Chapter 129: Your father is definitely finding out

Thud!

Lola slammed the can of beer onto the table and groaned dramatically.

"Those little brats," she muttered through gritted teeth. "How dare they ruin my hair like that?"

Even after washing it multiple times, she swore she could still smell egg yolk.

The memory alone made her want to hunt those girls down personally.

Across from her, Ivy took a calm sip from her drink.

"They learned their lesson," she said. "I doubt they’ll be cornering anyone again anytime soon."

"I agree with Ivy," Sal added while leaning back in his chair.

The three of them had ended up at a bar after the photoshoot.

Originally, everyone planned to head home after work.

But after dealing with Kevin’s fans, public humiliation, flying eggs, and an unexpected confrontation, all three desperately needed a drink.

"Well," Lola sighed dramatically, "at least they cleaned up the mess."

Sal chuckled.

"Only because they thought Ivy was about to call their school."

"That was honestly terrifying," Lola admitted.

Ivy simply shrugged.

Meanwhile, a few minutes passed as they casually chatted.

Then Lola noticed something.

Every few moments, Ivy would glance down at her phone.

At first, she ignored it.

But after the fifth time, it became impossible not to notice.

"Are you waiting for someone’s call?" Lola finally asked.

Ivy looked up from the screen.

"Oh."

A small frown appeared on her face.

"I was just checking on my son."

Both Lola and Sal froze.

"I texted him earlier that I’d be late tonight," Ivy continued casually. "But he still hasn’t replied."

Silence.

Lola blinked.

Then blinked again.

"...You have a son?"

Her voice came out much louder than intended.

Several nearby customers glanced in their direction.

Meanwhile, Sal nearly choked on his drink.

Ivy calmly nodded.

"Yes."

Lola stared at her in complete disbelief.

She genuinely hadn’t expected that answer.

Ivy had just started her modeling career.

Most people entering the industry at this stage were focused on building their image, networking, and attracting sponsors.

Having a child wasn’t exactly something many openly talked about.

Across the table, Sal shot Ivy a warning look.

’Why would you tell her that?’

The message was obvious.

But Ivy completely ignored him.

She had never intended to hide Leo’s existence.

He was her son.

That fact wasn’t something she considered shameful.

"Yes," Ivy repeated calmly. "I have a son."

Then a small smile appeared on her lips.

"And someday I’ll introduce you to him."

Lola stared at her for several seconds.

The strange thing wasn’t the revelation itself.

It was how naturally Ivy talked about it.

There was no hesitation.

No embarrassment.

No attempt to change the subject.

Just pride.

"Ivy..." Lola said carefully. "You do realize this could become a huge obstacle in your career, right?"

Ivy remained silent.

Lola sighed.

"You’ve only just started. The industry can be brutal."

Her voice softened slightly.

"I’ve seen models hide marriages, relationships, pregnancies... even children."

The memory made her expression darken.

Some gave up everything for their careers.

Others gave up their careers for their families.

Very few managed both.

But Ivy didn’t even look worried.

Instead, she calmly set her drink down.

"That’s exactly why I need you as my manager."

Lola blinked.

Ivy’s gaze remained steady.

"You need to make sure any attention aimed at me never reaches my son."

The atmosphere shifted slightly.

"I don’t care what people say about me," Ivy continued honestly. "But I won’t allow what happened today to happen to him."

For the first time since meeting Ivy, Lola understood something important.

This wasn’t a request.

It wasn’t even a discussion.

It was a mother’s boundary.

And judging from the look in Ivy’s eyes, anyone who crossed it would regret it.

Lola found herself unexpectedly smiling.

In an industry built on appearances and lies, Ivy’s honesty felt refreshing.

"Done," Lola said firmly.

"I’ll handle it."

Ivy nodded once.

"Thank you."

Both women exchanged a knowing look before returning to their drinks.

***

Meanwhile, inside the police station, Aaron spent the next half hour dealing with the aftermath of the incident.

After giving his statement, he spoke with the officers handling the case and made sure every detail was properly recorded.

The three older boys who had attempted to extort Nate were detained for questioning, while the officers promised to contact their parents immediately.

Aaron also requested that Theo’s parents be informed about the situation.

Despite Theo’s role in luring Nate there, Aaron could see the boy was terrified and clearly being manipulated by those older teenagers.

Still, that didn’t excuse what he had done.

Actions had consequences.

And Theo would have to face them.

Once everything was settled, Aaron finally left the station with Leo.

Meanwhile, Marius escorted Nate home after insisting that a doctor examine him.

The ride back was unusually quiet.

Aaron sat in the back seat beside Leo while Teddy drove.

Neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched on for several minutes.

Leo glanced toward his uncle.

Then glanced again.

Even a child could tell Aaron was upset.

Not angry.

Upset.

And somehow, that felt much worse.

"Uncle Aaron..."

His small voice finally broke the silence.

Aaron immediately turned toward him.

The moment his eyes landed on Leo, most of the frustration inside him disappeared.

It always did.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he was letting his nephew off easily.

"Leo," Aaron began seriously, "if you’re about to apologize for risking your life today, then trust me, Uncle Aaron isn’t going to forgive you that easily."

He tried his best to sound stern.

But the effect was immediate.

Leo’s eyes instantly began to water.

Aaron froze.

"Oh no."

The little boy lowered his head.

"I only did what I thought was right," Leo whispered.

His voice trembled slightly.

And just like that, Aaron’s entire act collapsed.

"Ah..."

His eyes widened in panic.

"Leo, no."

Before the first tear could even fall, Aaron quickly pulled him onto his lap.

"Nephew, don’t cry."

His stern expression vanished completely.

"I’m not scolding you."

Leo looked up at him with red eyes.

"Then why are you upset?"

The question immediately hit Aaron where it hurt.

He sighed heavily and gently ruffled Leo’s hair.

"Because you scared me."

Leo blinked.

Aaron’s expression softened.

"What you did today was brave."

His voice remained calm.

"Very brave."

Leo’s eyes brightened slightly.

"But it was also dangerous."

The brightness immediately disappeared again.

Aaron gently cupped his cheek.

"Do you know what would’ve happened if Teddy, Marius, and I hadn’t arrived when we did?"

Leo fell silent.

Aaron didn’t wait for an answer.

"You would’ve ended up exactly like Nate."

The words made Leo lower his eyes.

Aaron’s stomach twisted just imagining it.

When he arrived at that alley, Nate had already been bruised and beaten.

And if those boys had turned their attention toward Leo...

Aaron didn’t even want to think about it.

His nephew was the pride of the entire family.

The child they had cherished, spoiled, and protected for years.

Seeing even a small scratch on Leo usually made everyone panic.

If anything serious had happened to him today...

Aaron was fairly certain Xander would’ve torn the city apart looking for someone to blame.

Even Ivy would have lost her mind.

The thought alone made him shudder.

"Next time," Aaron said quietly, "if you see something dangerous, you call an adult first."

Leo hesitated.

"But Nate needed help."

Aaron sighed. Of course that would be his answer. The child had inherited the Emerson stubbornness. Unfortunately.

"You still call an adult," Aaron insisted.

"Then what if they don’t arrive in time?"

Aaron opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because honestly?

That was a fair question.

Meanwhile, Teddy glanced at them through the rearview mirror, silently enjoying the struggle on Aaron’s face.

Finally, Aaron pointed a finger at Leo.

"You are not allowed to use logic against me right now."

Leo blinked.

"But—"

"No."

"Uncle Aaron—"

"No."

"I was just—"

"No."

Leo finally pouted. Meanwhile, Aaron felt slightly victorious. For approximately three seconds. Then Leo quietly asked,

"Are you going to tell my dad?"

Aaron’s expression froze. The car suddenly became silent again. Even Teddy looked away. Because everyone already knew the answer.

Aaron slowly rubbed his forehead.

"...Your father is definitely finding out."

Leo immediately looked horrified.

And somehow, Aaron finally felt a little better knowing he wouldn’t be the only one suffering tonight.

After all... explaining this situation to Xander was about to become someone else’s problem too.

***

Meanwhile, Xander had already been informed about everything that had happened at the school. Taylor had expected his boss to scare the life out of him, but Xander appeared surprisingly calm after learning that Master Aaron had been with Leo and had handled the situation himself. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

However, the next update Taylor delivered instantly darkened Xander’s expression.

Ivy, who was supposed to be home by now, was drinking at a bar.

Even though Xander had no idea how much alcohol she could actually handle, he wasn’t willing to take any chances when it came to her.

Just when he thought he couldn’t be any more uneasy, his phone suddenly rang.

The moment he heard the voice on the other end of the line, the temperature inside the room seemed to plummet.