<i>When Bruce’s question reached him, Xander shifted his gaze from Bruce to the wallpaper lining the room. The space exuded a dark, mysterious aura, and despite himself, Xander found his eyes tracing the intricate patterns, momentarily captivated by the grandeur. </i>


    <i>Silently, he shook his head, ignoring Bruce’s question. </i>


    <i>"Thanks for your help, sir. But I’ll need to leave," he said, attempting to pull the covers off his body but he was stopped by Bruce. </i>


    <i>"You don’t need to go anywhere," Bruce said, his words freezing Xander in ce. "This room is yours. I called your father while you were out, and he told me he kicked you out of the house. Judging by those bruises, it’s clear you’ve been through a lot. You need rest, so stay here until you’ve healed. Don’t worry, you’re not kidnapped." Bruce chuckled at the end, but the sound only made Xander’s stomach twist. Nothing about the situation seemed remotely amusing to him.</i>


    <i>He stared at the middle-aged man with a in expression, which was hard for Bruce to read his thoughts. Likewise how Xander himself wasn’t able to read Bruce’s thoughts. </i>


    <i>He didn’t have anywhere to go to. </i>


    <i>His card, phone, and money were all stolen from him by those bandits. If he dared to leave, he was certainly going to starve to death. </i>


    <i>However, for someone who imed to be close to his father to help him was very suspicious. </i>


    <i>"And before you wonder why I’m doing this, it’s because I consider you as my son. I feel bad for you because of what you’ve gone through."</i>


    <i>Bruce could hardly believe it when Mr. Wace responded. He knew the man harbored resentment toward his son, but he hadn’t realized it ran this deep. The cold indifference in Mr. Wace’s voice left Bruce stunned, unable toprehend how a father could abandon his own child so easily.</i>


    <i>"We don’t even know each other well," Xander interjected.</i>


    <i>"Well, we have the time to know each other now, don’t you think?" Bruce asked, settling on the bed. </i>


    <i>Xander couldn’t help but wonder what Bruce could be up to. He doubted the middle-aged man would be willing to give him a roof over his head, and wanted to get to know him just like that. </i>


    <i>"I’ll give you some time to think about it. I’ll get the butler to serve you your breakfast, then you can go ahead and get some rest. You need it." Bruce stood up from the bed and walked towards the door while Xander’s gaze lingered on his back. "If you need anything, just make a phone call. It will go directly to the butler and he’ll get you whatever you need."</i>


    <i>Without further words being exchanged, Bruce opened and closed the door behind him with a soft click. </i>


    <i>Xander waited, holding his breath until Bruce’s footsteps faded down the hall. The moment silence settled, he swung his legs off the bed and strode toward the heavy curtains, yanking them aside. Sunlight poured into the room, flooding it with warmth and offering a sharp contrast to the shadowy confines he felt trapped in.</i>


    <i>"It’s already morning," he mumbled, slightly shocked. He checked the time on the clock that was nted on the wall, which was telling 7 am. </i>


    <i>Hastily, he walked towards the door of the room and opened it. He peeked his head outside just enough for him to see outside. </i>


    <i>The hallway was huge, empty, and most especially, so quiet one would hear a needle fall to the ground. </i>


    <i>"Just how big is his house?" He mumbled under his breath. His eyes caught several closed doors by the sides and an open one, but he wasn’t that curious to check it out. </i>


    <i>Quickly, he rushed back inside to take a shower and change his clothes. There weren’t many clothes in the closet, and Xander wasn’t even surprised. </i>


    <i>When he was done, he opened the door and was ready to step outside when he nearly bumped into a little girl with red hair and green eyes just like Bruce’. </i>


    <i>The girl hade out of nowhere, startling him with her white cloth; he nearly thought she was a ghost. </i>


    <i>Xander had to ce his hand on his chest to calm his thumping heart that nearly leaped out of his chest. </i>


    <i>"You must be Xander," she stated with a boring expression as she sized him up as if she was contemting if it was worth speaking to him any longer. </i>


    <i>He sized her up as well. She was shorter than him and looked like a preteen. </i>


    <i>Then from out of nowhere, a broad smile as bright as her clothes stretched on her lips. "Wee, I’m Samantha rie. Nice to meet you."</i>