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Chapter 004: Meet the Parents

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It should be noted that it was only natural for these politicians to be full of bravado and spunk, backed by cunning shrewdness and an unending desire to rise in power.

But it was rare for them to actually swallow their own bitter egos and endure humiliation to actually lower their heads on a junior just for the sake of sucking up at him.

Yet Howard Gregory did just that. And it was in a manner that's so humble, although it was obvious it was hard to be angry at him.

To him, it was better to swallow the bitter pill of his ego and to mend what can be mended, rather than offend a future promising figure.

The latter choice obviously has fewer benefits than the former so he did what he did.

—this guy is an expert at playing poker!

Rex landed on the realization and his former anger subsided, replaced by an incredulous look of bitter tasting blood from his earlier outburst.

"Rex Kingsley..." at this time, Amanda's mother is the one who spoke, "...I remember hearing your name being called by Little Ama-chan. Are you perhaps the one she took care of in the hospital when she was on her internship?"

Thinking about Amanda's earlier explanation in the matter of their house, it was now clear to him that this so called 'inheritance' was not a simple matter.

But he put the matter at the back of his mind, "Yes, ma'am. I was once her patient."

Amanda's father frowned, "Amanda. You do realize that what you did are against the code of conduct of your profession, is it not?"

"I am aware, dad." Amanda shyly answered but she did not let go of Rex's hand. "That's why as soon as I finished my internship I dropped all notion of going back to that profession. I am unworthy and a disgrace to the profession."

The father creased his brows but before he could speak a word, Amanda's mother walked over and embrace her child.

"Now, now... don't worry, love. Mommy's never be angry at you. You were only a young lady in love, and there's nothing wrong about that."

After she spoke, she turned around and winked at Amanda's father which made the man blush as he turned to Howard, coughing before he spoke.

"I really have to apologize at what happened at our house, Sir Howard, it's really a situation that's out of any of our imaginations." As he spoke, he gave a glance over at Rex. it was a glance that had many meanings in it.

Howard patted his nape, then said: "No worries, Sir Russell, because not even I have expected that when I came to visit you regarding official matters of your work, my nephew would actually be here as well to visit your daughter, who happens to already had a lover who also came to visit."

Their eyes were now directed at Rex and he felt as if his soul was shaking. He was calm in front of a monster, a devil, or any enemy, but this was his first time being stared intently by his woman's dad.

He did not even experienced this with his first girl, Samantha, who they came to Sweetzerland with an intention of introducing Rex to his dad, Alfred Pegasus... where all the mess in his life started.

"Well, I think I'll just visit you some other time."

"I'm sorry, Sir Howard, that I can't see you off."

Howard Gregory waved a hand and walked out of the gates with his bodyguards. Who knows if they will talk about Rex on their car or not but the man himself already has his mind on a different matter.

Right now, Rex was enduring the intense glare of a father —and not the man— standing there.

Earlier, he was still calm and his demeanor was one that Rex can adapt to. But right now, this gaze was so heated and so hostile that Rex felt like a mouse being glared at by a tiger.

Yes. Glared at by a tiger —not just a cat.

He could even swear he was hearing a growling noise coming from her dad's direction.

"Dear, calm down. You will scare him away."

Shaaaaaaa~~

—wh-wh-wh-what's that sound coming from his mouth? Why does it sound like some demon whose fire has been smothered by water?

Amanda's dad still had a silhouette of a shadow of that demon behind him but with her mother's very gentle urging, they were invited inside the house.

But on the way, every three or four steps, despite her dad's back being straight while walking, his head would seem to turn a complete 360 just so he could glare at him.

It was eerily creepy.

'Dads are scary.'

Rex thought. I hope when I get a kid, it would be a son and not a daughter.

It should be said that Rex's attitude depends on the person or the people in front of him.

When faced with an overbearing dickhead who do not have any reason at all to provoke trouble at him, "Siva" would always reciprocate in even more overbearing manner.

Faced with reasonableness and calm, equal footing on a matter, "Siva" would always accommodate the talk, even becoming generous enough that there's some chance for him to compromise on something.

Manners maketh man.

It was a principle dilled into his cranium by his dad.

But then again, the world is not as perfect as one imagines them to be. When a fuckwit throws a rock at you, you crush his skull with a brick; when the bastard still talks shit right in front of you, you pull his teeth out of his jaw.

Yet, of all the circumstances he'd experienced in his two lives before... then and now... this was the very first time that he felt really awkward.

Feet together, back straight. Neck tight, two hands to his thighs, Rex feels like a lamb on a chopping board in front of Russell, Amanda's father, while the mother, named Anna, was acting Gaia-ish —all her attention focused either on Amanda or to her husband who had a mustache and 'traditional' ego.

(AN: Traditional Ego = someone who is usual old fashioned and won't easily accept modern ways)

Earlier, he was aware that he had shown his fangs as a man to everyone. Now, however, he was not but a boy sitting beside a daughter, facing the man that will be his father-in-law in the not-so-very-near future.

As such, he could feel the pressure emanating from Russell's eyes... and he could feel that the silhouette of a demon was forming right behind the man along with the shadow over his face.

Gulp...

"Dad, please stop glaring at him!" unable to hold on her displeasure, Amanda pouted cutely and pointed that lip at her father.

There are only two sides here and the husband and wife were facing the two young lovers.

"Ara, ara... this is really troublesome."

Rex noticed it as well and asked, "Are you really going to marry Amanda to that Angus Gregory?"

"What if I am?" said Russell stiffly.

"Dad!"

Anna just sipped her tea while the other three was yet to even touch their cups.

"Hmp! Just because you are a son of the two most renowned scientists of the era doesn't mean that you will have the power to force things according to your wishes. In this world, strength isn't always measured by muscle alone."

Rex steeled his resolve and met Russell's eyes at point blank range, "I do not ask that you marry her to me at this instant, but I can assure you that she will be loved truly and dearly... and that if you are to choose me, I can at least make sure that she will be happy."

Amanda was truly touched by his words. Despite knowing that there was still Samantha somewhere in her man's heart, she was already satisfied being able to hear that Rex was this determined to have her as his woman as well.

The supposedly just a casual visit, has now turned into the most crucial part in a man and a woman's romantic relationship.

—it was now the talk of the future!

Amanda was panicking inside; Russell was having a hard time accepting this fast pace; while Rex is in a stupor as to how to properly convey is intention.

"Russ, why don't you just step back a bit? Our little Ama-chan isn't a small kitten anymore and sooner or later, you know that she will wander off the nest to find her mate. Shouldn't you be happy about it?"

Anna's words held double meaning but Rex just did not have the mental capacity to think over it. He just knew that Anna was giving him a chance.

Russell crossed his arms while still staring at Rex, his mouth twitched and then he closed his eyes as he heaved a long held breath.

"It's not that I want to control it. It's just that... even if I want to back off with the agreement and even if it was only a verbal promise, Senator Gregory was an adamant supporter of the firm and as soon as he saw Amanda when she was still in college, he had already asked me multiple times to let Angus, his son, court her and eventually marry."

—meaning, it will affect their livelihood if that so called Senator Gregory were to be dissatisfied with how Russell will deal with this issue.

It was indeed a tricky situation as it pertained to the livelihood of not only Amanda's family but also of the other employees in the firm.

But then again, why must it be Rex and Amanda that will make the sacrifice for the sake of just one man's pride?

Rex thought of the situation and then asked, "You said that it was to court her? Not immediately marry her off to him?"

Russell looked at him, "According to our promise in that day, it was strictly just allowing Amanda to be wooed by Angus. Whether he succeeds or not will be his problem. Of course, as much as I can help it, I really wanted Amanda to just go with what she wanted without any interference or influence from me or from any other person at that."

In the end, Russell is still Amanda's dad and he'd want nothing more than her happiness. He was still a doting aren't in the end.

"So the problem is just the manner of choosing?"

Russell eyed Rex with his left eye while the right eye was still closed, "That's right." then he closed both eyes before heaving another sigh, "It's not a matter of money, but it's a matter of honor. I don't want to renege on my promise, and I also don't want the firm to be affected by the Senator's mood when he gets the answer. It has been a year since Angus stated coming here and although Amanda was yet to even give out an answer, she has yet to even accept his wooing so this situation today has become a really troublesome matter."

Rex finally understood where the problem lay. It was him and Amanda's sudden announcement of their relationship, and even humiliating Angus who was supposed to be wooing his future fiancée.

At this point, Amanda spoke, "I've never liked him, ever since the first time I saw him. He's full of air, he's obnoxious, arrogant, full of complaints, treats me like an object he already owned, and he even looks at Alice as if she was someone that should belong to him! I hate the way he talks and I most especially hate the fact that today, he even insulted Rex's parents in front of me!"

Anna's and Russell's faces revealed looks of shock as they saw a writhing-in-anger Amanda clenching her fists while tearing up for Rex's sake.

It was obvious that this adorable angry look was a true sign of her emotions boiling.

"Mandy, you don't have to dwell in it. I've already taught him a lesson. In the future, he wouldn't be able to show himself proudly right in front of us ever again. If he dares to, it only meant that his skin is as thick and ugly as a jackfruit."

Rex calmed Amanda down and the intimate touch of his hand to her back once again aroused the demon behind the shadow of her father.

Those eyes were telling one thing —get your hand off my daughter!

Ehem...

Anna lightly coughed and with a curious smile, she asked, "Rex I want to know... how are your parents doing right now?"

Rex and Amanda had a complicated reaction to this question but Amanda didn't dare to answer it and only looked at Rex with an imploring look. She then extended her hand and held Rex's in it.

After a while, Rex exhaled deeply and said, "They are in a private hospital. The medications needed are really highly specialized ones that needed not only money and other resources to operate, but it also needed absolute secrecy because some of the procedures are yet to be clinically accepted, with a few equipment unpatented inventions."

Amanda's hand tightened while Rex's trembled as he pulled strength to lie at her parents' faces using her gentle touch.

He was really sorry.

Rex knew that he was drowning himself in morass with every lie he spoke. But is there a choice?

Must he actually tell them the truth that he plans to bring them back to life using a technology that was 200 years too advanced from the current Earth?

Disregarding the secrecy and absurdity of the high requirements for many fields for the deed, just the fact alone that he was trying to bring back the dead to life was already a morally and revolting thought, in fact —how much more when they knew that he was serious about it and is technologically capable of it, and that he only needs time to succeed?

Of course he couldn't tell them that truth. Thus, he could only lie... and apologize that Amanda was being forced to lie with him.

"You mean to say... until now, they are yet to wake up from the accident? But I've seen the news and the media channels... they all reported that your parents have... have died in the accident..."

Upon Anna's words, Rex's face twisted in hate and agony, "It was no accident. It was an assassination. That's why we had to hide the fact that my parents survived by spreading those news and making up those videos. It was for our security."

Russell frowned at him, "And so by telling us about it, you're pulling my daughter's feet down with you into the bog?"

"No! Dad, no... Rex wouldn't do that. He..."

"Amanda. You know that I seldom scold you and is tolerant for your freedom's sake. But I am still your father and I will NOT compromise your safety with anything else... even if it's to sacrifice your joy and happiness for it."

Anna stopped sipping her tea and only observed the situation in their household. Based on her silence, she was 60% in consent of her husband and 40% neutral, waiting only for further words to be spoken and exchanged in this meeting.

Rex bit his lips. He managed to make them believe and it was something good but he also knew that following them accepting this 'white lie' would be a fact he had to accept.

As none of these are planned for this supposedly just a normal visit, he knew that he had no choice but to go with the flow and only protect what must be protected.

Still, as his imagination grew, he also realized that by telling Amanda's parents about the truth about his parents' deaths, he would also incur instinctual protective tendencies innate to all parents to their children.

He wouldn't even be surprised if her parents now decide to split them apart.

"Young man. I am not stupid and despite not being an active youth myself, I am still aware that by you telling us about it, you are putting your and our safeties into a gamble... I can feel your rage thru your eyes and I can imagine that given how you're brazen and are rampant enough to look down upon even Howard or his nephew, a Senator's Son, with contempt and derision, you are planning to have revenge to the assassins of your parents. Am I right about this?"

Rex's fist trembled and his hand holding Amanda's tightened as he stared straight at her father's eyes.

"Yes."

"Amanda. Are you aware of the truth about this?"

She took a moment to inhale and said, "Yes." with a resolute expression.

Russell closed his eyes and inhaled deeply then he blew it through his nose, "Actually, I'm still not fully convinced by this entire façade but I know my own daughter and she wouldn't be mistaken by the simple lies of someone if there's no truth about it in the first place. In addition, I also knew that after the accident, you were placed at the hospital which she was serving her internship. You can't have possibly planned to lie to us since then..."

"Ama-chan, considering the time since the accident and the time that you've finished your internship, I can basically imagine just how long you guys have been going out."

Emptying her teacup, Anna continued, "I, as your bestfriend, really am happy that you've found your first love but as your mother, I can't say that I am really happy with this arrangement. If I have to be honest with it, I am really worried about you. Rex is a fine young man but his pursuit for vengeance will eventually burn him up and might even affect you and the other people who care around him. Do you understand my concern, Ama-chan?"

Amanda paled, tears started to form in her eyes while Rex continued to hold her hand, feeling for the first time that the reality of his situation was far, far too serious for ordinary people to be caught up with it. He actually forgot about it. Unlike him, the people around him have so much to lose and may never be as fearless as him.

He was yet to tell them about the enemies but her parents were smart enough to know that all those people who dared to kill the Kingsley Family and make it so that it looked like an accident aren't the typical mob of criminals walking in the streets.

If they have to use their imagination for it, it wasn't hard to think that these are syndicate-level criminal organizations that can easily crush a simple family of civilians like them.

He had truly underestimated the situation.

Realizing this, he suddenly had the thought to put a line between him and Amanda —at least until he can clear up everything that may endanger him.

But can he do it?

Thinking about it, Amanda's parents' words may not be different to how the others in Asgard were all feeling back then when he requested for them to compromise their safeties for his sake.

—how utterly fucking selfish of me...!!

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