Chapter 121: I hope you won’t disappoint me

The next morning, Ivy was the first to leave the house.

The moment she stepped out for work, the mansion gradually returned to its usual quiet atmosphere.

Inside the dining room, Xander and Leo sat across from each other, calmly having breakfast as though nothing unusual had happened the previous night.

The soft clinking of cutlery echoed faintly through the room while Butler Rupert stood nearby, silently serving them.

Leo took a bite of his toast before lifting his eyes toward his father.

"I hope you don’t disappoint me, Daddy," he suddenly said in a serious tone.

Xander calmly took a sip from his teacup before setting it down.

"Have I ever disappointed you before?" he asked casually.

The moment their eyes met, silence stretched between them.

It was brief, but somehow the father and son seemed to hold an entire conversation without saying another word.

Leo narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding in satisfaction, almost as if he had received the answer he wanted.

Meanwhile, Butler Rupert looked completely lost.

His gaze moved between the two with visible confusion.

He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

Before he could even think further, another voice suddenly interrupted the quiet atmosphere.

"Alright, hold on."

Aaron walked into the dining room while fixing the sleeves of his shirt, clearly having arrived much earlier than usual.

Without waiting for permission, he pulled out a chair and sat down beside Leo before stealing a piece of bacon from the plate in front of him.

Leo immediately frowned.

"That’s mine."

"You’re rich enough to buy another one," Aaron replied shamelessly before stuffing it into his mouth.

Then his curious eyes shifted toward Xander and Leo.

"What exactly was that?" he asked suspiciously.

Neither of them answered.

Aaron blinked once. Then twice. His brows slowly furrowed.

"...Okay, no seriously. What was that supposed to mean?"

Still nothing.

Xander continued eating his breakfast with complete calmness while Leo quietly drank his juice as if Aaron didn’t even exist.

Aaron looked personally offended.

"You two definitely said something important just now."

No response.

Aaron pointed his finger between them dramatically.

"This is exactly why people find both of you terrifying. You communicate like secret agents."

Leo calmly looked at him.

"You talk too much in the morning."

Aaron gasped.

"Wow. I wake up early to spend quality time with my family and this is the treatment I get?"

"You came for free breakfast," Xander said flatly.

Aaron instantly clicked his tongue.

"See? This right here is why Ivy pities you sometimes."

Xander finally lifted his eyes toward him.

"Ivy pities me?"

Aaron immediately realized he might have said too much.

Beside him, Leo quietly smirked while eating.

Aaron awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly grabbed a piece of toast.

"That’s not the point here," he muttered.

His suspicious gaze returned to the father-son duo.

"So... are either of you going to explain what that weird conversation was about?"

This time, Leo casually looked at Xander before speaking.

"See? I told you Uncle Aaron would get curious."

Aaron immediately pointed at himself.

"Because I’m normal! Unlike you two!"

Xander simply picked up his teacup again.

"You’re too noisy."

Aaron froze in disbelief.

For the next few seconds, the dining room remained silent except for Leo trying—and failing—not to laugh.

Meanwhile, Aaron sat there feeling completely ignored and deeply betrayed by both father and son.

After days of back-to-back surgeries, he had finally managed to make time to visit Emerson Mansion. But now, watching Xander and Leo exchange mysterious looks and secret conversations, he felt more left out than welcomed.

Unable to hold himself back anymore, Aaron finally turned toward the only normal person in the room.

"Butler Rupert," he called dramatically, catching the old man off guard. "Can you please explain to me what exactly is happening here?"

Rupert blinked in surprise.

Before the poor man could even answer, Xander calmly placed down his cutlery and stood up from his chair.

Leo immediately followed after him.

Aaron stared at them in disbelief.

"Wait—seriously? You’re both leaving?"

Neither of them responded.

Xander adjusted the cuff of his sleeve while Leo grabbed his glass of juice and casually walked after his father.

The two of them left the dining room as if Aaron’s existence no longer mattered.

Aaron looked utterly heartbroken.

Once they disappeared from sight, he slowly turned back toward Butler Rupert with an expression full of betrayal.

"Did you see that?" he asked. "These two have never been this secretive before. I suddenly feel like the odd one out."

Butler Rupert coughed awkwardly, unsure whether he should answer or pretend he heard nothing.

Meanwhile, Aaron leaned back dramatically in his chair.

"I thought we were a team," he muttered sadly. "But now I feel neglected."

He placed a hand over his chest as if deeply wounded.

"Have I lost my place because of my endless work schedule?" he wondered aloud before narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Did I choose the wrong profession?"

Rupert quietly watched him spiral into unnecessary overthinking.

Aaron came from a long line of doctors.

His grandfather had been a doctor.

His father had been one too.

And eventually, he had followed the same path, choosing medicine over the dangerous business politics the rest of their family was involved in.

At the time, it had seemed like the wiser choice.

But now?

Now he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Seeing how busy work constantly kept him away from the family gossip made him feel like he was missing all the important entertainment in life.

Aaron suddenly sighed heavily.

"Ah... maybe I should’ve become a journalist instead."

Butler Rupert nearly choked trying not to laugh.

Aaron completely ignored his reaction and sat up again. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Anyway," he continued while pointing toward the direction Xander and Leo had disappeared, "what exactly is wrong with those two?"

Rupert hesitated for a moment before finally speaking carefully.

"Young Master Leo and Master Xander simply understand each other very well, Doctor Aaron."

Aaron immediately frowned.

"No, no. That wasn’t understanding." He pointed dramatically again. "That was classified communication."

Rupert smiled politely.

"I believe you may be overthinking things."

"I am absolutely not overthinking." Aaron scoffed. "Leo literally threatened his own father at breakfast, and somehow Xander accepted it like they were discussing business deals."

Rupert tried to maintain a straight face.

Meanwhile, Aaron crossed his arms stubbornly.

"And the worst part?" he added bitterly. "Neither of them even tried to include me."

Just then, Rupert quietly poured another cup of tea and placed it in front of him.

Aaron stared at it for a second before sighing dramatically again.

"See?" he muttered. "At least you still care about me, Butler Rupert."

Meanwhile, inside the car, Leo pulled out his phone and sent a message to his friend.

"I will become a big brother soon."