Chapter 4 - 1.4 : The Invisible Wounds
Some of the servants in the room seemed to hold their breath. That name—Dedy—wasn’t just any name in this household. He was the Virellano family’s personal bodyguard, rarely seen, but his presence was the stuff of legend. Towering over two meters tall, his skin was a deep, obsidian brown, his body sculpted like chiseled stone—muscular, dense, and formidable. His bald head gleamed under the light, and a faint scar across his arm only made him look more like a gatekeeper of hell.
Dedy wasn’t just a guard. He was a former international bodybuilder and martial artist who once fought in underground championships across Malaya. In one-on-one combat, few could last more than three minutes against him.
David, though keeping a straight face, swallowed reflexively. Aurielle and Sarah, despite knowing Dedy well, still felt a chilling pressure in his presence. To them, Dedy was someone better left undisturbed.
They couldn’t help but wonder—why was Dedy being brought in to punish Al? When they themselves had been punished, it was never more than mild physical discipline, a scolding, or something trivial like a cut in allowance. Dedy was typically only summoned to discipline outsiders who had committed serious offenses. Did Edward still see Al as an outsider? Regardless, both David and Sarah smiled slightly, pleased by the decision.
Meanwhile, Sandra—Al’s biological mother—looked visibly shaken. She glanced away from her husband, her eyes filled with anxiety. She wanted to say something, to intervene, to stop the punishment. But she knew—once Edward Virellano spoke, his words were final. All she could do was clasp her hands, lower her head, and exhale silently.
Al, still standing in the same spot since the beginning, showed no sign of change. His shoulders were relaxed. One hand brushed cobwebs off his hair while the other covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. His eyes didn’t show fear—only sleepiness and mild confusion.
Ugh... It’s already this dramatic? They couldn’t let me rest a bit longer?
When the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the main hall, the once-loud room fell into eerie silence. The atmosphere froze. Servants held their breath, and even Sarah, normally confident, looked uneasy.
The door opened wide.
A giant man stepped into the doorway. Just like the rumor. Over two meters tall, his bald head gleamed beneath the chandelier. His dark brown skin looked like steel, his muscles so solid they bulged through the black uniform worn only by the Virellano family’s elite guards. His eyes were sharp, steely gray, devoid of human warmth. He was Dedy.
He entered with slow, heavy steps and halted before Edward. With his right hand, he struck his chest in a formal salute.
"Dedy, awaiting your orders, Master Edward," he said, his voice low but firm, like thunder buried deep.