His grandfather was about to ask further, but then he remembered that he had to scan his key card in the sensor. "Please excuse me," he gestured, motioning for Luke and the others to give him some space to squeeze into the control panel of the elevator.


    When Luke and the others stepped back, the older man noticed Hera, who was hidden near the elevator buttons. "Oh! Little girl, you’re back?"


    When she heard the familiar voice directed at her, Hera looked up and met the deep set of eyes that bore the marks of time but also brimmed with wisdom. "Grandpa Victor, it’s nice to see you again!" Hera smiled warmly, meeting the gaze of the old man, who possessed the strength of a bull and the aura of a mafia boss.


    "You guys knew each other?!" Zen interjected the two with evident surprise in his voice as he pushed aside Luke to the side to get closer to Hera and his grandfather who was also standing closer. Luke was clearly displeased and his eyebrows creased ever so slightly but he did not say a thing and just smiled to greet Victor with an amiable smile.


    "Grandpa Victor, you’vee back at just the right time to meet Miss Ainsley as she’s just returned," Luke said in a jovial tone. His melodious voice, full of gentleness and warmth, would surely charm anyone who heard it. He was the perfect picture of a prince charming on a white horse, ideal and dreamy.


    Victor noticed Luke’s presence in the elevator earlier but had almost forgotten about him in the excitement of seeing Hera. Turning his attention back to his grandson, he asked, "Is she the first person you mentioned you’d be helping?" Then, he gestured toward Hera. Since no one had pressed the button for Victor’s floor yet, the elevator remained stuck on the first floor.


    Zen simply nodded, and Victor couldn’t help but notice the change in his grandson’s demeanor. Typically, Zen would be respectfully hesitant, avoiding direct eye contact with him. But now, Zen met his gaze withposure. Victor’s brows instinctively rose as he observed the transformation in Zen, sensing a positive shift. "I thought you were out recording some show?" Victor inquired again, curious about Zen’s sudden appearance.


    "It just ended earlier, and she was with me during the recording. We both received bulky gifts, so she needs help bringing them up," Zen exined in one breath.


    Victor was surprised to hear that they had already spent some time together. "The show you mentioned, where you said you’d have to spend a few days, was this brat also part of it?" Victor asked Hera with an incredulous expression tinged with a hint of envy towards Zen, his voice rising slightly as he spoke.


    "Yes, Grandpa Victor. Zen was my teammate and this gentleman here," Hera said, making sure to gesture towards Xavier, who stood behind her, incessantly pulling at her sleeves even more than Bry did.


    "Oh! So you also know that brat from the Montague family, huh?" Victor mused, cing his fingers on his chin as he pondered for a moment before adding, "Let me help too. The more helpers there are, the faster the work will bepleted." His words carried amanding tone, but he waited for Hera’s response, showing no inclination to push further if she did not agree.


    "What?! Grandpa, you’re too old for this. Just rest in your ce," Zen interjected, his tone filled with concern. He didn’t want his grandfather to join them; with already so many extras present, adding his grandfather to the mix would only make the atmosphere awkward, especially for Bry and his family.