Stephen's jaw dropped. Darius sensed his anxiety and turned to look at him, but he couldn't say a word. Darius raised an eyebrow and cajoled, "What's wrong? Talk to me."

Stephen gulped and dropped his eyes to the floor. He said in a small voice, "I wanted to know whether everything's over. Is this all?"

Darius shook his head. "Of course not. It's just that we can deal with this later. The important thing now is that your father is about to be here. Are you ready for that? Do you already know what you're going to do when you meet him?"

Stephen's face turned red at his words, and he smiled. He saluted Darius and said, "Thank you, Darius. I'll use the rest of my life to make up for my mistakes. It may not be enough, but I'll do my best."

Darius didn't expect to hear this. He sighed, then shook his head with a smile. "Alright, then. I'll be waiting to see what you have to show." With that, he turned and left the banquet hall with Stephen trailing him. In the blink of an eye, Patrick was a