Luke's expression gradually turned cold.
"I'm your father," he said heavily. "Whether you like it or not, you can't erase the blood bond between us."
Max's eyes instantly burned with fury. "Now you remember the blood bond? Back then, it was you who cut ties with Mom."
His voice rose with anger. "You left us. You abandoned us because we weren't important enough for you. And now you suddenly remember the blood bond?"
Luke's face stiffened.
"Mom waited for you until the very end," Max continued harshly. "She kept believing you would come back someday."
Pain flashed through his eyes. "But you never did. She died waiting for you."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds.
"And me?" Max sneered. "I stopped wanting you a long time ago."
Luke's stern face finally cracked with visible pain. "I was helpless back then," he rasped heavily. "My family business was collapsing. My parents pressured me to marry into another powerful family."
