The Reason

Heberden blowout…

"Yes, how long has it been? Two years?" Leander asked.

Andrew Heberden—The politician who wanted to win the elections using sympathy votes. He asked for their help and they staged an attack in the restaurant he frequents with his family.

It should have been something of a simple but scary attack with no casualties, but unfortunately, it went wrong, killing four people. The bomb maker screwed up and mixed an actual bomb with the duds. It gave him a little headache to settle it as a gas leak and the bomb maker paid for it with his life.

Heberden won the election as he campaigned with his seriously injured wife. That politician was happy with the result, and he didn't think about that incident until now.

"Yes," Steve explained further. "Vivian's parents were the couple who died in the blast. She was right across the street when it happened. I got hold of the police reports. She was late for dinner and had watched her parents burn. The waiter who died was this woman's boyfriend, and James was his brother. And the woman who died was…"

Leander did not want to listen further, and he waved his hand. It doesn't matter what the past was. These people lost their families and loved ones and they wanted revenge. And in their mind, they got their revenge. They are dead.

They'll never know they didn't succeed.

Leander rubbed his lips with his fingers.

She was supposed to be with them and suffered the same fate as them. But instead, she watched them burn.

Survivor's guilt… That explains why she's not scared of death.

The intense hate in her eyes…

He could understand her. Wouldn't he do the same if he was in her place?

"Their account details and finances… As I remember, a compensation was announced for that incident… And one of them sued the gas company if I remember correctly. Wasn't the payout in millions? Track that money, Steve. I want to know where they spent the money and who else is involved in this."

Leander now could understand that these people did not need money. They would have millions together. And they used that money to fund their little vengeance squad.

He could understand why they want to hurt his family. But that doesn't mean he is going to let anyone touch his family. He will protect them with his last breath.

Steve nodded and said nothing more as he saw Leander scrolling through his phone. He now has a monitor app installed and would have a look at that woman often.

"Rose Gardens," Leander commanded the driver after getting in the car.

He then dialed Nathaniel Burke. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

Steve gulped and looked down. He wanted to be assured that Leander is trying hard to keep her alive just to get more details and not because he has formed a soft corner for her in his heart.

Heart…Does the beast even have a heart?

------

Rose Garden, Office of Don Peter

Viola Kastello stood nervously in front of Peter Kastello. Peter, although looked pale with all the medications he's been taking lately, was still in his office looking over the documents.

"What?" Peter looked at Viola.

He knew she does not like his consigliere because he makes sense. She does not have any sense. If his son was alive, he would have asked him to throw this useless woman away, but he does not even have that luxury.

"Is your allowance still not enough? I raised it just last month. How much would a haircut cost anyway?" Peter grumbled.

Barnabas Miller's lustful eyes lingered on Viola. Viola rubbed her arms and glared at Barnabas only for him to smirk at her with amusement.

"He spent a quarter million dollars on a woman?" Viola asked.

She did not want to be here, but she did not want to let that go.

"He wanted to…" Peter's voice went deep and his eyebrows were pinched together.

Viola could see that he does not like it, but she could not help it. When she was told that Leander wanted to buy an MRI machine for a woman and that Peter approved of it, she almost fainted.

"Who is that woman? Which family does she belong to? How long are they in a relationship? Why have we never met her? How did she get hurt and why is he nursing~"

*Bang*

Peter banged on the table. With a jerk, Viola stepped back. Her pointed heels made a soft clicking noise against the hardwood floor.

"I get that you are very worried for your youngest, daughter-in-law…" Peter gritted his teeth. "But remember this is the first time he ever asked for anything. Aren't you happy that he finally showed interest in a woman?" he raised his brows.

The wrinkly flaps over his eyes could not hide the intensity of his eyes. He is the Don, and he holds that authority in every fiber of his being.

"Yes," Viola spoke with a trembling voice. "You are right. But… what if that woman is not…"

"Tch…tch…" Barnabas stood up.

Viola gasped and took a step back. Peter grunted and started reading the document in front of him.

Barnabas placed his hand on the small of her back. "If you are that worried, love, why don't we ask Leander to bring her here for a meal? We all can meet her and find out more about her…"

Viola struggled as his hand slowly slithered down.

"…and her family?" he didn't mind her struggle. In fact, he found her struggle to be amusing and he chuckled.

"You are right," Viola smiled back awkwardly and tried to step away.

Barnabas let go of her and walked back to his seat. Viola walked to the door in a large gait.

She hated coming to Don's office when that weasel is there. But this is an emergency.

"Don't let anyone know that Evander can't… you know…" Viola wetted her lips. "Especially, to Leander…"

The doctors said that his phallus can be reconstructed, but his scrotum was badly damaged. He has lost his ability to produce sperms. She didn't want the youngest to know that. Her eldest cannot be a mocking stock.

Peter scoffed, amused by Viola's request. "Whether Leander knows it or not, he is the only one who can give me an heir."

"But there will be a way…" Viola took a panicked step forward. "He said he might have made a girl pregnant. Please don't reconsider your decision to…"

"Is this truly the time for this, Viola?" Barnabas interjected her.

She might want to make sure that Evander ascends to the seat of Don Peter after his death. But the decision solely lies with Don Peter. Honestly, Leander is perfectly suited to be the next Don than Evander.

"You promised…" Viola said to Peter, clutching her skirt out of nervousness. "When Lucius passed away, you promised…"

Peter glared at her, and Viola stopped talking. He scoffed dryly seeing Viola leaving the room with trembling lips. "She keeps on forgetting that Leander is her son too."

"Eh," Barnabas stared at the closed door.

"She raised doubts that Leander is responsible for the attack on Evander," Peter said. "She even said that someone saw Leander leaving with that woman from the building. She thinks that the woman he is nurturing is the woman who hurt Evander."

"What?" Barnabas flicked his head at Peter. "That's unbelievable."

"Is it, Barnabas? Would it be that unbelievable? I used to have three sons and two daughters. Only one celebrated his thirtieth birthday. And I only have two grandsons…" Peter's eyes ended up at the family picture they took four decades ago, and his face turned dark.

"The apple won't fall far from the tree…"