Chapter 177: Please make it extra strong
Logan hesitated. "We found references to a clandestine criminal network that had infiltrated businesses, government offices, and law enforcement. People whispered about it, but no one spoke its name aloud."
"The organization you warned me about."
"Yes."
Xander’s voice remained steady.
"Did they come after all of you?"
Logan gave a bitter smile.
"At first, no. They watched us. Strange cars outside our homes. Anonymous phone calls. Files disappearing from locked cabinets. Friends suddenly refusing to meet us."
He lowered his gaze.
"Then the accidents began."
"What kind of accidents?"
"A witness died in a house fire. An investigator vanished without a trace. A journalist covering the case was killed in what police ruled a robbery."
The silence between them grew heavier.
"We finally understood the message," Logan said quietly. "Stop asking questions... or your families would pay the price."
Xander’s jaw tightened.
"My father ignored the warning."
"He did."
"And Frederick?"
"He wanted to move his family into hiding."
"What about you?"
Logan looked away.
"I was afraid."
The admission came so softly that Xander almost missed it.
"I had a wife to protect. I convinced myself that if I walked away and buried the past, they would leave us alone."
"Did they?"
"For a while."
Logan exhaled slowly.
"But fear has a way of following you. Every unexpected phone call, every unfamiliar face in a crowd—I wondered if they had finally come for us."
He met Xander’s eyes again.
"That’s why I begged you to stop digging."
Xander was silent for a long moment before asking the question that mattered most.
"Do you know who gave the order to kill my parents?"
Logan’s expression hardened.
"I don’t know the person’s real name."
"But you know something."
"I know the alias that kept appearing in intercepted conversations."
Xander leaned forward.
"What was it?"
Logan’s voice dropped to a near whisper.
"They called him... the Architect."
The name hung in the air like a storm cloud.
For years, Xander had searched for answers.
Now, for the first time, his investigation had given him not just a mystery—but a target.
***
Xander left the hotel without another word, Taylor following closely behind.
The moment they stepped into the waiting car, Taylor closed the door and took his seat in the front, sensing that his boss was deep in thought.
For several minutes, the ride was silent.
Xander stared out of the window, his expression as composed as ever, but his mind replayed every word Logan had spoken.
The revelation about his father, Frederick, and the mysterious organization had answered some questions while raising countless others.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"Taylor."
"Yes, Boss?"
"I want everything we have on the man known as the Architect."
Taylor turned slightly in his seat.
"The Architect?"
Xander nodded.
"Find out who he is, where he came from, and what connection he had to my father. I don’t care how long it takes or how many resources you need."
His voice remained calm and controlled, but Taylor could hear the determination beneath it.
"I’ll have our intelligence team start immediately."
"Don’t limit the search to official records," Xander continued. "Dig through old military archives, financial transactions, classified reports—anything that mentions the name or an alias. Cross-reference it with my father’s contacts and Frederick William’s history."
"Understood."
Taylor quickly made a note on his tablet.
After a brief pause, he asked, "Do you think Logan told us everything?"
Xander’s eyes remained fixed on the passing city lights.
"No."
"You think he’s still hiding something?"
"I know he is."
Taylor frowned.
"Then why trust him at all?"
Xander finally turned his gaze forward.
"Because fear like his can’t be faked."
He leaned back against the seat.
"Whatever happened all those years ago left scars on him. He told us enough to point us in the right direction, but not enough to expose everything."
The car continued down the road in silence.
After a moment, Xander spoke again.
"And Taylor..."
"Yes, Boss?"
"Increase security around Ivy and Leo."
Taylor immediately understood the implication.
"You think they’re in danger?"
"I don’t know," Xander admitted. "But if the people behind my parents’ deaths are still active, I won’t take any chances."
Taylor nodded firmly.
"I’ll make the arrangements as soon as we return."
Xander didn’t reply.
His gaze drifted back to the window, where the reflection staring back at him was as calm as ever.
But beneath that composed exterior, Logan’s revelations had stirred something he hadn’t felt in years.
The search for the truth was no longer just about avenging his parents.
It had become a race against enemies who had remained hidden in the shadows for decades.
***
After returning home with Leo, Ivy barely had time to rest.
The moment she stepped into her room, Sal forwarded an entire folder of documents from Lola.
Commercial offers.
Magazine shoots.
Brand endorsements.
Interview requests.
Movie auditions.
She stared at the endless list before letting out a defeated groan.
"So this is what success feels like."
Her phone buzzed again.
Another email.
Another proposal.
Ivy pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Lola is trying to work me to death."
Just then, Leo wandered into the room carrying his drawing book.
"Mommy, are you busy?"
"Very."
He climbed onto the sofa beside her and peeked at the laptop screen.
"So many files."
"So many headaches."
Leo nodded sympathetically.
"I understand."
"You do?"
"When my teacher gives us three pages of homework, I also think my life is over."
Ivy laughed.
"Fair enough."
As she skimmed through another contract, her thoughts drifted back to the conversation in the car.
More specifically...
To Xander.
She clicked her tongue.
"Your father has some nerve."
Leo looked up.
"Daddy?"
"Yes. Who tells a six-year-old that dangerous people are after his parents?"
Leo immediately puffed out his chest.
"It was a man-to-man conversation."
Ivy closed her laptop and looked at him in disbelief.
"You’ve said that twice now."
"Because it’s true."
She crossed her arms.
"You are six."
"I’m almost seven."
"That’s hardly a difference."
"It is to Daddy."
Ivy covered her face with one hand.
"That Emerson..."
Leo tilted his head.
"Mommy, are you angry with Daddy?"
"I’m considering charging him with emotional damage."
Leo blinked.
"Can you do that?"
"No."
"Oh."
A moment of silence passed before he whispered conspiratorially,
"But Daddy said not to tell you he told me."
Ivy’s eyes widened.
"He what?"
Leo immediately slapped both hands over his mouth.
"I wasn’t supposed to say that."
Now it was Ivy’s turn to sigh dramatically.
"So he gave you classified information and told you to keep secrets from me?"
Leo lowered his hands and thought for a moment.
"When you say it like that... it sounds bad."
"It is bad."
Just then, Butler Rupert knocked and stepped inside.
"Madam, would you like some tea?"
Before Ivy could answer, Leo pointed at her.
"Please make it extra strong."
Rupert looked confused.
"Why, Young Master?"
Leo answered with complete seriousness.
"Mommy is preparing to scold Daddy when he gets home."
Rupert nearly choked trying not to laugh.
"I... see."
As the butler hurriedly excused himself, Ivy looked at her son with narrowed eyes.
"Whose side are you on?"
Leo smiled innocently.
"Both."
She reached over and ruffled his hair.
"Smart answer."
He grinned.
"Daddy says that’s how you survive family arguments."
Ivy stared at him for a second before muttering under her breath,
"I’m adding that to the list of things I’m going to discuss with your father."
Leo quietly picked up his crayons and continued coloring, completely unaware that he had unintentionally exposed Xander for the second time that day.
Somewhere across the city, Xander suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.
