Darryl stared at the garden for almost eternity. He was in the young master's bedroom right now and even though the door was unlocked, he knew he was not free at all. Body guards roamed around everywhere with a rigid instruction that the young master of the house shall not be allowed to go outside. Last night, when he arrived and went to Ziggy, the L Empire's men dragged him back to capital forcefully and locked him in the Lagdameo Marble Mansion, an estate in the capital where his family resides.

Soon, just as Darryl expected, the door of his room opened revealing an intimidatingly large figure of his father and with how the ambiance changed, he sensed an impending doom.

"Was I worthy of all the violence father?" Darryl welcomed his father with coldness.

"If you weren't that stupid enough to go that Manggan Island and subjected yourself to danger, then the violence should have never happened," Manuel replied with an impatient sound. With all the violence that took place when Darryl left, Manuel's conscience remained intact because for him, what he did was all for the sake of L Empire and the Lagdameo heir who was loathing him now for the casualty that took place all because he went missing.

"I though we had agreed you'll never intervene with my affairs before my 25th" Darryl reminded him of their deal without giving his father the benefit of his gaze, rather continued to skim into the garden he sees in the window.

"I told you I won't honor the agreement if you chase some random girls not worthy of you" He reasoned, fully determined not to honor their previous agreements. Manuel right then thought he had been lenient with him and that leniency led him to the controversy they had now.

"You can do nothing anymore," Darryl cut to his words coldly, turning around to face his father with an intensity that unnerve him.

"Try me," Manuel challenged head on.

"I already married her," Darryl proudly announced without any reservations.

A shock registered into Manuel Lagdameo's face. When the shock faded off, anger filled him but before he could do something violent to his own son, he shut the intensity running into his veins and swallowed it. He had to be careful on his moves around his own son because Darryl, unlike everyone else had ways a step further than everyone else. And right then, Manuel was afraid that Darryl had already came up with a plan to escape from him.

Manuel loosened up his tie and cleared his throat before he leveled Darryl's gaze. The latter could see his father's muscles in his neck and throat work as he forced himself back under control.

"A marriage conducted in a tribal setting needed to be registered in the local registry to have an effect. You might have married her in the island but still, in the capital, your status remains single unless someone registers your marriage in the registry and I will not let that happen," Manuel snarled at Darryl's face. "She's worth nothing in this country under my watch"

"She was more than worthy of anything," Darryl remained calm and distant.

"But you are not just anything and you now that" Manuel reminded him of the thorough reality he was forcing on him since the beginning, "You are the Lagdameo heir and you carry L Empire's future in your shoulder. We have thousands of employees depending on you. Do you know how far we behind CGC are for the last three months?"

"Being behind from CGC is not an end for L Empire" Darryl reasoned. He wondered by then if his father would even take time to deal with him if he was not the Lagdameo heir. For all he knows, his father only cared about business and everything around it, "Not everything is about compet.i.tions father"

"In business, compet.i.tion is a language and you must take it to heart, so you know your way around," Manuel lectured him right then using reasons that he knew Darryl will not bow onto.

"And that's why you dragged me back here?" He accused vehemently "Because the business is at risk and your position as the president is at risk"

"My position is what feeds our family" He was gritting his teeth when he heard him, and his face painted some hurt for the ungratefulness that he was not expecting from his own blood.

"Your position is what feeds your ego and not our family" Darryl replied, slapping some truthful words at his father that he refused to see

"I don't know how to handle you anymore Lemmuel" Manuel kind of retreated, but Darryl knew their argument was far than finish, "You became such a hard headed like your sister"

"You cannot keep me here," Darryl told him.

"I can or else there will be more violence," Manuel threatened and turned to call his executive a.s.sistant that was waiting at the doorway "Larry…"

"Yes President" His a.s.sistant answered in his usual tone as if he had not witnessed an intense father and son argument.

 "Send a word to the elders that the Lagdameo heir was sorry and he promised to not cause any ruckus that would put L Empire at stake" Manuel instructed, purposely making Darryl listen to his plans. "Send also a word to the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and tell them that the Lagdameo heir had caught a disease in the island so the bridge—"

"That the bridge shall be continued as I promise to deliver," Darryl cut him off immediately, refusing to head his father's plans.

"How could you still think about the bridge when L Empire is in great distress?" Manuel's attention turned back to Darryl.

"You needed me to bring back L Empire to the top, don't you?" Darryl confidently delivered with a face that was telling his father he had far better idea than Manuel had already thought off. "Then tell everyone I am going to continue the bridge"

Manuel didn't answer but only gave Darryl a look of antic.i.p.ation, his hazel eyes that resembles his son were still filled with anger.

"If I am going to discontinue the bridge then everyone will be upset and mock the Lagdameo heir for being incompetent" Darryl explained, his tone this time was like a professional adjudicator. "But if I will continue the bridge, then everyone's confidence for the Lagdameo heir will increase, L Empire is of great advantage"

"You needed the Chieftain's consent for that" Manuel was somewhat convinced. Darryl was right. For the last few years, the value of Lagdameo heir rocketed when the news about Puente De Amor broke out. Thus, his failure of completing it will come as a huge disappointment to everyone who followed him.

"Who said I didn't have consent? I didn't go there for nothing" Darryl revealed. "The Chieftain sent me here to finish the bridge"

When Manuel heard what Darryl had said, for a moment, he kind of admit his son's capability was more than he expected. With the revelation Darryl gave him, he immediately found relief for all their business struggles and allowing the Darryl to continue the bridge only meant one thing—L Empire will become the first corporation to make contact with the Manggan Island and that was far more than enough to keep L Empire on top again.

Manuel breathe out a satisfactory sighed before he turned to his executive a.s.sistant again.

"Larry schedule a conference, make sure a representative of the Ministry of indigenous affairs is present"