"I want to have your permission to court your daughter."
With that, the meter of Leonardo's anger burst, then he launched a fist to Aaron's face. Aaron saw that coming, but he didn't dare to dodge it. It is like he is telling Leonardo that he can take any challenges that will be given to him after this.
"Dad! Why did you do that?!" Nathalia was so surprised by what just happened that she subconsciously shouted at her father.
Her having that volume in her voice, really shocked Leonardo. His daughter never raises her voice like that to him. To think that she would turn up her volume like that because of what he just did to Aaron, it must mean that Aaron is already to her?
'Is he more important than me?' With that kind of question in his mind, Leonardo felt like every happy memory that he has with his precious daughter is starting to crumble. And that thought of Aaron taking away his daughter this early is already in his mind.
"Mother, I think your son's soul has left its body," Crona said. She somehow felt bad seeing her husband looking like his soul has left his body, and that he has no more meaning in his life.
Seeing Leonardo like this somehow reminds her of Aaron's father.
After hearing about Arion's fake death, she visited the Coleman mansion for a little bit. Once she got there, Arion was crying that his daughter is going to be taken away by Kyle Robertson. At that time, Crona didn't feel bad for him, she instead made fun of him.
She would also like to do that same to her husband, but she doesn't have the heart to do it.
"I know that he doesn't like this to happen. Ever. But this is... just too much." Leonardo's mother sighed. Even though she is not doing anything else, she already feels exhausted just watching her son looking like that. "Leonardo Vendallin..." She said.
Leonardo glance at his mother lifelessly, then he said. "Yes, Mother?"
"Let the kid do what he wants to do." Hearing that, it feels like he has been stabbed two times. Even his mother is siding with Aaron? What's next? His wife? If that going to happen, then he might at well eliminate this brat. "At Nathalia's age, it is alright for her to experience these types of things. Don't let her grow up without knowing anything."
Leonardo knows what kind of point his mother is making, and he understands it. But it is just his stubborn self that doesn't want to let his mother's point get through him.
He is sure that everyone in this room knows why he is like this. Nathalia is the only child he has. For him, acting like this is only natural. If ever Aaron is not the right guy for her, he doesn't want to see her in pain because of Aaron or any other guys.
Is it wrong of him to not want to see his daughter like that?
"Honey, you know I'm always on your side, right? But this time, you really have to understand. Or at least make Aaron prove himself to you?" Crona already helped Aaron by giving him a piece of tiny information. Now it's time for her to help her husband recover from his temporary misery.
Leonardo thought about for a while, he returned to his usual self. He seems like he has a new goal now, and for some reason that scares Aaron a little bit. "Then that is what I'll do." Leonardo glances at Aaron, and he continued, "You better prepare yourself, brat."
~~~
[Present time]
"...and that's what happened to me."
After listening to her brother's story, Anna is not even sure what to say to her brother. She is amazed that he has that much courage, but he is being way too risky, and this kind of case, she thinks that her brother is being stupid.
"What? You're not gonna say something to be?" He asked. His sister's silence is making him feel uncomfortable.
"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that you're bravely stupid?" She replied in a sarcastic manner.
"You could, but you don't have to add the stupid part."
"You really can't blame your sister for saying that. She loves you, and she doesn't want you to get hurt. Seeing you like this makes her think that and worries for you." Arion will have to be quite honest, seeing the great connection between them is making him jealous. He and his brother were once like that, unbreakable bond.
However, after the announcement of who's the heir. His brother distant himself from him and even plotted against his family. He would not mind it if James attacked him instead of his family, he might even forgive him. But since it is his family, it's unforgivable, and destroying James is the best option Arion has.
Right now, Arion is hoping that twins are not going to end up like him and his brother. It will certainly break his heart if he ever saw his twins becomes like that. He doesn't want to understand the pain his father has gone through with him and his brother.
Feeling the warmth of his sister's love, Aaron hugs her, but then, his sudden comment ruins the mood. "I worry about you too. With you and Kyle getting along..."
"Are you seriously trying to change the topic right now?" Their father is currently watching and listening to them, and he knows what their father feels about Kyle, and yet he is saying this all of the sudden.
It seems to her that her brother is trying to find a way for their father to focus his attention on the other person and not on him. Since she just came back from the trip she had with Kyle, it is a perfect opportunity to talk about her adventure at that place.
"Look, all day long, our parents and even grandfather repeated telling me that I was stupid to blurt out my intention in front of uncle Leon. So yeah, I need a break from it. And you being home now is the best thing that could have happened to me all day long." Aaron whispered to her, then he waited for his father to make the first comment.
"He didn't touch you or anything, right?!" Arion frantically asked his daughter. He even checked Anna's neck just in case there is a bite from a certain someone. After doing that, he was relieved that there was no sign of it. But who knows what other things Kyle could have done to his precious daughter.
Anna blushed after realizing why her father was checking her neck, and her brother knew that. But his mischievous thoughts are running again. "You're blushing. So something did happen?"
"Tell me, Anna." Hearing that from her father, Anna has this urge to smack her father's head. How can he believe everything that comes out of her brother's mouth, when it's obvious that her brother is trying to make trouble.
"N-Nothing happened!" She said firmly while her face is still flushed. Truthfully said, something did happen, but her mind is not on that matter.
"But you're blushing," Aaron said.
"That's because of what Dad just did!" Her father just checks on her if she has a love bite from Kyle, and of course, she would blush because it's embarrassing that her father did that to her. 'Who wouldn't feel embarrassed about that?' She inwardly asked.
"So, you know what he is checking on your neck? I'm surprised that you know that, Anna." Right now, Anna's temper of her brother is steadily increasing. If it goes up to its max, then Anna will not apologize to what she will do to him.
"Of course, I do! I at least know that much of the information between a man and a woman! And I've seen one in Mom's neck!" Although her mother tried to hide it, Anna accidentally saw it. At that time she was about to ask what bit her mother, but then she suddenly remembered one of her classmates talking about the love bites they are getting from their partners. She didn't mention a word about it since she is so embarrassed.
Before Arion could even say a word about it, something flew and hit his head. It was so sudden that Arion didn't know what to react to what just happened to him.
"Arion! You stupid, idiotic, perverted man!" It was Mary who just shouted. She just got home and she accidentally heard everything that her twins and husband are talking about, and when she heard what Anna said, Mary suddenly remembered the time when Anna was facing her with a flushed face.
At that time, she thought that her daughter was having a fever, but obviously that was not the case. 'Why does it have to be my daughter who saw it? It's so embarrassing!'