By the time Ivy returned to her room, still flustered and embarrassed from earlier, Leo was already waiting for her on the bed.

The little boy had clearly been trying to stay awake just for her.

"Mommy, what took you so long?" Leo asked curiously.

But before Ivy could answer, he suddenly paused.

His eyes slowly narrowed at her face.

"Mommy..." he said suspiciously, "why is your face so red?"

Ivy instantly froze.

She had still been distracted by the memory of Xander carefully massaging her legs moments ago.

And unfortunately, the second her eyes landed on her reflection in the dressing table mirror, embarrassment flooded her all over again.

"I It’s nothing," she lied quickly before joining Leo under the blanket.

Unfortunately, Leo clearly did not believe her.

His small brows furrowed seriously.

"Mommy," he said while turning fully toward her, "did Dad hurt you?"

The moment he asked that, Ivy noticed the protective look on his face.

And judging from the way he was already shifting on the bed, he looked fully prepared to march into Xander’s room and declare war if necessary.

Ivy immediately reached out and held his shoulder before he could jump off the bed.

"No," she answered right away. "Your father didn’t hurt me."

Leo still looked suspicious.

"In fact," Ivy continued carefully, "he was helping me."

"Huh?"

"He massaged my legs because they were hurting after training."

Leo blinked.

His eyes slowly drifted downward toward her legs where faint traces of medicated oil still remained on her skin.

The anger on his face gradually disappeared.

"See?" Ivy said softly while pulling him closer beneath the duvet. "Your father keeps his word. When he said he wouldn’t hurt me, he meant it."

Leo quietly listened to her.

Then after a moment, he gave a small nod.

"...Okay."

"You shouldn’t always doubt him so quickly," Ivy added gently.

Leo puffed his cheeks slightly.

"I won’t."

Ivy could not stop herself from laughing softly at his reluctant promise.

Then she leaned down and kissed his forehead affectionately.

"Now sleep," she whispered.

But instead of listening, Leo blinked up at her again.

"Mommy," he said hesitantly, "can I ask you something?"

Ivy softened instantly at his careful tone.

"Of course."

Leo looked unusually thoughtful for a moment before speaking.

"Today at school... Mia said her mommy is going to have another baby."

Ivy blinked slightly in surprise, immediately recalling the conversation Leo had overheard earlier.

"And?" she asked gently.

Leo quietly played with the edge of the blanket before looking up at her again.

"She looked really happy about becoming an older sister," he admitted softly. "So I was wondering..."

He paused awkwardly.

Ivy patiently waited for him to continue.

"...Would our house become happier too if we had another baby?"

Leo’s innocent question completely caught Ivy off guard.

For a second, she nearly stopped breathing.

’Why is everyone suddenly planning on getting me pregnant?’ Ivy screamed internally.

First the mansion staff.

Then Butler Rupert.

And now even Leo had joined the discussion.

Meanwhile, Leo continued watching her expectantly, waiting for her answer with wide innocent eyes.

Ivy let out a small breath before gently caressing his cheek.

"I don’t think our house needs another baby to become happier," she said softly. "Because we already have you."

For a brief moment, Leo looked touched.

But then his eyes slowly dimmed with disappointment.

Ivy immediately noticed the change.

The little boy lowered his gaze quietly.

"But..." he murmured softly, "I also want to become a big brother."

Ivy blinked.

Leo tightened his grip on the blanket while speaking honestly.

"Mia said she helps her mommy take care of things," he explained quietly. "And she talks to the baby every day."

The sadness in his small voice instantly tugged at Ivy’s heart.

"I want to help too," he added softly. "I want to protect you like Mia protects her mommy."

Ivy felt her chest tighten unexpectedly.

Sometimes Leo acted so mature that she forgot how badly he longed for a complete family like other children around him.

Then suddenly, his eyes became slightly watery.

"Mommy..." he whispered carefully, almost nervously, "can you give me a little sister?"

Ivy nearly died on the spot.

Her soul practically left her body.

For several seconds, she simply stared at him speechlessly.

How exactly was she supposed to answer that?

’Leo,’ she cried internally, ’your mother herself is emotionally unstable right now.’

Meanwhile, Leo looked completely serious about the request.

"I promise I’ll help," he added quickly, clearly trying to convince her. "I’ll even share my toys."

That somehow made the situation worse.

Ivy immediately pulled the blanket over half her face while trying not to panic.

"Leo," she mumbled weakly, "that’s not really something people can decide overnight."

Leo tilted his head.

"Then how long does it take?"

Ivy wanted to cry.

Why was this child asking such difficult questions before bedtime?

Carefully lowering the blanket again, she forced herself to stay calm.

"Having a baby is a very big responsibility," she explained gently. "It’s not something simple."

Leo looked thoughtful after hearing that.

Then after a moment, he quietly asked,

"Would Dad say no?"

Ivy instantly froze again.

Unfortunately, the image of Xander flashed through her mind far too quickly.

And somehow that only made her face heat up once more.

Leo immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Mommy," he gasped softly, "your face became red again," but Ivy could only cry mentally.

***

Meanwhile, after helping Ivy with the massage, Xander quietly left the mansion and headed toward Phantom’s headquarters along with Teddy.

The atmosphere inside the underground headquarters remained as cold and tense as usual.

By the time Xander entered the private office, Hunter was already waiting there with a file in his hand.

"Here are the details you asked for, Boss," Hunter said while handing the file over respectfully. "There’s barely any specific information about Raven Young’s past apart from the fact that she was supposedly an orphan raised by Hardley Morris."

Xander accepted the file silently and opened it. From what he heard about Morris Hardley earlier, the one who helped him to doom Kael’s plan was none other than Raven Young.

Hunter continued speaking from the side while Xander carefully scanned through the documents.

"We checked multiple records," Hunter explained. "But most of her early background seems unusually clean. Almost too clean."

That alone made Teddy frown slightly.

For someone connected to Hardley Morris, the lack of information itself already felt suspicious.

Xander remained silent while flipping through the pages.

Several photographs were attached inside the file.

One showed a much younger Raven standing beside Hardley.

Another captured her during what looked like combat training.

Even at a young age, the girl’s expression had looked unusually sharp compared to ordinary children.

Xander’s eyes lingered briefly on one particular photo.

Something about her felt strangely familiar, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Meanwhile, Hunter carefully observed Xander’s expression before speaking again.

"There’s something more to this."

Xander paused and slowly lifted his eyes toward him.

Hunter stepped closer before placing a file on the desk.

"Raven was seen with a man who used to be close to your father."

The moment those words left his mouth, Xander’s expression changed instantly.

His gaze sharpened.

"Who?" he asked coldly.

Without replying immediately, Hunter opened the file and slid several photographs across the desk.

Xander picked them up one by one.

The moment his eyes landed on the images, the atmosphere around him darkened noticeably.

One of the photographs clearly showed Raven standing beside a man wearing a cap and dark glasses.

Another image captured the two entering a private building together.

Xander’s fingers tightened slightly around the photos.

For years, he had been trying to locate that man.

A man connected to his parents’ deaths.

Someone who disappeared before the investigation could properly reach him.

And no matter how deeply Xander searched, he had never managed to find even the slightest trace.

Yet now—

That same man had suddenly resurfaced beside Raven.

Xander’s eyes lingered on the photo for several seconds before shifting toward another image of Raven.

His thoughts immediately turned complicated.

’If Raven was with this man... then why was she staying with Hardley Morris all this time?’

More importantly— ’Where is he now?’

The questions only deepened the uneasiness inside him.

Hunter quietly watched him from the side. Ever since the incident at the cliff, the entire situation surrounding Raven had become stranger.

It had already been days since Hunter shot her that night.

Yet despite all their efforts, there was still no trace of her anywhere.

It was as though she had completely vanished after falling from that cliff.

Not even a shadow of her existence remained behind.

"It’s like she disappeared into thin air," Hunter muttered grimly.

Xander remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on the photographs while countless thoughts collided inside his head. Then suddenly, another possibility crossed his mind.

And the moment it did, his expression darkened even further.