"Woah... how can you be that greedy?" Aaron gasped dramatically, clutching his chest like he had just been financially attacked.

"You asked for it, so I stated the amount. Now pay up," Ivy replied with a sweet smirk, thoroughly enjoying the way his face turned pale—mainly because he didn’t even remember agreeing to any amount.

You ruined my park plan with Leo. Now suffer.

Suddenly, the temperature in the living room seemed to drop.

Aaron rubbed his arms, goosebumps rising. She’s more dangerous than I thought... woah

"I’m back!" Leo’s cheerful voice sliced through the tension like a lifeline.

Aaron instantly pulled his hand back and straightened up, acting like a completely normal, unthreatened human being.

"Mommy, did you behave?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Ivy.

"Why don’t you ask your Uncle Aaron?" she replied smoothly, shooting Aaron a sharp look that nearly made him gulp.

"Haha—everything’s fine, Leo!" Aaron laughed nervously, quickly holding up his hands and legs. "Look! Still in one piece!"

Leo tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. His uncle was acting... weird. But since he was smiling, Leo decided not to question it further and plopped down beside him.

"Uncle, are you staying the night?" he asked, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

"Of course I am," Aaron grinned back, matching his energy. "I can’t wait to play games with you. Hehehe."

Ivy’s lips twitched.

A grown man hehehe-ing. Amazing.

"Mommy, will you join us too?" Leo suddenly asked, his hopeful eyes turning toward Ivy.

Before she could answer—

"I doubt your mother even knows how to play video games, Leo," Aaron cut in with a smug smirk, clearly poking the lioness with a stick.

Oh, now you’ve done it.

Ivy’s smile turned dangerously pleasant.

"Of course I’ll join," she said sweetly, looking at Leo. "After all, I should make up for the park trip I promised... which somehow got cancelled because of someone."

Aaron’s eyes sparked like live wires.

Ivy’s gaze, too, shot lasers right back.

If looks could fight, the furniture would’ve filed for evacuation.

Did I... make a mistake putting them in the same room?

Leo, caught in the crossfire, gulped.

He might be too young to fully understand emotions, but even he could tell these two adults were one argument away from turning a video game into a real-life battle royale.

And honestly, he was starting to feel a little scared for the console.

***

[Phantom Headquarters]

"Did you find him?" Xander asked, his gaze fixed on Hunter.

He had received intel pointing to the man who had helped the assassin—the one who shot Ivy. But the moment he saw the disappointment on Hunter’s face, he already knew the answer.

They had lost him.

"Haa... all that hassle for nothing," Taylor mocked lazily, only to catch Hunter’s sharp glance.

"Huh." Taylor scoffed in return and looked away, completely unbothered.

With the DarkKnight Clan now fallen, Xander’s only lead remained the man who had assisted Raven during the mission. Something about him didn’t sit right—Xander was certain that man was the key to uncovering who was truly orchestrating the attack against him.

"What about now? Any signal from his end?" Xander asked.

Hunter stepped forward and placed a laptop on the table—the one they had recovered from the scene.

The man may have escaped, but not cleanly.

He had left something behind.

The laptop had slipped from his hands when their men nearly caught him—and that single mistake might cost him everything.

Xander leaned back in his chair, his expression turning colder, sharper—as if he were dissecting the object with just his eyes.

"Retrieve everything," he ordered calmly. "I want a full report."

Hunter nodded and picked up the laptop before handing it over to one of their team members, who immediately got to work.

The hunt wasn’t over. It had just changed direction.

Xander didn’t linger any longer and headed home. But the moment he stepped inside and found no one around, he frowned.

"Did they already sleep?" he muttered, glancing at the time.

It had taken him longer than expected, but the house being this quiet felt... unusual.

Exhaling softly, he made his way upstairs.

He had just reached his room and was about to step in when a faint whispering sound caught his attention.

His steps halted.

The sound... was coming from Leo’s room.

A deep line formed between his brows.

Ever since Leo had moved into Ivy’s room, that door had remained locked.

So then...who exactly was whispering inside? His expression turned sharp.

Without wasting a second, he quietly moved toward the source of the sound—only to stop abruptly at the sight before him.

Butler Rupert, Freda, and a few maids—all of them were huddled outside Leo’s room, anxiously peeking in through the slightly open door while whispering among themselves like they were watching an action drama.

Xander’s eye twitched. "What’s going on here?"

His sudden voice cut through the hallway, startling everyone so badly they nearly jumped out of their skins.

The entire group froze.

Slowly... very slowly... they turned toward Xander like a bunch of kids caught stealing snacks at midnight.

"Butler Rupert?" Xander’s voice dropped, dangerously calm. "Care to explain... why my staff is conducting a midnight peep show outside a locked room?"

Rupert straightened immediately, coughed into his fist, and then without a shred of dignity grabbed Xander’s arm.

"Master! You must save the young master!"

Xander blinked. "...What?"

Rupert leaned closer, lowering his voice dramatically, as if revealing state secrets.

"He is under attack."

Xander’s eyes sharpened. ’Attacked? By whom?’

Rupert pointed a trembling finger toward the door.

"You need to see this, Master," he said, but before Xander could process that sentence, Rupert suddenly pushed the door open just enough and gestured for him to look inside.

Xander hesitated for a second—but the moment he looked inside, the sight before him left him completely stunned.

"How dare you call me a loser, you scary mouse?!" Ivy’s voice exploded through the room.

On the floor, Aaron was pinned down like a fallen warrior, dramatically clutching at nothing.

"I object to this violence! This is abuse! I demand justice!" he wailed, as if an entire courtroom was watching.

"Justice?" Ivy scoffed. "For what defeating me!"

"YOU WERE DISTRACTED!"

"HAH I WASN’T? YOU KEPT GETTING MY WAY?"

Meanwhile, poor Leo was stuck in the middle, desperately trying to pull his mother back while also making sure his uncle didn’t pass out from overacting.