Chapter 126: Fa... mi...ly...?
Doctor Wesley didn’t say a word and quietly packed his things, along with the blood samples he needed to send to the lab. He barely bid Lucian goodbye before stepping out as quietly as he could.
But as soon as the doctor stepped out, he paused after catching a small figure from the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned and met the sharp eyes of the little master.
"Young Master, how have you been?" Wesley offered Primo a smile, only for the little master to ignore him.
Primo didn’t even knock as he yanked the door open and stomped inside.
"..." Wesley pressed his lips together, already used to Primo’s attitude toward him and everyone else.
"I’m sorry about that, Doctor Wesley."
Suddenly, Nolan’s voice reached Wesley’s ears. Wesley turned and saw Nolan approaching from the same direction the young master had come from.
"Doctor Wesley," Nolan greeted him with a smile, only to sigh heavily when he glanced at the door. "How have you been?"
"The same as usual. Is the Young Master alright?" Wesley asked. "He seemed a little upset."
Nolan tried to smile, thinking about the reason Primo was in there. In the end, he could only sigh and face Wesley.
"I tried to stop him, but I guess there’s only one person who can stop this from escalating," he said. "Anyway, Doctor Wesley, would you like some tea before you leave?"
Wesley nodded with a short smile. "Sure."
As they walked side by side, leaving the father and son behind, Wesley asked, "Nolan, have the madam and the master truly made up?"
"Yes!" Nolan’s voice brightened. "Even I didn’t expect it."
Or rather, none of them had been hopeful, considering Lucian and Ashley’s relationship had very clearly been going downhill. Everyone knew where this marriage was headed, but then, one morning, things just changed.
"It’s like magic!" he added with a chuckle. "Even the Young Master is getting close to her."
His bright smile faded instantly as he remembered something. "That’s why he’s there to confront the master."
Wesley furrowed his brows as he studied Nolan’s side profile. From what he remembered, Nolan would always carry a grim look on his face whenever the madam was brought up. It wasn’t that Nolan would say bad things about her, but it was clear he had never been impressed by her.
"Why would the Young Master confront the master because of her?" he asked out of pure curiosity.
Nolan stopped in his tracks and turned to face the doctor squarely. "It’s because the young master thought the master hurt the madam."
"Huh?"
"The madam and the master came home late after attending an event together, and the master asked me to shut off their floor," Nolan raised his brows, giving Wesley a knowing look. "Unfortunately, the Young Master misunderstood."
Wesley’s mouth parted as he looked at Nolan with conflict in his eyes. He didn’t even process the part about Primo because his mind got stuck on Nolan’s insinuation about what had happened last night between the master and Ashley.
He blinked. "Nolan, did the master and the madam...?"
Nolan smiled until his eyes squinted and nodded. "The floor was shut off until almost noon. And from what the maids said, the bed sheets were—"
Before Nolan could finish, Wesley raised a hand to stop him.
"Nolan, I understand that you are glad the master and the madam made up. However, I never thought that you were capable of... gossiping."
Was this gossiping?
Nolan chuckled, about to say something, when he heard noise from downstairs. His brows furrowed as he resumed walking until he reached the mezzanine. Wesley followed him, looked over the railing, and saw who had just walked in.
Wesley tilted his head, spotting Dominion’s guards carrying a lot of things inside.
"It seems... she still likes to splurge," he muttered to himself, wondering just how much their relationship had changed if Ashley was still the same.
Then Ashley came into view, smiling from ear to ear, clearly in a good mood.
"Ma—"
"Nolan!" she called before Nolan could even speak, already looking up at the second floor. "Where are Primo and Lucian?"
*****
Meanwhile, back in Lucian’s office, the father and son stood meters away from each other. Their gazes were sharp, and Primo’s face was red with anger.
"Talk," Lucian remarked coldly, ignoring the drawing pad the boy was holding. "If you are going to confront me next time, talk. I don’t have time to read what you write."
Growing even more infuriated, Primo’s face reddened further. He grabbed his pen tightly, crossed out what he had written, and began writing again with aggressive strokes. He pressed so hard that each letter left marks on the next page.
Then, he flipped the pad around.
[What did you do to her last night?!]
Lucian planned to ignore it, only to arch a brow when he ended up reading it anyway. He looked up, recalling what he had done to Ashley last night. The corners of his mouth curled into a smug smile.
"A lot," was all he said as he looked down at his son.
Lucian strode toward Primo and stopped a step away from him. "Primo, you’re going to attend school in a few weeks. Don’t expect people to read what you write."
[I don’t care.]
"So do I. However, I care about keeping her around," he added sternly, looking at his son strictly. "You have to talk to show her something new."
If anyone heard Lucian right now, they wouldn’t believe he was trying to encourage his son to talk as if it were some trick to impress his wife.
And yet, somehow, his son hesitated.
Primo frowned, glaring at his father. However, he didn’t write anything or do anything. He just glared at Lucian and thought of how Ashley always told people that Primo would sing.
Did she really want him to talk?
Was reading his thoughts through his writing tiring her already?
But she knew sign language!
Primo looked down, hesitating. But just as Lucian raised his brows and held his breath, watching Primo’s little mouth part, the door suddenly flew open with a bang.
The father and son almost flinched in surprise, as no one in this mansion opened doors like that.
What followed was Ashley’s cheerful voice.
"Hello, my baby boos~!"
Ashley stood coolly by the door, her lips stretched from ear to ear. But that smile disappeared, replaced by furrowed brows.
"Huh?" she hummed, darting her eyes between the father and son. "Are you guys... fighting?"
To her surprise, she jolted when Primo suddenly clung to his father’s thigh while Lucian placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. Then Primo shook his head profusely while Lucian answered,
"No," he said. "We’re... bonding."
Ashley blinked and blinked, seeing their pose as if they were taking a portrait to hang on the wall. But then she smiled and skipped over to them.
"That’s good—no fighting!" she intoned, wrapping one arm around Lucian’s waist while her other arm reached for Primo’s back. "No fighting, just love. L.O.V.E. We are a love family~!"
She then pulled them into a group hug, patting their backs. All the remaining tension between the father and son instantly disappeared. But just as they melted into her presence and light embrace, Ashley suddenly pulled away and looked at them with a grin.
"I have an idea!" she announced, almost laughing when the father and son furrowed their brows at the same time. "Let’s have a family night! What do you say?"
Like mirrors, Lucian and Primo tilted their heads to the side, looking at her as if she had said something foreign.
Lucian: Fa... family?
Primo:Family... like... a dad, a kid... and a mom?
"Hmm?" Ashley furrowed her brows, confused by their reaction. "Don’t you want a family night?"
Again, she flinched when both of them suddenly appeared in front of her, each holding one of her arms tightly. Their eyes burned with intensity, earning an awkward laugh from her.
"Ha... ha..." she laughed, thinking they didn’t have to be this intense.
I guess they liked the idea...?