While they were eating dinner, Anna kept glancing at Xavier. She pushed her food around her plate for a moment before finally speaking.
"Can we talk about Dylan?" she asked softly.
Xavier paused, his fork midway to his mouth. "What about him?"
Anna sighed, worry obvious in her eyes. "He hasn't come home for two months, Xavier. Two months. He's still young... I don't even know if he's in a safe place. I'm getting really worried to your son."
Xavier leaned back in his chair, frowning. "I know. But... let him come home on his own. He's the one who left. He'll come back when he wants to."
"But what if he doesn't?" Anna pressed gently. "It's been so long. If we keep waiting, he might never return unless someone actually talks to him."
Xavier didn't respond, so Anna continued.
"I'm thinking... maybe I should go talk to him myself. Ask him to come home."
Xavier set down his fork and looked at her seriously. "If that's the case... then maybe I should talk to your nephew, Flynn."
Anna immediately shook her head. "No. No, Xavier, Flynn is... you know how he is. He's harsh, stubborn, hot-headed. I don't think that's a good idea."
"I'm used to Dylan's attitude," Xavier said, a small, tired smile on his lips. "Flynn can't be much worse. Besides, if talking to him might help... I want to try. I'll keep my cool."
Anna hesitated, searching his face. "You really think you can handle him?"
"I'll survive," Xavier chuckled lightly. Then his expression softened. "And you—are you sure you're ready to talk to Dylan?"
Anna nodded. "I just want him to come home."
For a moment, the two exchanged a silent understanding.
"Alright," Xavier finally said. "You talk to Dylan."
"And you talk to Flynn," Anna finished.
———
Dylan was watching the awarding ceremony for their victory when his phone suddenly vibrated. He frowned when he saw the caller ID — Wilson. Why was he calling now? Still, he answered.
"Young master," Wilson said from the other end, "I'm outside your campus. I'm with Ms. Anna. She wishes to speak with you."
"What? Tell her I don't want to talk to her," Dylan replied coldly.
"But young master... your father ordered me to bring Ms. Anna here. He said I'm not allowed to return unless you agree to speak with her."
Dylan's expression darkened. Of course. He'll do anything to get your way, he thought bitterly. After a deep breath, he spoke again. "Fine. Wait for me there."
He hung up and immediately looked toward Flynn before leaving. He didn't even bother telling Nathan, who stood beside him. He didn't want Flynn to worry, and he planned to return quickly anyway.
When Dylan reached the campus exit, he spotted Anna's car. Before he could approach, Anna stepped out and walked toward him with a gentle smile.
"Dylan, how are you?" she greeted.
"I'm in a hurry. Why are you here? Did my father send you just to bother me?" Dylan snapped.
Anna laughed lightly at his tone. "No. I came on my own. I wanted to talk to you. You know... you really remind me of my nephew. Same temper, same attitude. You're even close in age."
"I don't care about your nephew. Why are you here?" Dylan replied, irritated.
Anna's expression softened. "Dylan, listen. I know things aren't good between you and your father. And I know you still don't accept me as the woman he wants to marry. But please... give me a chance. I have no intention of replacing your mother. I just want you to come home. I've even thought of asking my nephew to stay at the house with you, so you won't feel alone. I plan to send him abroad for his studies too. You'll have company."
Dylan let out a sarcastic laugh. "Are you joking? First you, now your nephew—both of you living in my mother's house? I can barely stand the thought of you being there, and you want to add someone else? Who are you to tell me to come home? And don't expect me to live under the same roof as either of you. And no—no one is sending me abroad."
"Dylan... I know you haven't accepted us. And honestly, I don't even know if my nephew would want that either. He doesn't seem interested. But even so, I hope you will come home. You're too young to be handling everything on your own. You need someone looking out for you," Anna said softly.
"You only think that," Dylan answered coldly. "You should go. We're done talking."
He turned around and walked back toward the hall.
Anna had no choice but to watch him leave. She had expected this outcome, but at least she tried. With a sigh, she decided to touch up her makeup before going back to the car. The guard pointed her toward the restroom near the hall.
While walking, she could hear the noise from inside the event hall. Anna dug through her bag for her lipstick, distracted, when she accidentally bumped into someone. Her bag fell to the floor, and the trophy the man was holding rolled near her feet. She helped pick it up and handed it back.
But when they both stood, Anna froze.
It was her nephew.
———
Meanwhile, Dylan returned to the hall but only found Jacob and Nathan.
"Where's Flynn?" Dylan asked.
"You're not together? He said he was going to look for you," Nathan replied.
Dylan waited for a moment, but Flynn wasn't coming back.
He's taking too long... maybe he's searching somewhere else, Dylan thought, growing uneasy. Eventually, he decided to look for him.
As he passed the hallway near the restrooms, he heard Anna's voice. He intended to ignore it—until he heard another familiar voice.
Flynn.
Dylan's chest tightened.
He hurried toward the sound, slowing down just before turning the corner. He peeked first, wanting to see who Anna was talking to.
And there they were—Anna, speaking to Flynn.
He couldn't hear everything, but the words he caught only confused him more. Then he saw Anna gently holding Flynn's arm.
Dylan's vision darkened instantly.
Before he knew it, he was already striding toward them.While they were eating dinner, Anna kept glancing at Xavier. She pushed her food around her plate for a moment before finally speaking.
"Can we talk about Dylan?" she asked softly.
Xavier paused, his fork midway to his mouth. "What about him?"
Anna sighed, worry obvious in her eyes. "He hasn't come home for two months, Xavier. Two months. He's still young... I don't even know if he's in a safe place. I'm getting really worried to your son."
Xavier leaned back in his chair, frowning. "I know. But... let him come home on his own. He's the one who left. He'll come back when he wants to."
"But what if he doesn't?" Anna pressed gently. "It's been so long. If we keep waiting, he might never return unless someone actually talks to him."
Xavier didn't respond, so Anna continued.
"I'm thinking... maybe I should go talk to him myself. Ask him to come home."
Xavier set down his fork and looked at her seriously. "If that's the case... then maybe I should talk to your nephew, Flynn."
Anna immediately shook her head. "No. No, Xavier, Flynn is... you know how he is. He's harsh, stubborn, hot-headed. I don't think that's a good idea."
"I'm used to Dylan's attitude," Xavier said, a small, tired smile on his lips. "Flynn can't be much worse. Besides, if talking to him might help... I want to try. I'll keep my cool."
Anna hesitated, searching his face. "You really think you can handle him?"
"I'll survive," Xavier chuckled lightly. Then his expression softened. "And you—are you sure you're ready to talk to Dylan?"
Anna nodded. "I just want him to come home."
For a moment, the two exchanged a silent understanding.
"Alright," Xavier finally said. "You talk to Dylan."
"And you talk to Flynn," Anna finished.
———
Dylan was watching the awarding ceremony for their victory when his phone suddenly vibrated. He frowned when he saw the caller ID — Wilson. Why was he calling now? Still, he answered.
"Young master," Wilson said from the other end, "I'm outside your campus. I'm with Ms. Anna. She wishes to speak with you."
"What? Tell her I don't want to talk to her," Dylan replied coldly.
"But young master... your father ordered me to bring Ms. Anna here. He said I'm not allowed to return unless you agree to speak with her."
Dylan's expression darkened. Of course. He'll do anything to get your way, he thought bitterly. After a deep breath, he spoke again. "Fine. Wait for me there."
He hung up and immediately looked toward Flynn before leaving. He didn't even bother telling Nathan, who stood beside him. He didn't want Flynn to worry, and he planned to return quickly anyway.
When Dylan reached the campus exit, he spotted Anna's car. Before he could approach, Anna stepped out and walked toward him with a gentle smile.
"Dylan, how are you?" she greeted.
"I'm in a hurry. Why are you here? Did my father send you just to bother me?" Dylan snapped.
Anna laughed lightly at his tone. "No. I came on my own. I wanted to talk to you. You know... you really remind me of my nephew. Same temper, same attitude. You're even close in age."
"I don't care about your nephew. Why are you here?" Dylan replied, irritated.
Anna's expression softened. "Dylan, listen. I know things aren't good between you and your father. And I know you still don't accept me as the woman he wants to marry. But please... give me a chance. I have no intention of replacing your mother. I just want you to come home. I've even thought of asking my nephew to stay at the house with you, so you won't feel alone. I plan to send him abroad for his studies too. You'll have company."
Dylan let out a sarcastic laugh. "Are you joking? First you, now your nephew—both of you living in my mother's house? I can barely stand the thought of you being there, and you want to add someone else? Who are you to tell me to come home? And don't expect me to live under the same roof as either of you. And no—no one is sending me abroad."
"Dylan... I know you haven't accepted us. And honestly, I don't even know if my nephew would want that either. He doesn't seem interested. But even so, I hope you will come home. You're too young to be handling everything on your own. You need someone looking out for you," Anna said softly.
"You only think that," Dylan answered coldly. "You should go. We're done talking."
He turned around and walked back toward the hall.
Anna had no choice but to watch him leave. She had expected this outcome, but at least she tried. With a sigh, she decided to touch up her makeup before going back to the car. The guard pointed her toward the restroom near the hall.
While walking, she could hear the noise from inside the event hall. Anna dug through her bag for her lipstick, distracted, when she accidentally bumped into someone. Her bag fell to the floor, and the trophy the man was holding rolled near her feet. She helped pick it up and handed it back.
But when they both stood, Anna froze.
It was her nephew.
———
Meanwhile, Dylan returned to the hall but only found Jacob and Nathan.
"Where's Flynn?" Dylan asked.
"You're not together? He said he was going to look for you," Nathan replied.
Dylan waited for a moment, but Flynn wasn't coming back.
He's taking too long... maybe he's searching somewhere else, Dylan thought, growing uneasy. Eventually, he decided to look for him.
As he passed the hallway near the restrooms, he heard Anna's voice. He intended to ignore it—until he heard another familiar voice.
Flynn.
Dylan's chest tightened.
He hurried toward the sound, slowing down just before turning the corner. He peeked first, wanting to see who Anna was talking to.
And there they were—Anna, speaking to Flynn.
He couldn't hear everything, but the words he caught only confused him more. Then he saw Anna gently holding Flynn's arm.
Dylan's vision darkened instantly.
Before he knew it, he was already striding toward them.