Few days later

Leila finally returned back from the hospital but Antonio was still stuck in there. Though, he was awake and recuperating. The medical team was taking extra precautions by keeping him there until he completely recovers.

When Leila went to see him in his ward, she thought their usual interaction would change now. But Antonio shocked her a little when he criticised and mocked her as usual but this time with no malice. He had changed but not completely.

About Lucifer, he was also recovering because he had not waken up yet.

Leila first met the worried Mia who was already in tears at the first glance of the young girl. Then, she headed straight to her room to rest and do her pending school work which her teachers had sent her.

At dinner time, she went downstairs and saw Carlo alone at the table.

"Hey." Leila greeted and took her seat.

Carlo looked at her and nodded. His usually cold eyes went warm for a second.

"How are you now?" He asked, not letting the silence hang around them this time.

"I am good. Umm where is everyone?" She looked around curiously. It was weird because she had not seen Luciano since the whole day. He literally acted like her shadow usually. But he seemed to have vanished suddenly.

"Work." Carlo replied curtly.

His expressions did not change but for some reason Leila felt like he sounded somewhat angry or irritated.

He was always so mysterious. Thus, Leila did not even try to dig deeper, already knowing she would not get any answer from him if he had decided to not let her know.

"The principal Jordon called. He was asking about your well being."

"Oh." Leila muttered with a small smile.

Carlo raised his brow after seeing her smile.

"Uncle Jordon is too nice. I just don't really miss school."

Carlo shook his head with a close to gentle expression on his face.

"Doesn't matter. The school misses you. You gotta resume it back any day now."

Mia who was standing at the door closer to the dining room, almost let the bowl of soup slip from her hands at the sound of laughter coming from inside.

She could not help but peek inside.

A smile formed on her lips at the sight of the laughing siblings.

With a relieved sigh, she went back to the kitchen. She had not had the heart to interrupt them.

But from the other door which led to the kitchen, someone else stood listening to both Leila and Carlo.

It was Xavier but he had a strange look covering his face. His fists clenched but they relaxed when Carlo suddenly looked in his direction.

Leila followed Carlo's vision line too and saw her eldest brother. She had not seen him since the rescue event.

She sent him a smile.

"Big brother Xavier." She called out politely.

Since that whole thing, Leila felt like she had become even more close to each of her brothers. Thus, she no longer hesitated in their presences.

Opposite to Leila's thoughts, Carlo had something else in his mind.

A moment earlier he had felt a killing intent. Thus, he naturally looked up to see that it was Xavier. Xavier looked as the usual but that cannot explain what Carlo felt suddenly.

"How's your day?" Xavier asked Leila who was more than happy to answer him as he took his seat.

Mia entered the room again with another maid to serve him food and they both left immediately after doing their job.

Carlo remained silent but his sharp eyes observed Xavier. He noticed that Xavier had the same grace and mannerisms which he always have. Carlo knew everything about his older brother even more than his siblings because he had followed him like a shadow since childhood.

There was not something else that Carlo felt was amiss. Xavier was being completely normal but sometimes it just felt different. Even strange.

Maybe Carlo's assumptions and doubts were groundless.

But still he did not want to ignore the feeling that he was feeling.

To ease his doubts, he had already secretly taken his DNA test but the answers came out positive.

After the dinner, Leila excused herself to her room. Xavier trained his eyes on Carlo.

"Any report of Angelo and others?" He asked somewhat nonchalantly.

"They will be back by the midnight. Xavier, have you decided about the meeting with the King family? Our alliance has strained and it will be soon before it disrupts the peace in the country."

Carlo's raise of concern was valid. The King family was throwing shade at the Lambordis for the death of their youngest heir, Alexander.

Carlo wished to respond to this direct challenging but their hands were tied because of the recent incidents. They were not ready for another battle just yet.

"Arrange a meeting tomorrow with them."

Carlo nodded, taking his brother's words in. That was what they needed the most right now, the direct communication.

"I know we are staying low for now but we are not going to give in if they put a finger on our family members, Xavier. We will compensate them but not at the loss of our family."

Xavier nodded slowly and left the room, leaving Carlo alone who proceeded to text his assistant, telling him to arrange the meeting between the King and Silas family tomorrow.

He looked at the wallpaper of his phone which had a picture of him and the newborn Leila in his arms with their mother standing behind him, with her hands on his shoulders.

A smile formed at the end of his lips.

Leila looked so much like his mother. Warm and comforting with that innocent aura. Leila had suffered a lot and hell will freeze over if he lets that happen again.

In the dark office where Xavier was sitting silently, he had a chess board set up right in front of him. He picked up the most important pieces with a chuckle and brought them out of the board before his eyes focused on the rest of the helpless pawns.

This game play was really unfair but to him it was fun.

"Hmm.... Are the Knights really able to protect the weak without the aid of the most powerful?"