Chapter 135: I am sure he has more to tell us
Gavin shot Aaron a glare, but Aaron simply ignored him and looked toward Edward.
At this point, Gavin had only one goal—to paint Leo as the villain and gain Edward’s sympathy for Nate.
"Grandpa, do you hear him?" Gavin said in disbelief. "Why is Aaron always taking Leo’s side? It’s clearly Leo’s fault, yet somehow my son is the one being blamed for everything he went through."
Despite the facts being laid out in front of him, Gavin refused to back down.
Aaron’s expression darkened.
He had always known his brother could be shameless, but watching him pin the blame on a child who had risked himself to help Nate was infuriating.
Before Aaron could respond, Edward spoke.
"Gavin, will you calm down for a moment?"
His voice was calm, but the irritation behind it was obvious.
"You’re giving me a headache."
The room instantly fell silent.
Edward had long grown tired of Gavin’s habit of turning every situation into an argument. Even now, when the truth was fairly straightforward, Gavin insisted on dragging Leo into a problem he had nothing to do with.
For a brief moment, Gavin hesitated.
Then he doubled down.
"No, Grandpa."
Everyone looked at him.
"You need to decide whether Leo should be punished."
The statement was so absurd that even Clara stiffened.
Gavin pointed toward Leo.
"If he had reported the situation sooner, Nate would never have been caught by those boys."
Aaron let out a sharp laugh.
This time, it wasn’t amusement.
It was disbelief.
Meanwhile, on the opposite couch, Nate quietly lowered his head.
His eyes drifted toward Leo.
Throughout the entire argument, Leo hadn’t said a word.
He hadn’t defended himself.
He hadn’t exposed Nate’s mistakes.
He hadn’t reminded anyone that it was Nate who had followed Theo.
Or that it was Nate who had left the academy grounds without informing anyone.
Leo could have easily shifted the blame where it belonged.
But he hadn’t.
The realization made guilt twist in Nate’s stomach.
His thoughts drifted back to that afternoon.
To the moment those boys had surrounded him.
To the punches.
The threats.
And then Leo stepping in.
Leo had been the one who refused to leave.
The one who had gotten help.
The one who had saved him from a situation that could have become much worse.
Nate swallowed hard.
Then he glanced at his father.
He hadn’t expected Gavin to twist the entire incident like this.
On the way to the estate, both Gavin and Clara had only told him one thing.
Stay quiet.
At the time, Nate hadn’t understood why.
Now he did.
"Gavin, you’re going too far," Aaron said firmly.
His patience was beginning to wear thin.
"You should be grateful Leo raised the alarm at the academy. If he hadn’t, the situation could have ended much worse."
Gavin immediately rounded on him.
"Stay out of this, Aaron."
His voice sharpened.
"I’m not talking to you."
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"And yet you keep saying things that require correcting."
Gavin’s jaw clenched.
"Just because you’ve grown attached to Leo doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore reality."
"Reality?" Aaron repeated.
His expression turned cold.
"The reality is that Leo helped your son."
Aaron’s frustration was becoming increasingly visible, but Gavin wasn’t affected by it in the slightest.
If anything, he seemed more determined than ever.
"Grandpa, I want Leo to come forward and tell everyone the truth," Gavin declared.
The room immediately fell silent.
"What truth?" Edward asked, his voice calm but firm.
Gavin turned toward Leo.
"The truth that he knew Theo was involved with those boys."
The accusation hung heavily in the air.
"And not only that," Gavin continued, "he knew it before Nate ever met them."
The moment those words left his mouth, every pair of eyes shifted toward Leo.
The boy visibly shrank into his seat.
Gavin noticed the reaction and felt a surge of satisfaction.
Before coming to the estate, he had reviewed the academy’s security footage. He had clearly seen Theo entering the restricted area.
More importantly, Leo had followed him.
The footage had been recorded a day before the incident.
To Gavin, that was enough to build his argument.
He intended to convince everyone that Leo had known something was wrong and had deliberately kept quiet because of his dislike for Nate.
It was a stretch.
But Gavin was willing to push it as far as necessary.
"Leo?" Edward called gently when he noticed how anxious the boy looked.
Leo lifted his head.
Throughout the entire discussion, he had barely spoken.
Now that everyone’s attention was focused on him, the pressure seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders.
Edward’s expression softened.
"You don’t need to be afraid. Just tell us what happened."
Before Leo could answer, Aaron reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"My dear nephew, don’t be nervous," Aaron said with an encouraging smile.
His tone was warm and protective.
"I know none of this is as simple as Gavin is making it sound."
Leo glanced at him.
For the first time since the accusation was made, some of the tension left his expression.
Aaron squeezed his shoulder lightly.
"Take your time."
Then he looked across the room at Gavin.
His smile vanished instantly.
Aaron had always known his brother could be stubborn.
But trying to place the blame on a child who had helped save Nate was a new low.
"If you’re going to make accusations," Aaron said coldly, "then let’s hear the full story instead of only the parts that suit your narrative."
Gavin folded his arms.
"That’s exactly what I’m trying to do."
"No," Aaron replied. "You’re trying to decide Leo’s guilt before he’s even had the chance to speak."
The room fell silent once more.
All eyes returned to Leo and suddenly he spoke.
"Yes, it’s true that I knew Theo was meeting with that boy."
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at Leo in shock, while Gavin let out a bitter chuckle.
"See? I knew it all along." He crossed his arms. "He kept it a secret until Nate got beaten because he wanted revenge on my son."
As usual, Gavin spoke whatever came to mind without thinking twice.
"No, Uncle. That’s not what happened."
Leo’s voice cut through the tension.
Gavin immediately turned toward him, his glare sharp enough to make most children back down.
Leo didn’t.
He had stayed quiet throughout the discussion because he believed the adults would handle things properly. But hearing Gavin twist the situation forced him to speak up.
Back in the alley, after Aaron and the others had rescued them, Theo had pulled him aside and begged him not to tell anyone that the boys already knew each other.
Theo knew Leo had followed him that day.
He had been terrified that Leo would tell the teachers and get him into trouble. That’s why he had convinced Nate to come along with him in the first place.
Theo had thought bringing Nate would make everything look innocent.
But never—not even for a second—had he expected Leo to follow them again.
"So you’re saying I’m making things up?" Gavin asked sharply.
Leo immediately shrank under his scrutinizing gaze.
He knew what Theo had done was wrong. But Theo had been a victim too, just like Nate. Yes, he had handled things poorly. He should have told his family what had happened so the boy could have been taken into custody. But Theo was still a scared child who had been terrified of the consequences.
Gavin noticed Leo’s silence and took it as a victory.
"There. See?" he said, looking around the room. "His silence says everything. He knows I’m right."
Then he turned to Edward.
"Grandpa, isn’t this enough? Leo’s silence speaks for itself. He deserves to be punished."
Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"You—" Aaron began angrily, ready to lash out.
Before he could continue, another voice echoed through the living room.
"Why should only Leo be punished when your son is at fault too?"
Everyone turned.
Ivy and Xander had just entered the room.
The moment Leo saw his mother, his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he rushed toward her.
"Mommy!"
He wrapped his arms around her, and Ivy immediately hugged him back. Crouching down to his level, she gently rubbed his back in reassurance.
Xander remained standing behind them, his gaze meeting Gavin’s.
Gavin responded with a sneer.
"Since you’re both here, why don’t you listen to what your son has to say?" Gavin said. "He admitted that he knew about Theo’s involvement with those boys and deliberately kept it from everyone."
"Brother Gavin, stop twisting his words," Aaron snapped, losing patience. "Leo never admitted that he intentionally led Nate into a trap."
"Hah!" Gavin scoffed. "He doesn’t have to admit it. Isn’t it obvious? Everything points to Leo getting back at Nate."
Aaron let out a frustrated groan.
"Enough," Ivy said calmly, sending Aaron a warning glance.
Though still furious, Aaron forced himself to stay quiet.
Ivy slowly stood before turning toward Nate.
"Let’s hear from Nate first," she said evenly. "I’m sure he has more to tell us."
