Erek blinked his eyes with uncertainty, unsure what to do with his child.
Sometimes he wished he were like Derek, who knew what to say to the kids at the right moment.
Poor Erek was helpless. He took in a large amount of air and tried to act tough.
He thought it was all part of Salvar's act to be spared from living in the countryside, so he decided to speak sternly.
"Salvar, no matter how much you beg me, you and Milo will be going to Thornvale District. No more whining, no more pleading. And if you dare to act recklessly like today in the future, I will..."
Erek did not know what he would do. He probably could not treat his child harshly. Could he?
Therefore, he stopped midway and glanced at Salvar for his reply.
While wiping his tears and nose, Salvar asked in a broken voice, "What about brother? Is he coming?"
"No, he isn't coming. Your brother needs to attend therapy sessions, and he still needs to look after a few issues in the organisation."
Salvar let out a deep breath. He had always felt jealous of his elder brother.
He was an Alpha and had more freedom than him. Even with broken ribs and a half crushed body, the people of the organisation respected him.
Whereas he, in his previous life, was treated with little to no respect.
They grew up with equal love from their parents, but the world was not theirs to decide.
The people of society decide who to respect and choose some weaklings to bully.
Salvar felt it was unfair, but he had no choice. He already knew the result of going against his parents. Dying miserably.
But still, this was the perfect chance to demand the things he wanted from them. He was planning to kill two birds with one stone.
An evil plan ran through his mind. He crossed his arms before his chest and commented quietly,
"I still need some time to think, Dad." His face was lowered, avoiding Erek.
"You are going nonetheless. I am not going to waste my time on you."
Erek rolled his eyes and paced towards the door. But before he could walk away, he heard Salvar from behind,
"Fine, since I can't avoid Thornvale, you will have to agree to a negotiation with me."
"What?"
"You will know by the evening. I want all four of you to be present in my meeting today, sharply at 5 pm."
"..."
Salvar's eyes were still puffy from crying, but behind them, Erek saw determination.
He shook his head and quietly walked away.
He did not know why, even though Salvar was still stubborn and the spoiled child he remembered, he felt somewhat different. In his view, Salvar was not someone to be easily persuaded.
Erek had even planned on knocking him out and sending him off to Thornvale.
But what happened? Did the hunger strike knock a few screws loose in his brain?
On the other hand, after closing the door behind him, Salvar stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself.
His fingers touched his cheeks curiously. He took off his T-shirt and turned around to look at his back.
He rushed towards his phone and looked at the date.
19th October 2025.
He had travelled back ten years, to where all the problems in his life began.
The root of his problem was himself. If he had not run away from home and joined his friend's organisation, his life would have been smooth.
But there was no point in regretting. What was done was done.
Only the present held power in his life, and the past held vengeance.
____
It was past 5 pm, and all five members of the Beladore family sat in the living room.
Excluding Salvar, all the other members looked at each other with confusion.
Initially, the meeting started in silence. Salvar observed all of them.
The old pendulum clock ticked every second as time slipped away.
"So?"
Erek stood beside a painting, his body resting against the wall while his arms were folded across his chest.
Salvar looked at him, then turned his gaze towards Alex, his elder brother, who sat in the wheelchair with Milo in his lap.
A few moments later, he broke the suspense and spoke.
"I will go to Thornvale and take care of Milo."
Salvar walked towards the couch and sat beside Derek.
"But only if you agree to these."
Salvar lifted his right hand, and a brown sealed packet came into view.
He opened it and handed each of them a copy of the printed document. Even Milo got one.
Milo curiously lifted his head and looked at Alex for an answer.
"Dad, what is this?"
Alex was busy reading the paper, his eyes squinting as he scanned it.
"Nonsense," Alex whispered under his breath.
But Milo did not know that was not meant to be said aloud.
He proudly waved the paper above his head and shouted, "Nonsense!"
"Hmm?" Salvar looked at the little boy, raising his brows.
Milo rested his head on Alex's chest and said quietly, "Dad said nonsense, so I said it too."
Salvar lifted his gaze and looked at Alex.
"You have no right to disrespect my terms. I have been living in your shadow for years, and even now, when it was my time to shine, you fell into despair and became a broken bridge in my road to a bright future."
Although it was a selfish thought, Salvar could not help but wonder if his brother had not met with the accident, maybe he would not have suffered in his first life.
Alex had taken full custody of the child from a one night stand.
Of course, it was the right thing to do. The child was harmless and the omega who carried the child was poor enough. Alex provided him shelter and donated him some money in exchange of their child custody.
But Salvar knew, he and Alex shared same dna. They both were equally reckless.
And the recklessness in their decision causes harm to others.
"Dad, Papa, I am not going to tolerate this. Fine, you can join the organisation. I will hire a nanny to look after my child. If you have to demand such things to take care of your own nephew, you are selfish as hell!"
Alex said, frustration building upon his face.
Salvar smirked and leaned back on the couch, his ankle resting over his knee.
He closed his eyes and said calmly,
"These are simple terms. And you have no authority over me. Whether you agree or not, I only need our fathers' approval. You are merely a showpiece now, not the player controlling the game."