Under The Veil of Night

Lucas couldn’t run too fast, but Kanae and Kevin were patient. The house that Lucas brought them to was a rundown. It was not really a good place for a kid to stay, yet the boy was smiling happily.

"I stay here after mom is taken away."

"Your mother?" Kanae frowned. She didn’t know much about their mother since she didn’t investigate that deep into Tommy’s background. In addition, Tommy never acknowledged them as his family members anymore, so she didn’t care about them.

It was only today that she decided to meddle as she couldn’t Rod’s behavior

"I’ll find out in a bit," Kevin took out his phone. "And I’ll buy some food for them."

Kanae nodded. "Thank you, Kevin."

"No need for thanks, you’re my fiancée."

She had the feeling that Kevin was slightly bragging with the word ’fiancée’ today. He seemed to love it so much. Kanae pushed down the thoughts as she looked at the two children in front of her. Lyna was still sleeping while Lucas was dragging a large sheet from the cabinet.

"Whose house is this, Lucas?"

"This is an abandoned house," Lucas replied. "There’s no one staying here, so I can use the place for free. Please put Lyna here. You must be tired."

"I see," Kanae placed Lyna on the large bed sheet. Even if she was not tired, it would be inappropriate to hold the young girl all day. Besides, she needed to make a call.

"So, why do you help us, Big Sister?" Lucas raised his head, looking at her with his pair of large eyes.

Kanae smiled. "I’m friends with your big brother, and it’s only a coincidence that I passed by today."

"Big Brother? Big Sister means Brother Tommy?"

"You knew?" Kanae arched her eyebrows. She thought that Rod would surely cover up his past relationship because it was not truly something worth bragging.

Lucas nodded his head. "Father blurts it out when he’s drunk once, so I know that I have a stepbrother. However, I have never met with him."

"Do you want me to call him?"

"Eh?" Lucas looked at Kanae worriedly. "Will it be okay? Won’t he hate me because I take away his father?"

"Don’t worry, he won’t be angry at you because of that scum."

Recalling Rod, Kanae wished she had given him a few more beatings. That one punch didn’t seem to be enough to vent her anger at that man’s behavior. However, she decided to just let the matter drop as she wished to just let him ruin himself.

With his rude behavior that only seeks women for their body and money, he would be killed soon.

"Alright then," Lucas agreed after hesitating a bit.

Kanae took out her phone and made a call to Tommy. Surprisingly, the young man picked up his phone right away.

"What is it, Kanae?"

"You’re quick to answer."

"I have been wishing for my phone to ring."

Kanae could guess that he was subjected to a load of work after his return to the hidden clan’s headquarters. As paperwork was never his forte, Tommy would definitely try to find a way out of his predicament.

"You should come to Black Street XXXX no XX."

"Why?"

"There are two people who you might want to meet," Kanae looked at the two children. "And you better hurry."

"Why are you so secretive..."

Kanae hung up before Tommy could finish his words. She noticed that Kevin had returned with a small paper bag filled with steamed buns. "Thank you for buying them."

"They must be hungry."

Kevin handed the buns over to Lucas, who greedily munched on them as soon as he got the okay. He proceeded to stand near Kanae while his hand was holding his phone.

"His wife comes from a rich family and supposed to be the heir of a business. She’s engaged to a man, but she refused and married Rod Malady. As the result, a lot of people in the family hate her. Since she’s still the legal successor, she inherited the business, but recently, there was a scandal about her.

They get divorce because Rod can’t stand to be dragged with her scandals. The company is going bad, so her family chose to sacrifice her. I heard that she died in the prison not long ago."

"Oh, she’s quite a poor woman," Kanae said plainly. There was not even a trace of pity in her eyes.

Kevin didn’t ask. He knew that Kanae didn’t like that woman. Even though she was quite pitiful, it was her mistake in the first place to seduce a man who was already married. Moreover, it was hard to see the positive points in Rod Malady considering that he had neither looks nor money.

She must have been blind.

Bang!

"Why are you calling me without telling anything beforehand..." Tommy’s words paused when he saw the two children on the bed sheet. The boy has just gulped down another piece of the steamed buns and was looking back at Tommy with his large eyes.

The two of them have similar features that one might even mistake them as twins if not for their difference in their build.

"I think you should introduce yourself to one another," Kanae broke the tension and clapped. "Right, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Kanae and this is Kevin."

"I’m Lucas Malady," Lucas stood up and bowed politely. It was the kind of behavior one would expect from a noble family.

On the other hand, Tommy was still standing in his place with a dazed look. He had long tried to forget about this boy and the young girl. Even though they didn’t do anything wrong, he still didn’t like them too much because their existence would only remind him of the pain.

The pain from his childhood when their mother used to push his own mother to the end.

"Tommy?" Kevin’s voice woke the young man up from his daze

Lucas gritted his teeth. "It’s okay. It’s not like we’re that close too. There’s no need to stay here if you don’t wish to do so, Brother Tommy."

The soft tone of the young boy made Tommy recall his own childhood. Being despised because he was fatherless and his own mother not acknowledging him as his son was painful. It was as if his own existence was something that the world detested.

"I’m Tommy Malady," Tommy chose to speak up in the end. "Why did you end up here?"

"Why do you care?" Lucas frowned. He locked his gaze to Tommy for a split second before tearing his eyes away. "Forget it, it’s not important. Mom and Father have divorced. Mom is in prison while Father remarried someone rich and powerful."

Remarry.

That word hit Tommy’s heart the most. He sighed to himself and turned to Kanae. "Captain, is it possible to find a way for them to stay?"

"You’re still calling me as Captain?" Kanae was amused.

"Well, technically, the group is not formally absolved."

"Right. I can’t let them stay in the clan, but I can think of another place for them to stay."