Chapter 47

The hall was empty now, the echoes of footsteps fading into the distance as everyone filed out, leaving only Aiden and Leo at the round table. There was silence between them and it was heavy. 

Aiden remained relaxed while Leo sat rigid, his hands still clenched beneath the table. 

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. It was a standoff, both aware of the situation at hand but neither of them was willing to break the silence—not until Aiden did as he noticed the gesture Leo made to get Isabella out of the hall, including Ethan.

“You've been dying to say something, Leo.” Aiden said, his voice low but sharp. His eyes flickered with amusement as he leaned back slightly in his chair. “So, go ahead. Say what you've got to say.” He raised his head to notice him. 

“Don't think I didn't see what you did back there.” 

Leo raised an eyebrow at his words but didn't respond immediately as he waited for him to explain better about what he had done as he had no idea what he was talking about.

“I saw how you signaled to Isabella. You wanted them out of the hall, you wanted them gone, didn't you?”

Leo's jaw fused together but he still didn't immediately respond. His eyes bore into Aiden's. He had been trying to keep his composure but now that no one was there with them and Aiden himself had opened the door, there was no turning back.

“I see you're smart, Aiden but not smart enough, are you?” He brought his hands up and placed them on the table.

Aiden shrugged with one side of his shoulder.

“I don't think so… Aiden… you—”

“Get on with what you have to say and stop beating around.” He interrupted 

“Oh! I see… if that's what you want.” Leo leaned forward and propelled his head. “You need to be careful,” he finally said, his voice steady. “You may think you can come here and act however you want but this isn't your pack. You don't get to just walk in and punish anyone as you please.”

Aiden tilted his head slightly, watching Leo with a faint smile. He didn't interrupt as he waited for him to continue.

Leo's fists tightened on the table. “You seem to forget that history has a way of repeating itself if we're not careful. And trust me, you don't want that.” He paused, his words hanging air for a moment before he added. “So, don't do anything stupid.” 

Aiden chuckled softly. It wasn't a warm or genuine laugh, but rather something laced with mockery. “Is that a threat, Leo?” he asked, his tone almost playful. “You're giving me warnings now?” Or maybe you think you can tell me what to do because you're sitting here, in your father's territory?”

Leo's expression darkened but he kept his temper in check. “It's not a threat. It's advice. You should know better than to push things too far. You're a guest here, Aiden. Don't forget that.”

Aiden leaned forward, slightly, his fingers clasped together as he placed them on the table. His jaw tightened as he tilted his head. His face was expressionless at first but that didn't change Leo's expression either. They both glare at each other for a moment before Aiden eventually gave out a smile.

His smile was a quick one as it faded in no time. “The great Leo, advising me.” He nodded and bit one end of his lip. “I'll take your advice but she, the maid, offended me because of her carelessness and must be punished.”

He paused for a moment before asking his questions. “Don't you think, Leo?”

“Don't be too smart Aiden… just be careful.” He slid his chair backwards, causing a stir of sound and stood up. He stood on a spot for a while and took a brief look at Aiden before looking away. 

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't get the words out of his mouth. It was like the words seemed too heavy to utter. 

“You don't have to say anything… I'll sure be careful.” Aiden clicked his tongue and stood up also. He walked towards Leo and stood just a few feet in front of him, his posture calm, his expression unreadable. 

He threw a friendly slap across Leo's right shoulder. “Let's put the past behind us… don't you think.* He wore that same serene face Leo had always loathed, a face that seemed incapable of anger or desperation. 

Leo, however, felt neither calm nor unreadable. His clenched fists trembled slightly, nails digging into his palms, grounding him in the present, grounding him in this moment with this man.

How many years has it been? Leo thought, bitterness simmering beneath his skin. Aiden hadn't changed—still wearing that collected demeanor that made it impossible to read if he ever truly felt anything. But Leo remembered. He remembered everything about those years that lay between them, even the humiliation that burned him from the inside out. All the taunts, the victories Aiden had taken with ease, as if it had been nothing but a game. Does he even remember?

Aiden met his gaze, a quiet understanding in his eyes. There was no sign of smugness, no trace of the rivalry that still roared within Leo's mind. And somehow, that made it worse.

“I'm not here to dredge up the past,” Aiden said, his voice even. It was a low murmur, almost swallowed up by the silence that seemed to stretch through the hall. He wasn't defensive, wasn't apologetic—just matter-of-fact

The words wanted over Leo, unwelcome and useless, their neutrality an insult. Not here to dredge up the past… Easy for him to say. But Leo's mind was shackled to that past, every interaction every wrong done replayed through his mind like an unrelenting filmstrip.

And then there was her.

Lucy's image flickered through his thoughts. Her eyes, the way she'd looked at him back then with something pure, something unspoiled. That naive softness, the warmth that had once softened his own jagged edges. They all drifted up like fragments of an old, familiar song. And what did I do?

He'd turned her away, pushed her aside, foolishly thinking there'd be time, that she'd wait. That he could somehow afford to throw her away and come back when he was ready. But now she was under Aiden's power, subject to whatever decision he was going to make. And for what? A single mistake.

Leo's mind burned with the injustice of it all, that Lucy—the only person who he had ever had a thing for—would suffer at the hands of someone who'd never cared for anyone but himself. He'd rather be punished himself, he realized, than watch her suffer. But what could he do now? What hope was there for anything but regret?

Aiden's face softened slightly, watching the storm that passed across Leo's features. I never wanted to be his enemy. Aiden thought. He saw the resentment in Leo's eyes, the layers of wounded pride and hurt. And yet, there was nothing in his own chest that answered that hatred. 

Aiden felt no thrill of victory, no satisfaction at Leo's anger. He only felt the deep weight of responsibility pressing on his shoulders.

“I'm not looking to make an enemy out of you Leo,” Aiden sighed, his voice careful, each word chosen as if it might be the one to either bridge the distance between them or push Leo further away. “Not anymore.”

He's lying. Leo's mind hissed, every instinct alert, waiting for the inevitable blow, the word or action that would confirm everything he thought he knew. But still, there was something in Aiden's voice that didn't sound like the arrogant rival he remembered. No sharp edges. No threat.

A noise soon broke the silence—the main door of the hall creaked open, followed by soft footsteps, hesitant, yet unyielding. Both men turned to see who it was.

And there she was. Lucy, she was standing there, brought in by Isabella.