It suddenly didn’t feel amusing anymore.
Henry’s expression darkened.
He leaned forward and pressed a small switch embedded in the corner of his desk.
A soft beep signaled the connection to Sebastian, his butler.
“Prepare a car,” Henry ordered.
“As you wish, master,” Sebastian replied promptly over the intercom.
Henry turned off the switch and closed his laptop.
“Let’s go,” he said, rising from his chair.
“Go where?”
“To solve this stupid misunderstanding,” Henry replied as he grabbed his coat from the back of his chair.
“Misunderstanding…?”
“Yeah,” Henry began as they made their way out of the office. “That guy—Dad started to train seriously after the Labyrinth incident. He got a personal coach.”
Neo’s brows furrowed as he followed Henry down the grand staircase.
Henry continued,
“The woman who came to his house was his trainer.
“Dad was seriously injured in training a few days ago.
“He didn’t notice the injury until he returned home and couldn’t go for the training the next day.
“The trainer came to his house to help him. She has a healing ability,” Henry explained.
Neo glanced at Henry, still trying to process the information.
“Why did he hide all of this?” Neo asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Mira—” Henry stumbled over his words.
He quickly corrected himself.
“Mom made Dad promise that they would stop monster hunting.”
“What?” Neo frowned, stopping momentarily on the staircase.
Henry turned back briefly.
“The Labyrinth incident gave her mild trauma. She’s been trying to stay away from anything related to mystical quantities.”
As they reached the foyer, Henry explained,
“I read the report from Mira’s doctor.
“The Minotaur’s attack that almost killed you, your effortless fight back, the hundreds of monsters pouring out of the Window, the demigods being helpless against the monsters, and then you again fighting back effortlessly…
“Everything made her think that unless they’re strong, their lives will always be in danger. That’s why she tried to stop dad fromm going anywhere near monsters.”
It was a normal response, Neo thought.
“Dad was also shaken by the incident. That’s why he is training, even if that means going against Mom’s wishes,” Henry said.
“He must be feeling powerless after the Labyrinth incident,” Neo replied with a sigh.
He remembered seeing demigods that day who had pale faces and were frozen in fear.
George—Hades’ reincarnation—had not been like them.
He had been prepared to fight back.
But in the end, he was too weak to defeat anything.
If Neo had not stepped in and taken care of the monsters himself, leaving the job to the Templars who would arrive later, George and Mira would’ve been dead.
“You are right. Dad wants to do everything he can to make sure he doesn’t feel powerless again. He’s doing it to protect Mom,” Henry said.
They climbed into the car.
The faint scent of new upholstery mixed with the lingering aroma of Henry’s cologne.
Neo buckled his seatbelt as the car began to move.
“How do you know all of this?” Neo asked, glancing at Henry.
“I did my research when you told me to keep an eye on them,” Henry replied in a voice tinged with irritation.
“It was only 30 minutes ago.”
“Shut up, bitch. I’m already pissed. Don’t annoy me more.”
Henry, clearly trying to distract himself, seemed lost in thought.
He muttered something under his breath as his fingers drummed against the car door.
He had been watching the drama earlier, waiting for the misunderstanding between Mira and George to resolve after dramatic quarrels.
Everything was supposed to bring them closer—it was a sweet yet theatrical drama-genre love story.
But now, knowing that his parents were the ones at the center of this misunderstanding, Henry’s realized a new truth.
“Drama genre is fucking trash,” he mumbled suddenly.
“What are you talking about?” Neo asked, frowning.
“Nothing,” Henry replied curtly, leaning back in his seat.
The car sped forward.
Shadows of passing trees flickered against the windows.
Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
He lit it with a flick of his lighter.
He took a deep puff.
“Drive slowly,” Neo said. “A minute or two being late is better than driving like a maniac.”
“We’ll be too late,” Henry said. “Mom—Mira—is the type to bash Dad’s head in after she finds out he’s cheating.
“She shouted at her friend in the café. It’s clear anger is slowly taking over her grief. And dad is going to meet her in an hour. We need to be quick.”
‘You were enjoying something like that a few minutes ago?’ Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire
Neo did not say his thoughts out aloud.
But Henry noticed his gaze.
“Bitch, why the fuck are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing,” Neo replied, using Henry’s own words against him.
Henry clicked his tongue in irritation and refocused on the road ahead.
The hum of the car engine filled the silence as they sped down the street.
Few minutes passed as Neo kept glancing at Henry.
“Fucker, I was watching everything without interfering since I didn’t know what you were planning to do,” Henry said, his fingers tightening slightly around the steering wheel. “You told me to keep an eye on them.
“Was I supposed to intrude and tell them that everything she saw was a misunderstanding? It would been a distater if you were planning to use their misunderstanding.”
“Don’t shift the blame to me. You were still enjoying watching it,” Neo retorted.
“Fuck you,” Henry spat.
Today, Henry decided he fucking hated Drama-genre.
The car came to a halt at a red light.
Henry drummed his fingers impatiently on the wheel.
“Why did Mom try to stop Dad from fighting monsters at all? She doesn’t seem the type to step back when she’s afraid,” Neo suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
After all, Mira was going to ‘bash George’s head in,’ according to Henry.
She seemed quite ‘courageous’ to Neo.
“Because she was not worried about just Dad, but their kid too,” Henry said, exhaling smoke from the cigarette hanging between his fingers.
“I see. She is worried about… Wait, what!?”
Neo, who rarely liked showing so many reactions, couldn’t hold back this time.
“We have a sibling?”
“We’re going to get one in a few months,” Henry replied casually. “She was planning to tell Dad the news after he proposed to her today.”
Neo finally understood why Henry was so concerned.
Mira and George would reconcile after the misunderstanding was resolved.
It would happen by the evening.
But until then, Mira would remain in misery, crying over what she believed was betrayal.
There was no way Henry would let his mom go through that agony for long.
“Fuck you, bastard, for enjoying watching a drama like this,” Neo said.
“Well, shut up. You would’ve done the same in my situation.”
Neo massaged his brows.
“Does dad has any idea that he is about to become…. a dad?”
“Yes, he knows. That’s why he wants to grow stronger.
“He wants to protect both Mom and their child. He’s going to propose to her tonight and well… fuck, I hate myself for liking drama,” Henry said, taking another puff from his cigarette.
The light turned green, and the car moved forward again.