcoat his words this time.

Ah... Why are all the Emerson brothers obsessed with the same question? First Xander, now him.

While Xander could be genuinely intimidating, Ivy could clearly tell that Aaron was... trying. Like really trying.

"Are you asking about earlier," Ivy said lazily, arching a brow as she crossed one leg over the other, "when I almost punched you?"

Aaron coughed, his back still very much remembering her kick, but he quickly masked it, straightening his posture.

Ivy’s lips curled into a smile.

That smile. It made Aaron frown instantly.

"You!" he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Are you not sorry for what you did? How can you just kick me like that—hah?!"

He tried to sound intimidating. He really did. But the effect was somewhere between an angry puppy and a mildly offended patient.

Aaron had always believed he had the presence to scare people... but deep down, he knew the truth. Even a fly wouldn’t flinch.

And yet, here he was, trying to intimidate this woman—the same woman his brother had brought into their home.

I can’t let her waver me. Focus, Aaron.

He inhaled deeply, folded his fingers together, then crossed his arms in what he hoped was a commanding pose.

"I know why you’re back," he declared. "You want money. Just say how much—I’ll give it to you."

Ivy smiled again.

"..."

Confusion level rising rapidly. Because in his mind, none of this made sense.

Xander was not the kind of man who got swayed by women. If anything, he had built walls so high that no one could even come close. Aaron knew it better than anyone.

There was a time when Xander couldn’t even... function normally with a woman.

A condition. One born from the trauma of their childhood.

Aaron was the only one who knew.

And then came that one incident. Edward’s "brilliant" plan. A reckless setup that ended with Xander spending a night with a stranger.

Back then, Aaron assumed it was just the drug—that nothing about it was real.

Because the very next day, Xander was back to being himself.

Cold. Distant. Untouchable. No emotions. No attachments. No women.

Eventually, even Edward gave up trying to "fix" him. Until one day— a baby appeared at their doorstep.

Leo.

It didn’t take long for the truth to settle in.

Xander had simply said, "He’s mine." And that was it.

No explanations. No questions entertained. And strangely... that was enough.

From that day on, their lives changed. For the better.

Aaron had truly believed that Leo would be the one to bring warmth into Xander’s life. And when he once suggested finding the child’s mother, Xander had silently shown him a note.

A note that made one thing painfully clear—she didn’t want the child, and that was enough to close that Chapter forever.

Xander had suffered enough growing up, and Aaron refused to let Leo experience even a fraction of that.

So when Xander decided to leave the family estate, Aaron didn’t hesitate to follow.

The beginning? Absolute chaos. They had no idea what they were doing.

A crying infant, sleepless nights, endless confusion.

From feeding him to changing diapers, they learned everything the hard way—fumbling, failing, but never giving up.

And slowly... Leo became their world.

They made sure he grew up surrounded by love—never once missing the presence of the woman who had abandoned him.

And if they were being honest... a part of them had been grateful.

Grateful that she left. Because it gave them the chance to give Leo the life he truly deserved.

Which is why—now— Aaron’s eyes narrowed at Ivy once again.

He wasn’t about to let anyone ruin that.

"Fine," she said calmly. "Transfer one hundred quadrillion, nine hundred ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred ninety-nine billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine dollars to my account."

"..."