Under the Veil of Night

Bzzt.

When the other three noticed that their communication devices turned on, they poured their attention into it. It had been so peaceful lately that they had completely forgotten about it. Was there a problem now?

As Shiro's and another man's voice came out of the device, they were stunned.

"Tom, are you there?"

"Tom?"

Both Kanae and Jason asked nearly at the same time. They could guess that somehow Tommy's father had made his way to Shiro's clinic, trying to ask about his son.

"Yeah, I'm here," Tommy's voice was indifferent. If anything it was slightly cold. For someone who played and joked around all the time, the serious and cold tone didn't suit him. It was as if he had transformed into a completely different person.

"Do you want to listen?"

"Fine."

Tommy stood up when he heard his father—no Rod—utter the name of his two children. He had seen the boy, Lucas, before when he was young. He looked like him but was around 6 years younger. However, the boy looked very happy.

He motioned to the other guards. "I'm going out for a while. I'm not on duty right now, right?"

"Got it, don't take too long, Brat."

"I understand."

Traveling in Black Street, it only took him a matter of minutes to reach Shiro's clinic. He still could hear Rod and Shiro conversing with each other. When the little girl's voice sounded in the communication device, he could feel his heart squeeze in pain slightly.

"As I thought, he only loves money."

"Tom…"

"I'm fine," Tommy responded coldly. "I'll just confront him for the last time in my life. The scum that left me to fend for myself and never cared for me at all."

If that man wanted to, he had many chances to meet with him in the past. He and his mother didn't move from their old residence at all. But that man never came. He just enjoyed his life with the wife that he married for money and didn��t care for those whom he left behind.

He raised his hand to the door but then paused.

Rod was inside. If he wanted to, he could see that man.

"My wife divorced me yesterday, so I just thought that I should check up on him before I leave the city," it was at this time that he heard the man's voice from the listening device.

Tommy frowned at the door. It took him a few seconds before he decided to open the door roughly.

Bam!

"Ah, there's a patient here?" Tommy acted nonchalantly as if he didn't recognize the man in front of him. The similarities in their features only became clearer as he grew up. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, it was the truth that his biological father was there, standing right before him.

Shiro looked at Tommy. "Did you get into a fight again?"

"You know how the street works," Tommy just shrugged. Because he had fought yesterday for training and for work, there were several bruises on his arms and face. It made him look like a little punk, not that he wasn't one.

Rod stared at Tommy for a few seconds. The striking resemblance they had with each other was too clear to be ignored. He coughed with his first before his mouth as he gathered his courage to speak up.

"Tommy."

Tommy flicked a glance at the man. "How do you know my name? Do I know you?"

"I'm…." Rod wanted to say 'your father' but the words seemed stuck in his throat. He had left this boy for over a decade. Saying that he was his father seemed to be a little presumptuous. He didn't have the right to call Tommy his son anymore.

After he left him when the boy was five years old, he had lost the right.

"I'm just a stranger passing by." Rod settled with his words. "You seem used to fighting."

"Yeah. I live in Black Street, so I have to make do with what I can," Tommy replied nonchalantly.

"Are you living well?"

"I am."

Shiro checked Tommy's wounds and was surprised at the way they were treated. The medical team in the Ainge Clan was really good if they still can spare time for a small guard like him.

Well, it was possible that Alice ordered her doctors to take care of Tommy, though.

"I see."

Rod could see that Tommy didn't want his father in his life. From how Tommy treated him as a stranger, he could guess that Tommy didn't regard him as his father anymore.

'I'm the one who didn't want him first, so it's to be expected.'

He wanted his first wife and first son to accept his decision and let him be happy, but he had also never cared for the two of them anymore. Turning his head to his little daughter, he called her.

"Lyna, let's go back."

"Yes, Daddy," Lyna replied coquettishly. She ran over to her father as her large eyes looked at him questioningly. "Are you sick too, Daddy?"

"No, I'm fine."

As Rod handed back the thermometer, Lyna shifted her attention to Tommy. Her large eyes looked at the young man as she pulled his sleeves.

"Big Brother."

Tommy froze when he heard that. He looked at the young girl as he mustered his strength to reply. "What is it?"

"Band-aid!" Lyna took out a band-aid from her small pouch. Her small arm pointed to her left cheek, at the location where there was a scratch on Tommy's cheek. "For your wound."

"Lyna!"

Tommy was stunned by this young girl's care. It looked like she had a good life with her family. He stretched out his hand and accepted the band-aid. He patted the girl's head. "Thanks. You're a good girl."

"Hehe," Lyna giggled and ran to her father.

Rod flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry and thank you for everything, Doctor. I'll leave the payment here."

The man picked up his daughter into his arms and walked out the door. Tommy no longer looked at them as he focused his attention on the band-aid in his hand.

"Tom, are you daydreaming?"

"I'm not," Tommy retorted. He put the band-aid in his pocket. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Even after his divorce, he's still very rich," Shiro flicked the wads of cash on the table. He must have investigated before, so he knows that you used to come here a lot in the past."

It was not a secret that Tommy often got involved in fights and came here to tend his wounds. In Black Street, there were only a few good clinics, including Shiro's. There might not be a lot of patients, but there were still quite a handful every day.

"Why do you think so?"

"He gave his surname on purpose and mentioned his children's names," Shiro yawned. "The fact that he told me his past shows that he's desperately trying to find you using his newfound wealth and power."

"I don't want him to," Tommy pursed his lips. "He has abandoned me once. I don't need him to find me just to abandon me again."

"I know."

Shiro patted Tommy's shoulder. "Since everyone is here, let's go have some fun."

"Everyone?"