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Alpha Xavier returned home with a burdened heart, his mind weighed down by recent events. Elinor noticed her son's arrival, her face lighting up with a trace of hope. She quickly instructed Riya to bring a bowl of soup for him.

However, the soup, nourishing as it was, held no appeal to Xavier's troubled thoughts. His own son, Leo, had rejected him, sending him away to Alpha Carl's castle. The food and toys Xavier had brought were cast aside. Despite Leo's young age, Xavier knew deep within that, in his son's eyes, he had become a monster. The thought was unbearable.

He sat in the car for what felt like an eternity, haunted by the memory of Leo's anger. His son's furious face lingered in his mind, leaving him unsure of what to do next.

After some time, Xavier reluctantly made his way back into the house. The soup Riya had prepared remained untouched as he sat in silence, lost in thought. It wasn't until Elinor had finished eating and called out to him that he snapped out of his daze.

"What happened today, son?" Elinor asked, her concern evident. Xavier stood up and guided her to the study, closing the door behind them. With a heavy sigh, he began, "Mom, Leo knows I'm his father."

Elinor's face brightened. "That's wonderful news! When will you bring him home?"

Xavier's expression darkened, a bitter smile crossing his lips. "Bring him home? It’s not that simple. Leo hates me. He resents me for leaving him and his mother. He even pointed his toy gun at me and told me to leave. He called me a liar…." Xavier's voice broke as he recalled the painful memory of his son's rejection.

Elinor frowned, her first instinct being to place blame elsewhere. "It's Bella's fault. If she had been honest with the boy from the start, he wouldn’t hate you so much."

"Mom, don’t blame Bella," Xavier replied, his tone firm. "Now I understand why she didn’t want me to reconnect with Leo. She wasn’t being selfish—she knew he would despise me."

Elinor looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Xavier hesitated before explaining, "Leo saw the press conference announcing my engagement to Samantha. Even though he’s just a child, he understood what it meant. He thinks I abandoned him and Bella. He doesn’t know the truth, and all he sees is betrayal."

Elinor was stunned into silence. She had arranged for the press conference herself, hoping to pressure Bella into stepping aside. She hadn’t anticipated that Leo would witness it or that it would have such a profound impact on him.

After a long pause, Elinor spoke softly. "Leo is still young. He doesn’t understand everything yet. Give him time. If you’re patient, you might be able to repair your relationship."

Xavier sighed deeply. "I’ll do what I can, but it’s not up to me whether he accepts me or not. Mom, I need you to stay out of this. Don’t interfere with Bella and Leo anymore. Leo is unwell and doesn’t need more stress. And Bella… she’s been carrying the weight of caring for him all these years. She doesn’t need any more trouble."

Elinor’s silence spoke volumes. Though she nodded in agreement, her mind was already considering how to regain control of the situation. She had no intention of relinquishing her claim over Leo. Seeing her hesitation, Xavier knelt before her, his voice pleading. "Mom, please. I’m begging you."

Elinor disliked seeing her son in this state. Everything she had done had been for his benefit, yet now he seemed ungrateful. With a reluctant sigh, she relented. "Fine, I’ll stay out of it. But you must promise me something in return."

"What is it?" Xavier asked warily.

"Don’t tie yourself to one person. There are many good women out there. You deserve to find happiness."

Xavier wasn’t in the frame of mind to think about such matters. For now, his priority was Leo. "We can talk about that once Leo is better," he replied.

Elinor agreed, but her reasons were her own. Leo’s health was fragile, and for now, it was best for Bella to continue caring for him. Besides, Samantha was now pregnant with Xavier’s child, which made Elinor feel that she could afford to take a step back—for now.

The next day, Alpha Xavier visited Leo again, bringing food and toys. However, as soon as he walked in, Leo threw a ball at him. "You’re a liar! A bad person! I don’t want you here. Go away!"

Xavier’s heart ached at his son’s words. He tried to soothe him. "Leo, I brought your favorite toy...."

"I don’t want anything from you!" Leo shouted. "You’re not my father! Leave!"

George, who had been observing from nearby, approached and shook his head. "Xavier, it’s better if you don’t come here anymore. Leo won’t forgive you."

Xavier looked into his son’s angry eyes, his heart breaking. "Where’s Bella?" he asked.

"She went out to buy groceries," George replied.

"Grandpa, don’t talk to him! Kick him out!" Leo demanded, pointing at his father.

"You should leave," George advised. "The boy is too upset. Don’t make things worse for him."

Reluctantly, Xavier turned to leave but decided to wait for Bella outside the castle. As he lingered near the door, he suddenly heard a commotion behind him. Turning back, he saw Leo dragging out the toys and food he had brought. One by one, Leo smashed them on the ground, his small frame trembling with anger as he destroyed everything his father had brought.

Xavier watched in silence, the weight of his son’s rejection pressing down on him like never before.