Lucas met Alexander and Julia moments after they arrived in his office. While he was busy, he would always have time for his family.

    But then, Alex''s presence made it all the more important. The boy was no longer someone he could ignore.

    It was a situation that accurately described the statement: strength is king.

    No one could ignore someone who wielded power—political or otherwise.

    "Please sit," Lucas said when he entered, and Alex stood up. ''This is messed up.'' Lucas cried inwardly.

    As the father of Julia, he was supposed to act a certain way towards the man courting his daughter. But as someone who was outranked via strength, it complicated things.

    Lucas took his seat with Alex and Julia on the other side.

    "I won''t pretend to know what you went through during your absence, but I''m glad you''re back safe and sound."

    "Thank you, lord Lucas." Alex accepted his words with a warm smile. "It''s good to be back."

    He glanced at Julia as the two shared a smile with their hands connected to convey their emotions.

    Looking at the two, Lucas couldn''t help but be proud, eliciting a small smile from him.

    "Why don''t we head straight into business." He suggested and the two turned to him and nodded.

    "Good." Lucas muttered.

    He had another agenda he wanted to discuss with Alex but that could only happen after sending Julia away. For now, he needed Alex''s help.

    "You should have heard about Hunter Zol''s condition, correct?" Lucas asked as his gaze shifted to Julia.@@@@

    "Yes, I have," Alex replied. He could already guess where this was going as he had been thinking about it for a while.

    However, he still waited for Lucas to say what was in his mind. He might be wrong, after all.

    "Mm," Lucas turned his gaze back to Alex as he sat up. "I was wondering if there is anything you can do to help him.

    "Oh, then it''s fine." Alex accepted the suggestion. "Do you have any advice for me?"

    Alex''s sudden question caught him off guard. But he could understand where the boy was coming from.

    Alex had never seen the leaders besides on screen and the bit of information about their past achievements before rising to their positions.

    He was essentially going in blind and one wrong move, and they could brand him a heretic. Not that it bothered him.

    ''I can''t put the safety of my family at risk.'' Alex thought silently.

    "I''m not sure if this will help, but..." Lucas sighed and continued. "... a bit of humility can go a long way. I know you value independence, but you''ll be dealing with people in power.

    "They''ll be watching your every move, waiting for any excuse to label you as a threat. Choose your words carefully, show respect where it''s due, and make them see you as an ally, not a rival. That way, you''ll avoid unnecessary conflicts and still keep your edge."

    Alex listened with rapt attention as the words Lucas spoke were sound. If he appeared confrontational to the leaders, it could backfire on him.

    "Then again," Lucas added, cutting Alex''s thought process. "Don''t be a yes man either."

    He didn''t say more as that was more than enough.

    "Thank you, lord Lucas." Alex thanked him with utmost sincerity.

    "Haha... No problem." Lucas was feeling lighter than before, evident in his changed demeanour.

    For whatever reason, he was sure that with Alex, Zol would come out fine. It was an unfounded confidence, nevertheless, very reassuring.

    "Julia," Lucas suddenly called out a few seconds later. "If you don''t mind, I''d like to have another talk with Alex." He winked at her, making Julia blush in embarrassment.

    Alex pretended to have not noticed but he knew where this conversation was bound to go. ''There''s no point in delaying it either.''

    "Fine." Julia stood up, not daring to look at Alex and bolted away.

    Looking over his shoulder, Alex couldn''t help but smile.

    "Okay then..." Lucas spoke, drawing Alex''s attention back to him. "Let''s have a man-to-man conversation about my daughter."