In no time, Alpha Kilian arrived upstairs with the food.
Observing the scene, Tony promptly rose from his chair, making way for Alpha Kilian .
The latter approached and arranged the food on the bedside table. Seeing this, Nelly met his gaze and asked, “I'm not too hungry yet. Can I eat later?”
Alpha Kilian had already taken the bowl in his hands, his gaze locked on her. “What do you think?” he countered.
“Of course, we can do that!” Nelly responded confidently.
“How about you guys?” Alpha Kilian inquired, shifting his attention to Tony and Ben by his side.
Seeing this, both of them shook their heads simultaneously.
Alpha Kilian redirected his attention to Nelly , asking, “Well, what about now?”
Nelly took a quick look at both of them, her mind pondering any additional words that could be offered. Presently, the trio had aligned themselves together, sharing a common stance.
“If Donna were here, she'd definitely be on my side!” Nelly murmured. A sudden recollection crossed her, prompting her to gaze at the boys. “Speaking of which, where is she?”
“She's probably still sleeping in the room,” Ben said. “Should I call her over?”
“No need. She must be tired from playing. Let her sleep,” Nelly intervened.
Right then, Alpha Kilian carefully lifted a spoonful of oatmeal and gently guided it toward her lips. “Are you up for some food now?” he inquired.
Nelly observed the situation, a slight frown forming on her brows. Just as she was gearing up to voice her protest, Tony took the lead, stepping forward and saying, “Eat up, Nelly !”
Nelly 's gaze shifted downward to inspect the bowl's contents, and with a reluctant sigh, she finally relented, “Okay, fine!”
With those words, she reached out her hand, signaling that she would take the bowl herself.
Nevertheless, the man insisted, “I'll feed you.”
“I'm not a patient; I can manage it on my own,” Nelly stated, attempting to take control. However, Alpha Kilian skillfully evaded her attempt.
“Just take it as me wanting to display our affection.” He showed no signs of going along with her intentions.
Nelly paused briefly, comprehending Alpha Kilian 's intention. She cast a sidelong glance and responded, “With the kids around, it wouldn't be appropriate, would it?”
Tony 's gaze remained fixed on the bowl before Nelly . The contents were a combination of foods known for their nourishing and blood-enriching properties. A suspicion started to take shape in his thoughts, causing his brows to crease.
“Tony?” Ben 's voice called out to him from the side.
Tony snapped back to reality and turned to look at his younger brother. “What's wrong?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing much.” Tony shook his head.
“Maybe we should give them some space,” Ben suggested with a raised eyebrow.
Just then, Tony 's attention shifted to Nelly and Alpha Kilian . Nelly was also locking eyes with him.
After a brief pause, Tony nodded in agreement.
Observing the dynamics, Ben swiftly interjected, “Enjoy your meal, Nelly We'll give you some privacy and check in on you later.”
Nelly nodded. “Okay.”
Thus, with Ben by his side, Tony exited the room.
Once the door was shut, Ben let out a sigh, casting a concerned look at the preoccupied Tony . “Tony, what's up with you?”
An inexplicable heaviness settled in Tony 's heart, and his eyes threatened to fill with tears. Yet, fearing Ben might catch on, he struggled to suppress his emotions.
“What are you talking about?” Tony asked, feigning nonchalance.
“Of course, I'm talking about you. What's going on? You seem preoccupied, and you and Dad both seem weird,” Ben inquired.
Tony paused briefly, his gaze instinctively shifting toward Ben . He recognized that if he didn't provide some explanation, Ben might start piecing things together.
With these thoughts in mind, Tony hesitated for a moment before speaking, “It's just that seeing Nelly lose so much weight all of a sudden has been bothering me. But don't worry, it's not a big deal!”
Ben , too, furrowed his brows, his expression reflecting concern. “You're right, there's definitely something off. Even if Nelly wanted to lose weight, she wouldn't have shed so much all of a sudden,” Ben remarked, then added in a soft murmur, “And honestly, when has Nelly ever been the type to worry about her appearance?”
Worried that Ben might continue probing, Tony quickly intervened, saying, “Okay, stop overthinking things. It's getting late, and you should grab something to eat!”
“Aren't you going?” Ben looked at him.
“I've already eaten.”
“So early?”
“Yeah, and if you don't go now, there won't be anything left!”
“Want to join me for another round of eating?” Ben raised an eyebrow.
“No way!” With that, Tony swiftly headed to his room.
“What are you going off to do?”
“Take a nap,” Tony said without looking back.
Observing his retreat into the room, Ben couldn't help but release a resigned sigh before making his way downstairs.
Upon entering the room, Tony found himself overcome with tears that welled up in his eyes. Leaning against the door, he attempted to suppress his emotions, yet the more he struggled, the more his tears flowed uncontrollably.
He knew that his sense was right. The sense of unease that had persisted from yesterday until now had finally crystallized into understanding.
In just a matter of days, how had things taken such a turn? No wonder Nelly 's calls had been dwindling lately...
Each time he recalled the days when he had been absent, and Nelly had suffered from the torment of the poison, Tony 's heart ached in waves.
Nelly .. If only I could bear all the pain and suffering for you!
Tony crouched on the floor, allowing his emotions to flow freely.
It was unclear how much time had passed.
After releasing his pent-up emotions, Tony gradually felt a sense of relief from the suffocating sadness. He realized he couldn't remain in that state forever. He needed to come up with a plan and gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
With this determination, he wiped away his tears, composed himself, and then left the room.
After careful consideration, Tony concluded that the only potential breakthrough was Spencer. Following his decision, Tony made his way to the laboratory. Standing outside the door, he took a deep breath and finally knocked, bracing himself for the conversation ahead.
Despite his repeated knocks, there was no response from inside the laboratory. Growing concerned, Tony was on the verge of pushing the door open when a noise suddenly caught his attention from behind.
“Looking for me?”
Tony turned around, only to find Spencer standing not far behind him. In the span of a few days, Spencer had grown noticeably haggard.
The words that Tony had intended to ask suddenly seemed to catch in his throat at that moment.
After a while, the boy nodded. “Yeah.”
Spencer met his gaze, seemingly able to deduce something from Tony 's expression. He approached, opened the door, and simply said, “Come in.”
As Tony stepped inside, Spencer instructed, “Close the door.”
The boy did as he was told.
Spencer seated himself at his desk, methodically donning a pair of gloves, as though he were preparing to resume his work.
Observing this, Tony took a seat across from him and remarked, “It's been a while.”
Hearing this, Spencer raised his gaze to meet Tony 's and remarked, “I didn't expect that as your opening line.”
The boy was rendered speechless.
“Have you seen Nelly ?” Spencer asked.
The mention of Nelly conjured an image of her frail form in Tony 's mind, prompting an uncomfortable sensation to prickle his nostrils. Nonetheless, he managed to suppress it and merely emitted a subdued hum in response.
The subtle quiver in that single hum didn't escape Spencer's notice. He pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on Tony . With straightforward candor, he spoke. “If you have questions, fire away.”
Tony 's reddened eyes were fixed on Spencer, his emotions clearly evident. Trying to hold back his emotions, he managed to form the question, his voice wavering, “Will Nelly .. be okay?”