“Grab that soup and come upstairs with me!"

The two men ascended.

Waylen headed straight to the study in search of his precious daughter. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by the unmistakable scent of smoke.

He stood still.

Alexis was equally frozen, as was Leonel trailing behind Waylen.

It seemed Alexis had been smoking after dinner.

Quick on her feet, she opened the window to disperse the smoke.

"I just lit a few sticks. I didn't smoke much, really."

Positioned in the doorway, her father interrogated, "And how do you explain the extra person living in your home?"

Alexis leaned against the window.

Her smile emerged.

“Leonel injured his hand. I'm looking after him.

It's sibling affection. You should be pleased, Dad!"

Waylen wasn't buying her excuses.

Just as he was gearing up to say something, Leonel approached, lifting a photo from the desk.

It captured a moment from his past with Alexis.

In it were sixteen-year-old Leonel and Alexis, their smiling faces an unwelcome reminder of how challenging it would be to rekindle their connection.

The study was filled with a heavy silence.

Finally, Waylen spoke up.

"You two aren't kids anymore. If you want to be together, do it properly. Don't mess up to the point that we can't even be family!"