His Devious Rule

Zane pursed his lips and looked at the tall human who was staring at him. He felt the ache in his neck as they were standing too close and their height was the earth and the sky.

Meanwhile, Alvin was never so confused in his whole life as much as he was while facing the adorable yet stylish little boy. The little boy had the same gray eyes like his mother and there was no fear in those bright eyes but the tinge of annoyance.

Somehow, Alvin had written in his mind that Anya\'s son is a baby because she is always called him a baby. He had forgotten that the baby is five years old, he walks around and knows how to talk.

Zane had black hair that reached his eyebrows. It was styled messily, making him look like a lazy and mischievous boy. Excluding his eyes, Alvin didn\'t find much resemblance to his mother on his face. The little chubbiness of his cheeks did remind him of Cute Chubby Anya Owen.

Zane was wearing a brown high-neck sweater layered with a trendy gray warm jacket. Jeans and ankle-length shoes completed his whole look. Alvin was impressed by the little boy\'s looks.

However, he was frozen with numerous thoughts going wild in his mind.

\'Should I greet him?\' Alvin never really greeted anybody vocally first except Bernard and his maternal grandfather. He always ignored people. He couldn\'t bring himself to ignore the little tot who was intently gazing at him.

\'How should I greet him?\' He was confused about what to say to a little kid. He didn\'t realize the kid was not greeting him either.

\'Should I introduce myself?\' He knows who the little guy is, but the latter doesn\'t know him.

\'He is just a kid. Is that required?\' It was his first time handling a little kid.

\'What if he asks for his mother?\' Again bitterness filled his heart recalling how she left him.

He focused back on the little gentleman she was proud of, \'What if he cries without seeing Little Donut?\' He heard kids always cry.

The questions went on. He thought to enter inside the mansion and close the door when the autumn cold air grazed their skin. But he felt like the young boy was the owner of the house and the owner is yet to permit him to enter the house.

Shortly, they heard an anxious, aged voice of a lady, "Zane, don\'t run around like that, darling."

Alvin saw the little boy look towards the living room and looked back at him again. The little gentleman\'s annoyance erased and nodded at him, "I am sorry mister for bumping into you." Although Zane judged the man in front of him, he didn\'t forget to be polite as he was in the wrong to run that way.

Before Zane could lift his head, two hands reached out from behind and carried him to the arms. Alvin looked at the lady who was uneasy while smiling apologetically at him.

Catalina Owen was in his forties. She had a soothing beauty and one could say Anya got her looks from her mother. Catalina was wearing a simple knitted midi dress layered with a long jacket. Her long brown hair was tied in a low bun. She looked as simple as Anya\'s style in the past.

The Little Gentleman immediately spoke in his stern voice which was still a soft baby voice to the ears, "Grandma, put me down. Don\'t tire yourself."

Before he could complete it, another pair of hands carried the little boy as another apology reached Alvin\'s ears, "My grandson was a little excited and didn\'t see you. We apologize for the inconvenience." The early fifties man who had gray eyes, politely spoke while facing Alvin.

Alvin\'s eyes shifted from the lady to the little boy who obediently stayed in the arms this time. He was a bit stunned hearing Zane and how he cared about Catalina. Then Alvin\'s eyes shifted to the man who had salt and pepper hair.

Dennis Owen was in his early fifties. Unlike the cold, cunning men Alvin always faces, Dennis was a calm, thoughtful-looking man. Though he wasn\'t in luxurious clothing, his presence naturally brings respect.

Alvin had seen the three in pictures and looked at them directly for the first time. The couple seemed to be finely aging and still loved and protected each other just by looking at the way Father Owen stood next to his wife.

If Alvin recalls correctly, they looked just a little aged in these five years. However, their politeness and gentle appearance were unchanged. Unlike the people, he was meeting while in the Matthews mansion, the kindness on this couple\'s face was apparent.

Slowly but surely, Alvin\'s awful mood, cold air around him reduced. With three pairs of anticipating gaze, Alvin stood like a handsome sculpture, carved to perfection.

"Bro…" A lively voice pierced the silence. Linus alighted the steps as he introduced, "Mr. and Mrs. Owen, and Little Champ, he is my brother, Alvin Matthews. Ms. Owen\'s friend. We are at his place right now."

Alvin noticed the couple\'s expressions turn complicated at the introduction.

Linus continued without noticing it, "Bro, they are Ms. Owen\'s parents and her baby boy." He reached out to pinch the cheek of Zane who evaded him easily.

Alvin finally got his voice as he stepped inside, "Mr. Owen, Mrs. Owen." He paused and looked at the little boy who was watching him. Zane\'s gaze was like he was judging Alvin\'s every movement, expression, and word. Somehow that made Alvin a little conscious. "Zane Owen." His voice was neither cold nor warm, neither welcoming nor uninviting.

Zane was a bit satisfied with being addressed by his name. He didn\'t like to be called little by anybody but his mother. He greeted Alvin, "Mr. Matthews." As if copying Alvin, Zane sounded distant too. But Alvin and Linus knew that distant tone belonged to Anya.

Catalina and Dennis faintly smiled at Zane who doesn\'t act like a boy of his age. He often sees his mother greets and meets people of a high profile so he copied the same.

Anyway, uneasiness seemed to elevate after it. Zane\'s eyes wandered outside in the hopes of seeing his mother but met with disappointment.

Alvin, who caught sight of luggage near the door, realized the Owen family was waiting for Anya in the living room. "Mr. and Mrs. Owen, Little… Anya has some work." He randomly guessed, "She will be here by night. Why don\'t you rest inside?" Alvin was confident Anya would soon try to reach her parents and baby boy and rush back.

Although Alvin asked, his question didn\'t need a response. His indifferent voice was oppressing, demanding them to do as he said. His indifferent face held no softness or he tried to put on a smile so Catalina and Dennis were a little wary of him.

Alvin turned to Linus and instructed him, "Linus, show them the guest room." He wanted to scold Linus for leaving them downstairs but refrained himself in front of the Owen parents without his awareness. He never did that in front of Matthews or Collins.

Catalina and Dennis looked at each other. They wanted to go to Anya\'s house but Linus insisted and brought them to this extravagant mansion.

How could they be comfortable there?

They wanted to refuse Alvin\'s offer but the man closed the door and went inside while Linus kept insisting them to rest in a room and not to worry about Anya.

How could they not worry when the newspaper, news channels, and the internet were writing and saying odd things about their daughter?

Their relatives were saying rubbish about their daughter and mocking them by saying that they didn\'t only let Anya have a baby out of wedlock, now she was corrupted and wicked to steal something right under the nose of the President of the country.

Those things indeed made them worried. Zane cried for hours trying to speak with Anya. But they didn\'t care about all that. They trusted Anya more than the words out there. All they wanted was to see their daughter, safe and sound.

So they rushed back and Linus brought them in a private jet. They accepted his offer because they had seen Linus with Anya and Linus assured them Anya hadn\'t stolen anything. Rather she was keeping everything safe for the goodness of the country. Thus they are back in the country, unwillingly waiting in the Oasis mansion.

Linus settled the three in the guest room that was prepared for them.

Catalina sat on the bed, rubbing her forehead. There was a tinge of annoyance in her for these unexpected events but the worry exceeded everything.

Zane saw his grandfather going towards the balcony when he came out of the bathroom. He ran behind Dennis and tugged his pants. The latter carried him to his arms and heard Zane speak in a low voice, "Grandpa, I have never seen or heard Mr. Matthews as Mommy\'s friend. Why can\'t we go back home?" He was uncomfortable at somebody\'s place too.

Dennis faintly smiled at Zane who was homesick and needed his mother more than anything. From the behavior of Linus, Dennis was smart to guess Anya\'s villa might not be safe due to news spreading around.

Instead of answering Zane, Dennis asked back, "Tell me something, you have met President Collins before. Do you think he is a good man?" He didn\'t go out, he sat on the armchair with Zane on his lap. His question was to judge Linus Collins and Alvin Matthews.

Zane first nodded his head, then confusion clouded his eyes causing him to shake his head, "Mommy told me once that we don\'t need anybody\'s pity just because I don\'t have a father. But Grandpa Collins seems to sympathize with me. I don\'t like that." He promptly responded.

Dennis chuckled hearing him. He doesn\'t understand how his grandson could remember everything his daughter says.

While Dennis successfully kept Zane\'s mind at ease, Catalina couldn\'t be bothered with the two. She was tired of telling her husband and daughter to treat a five-year-old as five. According to her, Zane should just play, eat and learn simple things. He doesn\'t have to know that the world pitied him for not having a father.

Being questioned about his father, Zane was keen about how people looked at him, who laughed at him and who sympathized with him. Anya and Dennis closely observe Zane\'s reaction to different people so they just try to make him mentally strong to face people who question him about his father.

Shortly, Sophie, the housekeeper knocked on the door and entered inside as per the instructions of Alvin. Her main task of the day was to make the Owen family feel at ease.

….

In Alvin\'s bedroom, Linus ignored Alvin whose face was dark as coal as soon as he noticed Linus inside. "I was expecting Ms. Owen to come with you. Where is she?" He couldn\'t ask that in front of the Owen family. Hence he barged inside.

His question triggered Alvin.

"Harper Johnson is the one who spread the news of Ms. Owen. We are trying to suppress her news. Thankfully her photo isn\'t revealed." He reported the status, "Oh yeah, somebody erased every detail about her. Who did it?" He questioned if Alvin had any idea of it.

Alvin didn\'t do it. He knew Anya had no time for that. So Alvin was annoyed that he knew nothing about her. "Get out." He growled.

Linus felt his heart jump to his throat. Patting his chest, he ignored Alvin\'s temper and asked, "Where did you leave the Young Mommy?..." His eyes widened, his brother won\'t leave the Young Mommy, rather… He gasped, "Did she escape from you?"

Gritting his teeth, Alvin grabbed Linus\'s collar and threw him out of the bedroom. He slammed the door and locked it. He didn\'t want anybody to remind him Anya escaped. Yet he couldn\'t believe he was worried about her safety.

Linus would have been shocked if he wasn\'t kicked out. So he was least bothered about Alvin\'s behavior. He realized his guess was right and Anya pissed off his brother. He slapped his forehead, he had expected to see Alvin and Anya together as a couple.

\'Doesn\'t going through danger bring people closer?\' He sighed.

He didn\'t want to see his brother walking, working, and living as dead again. Unfortunately, nothing and nobody excited Alvin except the Young Mommy.