Chapter 84: Chapter 84 The locked door.
The car screeched to a halt, eventually stopping in the parking lot of the dazzling golden palace.
When Xylander took his hand from the brake and moved to get out, Alexander caught his wrist.
"I can’t pretend anymore," Alexander whispered bitterly, careful that the two people in the back wouldn’t hear him. "Why are we taking him in? Is this a hospital? Why did we allow Daniel to bring him here? Remember, he is your husband. You’re not meant to be giving random men attention."
He successfully dragged Xyle’s arm, pulling him far enough from the car to be out of hearing range.
"This isn’t some act of philanthropy, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s a logical decision," Xylander reasoned.
"Look, that man must be his friend. He saw him get injured, almost killed. If you were in his shoes, would you just let him go? Not to mention the patient has a stigma, a fear of hospitals, so he couldn’t stay there," Xylander continued to analyze.
He didn’t know what was wrong with Alex today, or why he was brooding. Even Daniel wasn’t looking at him, and from his understanding, they might have had a falling out. But that didn’t mean he should suddenly turn heartless. Moreover, he liked the guy’s mannerisms and the way he spoke; maybe he would grow on him.
Alexander shook his head in disbelief. Did Xyle casually think they were just friends? Any reasonable person could look at Daniel and Draven and conclude they were a couple—it was that obvious. But if Xylander chose to play dumb, who was he to start questioning it?
Xylander was still trying to change Alexander’s view when he saw Daniel step out of the car and open the other door for Draven. He helped him out, draping Draven’s arm over his shoulders for support. Alexander could only point at them as if to make his point.
"See that? You’re slowly losing him," he remarked. Xylander’s expression shifted from calm to doubtful.
Night had caught up with them, the only light coming from the golden hue shining around the building. It illuminated the whole estate, making it look ethereal in the dark.
Daniel, paying attention to that detail, was in awe once again. It had been so long since he had allowed himself to feel the world and appreciate its artistic nature. Why hadn’t he noticed this before? Or had he just forgotten? Never mind...
Together, Draven and Daniel began heading inside, with Daniel signaling to Xyle that he was going ahead. Xyle followed, leaving Alex to his so-called logical reasoning.
The trio stepped into the inner elevator leading to the upper floor where the family resided. They reached the front door only to find it locked.
Xylander’s card, which always worked on every room, failed to open this one. When he touched it to the monitor, it beeped red, displaying "Wrong Data Input."
"What is this? What’s happening?" Xylander asked no one in particular, seeing it as a prank.
Daniel raked a hand down his hair in frustration. Gosh, why can’t I come to this place and be happy? It’s like one miserable thing or another always finds a way to ruin my mood.
This wasn’t a coincidence; someone must have purposely changed the input to lock them out, perhaps as the punishment the delusional grandmother had constantly implied.
"Call someone, Xyle. Why now of all times?" Daniel complained.
Draven, observing the tension, blinked. He could see drama unfolding before he’d even stepped into the main home. Why did they speak as if there was a problem in the house?
"Sorry about this," Xylander explained to Draven, who was looking dismayed at their exchange. "Someone must have accidentally locked us out."
The latter chuckled to himself at Xyle’s pretended cluelessness. It was obvious something was wrong in the family, and clearly, someone here wasn’t wanted. Draven had a feeling he knew who that person was.
"If I am the problem, I should maybe call my friend to take me to my place. I don’t want to step into your family matters or cause more issues," Draven confessed innocently.
Xylander suddenly turned to him and held his shoulders.
"It’s no family problem. That’s something my household doesn’t do. Just one call and this will be sorted out," Xylander said, faking a smile that was pained in a way he couldn’t imagine a stranger having to see.
He took his phone and moved to a quiet spot, dialing Maxine’s number. But the girl refused to pick up. The call rang on and on, but still, nothing. When she did pick up once, she disconnected upon hearing the word "hello."
"Argh!" Xylander angrily threw his phone on the floor, raging at what was happening. This was his house; how dare his family do this to him?
Alexander walked in majestically and saw Daniel and Draven standing in front of the doors like souvenirs on a tour. He observed them, wondering if they couldn’t open the door or didn’t know how.
"Why haven’t you opened the door?" Alexander asked. Daniel didn’t answer; he just continued to look blankly ahead as if no one was there.
What? Why wasn’t he answering? Draven wondered.
Was this another beef, or was he missing something? Why did he feel that spark and romantic tension? The look the blond guy was aiming at them was as if his heart was shattering.
This wasn’t good. Was this a love triangle, and had he gotten entangled in it? His brain was working overtime despite his injured body as he tried to decipher Daniel’s suddenly stoic face.
If anyone was a magician, it was Daniel, because how could someone switch so fast to such a terrifying look? The dead eyes, dark expression, and sudden twitch—gosh, he was terrified at that moment.
Just to be sure Daniel wasn’t transforming into a horrifying creature from a horror movie, Draven snapped his fingers at him, making Daniel lose focus and finally face him.
"What the fuck!" Daniel exclaimed in surprise.
Draven, who sighed in relief, smiled. "Oh, I just wanted to see if the horror movie vibe wasn’t manifesting in real life. I got scared for a moment that you were transforming into a hideous monster."
Alexander, who was feeling increasingly isolated, burst into deep laughter that boomed through the quiet, dark alley. "Ha! Gosh, oh my, that was hilarious." He didn’t stop, continuing to laugh out loud until Daniel himself began to smile slowly, eventually joining in.
Unknowingly, Draven had lightened the mood.