Chapter 10

Leo didn't go home when he left the club. He went with Chris to his house. The lie Chris told his sister, Ava on his behalf would buy him enough time to rest, so he could prepare his brain for his grandfather's rage when he arrives home.

His grandfather, Lincoln Salvador was not always a stern and implacable patriarch who ruled his family and company with a ferocity renowned throughout the city.

He was once a fun-loving and affectionate grandfather who lovingly guides and impacts knowledge on his grandchildren. Even as a shrewd businessman, Lincoln was also a big-hearted philanthropist.

Everything suddenly changed when his world came crashing down around him overnight. He lost his only son, Leo's father who was then the heir to the Salvadorian Empire... And barely a month after, his dear loving wife who couldn't handle the loss of their son passed away in her sleep.

Their death shook him to the core. A very huge part of his heart had just been ripped off and he felt the pain deep inside his soul. Many months after their death, he still finds himself waking up in the middle of the night, bereaved and wondering to himself...

'How could this happen to me? Where did I go wrong? Why would anybody kill my son!? Being a supernatural, I should have seen this coming. I should have known.'

The third question was always on his mind, harping at him every single second of each new day he woke up to see. Who would want to kill his son and why?

Even though the circumstances of his death remain a mystery to everybody, including the detectives, Lincoln knew for sure and still maintain his stance that his son Lionel was murdered.

He was found slumped on his steering wheel, with blood dripping from his nose. There was no sign of physical abuse. He was not robbed as his laptop, phones, and wallet were left untouched, and the autopsy report said he was physically okay until the time of his death.

Eleven years after their deaths, and he still wondered to himself with heavy hearts...

'What were his last moments like? Did he feel pain? Did he suffer before he died?'

Even though the pain in his heart had now lessened, the wounds were still deep, it was just covered with scar tissue. Whoever says time heals all wounds must not have known what they were saying! How do you fix a broken heart from losing a child? How!?

Lincoln had lost that inner joy for life. He hated everything and could no longer tolerate people. The only thing that kept him going was his family. His daughter-in-law and grandchildren... Especially Leo, the new heir to the Empire.

It took his son's death for him to finally realized that there are so many unknown enemies who want to take down all the Salvador males just to take over the Salvadorian empire.

If they were able to kill him first, it might have been easier for them to achieve their goals but they made the mistake of killing his son which made him more aware of their evil intentions.

Now he's ready for them. Waiting for their next move. He knew Leo would be their next target. That was why he was always on Leo's case. That was why he made himself suffered a stroke so Leo would agree to move into the family mansion without argument and immediately step up to his responsibility of taking over the chairmanship of the empire.

The first person Leo saw when he got back to the mansion and walked into the family's huge and impressive living room was his mother who had a grave expression on her face like she had been on pins and needles all morning. She was worried because she knew even though her father-in-law was testy, he always has a genuine reason for his actions.

She sprang up from where she was sitting as soon as she laid eyes on Leo and ran towards him. She was relieved to see him and yet angry at him for not picking his calls.

"This boy! Where have you been!? Do you want me to suffer a heart failure!? Where have you been!?" She shouted

"Good morning mom" Leo greeted with a slight smile on his face. His expression remained composed despite the agitated look his mother was wearing. He knew he has done nothing wrong, his mom just loves to panic over everything, especially if it was an alarm raised by his grandfather.

"What is good about the morning Leonard Alexander Salvador!? Why weren't you picking your calls!? We were all worried about you!" She asked annoyingly.

'Oh my! She said my name in full. This might be more serious than I thought!?' Leo thought to himself and his expression soften.

"I was busy and wasn't with my phone. I'm so sorry I couldn't pick your calls! But is there a problem?"

"You were busy doing what!?" She snapped at him annoyingly. "So busy that you couldn't even pick your calls!?"

"Mom, please!... It was in the middle of the night and i'm thirty, not thirteen! I hope you'll always remember that I have a personal life outside of the Salvadorian Empire." He stressed for his mother to see and understand things from his point of view.

"And what personal life is that if I may ask!?" His grandfather's penetrating voice boomed out as he came down the convertible stair ramp on his motorized wheelchair, closely followed by Leo's two sisters Olivia and Ava.

Good morning grandpa" Leo respectfully greeted his grandfather.

"Where were you, Leonard!?" Lincoln calmly went straight to the point but his expression said otherwise. It was stormy

'The little bastard! We've all been calling and worried about him and he just waltzes in here, talking nonsense about his personal life.'

"I was at the club," Leo answered his grandpa directly and respectfully. He wouldn't dare dilly dally as he did with his mom earlier.

"Understandable!" Lincoln replied tersely with a nod. It's Friday night, after all, the boy needs to unwind after many days of hard work. No harm in that. His next question surprised everybody in the room especially Leo's mom.

"Who did you have a blood covenant with while you were at the club?" He asked in a matter of factly manner, looking directly into Leo's eyes.

"What!?" Leo's mom exclaimed with shock. Her blood suddenly ran cold when she heard what her father-in-law asked from her son. She might not understand paganism like her father in law but she understood the severity of blood covenant.

'Leo has a girlfriend so why would he make a blood oath with another girl out of whims!?' She thought with alarm.

Back in the days when she was young, she knew of a young lady who swore a blood oath with her boyfriend. Sadly the boyfriend died in a car crash and the girl fell sick shortly after.

By the time she told her parents what she did and how the boy had been visiting her in her dreams, it was already too late to save her life. She died seven days after her boyfriend's death.

Seeing how their mother was close to tears, Leo's two younger sisters became worried too. Even though they had no idea what a blood covenant is, they could tell the seriousness of the matter by merely looking at their mother.

Leo on his part was baffled! 'What the hell is a blood covenant!?' He thought to himself. He saw how his mother's eyes were brimming with tears and immediately knew this was no joke. Grandpa might be eccentric but he certainly doesn't joke around.

"I didn't have any blood covenant with anybody! I don't even know what the hell that is!" He looked alternatively between his grandfather and mother, fear apparent in his eyes for the first time since he lost his father at nineteen.

"What were you doing within the hours of midnight and 2 am in the morning!?" His grandfather asked his next question looking deep into his eyes.