"I thought you’ve already forgiven me for that already," Mr Wacemented, earning a chuckle filled with mockery from Xander.
"That would be over my dead body."
Bruce watched the scene, while he continued to gulp down some liquor, either by mixing it or drinking it directly from the bottle without a single interest in opening his mouth to speak.
Mr Wace decided to stop speaking. Only he knew the reason he was trying to butter Xander up.
"How about Michelle? Are you sure she can’t betray you and suddenly speak up about the business?" Mr Wace asked.
As much as Xander despised replying to his father, he still did.
"She’s wrapped around my finger," he replied, his tone icy and unwavering. "The first day I met her, I made it clear that if she dared speak a word, she wouldn’t live to see another sunset." His gaze hardened, making it clear he had no patience for a man who had thrown him out and abandoned him simply because he refused to end things with histe girlfriend—a girl his father had deemed beneath their status.
Mr Wace immediately understood Xander’s tone and mped his mouth together.
He exchanged another look with Bruce.
It wasn’t long before Xander suddenly got a phone call from Samantha, and he excused himself to pick up the call.
Finally being alone in the room without worrying anyone would overhear their conversation, Mr Wace started, "You raised him well."
"That’s because you abandoned him," Bruce countered and Mr Wace hissed as if Bruce had rubbed salt on his wounds. "I should be thanking you. I’ve already done that several times but I feel like it’s still not enough."
"It’s never going to be enough." Bruce merely shrugged, unable to bring himself to be bothered by Mr Wace’s words.
"At least I didn’t abandon him when he was sixteen. But I have to hand it to ya! You two have simr goals and because he’s no longer the useless son you presumed him to be, you suddenly found him useful."
Bruce’s words continued to irritate Mr Wace but all he could do was swallow it bitterly and pretend it didn’t affect him.
"I had to because of what Anastasia had done to Richard. She thinks she could do such a thing to him and wouldn’t get what wasing for her. And so what if he harassed her in the middle of the night? She still doesn’t get the right to do such a thing to a member of the Wace family..."
"...you and I both know that’s not the only reason you had Xander kidnap Anastasia, Thomas." Bruce interrupted, lifting another bottle to his lips. "Anastasia is the weakest of her siblings, and you targeted her to settle your score with Jeffrey rk." He downed the bottle in one long gulp, shaking his head as the burn spread, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
Mr Wace wasn’tpletely shocked that Bruce saw through his lies. They were best friends for a reason.
"I never nned for it to happen." Mr Wace raised his hand as if suspected of something he didn’t mean to do. "But when Xavier told me she was the biological daughter of the rk family, I saw my chance and I took it. Jeffrey still hasn’t paid for snatching the one woman I loved."
An unbelievable smirk stretched on Bruce’s lips, and Mr. Wace couldn’t help but wonder if it was because Bruce was already drunk after drinking two bottles of liquor, or if he was simply mocking him.
"You sound like you’re still in college." Mr Wace confirmed Bruce was mocking him. "But that’s all your revenge, not mine. But you must remember, Xander is now my son. I adopted him, so you’d better kill the idea of getting him back because I’ll never let that happen."
"You’re only his father on paper. I’m his father by blood," said Mr Wace without a single ounce of shame oozing out of his body.
"You might want to think twice before saying that again, Tom," Bruce warned, his tone sounding ufortably serious for Mr Wace.
Thetter could only stiffen as a shock wave surged through his body.
"What are you going to do about it?" He asked.
"You wouldn’t want me to reveal your secret now would you?" Bruce questioned back, watching as his best friend panicked when he heard his words.