"What are you doing here?" Julian asked, his fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms as he watched Levi and his aunt shamelessly step inside without an invitation.
What are they doing here after all this time? He hadn’t seen or heard from them in over two years, and he had no intention of rekindling old ties.
"What are you doing here?" Julian asked again, his tone firmer this time as he tried to keep his emotions in check. His voice carried a coldness, but inside, his heart pounded with unease.
Levi smirked, crossing his arms as he looked Julian up and down. "What are we doing here? Don’t you recognize your own family, Julian?" His words dripped with sarcasm, but there was no missing the bitterness in his voice.
Julian noticed the way Levi’s eyes scanned him, narrowing slightly as they landed on his new robe. Jealousy flashed in Levi’s gaze, quick and sharp, before he masked it with his usual smugness. His lips curled into a mocking smile as he glanced over at Milo, who had cautiously stepped back, unsure how to react.
"Even Stupid Milo is dressed well now," Levi muttered under his breath, the jealousy bubbling up again.
Without waiting for an invitation, Levi sauntered further into the house, his mother trailing behind him. She looked around the space with greedy eyes, her gaze lingering on the shiny new furniture and the spacious layout of the home.
"Hmm, so this is how you’ve been living," Levi’s mother said, her voice filled with false sweetness. She glanced around with greedy, calculating eyes, already assessing the value of everything in the room. "This house... it’s much bigger than ours," she remarked, her tone dripping with envy.
Levi’s eyes lit up with a cunning gleam as he walked toward the dining area. "You’ve done well for yourself, haven’t you, Julian?" he said, his tone laced with envy. "I bet this place cost a fortune. Not bad for someone who used to sleep on the kitchen floor."
Julian’s jaw tightened as bad memories flooded his mind. Levi and his aunt had always found ways to insult him, making him do endless chores no matter how sick or weak he was. They never cared about his condition, never bothered to ask how he felt. They didn’t even give him proper food. Those painful memories came rushing back.
His aunt turned to Julian, a sly smile on her face. "Well, Julian," she began, her voice dripping with false warmth, "it seems like you’ve got plenty of space here. Maybe we could stay for a while? You wouldn’t mind, would you? After all, we’re family."
Karl stormed into the living room, His baby Blue eyes blazed with anger as he pointed a finger at Levi and his aunt.
"What a family!" Karl exclaimed, his voice trembling with rage. "You all treated Julian like a servant for years, as if we don’t know! You used up all of his parents’ wealth and left him with nothing!"
Julian turned to Karl, his expression a mix of surprise and concern. He wasn’t used to anyone standing up for him.
Levi raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Oh, and who are you to talk about our family business?" he sneered. "Stay out of it, kid."
Karl ignored him, stepping closer with his hands clenched into fists. "I am part of this, because Julian is my family now," he shot back, his voice angry. "You don’t get to walk in here and act like you belong when all you’ve ever done is take from him!"
Levi’s mother let out an indignant huff. "How dare you speak to us like that? Julian is our blood, notyours!" she snapped.
Karl’s glare didn’t waver. "If that’s how you treat your ’blood,’ then Julian doesn’t need you," he said sharply. "You abandoned him when he needed you most. And now that he’s doing better, you crawl back, hoping to take advantage of him again?"
Levi’s face darkened, his smirk faltering as Karl’s words struck a nerve. "Watch your mouth," he growled, stepping toward Karl.
But Karl didn’t back down. "Or what?" he challenged, his voice rising. "Are you going to threaten me like you used to threaten Julian? Or maybe you’ll just mooch off him some more, like the leech you are!"
Julian stood in stunned silence, his heart pounding. He felt a lump rise in his throat as he watched Karl defend him so fiercely.
Levi’s mother tried to regain control of the situation, forcing a fake smile. "Now, now, there’s no need to argue," she said sweetly, though her eyes betrayed her irritation. "We’re just here to visit, nothing more."
Karl scoffed. "Visit? Right. Leave, now," he said firmly, his voice like steel. "Julian doesn’t owe you anything. Not his home, not his time, and definitely not his kindness."
Levi’s mother opened her mouth to retort, but the look on Karl’s face made her think twice. Levi, meanwhile, glared at Karl but didn’t say another word, clearly seething.
Julian finally found his voice, stepping forward. "brother Karl’s right," he said quietly but firmly. "You shouldn’t be here."
"You—you, Julian!" Levi gasped, his eyes widening with disbelief. "You dare to ask your own relatives to leave?" His voice trembled, and his black-yellow catlike eyes glistened with unshed tears, a pitiful sight for anyone who didn’t know better. "I can’t believe this," he whimpered, dramatically dabbing at his eyes as if he’d been deeply wronged.
Julian frowned, his lips tightening. Karl and Milo exchanged incredulous looks, their brows furrowed in confusion. Milo whispered, "What’s he doing now?"
"Acting weak to gain sympathy from us," Karl muttered under his breath angrily, crossing his arms as he glared at Levi.
Before anyone could respond further, Ruby’s sharp voice cut through the room. "What’s going on here?"
Everyone turned to see Ruby approaching, her expression stern, her brows drawn into a frown. She surveyed the scene with a critical eye.
Behind her, Adrian followed leisurely.
His expression was one of mild irritation, but the moment he saw Levi and his mother, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Trouble," Adrian muttered under his breath, loud enough for Ruby to hear.
—To be continued...🪄