Chapter 136: I’m sorry Leo
Ivy walked over and knelt in front of the boy.
Clara instinctively tightened her hold on Nate.
"There’s nothing for Nate to say," Clara replied quickly. "This is Leo’s fault. Just admit it and move on."
For some reason, Clara felt uneasy under Ivy’s calm gaze.
Even Nate swallowed nervously when Ivy gently took his hand and looked him in the eyes.
"Nate," she said softly but firmly, "this is your last chance to tell the truth."
The boy’s body stiffened.
"I was lenient the last time when you bullied Leo. But if you lie now, I won’t be so forgiving."
Gavin stared at her in disbelief.
"Did everyone hear that?" he exclaimed. "She’s threatening him now!"
He turned toward Edward.
"Grandpa, look at what this woman is doing. How can you allow someone like her into our lives? She’s setting a terrible example for Leo."
The room fell silent once again as everyone’s attention shifted to Nate, whose face had gone pale under Ivy’s unwavering gaze.
"And you’re setting a good example for your son by teaching him to stay silent?" Ivy shot back.
She rose to her feet and turned to face Gavin directly.
The moment her sharp gaze locked onto his, Gavin felt an unexpected chill crawl down his spine.
For a brief second, he found himself taking an involuntary step back.
He quickly cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" he demanded. "Why would I do that?"
The slight stutter in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. Trying to recover, he lifted his chin and met Ivy’s gaze again only to see her chuckle.
Everyone:"..."
Gavin:"???"
"You know exactly what you’re doing, Gavin," Ivy said coldly. "Don’t make me say it out loud."
The smile vanished from her face in an instant.
The sudden change in her expression stunned everyone in the room.
Even Gavin froze.
For the first time that morning, he seemed genuinely unsettled.
Meanwhile, Xander simply stood back and watched.
A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes as he admired Ivy’s fearlessness.
Has anyone ever told her how intimidating she looks when she’s angry?
The corner of his lips curled upward.
Still, he stepped forward before the situation could escalate further.
"Ivy’s right," he said calmly. "Why not let Nate speak for himself instead of trying to pin everything on Leo?"
His words immediately shifted the attention back to Nate.
The boy began fidgeting nervously.
Beside him, Clara noticed at once and shot him a warning look.
Don’t.
The message was clear.
Nate instinctively shrank under her gaze.
But then his eyes drifted across the room and landed on Leo.
A fresh wave of guilt hit him.
For as long as he could remember, he had tried to make Leo’s life miserable.
He picked fights with him.
Mocked him.
Blamed him for things he hadn’t done.
Yet Leo had never really fought back.
And despite everything Nate had done to him, Leo had still come to save him.
Nate knew he had been wrong about a lot of things.
Maybe it was because of what his parents had constantly told him growing up.
Maybe it was because he had spent years believing Leo was the enemy.
But after everything that had happened, he couldn’t ignore one simple fact.
Leo had saved him.
That fact alone was enough to drown out the pressure from his parents.
For once, Nate wanted to do the right thing.
Not for himself.
For Leo.
His gaze met Leo’s one last time.
’Don’t get the wrong idea,’ Nate thought stubbornly. ’This doesn’t mean we’re friends.’
Even so, he took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.
The room instantly fell silent.
Ignoring the looks from his parents, Nate turned toward Edward.
His hands trembled slightly at his sides.
"I... I have something to say."
***
Thud!
Gavin stormed out of the Old Emerson Residence, his face dark with fury.
Clara and Nate hurried after him.
"Darling, wait," Clara called out. "Please don’t be angry."
But Gavin ignored her completely.
He yanked open the car door, slid into the driver’s seat, and slammed the door shut with enough force to make the entire vehicle shake.
Nate flinched.
Standing outside the car, he watched as his mother turned toward him.
The disappointment in Clara’s eyes was impossible to miss.
For a moment, guilt twisted in his stomach.
Even so, he refused to back down.
Clara sighed and climbed into the passenger seat.
Nate quietly got into the back.
The moment he fastened his seatbelt, Gavin spoke.
"We’re going to have a serious talk when we get home."
His voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for argument.
Nate lowered his gaze and remained silent.
Neither Gavin nor Clara had expected him to tell the truth.
Not only had Nate admitted that he had gone with Theo willingly, but he had also confessed that Leo was the one who had tried to protect him and buy time until help arrived.
The truth had completely destroyed the narrative they had been pushing. And the humiliation that followed had been even worse.
Edward had listened to everything in silence before delivering his verdict.
From this day forward, Gavin and his family were no longer welcome at the Emerson Estate.
The memory alone made Gavin’s grip tighten around the steering wheel.
His knuckles turned white.
The engine roared to life, and the car soon left the estate.
***
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the mansion had finally begun to ease.
Aaron let out a long breath and leaned back in his seat.
"Brother Gavin really never knows when to stop," he muttered, annoyance evident in his voice.
"Don’t worry," Edward replied. "He won’t be setting foot in this house again. And if he does, my guards will personally escort him out."
A few amused smiles appeared around the room.
Truthfully, Edward had felt a headache coming on the moment Gavin arrived and started throwing accusations at Leo.
What frustrated him most was how quickly Gavin had tried to blame a child without hearing the full story.
Still, Edward had to admit he was pleasantly surprised by Nate.
The boy had found the courage to speak for himself and refused to let his father’s words become the truth.
His gaze shifted to Ivy.
A faint smile tugged at the old man’s lips.
He couldn’t help admiring the way she had handled the entire situation.
Unlike most people, Ivy didn’t hide her displeasure behind polite smiles and carefully chosen words.
When she was angry, everyone knew it.
When she thought someone was wrong, she said it to their face.
Fearlessly.
It didn’t matter whether it was Gavin, Clara, or even Edward himself.
And when it came to the people she loved, she was downright fierce.
Edward’s eyes softened as they landed on Leo, who was sitting quietly beside his mother.
"I’m sorry, Leo."
The boy blinked in surprise.
Edward sighed heavily.
"I should’ve been the one protecting you from those accusations."
Leo glanced at Ivy before looking back at his grandfather.
Edward offered him a guilty smile.
"But it seems your Grappy is getting old."
The attempt at humor only made him sound more regretful.
He truly blamed himself.
For years, he had tolerated Gavin’s behavior for the sake of family peace.
He had overlooked the insults, the constant criticism, and the way Gavin always seemed determined to tear down both Xander and Leo.
Maybe he should have put a stop to it much sooner.
Maybe he should have warned Gavin that there would be consequences.
Still...
It’s never too late.
The old man exhaled quietly before looking around the room.
"Well," he said, a hint of satisfaction returning to his voice, "after today, I have a feeling Gavin will think twice before coming anywhere near this mansion again."
That finally earned a few chuckles.
Even Aaron looked far more relaxed.
For the first time that morning, the tension that had gripped the mansion finally began to fade.
