Alexis kept her eyes on her father, whispering, “Let him, Melissa. He's what Dad's talking about."

The vibe in the room was very awkward. Everyone was in on the charade but Alexis had made her call. They all had to play along, though it felt wrong.

Rena was worried about Alexis. "Splash some water on your face. You look beat."

"Sure," Alexis agreed.

Then the two of them slipped into the bathroom, shutting the door.

Rena's voice wavered as she asked, “How's this helping your Dad? And what about you?"

Alexis dabbed her face with warm water.

She paused and then said, "It's just two months. Leonel swore he won't trap me afterwards. I trust him on this. Mom, I had no choice, no clarity. Dad's life was hanging by a thread and I couldn't just bank on his decency. What if he really refused to donate his blood to Dad if I rejected him?"

Rena's heart sank.

Though her bond with Waylen was once shaky and their kids were really that lucky when it came to matters of the heart, they still had sense. Only Leonel was reckless like a moth to flames.

Alexis squeezed Rena's hand.

“I want to give Leonel one last shot to truly realize there's no going back for us," she murmured.

It'd be best for both if Leonel let go and set Alexis free.

They chatted a bit. Rena fretted over the newborn and she urged Alexis to head home for some rest. "There are too many injured and sick people here. You just had the baby. It's not good to stick around too long."

“Sure, I'll leave after a bit with Dad," Alexis agreed.

As Alexis stepped out, Waylen and Leonel were deep in chat. Melissa peeled an apple for Waylen. Since she didn't really have a dad, she treated Waylen Like her own. They clicked.

Surprisingly, Waylen and Leonel weren't discussing Alexis.

Waylen calmly rambled about the Exceed Group and why he had ditched law for it.

And, as for Leonel, he was just listening, looking as cool as a cucumber.

He wasn't dumb. He caught Waylen's drift.