Chapter 1444

His grandmother had moved to the mountains to meditate and clear her mind; the Lodge family lived too far away. Lily stared at Dominic. "So, you're saying I'm the only option?"

"I can bring him with me," she repeated, unwilling to appear forceful.

Dominic remained silent. He couldn't bear to reject her again, yet he needed to stand his ground. This child was nothing to him; his whereabouts were inconsequential. He thought, It's none of my business! Why should I care whether the child lives or dies? That little brat destroyed so many of my things, even pulled my beard! He deserved to suffer! The thought hardened his resolve. He clenched his fists, spat, and said, "Okay! You... can leave him with me!"

It was unexpected. Dominic couldn't simply let Lily expose the child to danger. Despite the boy's occasional annoying outbursts, he could also be quite endearing. Dominic felt manipulated, unsure what favor he owed mother and son, but he had no choice.

"You're such a kind-hearted old man. Thank you so much!" Lily coaxed. "It's a blessing for Galen to live with you. He has so much to learn from you."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever!" Dominic chuckled, shaking his head. This woman knew exactly what she was doing. She brought all his things here, planning to leave Galen with me before she even asked.

"Are you really going to Burnwken?" Dominic asked, considering the situation.

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "It's been ten days, and I haven't heard from Alex. Recently, the line seems to have been cut. I can't rest easy without going there myself."

"What can you do if you go there? If you encounter danger..." Dominic paused. "I know you know kickboxing, but there's a war on. They have artillery. You can't outrun a bullet, no matter how skilled you are."

Lily knew this, but Alexander's silence had her on edge. Dominic rubbed his forehead, sighing softly. This trip seemed reckless.

"What about this? Stay, and I'll ask an old friend to find out for you," he suggested, noting her distress. He'd known her for years, yet this was the first time he'd seen her so vulnerable. Lily had always been optimistic, unstoppable, but now...

Lily shook her head. "The Russell family is well-connected, but the communication problem is on their end. It won't get through. There's no news from the Burnwken branch; even headquarters is radio silent." She explained her efforts to manage the situation, telling company directors that Alexander had contacted her, despite the chaotic communications blackout affecting the telecommunication towers. His absence, however, would cause inevitable turmoil. Fortunately, the Russell family's conflict had preceded this; otherwise, the consequences would have been far worse. Alex... Alex, she thought. He's faced so many storms and survived; I'm sure he'll be fine.

The old man shook his head disapprovingly. "You youngsters, always depending on technology. Older people like us have our own methods. This time, I think they'll be more useful than yours!"

"What method?" Lily was curious.