His Devious Rule

Anya blinked in a daze after hearing Casper. The latter was indeed angry but he was feeling wronged by them. Casper strongly believed in himself and his decisions all these years. He was so certain that Anya wavered and began rethinking if their actions so far were unjustifiable.

Did they wrong Casper? She pondered.

Casper met with no reaction from Alvin. He glanced at Anya and clenched his jaws. Yes, he did trouble Anya when she was working on PSR. He wanted to meet her, get rid of her from Alvin's back. Because she was just a cop and single mother, and her name was being smeared in the media as a thief.

Who would want a thief as the wife of their son?

He wasn't so broad-minded to watch his son take care of somebody's son.

Well, he learned that she wasn't just any nameless cop and Zane was Alvin's son.

Nonetheless, Alvin's emancipation paper was like a spark that lit his level-headedness. Then they began attacking each other and dominating one another. Unfortunately, many around them burnt in that fire.

Gianna went behind the bars. Cordelia is stuck in the hospital. The Sallow, Dalton, and Hale families have filed for bankruptcy. Liam, who craved a big happy family, has lost hope.

All the more, Casper still couldn't believe his company's main decision-making position was in the hands of an outsider.

Is it a sin to expect one of his sons to take care of the company?

His eyes narrowed at Alvin and stressed his words, "You have a son, Alvin." He reminded Alvin that he is a father who has the responsibility of a kid. "Do you think you would have been any different in my position?"

Anya: 😳

As though somebody played a movie on Fast Forward, she began recalling every incident Alvin told her about Casper and his behavior.

She thought about them in Casper's shoes. Oddly, Anya found his motive reasonable although it was harsh.

However, she won't forgive Casper for the attacks he made on her and Alvin in recent weeks.

Probably all these could have been avoided if Casper had agreed to talk to Alvin.

At his age, Casper's pride and self-respect won't allow him to think that perhaps he was wrong.

Should she have convinced Alvin to have a conversation with Casper?

Well, it was too late to get anything back to normal. No conversation and no effort seemed to fix their differences. So she just clenched her fist and stood silently. She found no reason to argue with Casper or agree with Casper's words.

Here, Alvin's expression changed too but for a different reason. Whether he was a father or not, he hated to imagine Zane in his place. He wanted to bury Casper under six feet after hearing him.

Casper addressed both husband and wife when he continued, "When each one of you has different priorities in your life, why can't I prioritize my company? Why shouldn't I be protective of what I built all these years?"

Anya places her baby as a top priority, while Alvin prioritizes Anya.

Don't these young generations often boast about being supportive of their choices?

Why wasn't he allowed to prioritize his business?

Don't modern people pretend to understand every kind of personality?

Why was he wrong?

Casper sneered at their hypocrisy.

He abruptly stood up. He truly wanted to ask them to let go of Gianna when he chose to meet Alvin but the couple in front of him didn't seem to listen to him.

So he glared at the two. His eyes paused at Anya. "How did you react when your son was almost kidnapped?"

Then he pointed at Anya and demanded Alvin without giving them a chance to rebuke him mindlessly, "Will you sit and watch if you are losing her?"

If they can't keep their calm, how could they expect him to sit silently when they endangered the survival of his company?

He hadn't met or seen anybody as vicious and devious as Alvin. But he was being judged for his futile actions against them. How fair is that?

Alvin clenched his teeth, annoyed to listen to any of Casper's nonsense. Wasn't he minding his business all these years?

Wasn't he quiet even after he decided to settle in Narnia for his Little Donut?

He was just against Gianna for making Anya and Zane suffer all these years. But Casper had to play his tricks for an heir.

Why should he repent or regret his actions?

Casper looked at the couple. Anya had nothing to tell him and Alvin was itching to throw him out of the building.

Casper strongly believed Alvin was just like him - Artful. The difference was he loved his work and Alvin was head of heels for a woman.

Alvin wouldn't flinch even if he lost his business. The only thing that could turn Alvin's world upside down was Anya, maybe Zane.

Casper, who took steps towards the door to exit, looked over his shoulder and shot a look of daggers at Alvin, "I hope you will not make the same mistakes that I have made."

The mistakes.

Over-protective.

Keeping the birth histories a secret.

Obsession.

Casper's devotion to his work, and Alvin's passion for his wife.

Then Casper walked away.

Alvin's mouth tasted bitter due to Casper's visit. Well, Casper was still a hard nut who didn't break down even after slipping the company through his fingers.

Alvin suddenly snapped out when he didn't hear Anya for a long time or sensed her move.

He noticed her lost in her thoughts without moving and holding her breath. He gently tugged her to his lap and saw her taking a long breath. "Don't spoil your mood because of him." He coaxed her in a soothing voice.

Anya tried to nod but it was true she was disturbed. She felt like she wasn't level-headed enough and didn't give her absolute efforts to solve the Matthews family disturbance.

Casper was right. She was a hypocrite. Neither Casper tried to understand anybody, nor did they understand Casper.

Well, who isn't a hypocrite?

Humans are complex, selfish beings.

Alvin faintly sighed when Anya wrapped her arms around him. His goofball is unnecessarily compassionate. If not anything, Casper achieved guilt-tripping Anya.

Alvin wasn't entirely right. But she wasn't regretting attacking Casper because it was her retaliation. She just felt bad thinking she could have handled the issue in a much better way.

After it felt like an eternity of gloominess wrapped around her, Alvin heard her murmur, "Alvin!?" He hummed in response to hear her out.

"Please meet Liam Matthews." Anya mewled.

She didn't care what would happen with Matthews Industries or their wealth. She wanted to mend the relationship between the brothers before it was too late.

Alvin: "…"

He didn't take her words lightly. He seriously considered her words. Between him, Alvin was at least glad his response distracted her a bit. He pulled her cheeks and made her happy, "Alright Goofball, we all will go out for dinner tomorrow." He didn't Casper, and Gianna, Liam suffered no less than him.

Liam struggled silently when he was being pressured because of Alvin. Cordelia and Gianna forced Liam to take up courses and activities just to surpass Alvin. Liam endured silently just to avoid Gianna troubling Alvin.

Yet, Liam used to smile brightly looking at Alvin and anticipated them to be a family for a long time. Liam didn't deserve any of it he went through.

With a bit of reluctance, Alvin agreed to relax Anya, "Alright, Little Donut." He will do it for his Goofball.

Anya pulled back from his embrace. She was completely amazed and disbelieved due to his response. Clearly, she wasn't expecting him to give in so easily.

She tested the waters if he just agreed to make her feel good, "Shall I invite them home tonight? Or shall we drop by their place after a call?"

Alvin flicked on her forehead to slow her down. "Some other day."

She argued, "We are flying out soon." And it wasn't a week to delay but three months. She wanted the brothers to have a face-to-face conversation before their departure.

Alvin was at least glad his response distracted her a bit. He pulled her cheeks and made her happy, "Alright Goofball, we all will go out for dinner tomorrow." He didn't want to take the chance of his wife fleeing to the Nest regency if Liam went to the Oasis mansion.

Anya hid her glee after learning he was serious. Less amused and more shocked, Anya dramatically gasped, "Alvin…" She pretended to check his head and added, "Did you lose a part of your brain?"

Before Alvin could counter her, a little man mused at the door, "Oh, was there a brain?" He used the same mischievous tone as his mother.

Anya forgot that she was on Alvin's lap when the two started bantering, leaving her entertained and also tongue-tied.

Anya was holding her stomach and laughing her heart out when Rob burst inside the office room looking horrid.