Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Xylander rules and regulations.
"Good one, man, good one," Alexander admonished as he wiped away the lone tear that had slipped from his eye after nearly an hour of laughing.
Daniel just watched him. He never understood why men in this city hardly laughed, as though it was forbidden. Xylander had only just started laughing because of him. Alex—well, that one was unpredictable; sometimes Daniel wondered if he was being manipulated by unseen spirits because his mood swings were unbearable. His cheerful moments could be just as aggravating.
Adrian, on the other hand, was a lost cause. Anything that hinted at happiness was a bane to his existence. That dark face and brooding expression suited him far too perfectly. If by any chance Daniel ever saw him smile, he swore he wouldn’t survive that day.
"Hmm... end of this laughter now, can we discuss why we’re still standing like night watchmen? Why is this goddamn door still locked?" Daniel asked. Alexander tried his keycard on it, but it declined again. At this point, they looked like homeless people begging for shelter.
Draven couldn’t help himself and giggled. Alex’s face instantly shifted to annoyance, just as Daniel had predicted, and he stood so stiffly someone could mistake him for a statue. His stoic face was worse now, as if he hadn’t been smiling just minutes ago.
Yes, there they were—the men in Daniel’s life, back to acting as if he had forced them to laugh earlier. He shook his head in disbelief.
"My legs, man—and Draven’s too. Remember, he isn’t well and was just operated on a few hours ago. So why are we still standing?" Daniel complained again. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he and Draven were suffering out here in the cold while those wretched fools inside—especially that old hag and his sister—were probably seated comfortably, enjoying a good meal.
Xylander, who had gone earlier to find a solution, returned looking even more crestfallen than before.
"Beautiful, seems like you’re finally being chased out of your home by your so-called ride-or-die family," Daniel mocked sarcastically, still holding on to Draven.
Xyle didn’t respond. He hadn’t expected them to go this far—to keep him locked out in this bitter cold, with the wind making sharper waves by the minute.
"So, since there are no options left, why don’t we go to my villa? It’s cozy and perfect for the four of us," Draven suggested.
Xyle blinked at him in disbelief. Injured or not, this guy was still talking nonstop.
"Hmm... staying in someone else’s house when mine is right here doesn’t sound too good," Xylander muttered.
"So me, that’s lodging here until I recover—am I a fool then? Or homeless?" Draven shot back, frowning. Xyle just gawked at him, refusing to answer.
Could these people ever be serious?
"Xylander, one question—can you make your family open the door or not?" Daniel pressed, cornering him. Silence. All of this was because of his grandmother’s stubbornness, and Xyle was done tolerating her behavior. Once he got inside, he wasn’t going to let this atrocious act slide—not ever again.
The group fell silent. Draven secretly didn’t want to go back to his villa anyway; compared to the boring quiet there, this place was lively, and here, he could actually be himself.
A sudden creak came from the door, snapping all four men’s attention to it. A ghostly face peered out, and Draven screamed so loudly that he leapt into both Xylander and Alexander’s arms.
Daniel stared at him in disbelief.
"Dude, aren’t you injured?" he asked, baffled. But Draven didn’t care about his legs—his eyes were glued to the shadowy figure.
"Really? Are you serious right now? Man, get the hell out of our hands," Alexander barked, pushing Draven away.
Draven tumbled down and staggered to a nearby wall. Daniel, meanwhile, tried to focus on identifying the face, though Draven’s noise wasn’t helping.
"Who the hell let a scarecrow in here? And that abominable face—ugh, even a dinosaur wouldn’t dare compete with you!" Draven rambled aimlessly. Whoever was standing there wore some sort of facial mask smeared with black substance, making their features look horrifying in the dark.
Clearing his throat, Xylander tapped Draven’s shoulder, urging him to shut up.
"The abominable face is my grandma," Xylander said flatly. Draven froze instantly, his mouth snapping shut.
Oops. So it was a woman. And here he had concluded it was a man.
"I—I apologize, sir—I mean, madam. Forgive me, woman, I thought you were a man," Draven stammered. The silence that followed was painful. Xylander shoved a handful of chocolate bars into his mouth before he could dig a deeper hole.
Daniel clamped a hand over his own lips to stop himself from rolling on the floor with laughter. What planet did Draven even come from?
"Who did you bring this time to insult me, Xylander? I wanted to teach you and your associates a lesson, but it appears a night out here won’t hurt," the old woman hissed, turning away. But this time, Xylander grabbed her arm.
"Not this time, Granny. And not ever again." He gently pushed her aside and walked past her. It wasn’t harsh, but Daniel couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to shove this woman down a barricade and let her tumble through the golden palace floors. Heartless, yes, but perhaps the perfect remedy for such an obnoxious hag.
Draven was appalled by the way she scolded Xylander. He wasn’t ten anymore—so why the harsh rules?
Alexander followed Xylander in, while Daniel seethed at being left behind, still holding Draven up. He was determined to settle this once and for all with Xylander’s family—such nonsense couldn’t continue.
"Doesn’t he know there are homes for grannies? If she keeps fussing like this, he could easily put her in one, pay the caretakers monthly, and she’d be well taken care of. Honestly, my patience won’t let me," Draven muttered. Daniel almost agreed, gripping his hand as they finally walked through the door, leaving the stunned grandmother outside.
Soon, Xylander had gathered the entire household. Even two additional guests—a teenage boy and girl, perhaps seventeen—were gawking openly at Daniel as though he were some kind of mannequin. Both were betas, typical of their parents.
So, not only were the granny and his parents still shamelessly clinging to his home, they had the audacity to bring in their children too. If shamelessness was a subject, these people would graduate top of their class.
"Sorry for not introducing my children. The mother-in-law of my husband Joseph is coming tomorrow, so I wanted to make it official then," Diane announced coolly, as if she had just achieved something extraordinary.
Maxine lounged on a couch like royalty, sipping her wine, eyes glinting as she watched Xylander.
He clenched his teeth, jaw tight, fists opening and closing repeatedly.
"Who owns this house, family? Can someone remind me—who owns this house?" he thundered, his voice reverting to the icy tone everyone feared before Daniel softened him.
"Am I speaking to humans? Because I don’t understand why my mother’s property—Evelyn Wolfe Estates and Company—which is rightfully mine, is being controlled by the rest of you. Even you, Granny. Have you forgotten where you lived before I brought you here?"
His chuckle was bitter, his head shaking slowly. He had reached his limit.
"Joseph, Diane—this place isn’t yours anymore. From now on, you’ll pack your things and move with your children to the back cabin. If you take even one more step into this mansion, I swear you’ll be permanently removed. One month—that’s all you have. Fail, and I won’t hesitate to sell you off." His words were cold as steel, and the entire room gasped.
"Grandma, you don’t hold the power you think you do. Maybe in the 90s, but not anymore. Any more complaints from you, and this house will be permanently closed to you. You, and you too, Maxine," he warned.
Draven smirked watching Maxine’s pride crumble. She sipped her wine nonchalantly, pretending not to care, but her ears were glued to every word.
"I called you, my so-called family. Did you answer? No. Because I wouldn’t marry that low-class whore, Nicole," Xylander lashed, his words sharp enough to cut the air.
Daniel gasped at the venom. Oh, hubby, you’re so sweet—give it to them back-to-back!
Unfortunately, Draven began to feel dizzy. He swayed and clutched Daniel before collapsing. Daniel snapped out of his daze, remembering Draven had only just left the hospital. He quickly turned to Alexander, who was leaning against the wall.
"Help me. He’s about to collapse," Daniel whispered.
"Thought you’d never ask," Alex muttered with a grin, hoisting Draven onto his shoulder and heading for the staircase. Daniel followed.
Xylander saw it but didn’t stop them. His attention remained on his family.
"This Xylander you know is no longer the same. Family cohabitation isn’t my thing. Leave my groom and me alone—or I’ll make your lives hell. Forget family; it ends when family threatens your life. A good family wouldn’t stoop to such despicable things."
"As for the locked doors—Alexander has hacked the monitors. I now control every lock in this house. Try me again, and face the consequences. Tomorrow, my rules begin—starting with you, Aunty." His glare lingered bitterly on his sister and grandmother.
Such people—he once called family. What a pity.
He stormed out.
Rachel burst into tears, and everyone rushed to her side. Maxine pretended to console her, though it was plain her interest was fake.
"My grandson... my only grandson has gone astray because of that man’s influence. He dares talk to me this way because of his fellow man—his... his groom! Lord, who did I offend? From being a homosexual to this... no, he’s gone. I have finally accepted—my grandson is no more!" Rachel wailed, crying herself into exhaustion. No words of comfort could reach her. Xylander’s declaration echoed in her mind like a cursed mantra.