Paying The Family A Visit 2

In the heart of the night accompanied by the noises caused by the chirping of birds and insects were two figures standing close to each other. One seemed to be a girl covered from head to toe with a veil covering her face, her head was lowered before the male figure with a mask enclosing his face.

"Are you sure of what you saying?" Asked the man whose face is covered.

"Yes sir, I am very sure. I wouldn't lie about something important as this," the girl replied with her head still bent.

"Hmmm..." The man hummed and looked away from her. After some moment of stillness, he turned back and faced her. "Keep an eye on him and make him trust you, he is not yet powerful enough and as such you need to be close to watch him. He is our weapon."

"Understood!" The girl replied and walked away, leaving the man behind.

"Finally... Soon! just soon!" The man chuckled lightly and disappeared with a gust of wind that followed after.

---------------

"I almost thought you would disobey my orders and choose not to come," a middle-aged man said as he saw Max enter the yard with Zheren trailing behind. One look at the man and one would know that he is Max's father and as a father who hadn't seen his son for a year, he ought to be excited about seeing him but in this case, his face was void of any emotion as he stared at his son. It was obvious that he was not in any way happy about seeing the boy. His eyes then wandered to the boy behind him and his brows knitted together. "And who is that kid?" He coldly asked causing the poor Zheren to halt on his steps.

"What have you called me here for? Just go straight to the point please," Max ignored his father's question and stopped by the door. He had earlier made up his mind to not acknowledge the man as his father and as such, there was no need to act politely or respectful.

"Yo—"

"Honey, I told you that you shouldn't send for him," a young woman said while approaching the man. She stopped beside her husband and shut Max with a hateful glare, with a hiss she faced her husband. "Honey, look how he responded to your question, what an ill-mannered brat! Darling, was there any need to call him over for the dinner?" The woman shamelessly kept pulling her husband's arm as she spoke while momentarily glaring at Max.

"It's okay!" The man said and pulled his arm away from her hold, the woman hummed and walked away don't wanting to spare the man another glance. The man shook his head and then turned to Max and Zheren. "You both should come in and join us for dinner," he said and began to walk back inside.

"Hold on," Max calmly said yet there was a hint of hostility in his voice which caused the man to stop and turn around. "You did not call me here for some dinner or whatever, that I am sure of. Why don't you go straight to the point, I have some important things to do at school which can't wait."

The man silently stared at the boy he never loved with a series of thoughts that swept through his mind like tides. Could he blame him for his current behaviour? No! No was definitely the answer. He could not blame anyone but himself, but could he actually blame himself for the way he has treated his son? It should be fate! Fate made him useless, made him ability-less. So why should he blame himself?! "During the dinner, I'll let you know why I sent for you," the man replied helplessly and continued his walk.

Max turned around to leave but Zheren stopped him, he looked at his friend with a mixed feeling. Didn't he promise to back him up, no matter what?

"Stop looking at me that way," Zheren said and looked away, trying to avoid Max's piercing gaze. "I know you want to leave so badly but before that, let's go hear the old man. You might as well not eat anything but it's important you hear from him before anything else," Zheren said and prayed in his heart for his stubborn friend to just listen. Max may not know this but Zheren felt something behind the man's urgent calling, it feels as though something lies heavy on his shoulders that needed to be put away and that could be done by seeing Max.

"Fine!" Max reluctantly agreed after some moment of silence. The two boys walked into the house which was warmer than outside. Max looked around the sitting room, everything seemed new to him yet, he was still very much familiar with them. The only differences were the new chairs and tables and some paintings on the wall. Aside from that, it was still the old sitting room he knew, the place where he was always punished by being told to kneel till the next day. He glanced over at his mother who was glaring at him from the dining table, the woman who could be applauded for her extreme satisfaction gained from torturing her son.

"Come sit, you both!" The man ordered while taking a sit on the head table. Max stood on a spot not making any attempt to walk further until Zheren lightly pushed him from behind, only then did he glare at his friend and slowly walked to the table.

While they were eating, no one said a word and no one wanted to be the first to talk. They all resolved to use their eyes to communicate among themselves, the man will take turns staring at his wife, Max and then lastly Zheren — the unknown boy. While the woman fixed her eyes on Max, glaring and eyeing hatefully at him.

Max was fully aware of what was going on but user to not say a word about it, he held the spoon in his hand but didn't eat any food. Not like he wasn't hungry, he was extremely hungry at the sight of the well prepared homemade food but refused to be enticed by them. Inwardly, he wished he could stand up and just leave yet, he couldn't.

Just like Max had speculated, his father didn't say a word during the dinner. It was later when he was done eating that he called him to his study. Max got to the study together with Zheren but when they were about to go in, the man stopped Zheren from entering.

"What do you want to tell me that requires so much privacy?" Max asked as he stepped into the study. He didn't wait for his father to even take a seat.

"What I'm about to say requires your attention and understanding," the man calmly said and sat down on one of the couches in the room.

"Just say it," Max replied hastily. There was no need for his father to ask for understanding from him, it was of no use again.

"The woman you are seeing now, she is not your mother!"