The moment the Maybach stopped, Leon unfastened his seat belt.
“We’re here.”
Jasmine nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”
She climbed out before almost jogging toward the station entrance.
Leon followed several unhurried steps behind.
The police station bustled with activity despite the late hour.
Phones rang.
Officers hurried between desks.
The scent of paper and disinfectant lingered heavily in the air.
The moment Jasmine entered, she immediately spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench in the corner.
“Vin!”
The young man looked up. A purple bruise decorated the corner of his mouth, while dried blood stained one sleeve of his jacket.
His hair was messy. His expression was stubborn.
But the moment he saw his sister, his tense shoulders finally relaxed.
“Sis.”
Relief flooded through Jasmine as she hurried over to him.
“What happened?”
“I’m fine.” He tried sounding casual. “I just got a few punches.”
She reached up to inspect the bruise on his face. “You call this fine?”
Vincenzo scratched his head sheepishly.
“I’ve had worse.”
Before she could lecture him, a nearby officer approached carrying a stack of documents.
“Miss Gallo?”
She immediately stood. “Yes.”
“The procedures have been completed. Please sign here before taking him home.”
She accepted the clipboard.
Just then, another officer noticed the man walking in behind her.
The female officer blinked, then blinked again.
Her face changed instantly.
“Si...Sir.”
Every nearby officer subconsciously straightened their backs. Respect immediately replaced casual professionalism.
“We’ll process everything immediately.”
Even Jasmine noticed the astonishing efficiency. She glanced curiously toward Leonardo.
Just how influential was this man?
After handing back the signed documents, she was asked to wait briefly while Vincenzo’s belongings were returned.
As she walked toward the reception counter, Leon quietly changed direction.
Instead of following her, he headed toward Vincenzo.
Vincenzo immediately became alert.
Who was this man?
Judging by the reactions around him, he was obviously someone important.
Leon stopped before him, his expression remained calm.
“You got into a fight?”
Vincenzo frowned cautiously. “Yeah.”
“Were you hurt badly?”
He shrugged. “My bruises aren’t serious.”
“What about the other side?”
A grin slowly appeared on Vincenzo’s face.
“I didn’t lose.” His eyes sparkled with youthful pride. “I landed more punches than they did. They had four people and I fought all of them.”
“That fucking Dante...” Vincenzo snorted. “I punched him right in the face.”
For the first time, a trace of amusement surfaced in Leonardo’s usually indifferent eyes.
Of course he already knew the people Vincenzo had fought with.
“Did you now?”
Vincenzo nodded proudly.
“He deserved worse.” Leon added.
Silence lingered. Vincenzo suddenly wondered if he’d said too much.
Was this man connected to Dante?
Should he apologize?
Before he could think further, Leon praised
“Well done.”
Two simple words made Vincenzo stared blankly.
“Huh?” He genuinely wondered if he’d misheard.
This terrifying-looking man...was praising him?
His brain nearly stopped functioning.
“You don’t think I was reckless?”
Leonardo answered evenly. “Being reckless and putting people in their place are two different things.”
Vincenzo looked at him as though seeing an alien.
Everyone he’d spoken to since the fight had criticized him.
His aunt had called him useless. The police had lectured him.
Even strangers had shaken their heads.
Yet this man actually praised him.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, Vincenzo suddenly liked him and he got more curious about Leon’s identity.
*******
The West District Police Station buzzed with the steady rhythm of ringing telephones, clicking keyboards, and officers coming and going with stacks of case files. Although it was well past sunset, the building remained brightly lit, its fluorescent lights casting a pale glow over the polished floors.
Jasmine had just handed the signed paperwork back to the officer when she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Everything is in order,” the officer said with an apologetic smile. “You can take your brother home.”
“Thank you.”
As she turned to retrieve Vincenzo’s belongings, she noticed Leon standing several steps away, his hands tucked neatly into his trouser pockets.
He wasn’t speaking, he was simply watching.
Calm and detached, as though the noisy police station had nothing to do with him.
At that very moment, a middle-aged officer hurried out of a nearby office.
The stars on his uniform identified him as the deputy chief.
The moment his eyes landed on Leonardo, his expression changed dramatically. His back straightened instinctively.
“Sir Leon.” His voice was respectful enough to make the surrounding officers look over.
The others lowered their heads in greeting again.
The deputy chief walked over briskly, extending both hands politely.
“I wasn’t informed you were coming today.”
Leonardo accepted the greeting with a slight nod. “I came to collect someone.”
The deputy chief smiled. “May I ask who?”
Leon’s gaze shifted toward the young boy sitting on the bench. “The youngster from my family.”
The deputy chief immediately followed his line of sight.
His eyes settled on Vincenzo. Understanding dawned on his face.
“Oh!” His smile widened. “He’s a member of the Madrigal family?” He walked straight toward Vincenzo, his tone instantly becoming much warmer.
“You’ve had a fright tonight, Young Master. We’ve already dealt with everything. You may go home now.”
Vincenzo blinked.
Young Master?!
The deputy chief continued, apologetically. “I’m deeply sorry the police brought you here without checking first.”
Vincenzo stared at him as though he’d suddenly started speaking another language.
Woah.
When did he become so important?
Before he could explain, the deputy chief had already turned back toward Leonardo.
“If we’d known he was your family’s young master, this misunderstanding would’ve been resolved much sooner.”
Leonardo didn’t bother correcting him. When he had said “family” he meant from his wife’s sister.
Since the kid seemed important to his new wife, and he did quite a commendable thing today so Leon was regarding Vincenzo as family now.
“It’s okay.”
The deputy chief nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, Second master Madrigal.”
Vincenzo slowly turned his head toward Leonardo.
His expression was one of complete disbelief.
Second Master Madrigal...
There was only one Second Master Madrigal in Spain.
From the Madrigal family. The wealthiest and most influential families in the country.
Even someone his age had heard countless stories about them. The Madrigal Group dominated industries ranging from finance to real estate.
People said a single sentence from the Madrigal family’s second young master could determine whether an entire company lived or died.
And this man was him?
Vincenzo swallowed hard.
Then another thought struck him like lightning.
This man...wasn’t he supposed to be engaged to his eldest sister?
Maliyah.
The arranged marriage between the Gallo and Madrigal families had become common gossip within the household.
His mom had boasted about it countless times. If this was truly Leon, why was he standing beside Jasmine?
His eyes darted suspiciously between the two.
Something wasn’t adding up. Not even remotely.