He seldom smoked nowadays because Rena never allowed him, but right now, all he wanted was a cigarette.

Pulling out a cigarette from the pack, he put it between his Lips and lit it. Then he turned his back on Leonel and smoked slowly in an effort to calm his turbulent heart.

After a while, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Leonel, you and Alexis are no longer married. Frankly, your actions deserve legal response. But for the sake of Evelyn and Daniel, I'll simply leave the decision to Alexis. However..."

Waylen paused so he could choose his next words carefully.

"From now on," he went on, “don't come to Alexis again, and don't come to my house anymore. Whenever you want to see Evelyn and Daniel, contact the butler. Arrangements will be made for you to meet them. I'm too old to bear the pain of losing any of my children. Once is enough!"

These words left Leonel feeling dazed.

He clenched his trembling fists so tightly that his fingers dug into his palm. He knew exactly what Waylen meant by those words.

The lost child he was referring to was none other than Leonel.

The pain caused by the statement came crashing over him like a tide, and he suddenly felt stiff all over. Even though his teeth were chattering like castanets in the wind, he still agreed to Waylen's instructions and promised not to show up in the house or disturb Alexis or their children anymore. In fact, he even promised to sign a permanent agreement relinquishing custody rights to the Fowler family.

While Leonel was saying all these, Waylen remained in the same spot, with his back to him.

His figure looked so lonely and desolate.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Leonel softly apologized.

Waylen stiffened when he heard this. But he didn't turn around.

Instead, he pulled out another cigarette from his pack. His fingers were trembling as he lit up the cigarette.

Leonel stared at him, waiting and expecting him to rebuke him harshly like he used to do in the past.

He even expected Waylen to slap or scold him. But all he saw was Waylen's calm and decisive behavior.

Not long after, Waylen left the study without another word.

Leonel remained there on his knees for a long time until his legs began to go numb.

When it was evening, the butler of the villa walked into the study, looking very uneasy. “Mr. Douglas, you need to go back," he admonished.

"Where is Alexis?" Leonel asked. "I want to see her."