By the time school ended and Leo said goodbye to his friends, he was supposed to head straight toward the car waiting outside the academy gates.

But instead, his attention drifted toward the far side of the school grounds.

Toward the restricted area students were forbidden from entering.

His brows furrowed slightly when he noticed someone familiar sneaking in that direction.

Theo.

One of Nate’s closest friends.

At first, Leo thought he shouldn’t involve himself.

But something about Theo’s behavior immediately felt strange.

The boy kept glancing around nervously as he hurried toward the restricted area, his movements tense and suspicious.

Almost like he was trying not to get caught.

Leo slowed his steps.

Should I tell one of the guards to check on him?

Honestly, Leo had never really trusted Nate’s group.

They were always causing trouble somehow and still managing to escape punishment because of Nate’s influence.

And now, seeing Theo act like this only made him more suspicious.

Without wasting another second, Leo quietly followed him.

Most students didn’t know the restricted area had another exit connected to the back road outside the academy.

But Theo clearly knew exactly where he was going.

Leo carefully trailed after him from a distance, making sure his footsteps stayed quiet.

The deeper he went, the quieter the surroundings became.

Then suddenly—

"Please... don’t hit me," a trembling voice begged nearby. "I promise I’ll give you the money. I just need more time."

Leo froze instantly.

His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the voice.

Theo.

But...

Who was he talking to?

"You keep saying the same thing every time," another boy said coldly. "It’s getting annoying." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

A second voice laughed mockingly.

"If you don’t pay us soon, then get ready to get beaten again."

Leo’s heartbeat instantly sped up.

Someone was threatening Theo.

Panicking, he quickly stepped back and hid behind a nearby wall the moment he heard approaching footsteps.

He pressed himself against the concrete, trying not to breathe too loudly.

A few seconds later, Theo finally came into view.

Leo carefully peeked from behind the wall.

Theo’s head remained lowered as he walked away shakily.

His eyes were red.

And he hurriedly wiped the tears off his face before anyone could see them.

That single sight made Leo’s chest tighten unexpectedly.

Theo looked completely different from the loud, arrogant boy he usually acted like at school.

Right now, he simply looked scared.

Helpless.

Leo remained frozen in place for a moment.

Meanwhile, the voices from earlier had already disappeared deeper beyond the back exit.

Fear slowly crawled up Leo’s spine.

He didn’t know who those boys were.

But something about the way they spoke made him instinctively understand one thing—

They weren’t joking.

Theo was genuinely being threatened.

And suddenly, the image of Nate’s group looking untouchable at school no longer seemed so simple anymore.

Leo quickly stepped away from the wall before anyone noticed him there.

Then, without wasting another second, he hurried out of the restricted area entirely.

But even after leaving, Theo’s frightened expression refused to leave his mind.

By the time Leo reached the car, a sweet voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Hello, little potato."

Leo instantly looked up at Ivy, who stood beside the car waving at him warmly. The gloomy expression on his face disappeared almost immediately.

"Mommy!"

He ran straight toward her, throwing his arms around her waist.

Ivy laughed softly as she hugged him back before helping him into the car.

After having lunch with Xander earlier, Ivy’s schedule had mostly cleared up, so she decided to pick Leo up from school herself along with Sal and Teddy.

"Hello, Uncle Sal. Hello, Uncle Teddy," Leo greeted politely.

Both men smiled at him fondly.

"Hey, little boss," Teddy teased.

"How was your day, son?" Ivy asked as she gently ruffled his hair, making Leo giggle.

"It was wonderful, Mommy!" Leo said excitedly. "You know we’re going to have our annual function soon, and I got selected for a skit!"

"Oh really?" Ivy’s eyes lit up with interest. "What role are you playing?"

Leo immediately sat up straighter in his seat, clearly eager to talk about it.

"I’m playing a prince," he announced proudly. "And I have so many dialogues too. Teacher said I speak clearly, so she picked me."

"That’s amazing," Ivy said with a smile. "Looks like my son is becoming a little actor now."

Leo grinned brightly at her praise.

"And Mommy, the stage is going to be huge this time!" he continued excitedly. "They’re decorating the whole auditorium and there’ll be lights everywhere. John said last year they even used smoke machines during one performance."

Sal chuckled from the front seat. "Smoke machines too? Your school really goes all out."

"They do!" Leo nodded enthusiastically. "And there’ll be dancing, singing, games, and parents can come watch too."

His eyes sparkled as he turned toward Ivy again.

"You’ll come, right Mommy?"

The hopeful look on his face made Ivy’s heart soften instantly.

"Of course I’ll come," she replied without hesitation. "I wouldn’t miss my son’s performance for anything."

Leo beamed happily.

Since it was his first time participating in something like this, hearing his classmates talk excitedly about their parents attending had secretly made him wonder whether his own parents would have time to come.

But now that Ivy had confirmed she would be there, he already knew convincing his dad wouldn’t be that hard either.

As the car continued down the road, Ivy suddenly asked casually, "Everything’s okay at school now, right? Nate isn’t causing you any trouble?"

Leo paused for a moment and looked up at his mother with wide eyes.

From the driver’s seat, Teddy briefly glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

Back when Ivy had been busy practicing her walk and had asked Teddy to pick Leo up from school, he had noticed Nate talking to Leo near the school gates.

Though he hadn’t heard the conversation, knowing Nate’s history, Teddy had immediately informed Ivy about it afterward.

Now Ivy quietly waited for Leo’s answer.

But when the little boy shook his head with a smile, her brows lifted slightly in surprise.

"No," Leo replied honestly. "Actually... Nate has been acting really nice lately. Not just to me, but to the other kids too."

Leo didn’t want his mother worrying unnecessarily anymore, especially now that things had calmed down after the previous incident.

"Are you sure?" Ivy asked gently, studying his face carefully. "Or are you just saying that so I won’t worry?"

Leo immediately shook his head more vigorously.

"No, Mommy. I’m telling the truth," he insisted. "If you don’t believe me, you can ask John and Mia too."

At that, Ivy exchanged a brief glance with Teddy.

Honestly, it was hard to believe someone like Nate could suddenly change overnight.

That boy had always enjoyed cornering weaker kids and throwing his weight around.

The idea that he had become well-behaved after a single warning sounded unrealistic.

Still, Leo looked sincere.

And since he continued reassuring her so earnestly, Ivy decided not to press the matter further for now.

But deep down, she remained cautious.

When it came to Nate, she doubted she would ever fully let her guard down.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the thoughts running through the adults’ minds, Leo leaned closer to Ivy again.

"Mommy, do you think I should practice my lines in front of dad too?" he asked seriously. "Teacher said practicing in front of people helps reduce stage fear."

Sal almost laughed out loud hearing that.

He could already imagine Xander sitting expressionless while Leo performed dramatically in front of him.

Ivy smiled faintly before pinching Leo’s cheek gently.

"I think your dad would have no choice but to watch if you ask him."

Leo grinned triumphantly.

"Good," he declared confidently. "Then I’ll make everyone clap for me at the annual function."

"That’s the spirit," Teddy said with a grin from the front seat.

Sal chuckled softly beside him. "Looks like someone’s already becoming a superstar."

Leo puffed his chest proudly at the praise before suddenly turning toward Ivy again.

"Mommy, what if I forget my lines on stage?" he asked, his earlier confidence wavering slightly. "What if everyone laughs at me?"

Ivy’s expression softened instantly.

She gently brushed his hair back from his forehead before answering patiently, "Then you’ll simply pause, take a deep breath, and continue again."

"But what if I still forget?" Leo pressed nervously.

"Then you improvise," Teddy replied casually.

Leo blinked. "Im... impro... what?"

Sal laughed quietly while Ivy smiled, the atmosphere inside the car becoming lighter and more relaxed again.

By the time they reached the mansion, Leo had already started excitedly talking about the costume he wanted for the annual function.

"I want a proper prince outfit," he declared seriously while unbuckling his seatbelt. "Not the cheap plastic crown type."

Teddy burst into laughter.

"Your standards are already high, little boss."

"They should be," Leo replied confidently before turning toward Ivy. "Mommy, can I show you my script later?"

"Of course," Ivy said warmly. "Now go inside first and freshen up."

"Okay!"

Leo happily ran toward the mansion entrance with his school bag bouncing against his back.

Once he disappeared inside, Ivy’s expression slowly shifted.

"Sal," she called quietly.

The man immediately looked at her. "Hm?"

"Come with me for a second."

Confused, Sal followed her toward the lawn area while Teddy remained near the car.

The evening breeze brushed lightly against the trees as Ivy crossed her arms and turned toward him.

"Xander has connections with the underworld," she announced bluntly.

"...." Sal blinked in shock.