Chapter 108

To Dane, Ashley asked in a chilly tone, as if conducting an interrogation.

"Anyway, dating Greyson is your will, right? Not because he forced you or there was an unfortunate accident."

"...Yes, it's my will."

It was a fact that it was his own choice, after all. When Dane acknowledged this with a sour face, Ashley continued.

"He was confidently saying that you taught him emotions, do you agree?"

"Taught him what?"

At Dane's question with a furrowed brow, Ashley narrowed his eyes.

"Do you really think Greyson is capable of feeling emotions?"

The man's voice was full of disbelief. As if he was certain that such a thing could never happen to his son. Seeing such a reaction, a rebellious feeling surged within Dane.

"Of course. I don't understand why you think otherwise. Well, they say parents know their children the least."

The latter part was clearly sarcastic. A slight wrinkle formed between Ashley's brows. Though he clearly showed displeasure, naturally, Dane didn't care at all. All his life, he had lived without caring whether others liked him or not. He had tried to win favor with animals by buying them treats or making cooing sounds, but it was out of the question with people.

Looking down at the Omega with clear blue eyes staring straight at him, Ashley slowly opened his mouth.

"Is that so? You seem to pride yourself on knowing a lot about my son."

"I don't know if I know as much as you do, but I think I know aspects of him that you don't."

Ashley Miller narrowed his eyes. Though his displeasure was clearly visible, surprisingly, the pheromones floating around were stable. Dane was inwardly surprised by the fact that he wasn't angry at all. He had thought that if someone dared to contradict him directly like this, he would naturally be furious.

Was this man unexpectedly calm, or did he consider it not worth getting angry over?

"Is that all you have to say?"

At Ashley's voice that suddenly came, Dane returned to reality. He took out a case from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and, while selecting a cigar, said.

"It's fortunate to have someone who knows my son that well by his side. Though I don't know how long you'll last."

Dane silently watched him cut the end of the cigar and light it as he spoke.

"Well, it's good to have hope."

Contrary to his words, he twisted the corners of his mouth and gave a cynical smile. At the face that seemed almost mocking, Dane couldn't help but frown. He seemed to have suddenly heard Ashley's inner thoughts that he hadn't deliberately voiced.

Though it probably doesn't mean much.

"I'm curious about something."

The words came out earlier than he had thought. Meeting Ashley's still unchanged cold gaze, Dane opened his mouth.

"Have you ever abused Greyson?"

Ashley, who had just removed the cigar from his mouth, froze in that position. Far from being flustered or apologetic, Dane instead waited for his reaction with a furrowed brow. As if to say, speak if you have something to say.

With a chilling tension between them, Ashley slowly lowered his hand. After a moment of silence, with an emotionless gaze directed at Dane, he slowly moved his lips.

"Did Greyson say that? That I abused him?"

His low voice sank even deeper. It was enough to feel eerie, but Dane answered without caring.

"No, he doesn't even know he was abused."

"Then?"

Ashley asked, bringing the cigar back to his mouth.

"Why do you think I abused him?"

"I saw and heard it directly."

Dane answered without hesitation.

"Greyson said he had been locked in a basement. But he didn't even know that was abuse."

Only then did Ashley seem to understand the situation and let out a short laugh. As if it were absurd.

"You believe him?"

"Please tell me directly, did such a thing really happen?"

Dane asked persistently. This question had to be resolved. Feeling an inexplicable pressure, he waited for Ashley's answer. But he rather frowned irritably and asked back.

"Are you suspecting that I hit him?"

"That's included."

"...Ha."

Ashley let out a dumbfounded exclamation. For the first time, his cold expression wavered. After opening his mouth and looking into the distance as if genuinely bewildered, when he directed his gaze back to Dane, his face was full of an emotion close to contempt.

"If I had hit my children, I would have been divorced. Do you think I would do something to make Koi hate me?"

"Are you saying you didn't hit him?"

"Not only did I not hit him, I didn't abuse him either!"

Finally, his voice rose. Ashley exhaled deeply as if genuinely frustrated, then inhaled the cigar smoke repeatedly. After some time had passed, he seemed to have calmed his emotions and added, glaring at Dane with a frowning face.

"I just taught the children how to protect themselves. Yes, the method might have been excessive. But what else could I do? Even if I spoke kindly and taught them gently, they wouldn't understand! Greyson was like a time bomb from birth, because of this damn phenotype!"

Ashley, who seemed to be pouring out words more intensely, suddenly ended his speech. Silence suddenly fell. In the quietness, Ashley spoke in a deflated voice.

"Striker, we live with gratitude just for the fact that he doesn't cause irreversible harm to others."

He inhaled and exhaled the cigar smoke again, then asked.

"In that basement, what did he do? Did he perhaps do something nonsensical, saying he would help someone?"

Dane couldn't answer immediately. Seeing him hesitate for the first time, Ashley snickered. As if it was the reaction he had expected.

"That's what he did, right?"

At the cynical voice, Dane inevitably explained briefly what had actually happened.

"There was a child locked in the basement, and Greyson chose to be confined in the basement together, saying he would help the child. He said it was better to have someone with you than to be alone in the darkness. He said he was just trying to help the child."

Ashley silently inhaled the cigar smoke. At that indifferent reaction, Dane immediately noticed.

"You're not surprised."

Ashley let out a short laugh. Of course, there was no sign of amusement at all.

"Do you think I've only experienced such things once or twice?"

After showing an irritable reaction, he just smoked the cigar for a while. After some time had passed, Ashley opened his mouth.

"You asked if I abused Greyson? Yes, the discipline was strict. Do you know why?"

Ashley didn't bother to wait and provided the answer.

"That guy almost killed someone twice before he turned 10. The first time, he did it directly, with his own hands."

At the unexpected words, Dane froze. Looking at him, Ashley said.

"Who do you think the target was? It was Koi. He tried to kill a family member."

Ashley continued.

"Koi can't smell. He can barely taste either. Greyson was curious if that was true. Do you know what he did? He made a cake and put detergent in it. Koi almost died from eating it."

His voice, which had sounded extremely businesslike, gradually wavered. Then Ashley roughly spat out.

"If I had arrived a little later, I would have found Koi's corpse."

Dane could see Ashley's hand holding the cigar trembling slightly. As Dane watched, Ashley continued speaking.

"Three of my children were there, but none of them called an ambulance. They just watched with curiosity as Koi was dying."

He was silent for a moment, as if trying to calm his emotions. He only deeply inhaled the cigar smoke into his lungs. After some time had passed, he recalled the memory of that time in the same low voice as before.

"Greyson was severely punished, of course. What do you think that child, who realized that he shouldn't kill people, did next?"

Of course, Dane couldn't guess. Toward him, who remained silent, Ashley gave a cold smile.

"He tried to have someone else kill for him."

Dane's blue eyes shook greatly.