"I’m not, and I never will," she responded, her green eyes shing with his dark ones. The room fell quiet, and Samantha tore her gaze from him as if unable to hold it for that long.


    "Good. I’ll be going to see my old man now. You know what you have to do regarding Anastasia. Make sure she suffers," he requested.


    Samantha gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. "I will," she promised.


    Xander gave her a pointed look before turning his back to her. He left the house, scanning the area first and sighting his men at work. Huge guns were mounted on their shoulders, as they walked around the space, making sure no one who wasn’t supposed to be outside wasn’t outside.


    Xander gave the men a few instructions before he entered the car and zoomed out of the gates.


    After driving close to an hour, Xander arrived at the gates of a house where hefty men lifted guns just like he’d seen in the house he’d left a few minutes ago.


    Once they recognized his car, the gate automatically spread open, allowing him to drive inside.


    "Where is he?" Xander asked the man who opened the car door for him.


    "He’s in his liquor room," the man said, leading Xander into the house.


    It was already dark outside, but as soon as they entered the house, more darkness greeted them.


    The room was so dark the man leading Xander inside had to switch on the shlight, as they headed to the liquor room.


    "You still love darkness I see," Xandermented when they entered inside, the man closing the door behind them.


    At the counter table, a man who seemed to be in his mid-fifties gulped down thest content in his ss before mming it down onto the wooden tform, giving a gasp and a shudder as he felt the hot liquid burn his throat.


    "Drinking in darkness gives me some kind of eerie feeling which you probably wouldn’t understand since you barely drink," the man said, turning to fix his dark green eyes simr to Samantha’s on Xander. His silver hair was ruffled and settled by the side of his face.


    "Which is surprisingly the only thing you and your brother have inmon. In the past, I’ve never seen that boy drink. Although, I don’t know now. He might have been drinking after you kept his wife from him for so long." The manbed his fingers through his hair before opening another bottle and pouring it into his ss.


    "Don’tpare me to that bastard," Xander threatened.


    "He was a nice kid, always loved by everyone. But you..." The man trailed off,pletely ignoring Xander’s threat. "You were just like your father. Stupid, bratty, and most importantly...you were heartless. Which is why I like you more."


    "I didn’t want you to like me," Xander said through gritted teeth.


    "Come on now. Don’t make what I said sound weird—"


    "Samantha said you wanted to see me. I suppose it must be something important. So, don’t waste either of our time talking about somethingpletely useless," Xander said, his face nk as he scowled at the old man.


    The man stretched out his hand which contained a spare ss of alcohol knowing fully well Xander didn’t drink. The man revealed a small grin when he saw Xander’s scowl deepen, meaning he’d seeded in taunting him.


    "Watch this..."


    Xander’s eyes were confused on the television hanging on the wall opposite them.


    It was news regarding Anastasia’s disappearance. Her disappearance covered every media station, mostly because she was a celebrity.


    Xavier was shown in a few clips, looking all tattered and uposed.


    "Look at what you’ve done to your brother," the old man said.


    "Why are you showing me this?" Xander questioned as the clips shown on the TV switched from one footage to the other.


    "No reason. I was just checking if you’d softened up or something," the man merely shrugged which earned him a confused expression from Xander.


    "You know, <i>Bruce, </i>if you have something to ask me, just go straight ahead. Don’t go beating around the bush."


    <i>Bruce</i> didn’t say anything. He simply poured more drink for himself, and gulped down the content before his eyes refocused on Xander.


    "One of the men we have made deliveries to has refused to pay up," Bruce finally said.


    "Even after he and his family got the baby?"


    "After he and his family got the baby," Bruce repeated. "Get the bnce from him, and if he tries to struggle, torture him. No one owes Bruce rie money and runs away with it."


    "That’s not a problem. Will get it done immediately."