Saving the Villain

"My, my! What a surprise! Haha! Who would have thought that my dearest friend would ever invite me for lunch?"

Conrad's face nearly scrunched at the loud voice of the approaching Maynard as if they were the only people in the restaurant. Maynard approached their table with arms wide open while Conrad's gaze slid onto the young man walking behind Maynard.

Asher.

"What a treat! Well, I guess, since we're growing old, you're having a soft spot for me," humored Maynard, taking a chair across from Conrad.

"It's good to see you again, Mister Blac. I hope you've been well." Unlike the shameless Maynard, his son bowed and politely greeted Conrad before taking a seat.

Observing Asher's mien and Maynard left a huge question in Conrad's head. How could this young man be so exceptional and smart while Maynard just never grew older? But then again, having such a childish father, it wouldn't be surprising if the child had to mature early.

"It's a good thing your son didn't take after his father," said Conrad to Maynard, making the latter frown.

"Hey! What the hell?" Maynard gasped in disbelief. "Did you just invite me for lunch just to insult me right in front of my son?"

"I am complimenting your son," Conrad argued with a plain voice.

Maynard's frown grew deeper, realizing it seemed he would never win against Conrad with a battle of words. "How can you always twist my words, eh? Is that a talent?"

Like usual, Conrad and Maynard bantered with the latter doing most of the talking. It was as if they just continued where they left off the last time they met since they just kept pressing each other's nerves. Meanwhile, Asher, who was also at the same table as them, remained silent.

It wasn't Conrad's intention to touch a matter that Asher was very sensitive to right now, and Asher was aware of that. However, his hand under the table still trembled. Asher clasped his fist to stop it from shaking, maintaining a meek countenance while his father and Conrad bantered.

"Son, what are you having?" Asher's brows rose when Maynard shifted his attention to him, asking what he wanted for lunch. "Pick whatever you like and make sure it's expensive. It's his treat."

'Since when did you become an opportunist?' was what Asher wanted to ask his father, but bit his tongue to stop himself. If this was before, those would have flown out of his mouth, but Asher felt like standing on thin ice.

At any moment, he could lose everything. The life he had, the family he grew up with, and everything. That thought alone that came along with the truth never let him sleep peacefully at night. Even at this second, Asher had felt restless.

"I'll have whatever you're having." Asher sported a short smile.

"Okay. Then, we'll have this and this and this…" Maynard shamelessly ordered almost everything on the menu; some were for takeout, shamelessly telling Conrad it was for his people.

Conrad didn't mind, though. He was a little used to Maynard's antics. With that being said, they had lunch together, catching up over lunch. They mostly talked about business matters and the status of their company, the change in the economy, and possible future business ventures. From time to time, Conrad and Maynard would talk about anything random.

Listening to his father and Conrad's conversation, Asher couldn't help but notice. He had already noticed it before, but he was still amazed at their relationship. Maynard and Conrad might be different in many things, but whenever they were talking, it was obvious why they got along.

It might not be obvious on the surface level, but Maynard and Conrad get along well. And how they got along was because of their differences in personality and business outlook.

When the lunch came to an end, Asher excused himself politely.

"Take your time, son." Maynard flashed his son a wide smile, watching Asher nod without saying a word. As he watched Asher walk away with a smile, his brows rose when Conrad suddenly brought up a topic he didn't see coming.

"Are you looking for Stella?" asked Conrad without beating around the bush, making Maynard look back at him with shock written all over his face. "Maynard, it's been almost two decades since you broke up. You now have a family of your own, two wonderful sons, and a successful career. Why are you still holding on to someone in the past?"

There was a moment of silence that fell on their shoulder after Conrad's remarks, staring at each other quietly.

"How did you know?" was the first thing that came out of Maynard's mouth. "Are you spying on me?"

"No. Someone just told me."

"Someone?" Maynard cocked his head to the side. "Who?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does matter, since this is a private matter, and knowing someone knows what's up is a huge deal for me."

"And causing problems for your son is not?" Conrad returned with the same cold tone. "I do not want to disclose how, but it was an unintentional incident. After all, I have a security agency and people meet people."

Conrad tapped his index on the table. "I brought this up because I am concerned about you… no, not you, but I'm concerned about your son. Luke is Cosette's dear friend, and that boy had been amazingly striving. Nothing good will come if you dig up the past and bring it to the present."

"Let the past stay where they were and where they belong," he added solemnly. "Let the things stay where they were and move on. That's what I'm saying… and advice I could give as a friend."

Maynard just stared at Conrad for a while before he lowered his eyes, letting out a short laugh.

"Move on?" he lifted his eyes and shook his head. "How can I move on from something that, until now, haunts me? Stella… I didn't even have a proper talk with her —"

"Because you sent Rocco to prison for a crime he didn't do." Conrad cut him off mid-sentence. "Attempted murder. You put your friend behind bars just because he released his anger for ruining his life."

"He killed my wife."

Conrad kept a stern expression while staring Maynard straight in the eye. "You… don't even believe that, Maynard. I will not go through this matter since it already happened and I don't think it's something I should meddle with, but you should stop blaming someone for something you did. And just stop. Focus on your sons and the Quinn Holdings. That's the best for everyone."