Ivy suddenly felt like a teenager with her first crush after hearing Xander openly admit that he wanted to take their relationship seriously.

Not that she would have let him back out after everything that had happened between them.

Raven had always been the type to live life on her own terms. She hated being tied down and rarely let herself become attached to anyone.

But when it came to the people she truly cared about, she never hesitated.

And that was exactly what had happened with Xander.

It had taken one night—and perhaps one drink too many—for her to finally sort through her feelings.

Does that mean we’re actually... together?

The thought made her glance toward him.

Xander was staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Even from the side, he looked ridiculously handsome.

A smile spread across her face.

Then another.

And another.

Why does this feel so nice?

The warmth blooming inside her chest was impossible to ignore.

"Ivy."

The sound of her name immediately pulled her from her thoughts.

She turned toward him, her smile still firmly in place.

Meanwhile, the driver sitting in the front seat fought the urge to sigh.

Is Madam still intoxicated?

After everything he had witnessed over the past twelve hours, he genuinely wasn’t sure.

Last night, he had gone out of his way to avoid invading their privacy. Fortunately, Xander had been quick to get Ivy inside the penthouse and shut the door behind them.

Still, the memory alone was enough to make the driver shake his head internally.

In all the years he had worked for Xander, he had never seen the man so affected by anyone.

For a long time, everyone had assumed Xander was practically immune to romance.

Then Ivy had come along and proven them all wrong.

The driver wisely kept his attention on the road.

In the back seat, Ivy scooted a little closer to Xander.

"Yes?" she asked.

To her embarrassment, even hearing him say her name now made her heart flutter.

When Xander finally turned to look at her, her pulse skipped a beat.

His eyes softened ever so slightly.

A look that very few people in the world ever got to see.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Xander raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Ivy blinked.

"Like what?"

"Like you’ve won the lottery."

A laugh escaped her lips.

"Maybe I did."

Xander narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Should I be worried?"

"Definitely."

His expression immediately turned wary.

Which only made Ivy laugh harder.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" Ivy asked, setting aside her teasing from earlier.

Xander had been meaning to talk to her about the incident at the academy. Last night, she had been too intoxicated for a serious conversation, so he had decided to wait until morning.

"It’s about Leo."

The moment his name came up, Ivy froze.

"Leo?"

She suddenly remembered that he hadn’t replied to any of her messages.

"Wait."

Startled, she quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Xander, do you think Leo is ignoring me because I told him I’d be late home" she asked as she checked her unanswered messages for what felt like the hundredth time.

Still nothing.

Not a single reply.

The smile on her face slowly faded.

When she looked up, she noticed Xander’s expression had turned noticeably colder.

The sight made her stomach tighten.

After Lola’s strange apology the previous night, Xander had instructed Taylor to look into what she had meant.

Lola wasn’t the type to apologize without a reason.

And whatever she had been referring to, he doubted it was anything good.

For now, however, he had set that matter aside.

Leo was more important.

"There is something you need to know, Ivy," Xander said quietly.

His serious tone immediately captured her full attention.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Then she noticed something unusual.

Uncertainty.

It was faint, but it was there.

And seeing it in Xander’s eyes sent a chill down her spine.

"Did something happen to Leo?" she asked instantly.

Her grip tightened around her phone.

There was no way Leo would intentionally ignore her.

Not for an entire night.

Not without a reason.

Dozens of possibilities raced through her mind.

Her heart began to pound.

Before she could ask another question, Xander’s phone suddenly rang.

The sharp sound shattered the tense silence inside the car.

Xander glanced at the screen before answering.

Ivy watched him anxiously.

His expression remained unreadable throughout the call.

He listened.

Spoke only a few words.

Then ended it.

The moment he lowered the phone, Ivy knew something was wrong.

"Xander?" she pressed.

His jaw tightened.

"We’re heading to Grandpa’s residence."

Ivy’s pulse quickened, but deep down she could feel there was another problem waiting for them at the Old Emerson Residence.

***

Meanwhile, at the Old Emerson Residence, Gavin’s furious voice echoed through the living room.

"Do you see this, Grandpa?" he demanded, gesturing toward Nate. "Look at the state he’s in. Those boys beat him half to death."

Nate lowered his head the moment his father shot him a warning glare.

He knew exactly what Gavin was doing.

There was no way Gavin would swallow his pride and thank Aaron for helping his son.

So instead, he had come up with a convenient scapegoat.

Leo.

"And it’s all because of him," Gavin continued, pointing directly at Leo. "If Leo had informed the school staff the moment he noticed something was wrong, none of this would have escalated."

The accusation immediately drew several frowns.

Nate clenched his fists.

Even he knew his father’s argument made little sense.

Clara remained beside him, gently comforting her son. Deep down, she knew Gavin was twisting the truth.

However, she also understood why he was doing it.

Edward had never hidden his favoritism toward Xander and Leo, and if blaming Leo could shift the narrative and make Nate stand out in his eyes, Gavin was willing to take that route.

And Clara wasn’t stopping him.

On the opposite side of the room, Aaron let out a low chuckle.

The sound instantly drew everyone’s attention.

"I’m sorry," Aaron said, shaking his head. "But how exactly is Leo responsible for any of this?"

His tone remained calm, but the challenge in his eyes was unmistakable.

Gavin’s expression darkened.

Aaron leaned back in his chair.

"Let’s not rewrite what actually happened."

The room fell silent.

"It was Nate who left the academy grounds without informing his driver."

Nate’s face paled.

"It was Nate who followed Theo."

Aaron’s gaze shifted toward Gavin.

"And if Leo hadn’t noticed something was wrong and followed them, we might never have found Nate in time."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Aaron’s voice hardened slightly.

"So explain this to me, Gavin."

He folded his arms.

"How does the child who tried to help become the one at fault?"