Aldrich and Brandon grew increasingly impatient as the minutes dragged on. Mia's silence weighed heavily on them, and the tension was palpable. Finally, Aldrich broke the stillness, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's with your expression?" Mia met their gaze, her eyes clouded with worry. She sighed deeply before responding, "Her condition is serious."
Both Aldrich and Brandon frowned at her words, a sense of dread creeping in. Brandon pressed on, urgency in his voice. "What do you mean?" Mia shifted into her professional demeanor, her tone steady despite the gravity of the situation. "She suffers from both internal and external injuries. The one who did this is exceptionally cunning."
Brandon's anger flared, and Aldrich could feel the blood rushing to his head, his veins standing out as rage simmered just beneath the surface. The moment Maximilian surfaced, the atmosphere inside the car shifted dramatically. An icy chill settled in the air, wrapping around them like a thick fog as tension hung heavily over Brandon and Mia. The ice broke out with the ringing of Mia's phone.
Mia glanced at the caller and picked it up. " We will be there soon. And prepare tranquilizers for Maximilian." A growl was heard, increasing the tension in the car. Mia sighed and said softly, " Only if you promise to control yourself." Maximilian nodded and went away, giving control back to Aldrich. " Let's go back, Mom and Dad are waiting for us." Brandon glanced at the guard once and started the car. The whole ride was silent, with each one making different plans. Soon they reached the Lanchester Palace.
Adrian and Avery were waiting for the children as they learned about Evelyn's condition. Mia came in and hugged her parents, comforting them. We will be there for her." They glanced at Brandon and Aldrich and then looked at Mia. Understanding their gaze, she negatively shook her head. The couple also understood their pain and didn't ask much. The dinner was done in silence, with not much focus. Aldrich and Brandon were planning something to bring their life back to her home.
After dinner, Brandon was already present in Aldrich's study. Aldrich went to attend a call regarding the company. Brandon was going through the report sent by the shadow guards about the Quinns. The more he read, the more his expression became grim. Aldrich came in only to see his best friend's gloomy face. He raised his eyebrow and asked, " What's wrong with you?" Without replying, he handled the report he was reading before. Aldrich's face turned hard reading the report. He coldly ordered the shadow guard to execute the plan.
Aldrich crushed the paper weight in his hand and said, " It's time for Maximilian to have his prey." His eyes turned red for a second and returned to normal. Brandon felt chills seeing their expression. Mia was excited to call Evelyn. She dialed the number Evelyn had given her and was greeted by an unfamiliar voice. "Is Evelyn there?" she asked. The phone was then handed over to Evelyn. "Evelyn speaking, who's this?" she replied. Mia happily introduced herself again, saying, "Hey, Evelyn! It's Mia on the line." Evelyn remembered Mia and began chatting with her.
During their conversation, Mia learned about the order for the welcoming party hosted by the Lanchesters. " Wow! When is it?" Evelyn chuckled, hearing Mia's excitement. " It's next week." Mia ran to her parents and brother and kept the phone on speaker. " Will you come to the party? " Aldrich's ears perked up hearing Evelyn's voice. Brandon had just returned after attending a call, and his eyes lit up as well. " I'm not sure, the orders are in bulk, and there's a lack of staff." Mia frowned and asked, " Wouldn't the manager come and take the orders?" She looked at Aldrich with questioning eyes. Evelyn's voice was very nervous when she replied, " The manager said he's too busy to receive the orders from the cafe." Before Mia could ask anything, Evelyn's name was called, and the phone was disconnected.
Aldrich, before anyone who could understand, called the manager responsible for arranging the desserts for the party. His voice was laced with anger. " From where had you ordered the desserts for the party?" The manager said in his sugar-coated voice, " Boss, the cafe isn't very popular but sells the best desserts. They will bring the orders on time. After all, they're small people." Aldrich snapped at him, " Shut up!" The manager's arrogance flew away, hearing his voice, and asked nervously, " Boss, is there something wrong? I have sent you the samples of the dessert that will be made that day. You can decide after tasting them." Aldrich glanced at the desserts in front of him and said coldly, " It seems that promotion made you very arrogant. Deliver the orders to the party by yourself and forget about getting a job elsewhere." He hung up before the manager could say anything and glanced at the desserts in front of him.
Mia distributed the desserts to everyone, and Brandon was not able to stop at one. Adrian and Avery had tears in their eyes. Adrian, with heavy eyes, said," It tastes the same as Lia's." Avery chuckled and replied, " After all, she's her daughter. They left us with their beautiful gift." Adrian wiped his tears and nodded. Brandon clenched his fist, hearing them. Mia comforted him and gave a side hug. Aldrich was feeling the urge to bring her in front of them right away. But he knew it wasn't logically correct. He has waited fifteen years. He can't ruin it like this.