31 The conflict in the Ross Family(II)

"Father... I---"

Before Liechael could continue his words, a slap landed on his face. His eyes widened as the pain throbbed and sting him. It made him tremble for a second.

"What rights do you have to come to my company?!" That roaring voice struck him. "How dare you show your face here? You think I will welcome you wholeheartedly just because you are my son?!" Charles turned around, with the hem of his black suit fluttering in the air. He went back to his swivel chair. "Leave"

Vlad, on the other hand, remained silent. He himself couldn't even lift a finger to stop that sudden slap. He felt pitiful for the young master to receive such violence. The butler secretly clenched his fist, feeling useless. 'He's just a 16-year-old kid' he thought, hopeless.

The truth is, it did not provoke Liechael. The sudden slap surprised him, but it did not stop him from saying what he wanted to ask. "Father, I want to ask something"

"Eh?" Vlad immediately lifted his head and looked at his young master with wide eyes. Liechael never talked back to his father in this manner. Usually, he would exit the office quietly without a second word, but based on what he was seeing right now, the young lad walked towards his father's desk. "Y-Young m-master!"

Liechael tapped the desk with his palm and looked at Charles in the eyes. "What happened to the school's art class?" he asked.

Charles' brows twitched as soon as he heard the 'art class'. It made him agitated, remembering the investors who didn't attended the meeting earlier. All of his anger crawled up, and it made him red. "I told you to leave," he said in a stern voice.

Liechael stayed still, not even taking his eyes away. "I just want to ask you something" he clenched his other hand. "I-I w-will leave after you l-listen to me," he insisted.

This time, Vlad didn't want to see his young master to receive another pain, so he hurriedly dashed towards Liechael and tried to grab his arms. "Young master," he said in a taming voice. "The Chairman must be exhausted, we can d-do this another time, kay?" he whispered, showing the sincerity in his eyes.

Vlad loved Liechael so much that he almost treated him like his son. Even if the young lad was sometimes sloppy and stubborn, he knew that Liechael still had a childish side. A side that needs some parental love. He gripped the boy more. "Young master? Please,"

Liechael looked at him. "I j-just want to ask my father something," he uttered back.

Charles looked at his son with indifference. His forehead ceased for a second. "Didn't I tell you to leave? If you want to ask me about the art class in your school, then figure your mistakes," he glared. "Now leave.."

Liechael retracted his hands from the desk and bowed his head. "I-I a-apologize," then he quickly exited the office with his butler following him.

They reached the parking lot. Vlad was about to open the car door when Liechael was the first one who grabbed the handle. He jolted in surprise until the youth entered the car. Vlad froze for a second before turning his heels inside. He's always opening the door for his young master, so it means that Liechael was anxious about what happened.

The truth is, the young boy was indeed feeling anxious. He didn't even realize that he unconsciously opened the car door for himself. Liechael didn't know what to feel, but something was throbbing in his chest. The 24 years old Liechael grew up without a father and this is the first time he felt someone who stood as his father.

He pressed himself into the corner of the 6 seater limousine and told his driver to go home. He stayed there, quietly. Staring at the busy night road with the effects of city lights. As the car stopped because of the red light, he saw an old man with his son on his shoulders. Both are laughing while crossing the street. That image printed itself in Liechael's mind until the green light came and the cars started moving again.

It stayed for him as he saw Charles Ross' image in his thoughts. Before he could even realize, his vision became blurry, then a lump from his throat made him hard to swallow. Liechael pulled his hood more to cover his face. Everything happened so fast that it took him a minute to realize that he's already crying. He clenched his chest as he felt this longing sensation he shouldn't be feeling. It made him choke, so heavy.

The boy tried to control his breaths. As the 24 years old Liechael, he's not used to crying over small things. Isn't it because he's a kid in this state? He's too old to think about that stuff. He wanted to laugh at himself, too old to ask for a father.

He felt his right cheeks throb again, remembering the sudden slap earlier. His lips curved a bitter smile as he rubbed his face using his other hand. When his head was about to lean on the car window, a hand pulled him in another direction.

That's when he realized that Vlad did it. The butler pulled the young boy onto his chest and made him lean on his shoulders. He knew that Liechael was crying. He's not dumb to didn't notice the male sobbing in the corner. Though Vlad didn't say anything. He just brushed Liechael's back until he felt the boy grasped his sleeves back.

For a middle-aged man like him, seeing his young master being like this was enough to tear his heart apart. He's been with Liechael since then. Vlad knows that stepping in so suddenly in Liechael's emotional state is a bit awkward, but what can he do? He wanted to let him at least feel that there's someone who's with him. Vlad watched him grow and bloom. He loved this child so much that he regretted not doing it to his own son.

After all, his son died protecting Liechael.