132
As the argument reached its climactic peak, Alpha King Larry and Alpha Wade turned their heads sharply, their eyes blazing with defiance as they refused to meet each other’s gaze. A tense silence settled over the room, the air thick with suppressed aggression.
Just when everyone believed the battle had reached its conclusion, Alpha King Larry’s eyes softened as he locked his gaze on Tony, his voice filled with a genuine affection. “Come here, Tony,” he called, his tone tender and warm.
Tony hesitated for a moment, unsure of his next move. But before he could make a decision, Alpha Wade cleared his throat and barked his command towards the ceiling. “Come over here, Tony. I’ve got something to say to you.”
Caught between the two Alphas, Tony stood frozen, torn between conflicting loyalties. His mind whirled with confusion as he desperately searched for a way out.
Alpha King Larry’s snarl broke through the silence, his eyes burning with anger. “Are you determined to defy me, Alpha Wade?”
A defiant smirk played across Alpha Wade’s lips as he met Larry’s glare. It was clear that he deliberately sought to challenge and provoke him. “Have you forgotten your promise to me, Tony?” he taunted.
Tony’s face twisted in a forced smile, his expression trapped between obligation and fear. Is this the price of love? Why do they treat me so differently from Ben and Donna?
Desperate, Tony turned his pleading gaze towards Nelly, silently begging for her intervention. But to his dismay, she wore a nonchalant mask, leaving him to fend for himself in this raging storm.
No one dared to speak in the charged atmosphere.
“Come here, Tony!” Alpha King Larry’s voice carried a deep sense of authority.
“Come over here, Tony!” Alpha Wade countered, his voice filled with defiance.
The battle between the two Alphas was reignited, their voices clashing like thunder in the room.
“Tony!”
“Tony!”
Caught in the crossfire, Tony realized that he couldn’t choose sides, no matter how much it pained him.
No matter what decision I make, someone will get hurt. This won’t be easily resolved.
After a moment of contemplation, Tony smacked himself on the head in a sudden revelation. “Oh, I just remembered it’s Monday! I have to go to school, so I’ll be leaving now! Take care, Gramps, Great-grandpa!” With that, he hastily fled the room, dragging Thalia along with him.
Alpha King Larry watched Tony’s retreating figure with a mix of helplessness and regret. I haven’t spent enough time with my great-grandson.
Alpha Wade, seeing his rival’s defeat, shot one last glare at Alpha King Larry. He seemed determined to make his life difficult.
Fed up, Alpha King Larry snapped his head away, refusing to acknowledge him any longer.
Hah! A friendship of over five decades? Let it be severed!
Outside the room, Tony glanced back, relieved to see that no one had chased after him.
He took a deep breath, but before he could fully relax, someone pinched his ear.
“How dare you lie to me, Tony Jackson?” Thalia growled, her grip tight on his ear. Argh! I’ve restrained myself for far too long in there!
“Ouch! Ouch! It hurts!” Tony winced, standing on his tiptoes.
“It hurts? You can still feel that?” Thalia’s anger simmered as she continued pinching. “I’ve been helping you for so long, and you’ve been keeping secrets from me! Don’t you have a conscience, Tony?”
“I haven’t been keeping secrets from you! I never said he wasn’t my father!”
“What impudence! Stop playing word games with me, Tony!” Thalia enunciated each word with a sharpness.
Tony maintained a fake smile on his face, his petite frame masking the emotional turmoil within.
“You cannot deceive me,” Thalia declared, a nonchalant expression on her face. “Now tell me, what is the consequence of your actions?”
Tony stared at her, his eyes locked on to hers. “What consequence?” he asked, challenging her.
Thalia pondered for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “The consequence is that I will sever our friendship!”
Tony kneaded his pinched ear, an intense gaze fixed on Thalia. “And what is the result of that? You’ve already helped me, so wouldn’t you be the one losing out by ending our friendship? You’re not someone who would make such a foolish decision!”
Knowing he was trying to flatter her, Thalia tried to suppress a smile that crept onto her face.
“Fine, enough of this. I know you’re angry. Let go of me, and I’ll explain everything,” Tony coaxed.
Thalia glared at him, her eyes wide with rage.
“Thalia, you are a beautiful woman,” Tony continued, his tone softening. “And a beautiful woman should never resort to physical violence. Besides, there are others here who could misunderstand our interactions. They might think you’re mistreating a child.”
Thalia couldn’t help but be amused, though she fought to hide her smile.
“Alright, that’s enough. I understand your anger. Let go of me, and I’ll explain everything,” Tony persisted.
Thalia hadn’t exerted much strength in the first place, simply wanting to intimidate and bully him because he was a child. Reluctantly, she released her grip.
“But you better give me a reasonable explanation. Otherwise…”
“And if I don’t?” Tony asked, fixing his eyes on her.
Thalia pondered for a moment before threatening, “Then I will reveal your secret activities to your mother. How do you think she will react?” She couldn’t resist flashing him a sinister smile.
Having spent the past few days together, Thalia knew exactly what mattered most to Tony.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.
His vulnerability was an open book.
Tony’s expression froze, a tsk sound escaping his lips. “We’re both adults, Thalia. Can’t we handle our issues without running to the parents at the slightest inconvenience? Let’s resolve this among ourselves.”
Thalia sneered at his request. “Talking won’t change anything. I knew that holding someone’s weakness in your hand gives you power over them.”
Tony thought for a moment before giving her an ingratiating smile. “Okay, okay, I know you’re the kindest person, despite your tough exterior. After all, beauties like you are always kind-hearted!”
“Don’t use flattery on me!”
“Hey, don’t be mad because I kept this secret from you. It wasn’t intentional!”
“I wasn’t intentional?” Thalia scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
Tony sighed, his expression full of sorrow. “Well… It’s a long story.”
Still, Thalia remained disdainful.
“You know I grew up in a single-parent family, right?” Tony prompted.
“So what?”
“My dad.. I mean, Alpha Kilian, abandoned my mother. She was already pregnant with me at the time. She was afraid he wouldn’t allow her to have me, so she went abroad. It was only recently that she returned because of my maternal great-grandfather. I never knew about my relationship with Alpha Kilian until recently, when I started suspecting.”
Thalia listened intently, her interest piqued. “And then what happened?”
“Do you remember when I sought out Sam?”