Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 238: Slap



During the evening at the Pandora household, Rowan had a heated debate with Marcus and Liora.

"I'm only here to give Kian and Lila some advice before they start their new journey," Rowan said evenly, his hands on the table. "That's all. I want to help them."

Marcus sneered.

"Help them? Or manipulate them? What, are you planning to drag them down with Genova's mess?" He crossed his arms, his voice dripping with disdain. "They don't need your so-called help. Their talent got them scouted by a famous agency. They're going to be celebrities, Rowan. They've got no time to waste on someone like you."

Rowan's eyes flicked to Liora, who sat in the corner, her hands clasped loosely in her lap. She hadn't said a word since the argument started, her expression distant and drained.

Rowan's voice softened as he addressed her.

"Do you still think like that, Madam Liora? After everything?"

Liora stirred slightly, looking at him with tired eyes. There was a faint flicker of something in

her gaze, a crack in the icy wall she had built around herself. But she said nothing.

Marcus scoffed.

"Don't bother. She's not interested in your pity party."

Rowan ignored him, looking only at Liora.

"Please. For Kian and Lila's sake. Listen to me."

"I'm tired," Liora murmured, standing slowly. "I think I'll go to bed."

Rowan's jaw tightened.

"Madam Liora, this is important. You've made mistakes before. Don't let those same mistakes affect Kian and Lila."

Marcus's face turned red with anger.

"Enough! You don't get to lecture us. You're not family, Rowan. You don't belong here anymore."

Unbeknownst to the adults, Kian and Lila were pressed against the door, listening intently. They exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to make of the heated exchange.

Rowan let out a slow breath.

"I've only ever wanted to guide them, protect them while they were at Genova. Now that they're leaving, I can't do that anymore. The least I can do is make sure they start off right. But that depends on you." He looked between Marcus and Liora. "The attitude of parents shapes the future of their children. It's your responsibility to support them without dragging them down with your bitterness. Don't put them on the same tourments as Eratz."

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"Bitterness? You're talking about responsibility? Don't make me laugh. That Eratz said it himself. His parents are Cassie and Roger, right? He's not related to us anymore."

Rowan flinched, visibly hesitating. He opened his mouth, stammered, and closed it again, struggling with the weight of what he couldn't say.

"I... you have no idea..."

Marcus smirked.

"What? Cat got your tongue suddenly? What could you possibly say that matters here? You can go to Hell now, and bring that guy with you too. The Pandoras are the people in this house who worked hard for our life. We don't accept strangers."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Rowan's patience snapped like a taut wire. His voice rose, booming through the room.

"And you think you've done more than him, Marcus? You think?"

Marcus froze, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

Rowan's voice shook with anger as he continued.

"Eratz is the reason your precious Kian and Lila even have this opportunity. He's the one who pulled strings to get them into Genova in the first place. He's the one who asked us to enroll them! And This famous agency? They're only interested in two rookies because they are his siblings, HIS siblings, you understand that? Everything you have now is because of him! All your hope is thanks to him! You think you've done more than him?"

The room fell into a suffocating silence. Rowan's words hung in the air like a hammer, the weight of the truth bearing down on everyone present.

For a moment, it seemed no one could breathe, let alone speak. Only big eyes fixed on the old

man.

Marcus stood frozen, his face pale and twisted in a mix of disbelief and fury. His hands trembled at his sides, clenched into tight fists as if holding back an explosion.

"You... you're lying," he managed to choke out, his voice weak and unconvincing. "That's not true. It can't be true."

Rowan didn't back down. His eyes burned with frustration and disappointment.

"Why would I lie about this, Marcus? To hurt you? To humiliate you? No. I'm saying this because someone has to wake you up! You've been blind to everything Eratz has done for this family. You pushed him away, and still, he cared enough to ensure his siblings had a chance at a better future. He sacrificed his pride for them, for you! The parents who abandoned him!"

Marcus stumbled back a step, shaking his head violently.

"No! That's a lie! I don't buy it! He's not family. He said it himself! He made his choice. Don't twist everything in your favor!"

"Enough!" Rowan roared, his voice echoing through the room.

"This isn't about your pride, Marcus! This is about Kian and Lila! They deserve better than the bitterness and neglect that pushed Eratz away. You want to deny him? Fine. But don't you dare deny the truth of what he's done for them. For you."

A sudden, sharp gasp broke the silence, and all eyes turned toward Liora.

Her hands flew to her mouth, trembling as if they were struggling to contain the raw, overwhelming emotions surging through her.

For a moment, she simply stood there, her wide eyes darting between Rowan and Marcus, her

shock palpable.

Then, as the weight of Rowan's words truly sank in, her knees seemed to buckle beneath her, and she collapsed into the chair behind her.

Her hands remained over her mouth, muffling the anguished sobs that began to spill out. Her shoulders shook violently, each breath a struggle as the tears flowed freely down her face. "W... What?" she gasped, her voice breaking into a desperate cry as she swayed on her feet. "He did... He... still there for us? I thought... he... I thought he didn't..."

Her knees trembled, clutching the armrests as if her body might give out entirely. Her breath came in ragged, uneven sobs, each one heavier than the last.

"Marcus..." she whimpered, turning to her husband with pleading eyes. "Marcus, what did we do? What did we do?"

Her voice cracked again, and her gaze shifted back to Rowan, tears streaming down her face.

"Eratz... Marcus... Eratz!"

She doubled over, as though the weight of her own grief might crush her, her hands clawing at the edge of the chair.

Her words dissolved into incoherent sobs as she buried her face in her hands, her body

shaking uncontrollably.

Marcus's bravado faltered as he glanced at his wife. Her reaction shook him, but his own stubborn pride refused to let him process the truth fully.

He turned back to Rowan, his face hardening again, but his voice lacked its previous venom.

"Even if it's true... what does it matter? He... he's gone. He chose to leave."

Rowan stepped forward, his tone cold.

"I see somehow why this family is such a mess. You abandoned him, Marcus. You and Liora. And now you're at risk of doing the same to Kian and Lila. Is that what you want?" Behind the door, Kian and Lila stood motionless, their faces pale. Kian's fists were clenched at his sides, his mind racing with the revelation.

Lila's hands covered her mouth, her eyes wide and filled with tears. Both of them felt as if the

ground had been ripped out from under them.

"W... What?" Lila whispered, her voice trembling.

She couldn't finish the sentence, the confusion too overwhelming.

She looked at Kian as to confirm what she heard, but her brother had entered a new world.

Kian swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. His eyes were intense, but he said nothing and he turned away, unable to face the door or his sister.

The sound of Liora's sobbing grew louder, filling the room with a haunting sense of regret.

Rowan stood tall, his shoulders heaving from the emotional weight of what he'd said. "This family doesn't need more division," he said quietly but firmly. "You're the only one who lost the meaning of a real family, and despite the distance your son is still doing a bigger service to his siblings than you. You have a chance to make things right. Don't waste it." Marcus said nothing, his gaze fixed on the floor. The boastful man looked small and broken, his pride unable to shield him from the truth any longer.

Rowan's words had left a mark, and though he would never admit it aloud, they had struck

deep.

Kian and Lila stepped back from the door, their hearts heavy with conflicting emotions.

The truth had shaken them to their cores, leaving them unsure of what to feel or how to move

forward.

For the first time in years, they questioned everything they thought they knew about their family, and themselves.