Tristan didn't say anything at first. He just bent down, checked the temperature of

the water glass, and when he felt it was still warm, handed it to Steven. "You need to take it easy. Don't stress so much, and try not to lose your temper all the time."

Steven took the glass, his face looking a little better, but he still frowned. "What happened to your face? Did you get into a fight?”

Tristan watched him take a sip and shrugged. “Yeah, I got in a fight.”

He said it like it was nothing, totally unbothered. "It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it."

Steven's frown got even deeper. "Who did this? And why? What happened?" He looked like he might go out and confront someone himself.

Tristan just shrugged again. “Grandpa, seriously, you don't want to know."

Steven's eyes narrowed. "Who was it?"

Tristan took the glass from him and set it down on the coffee table. He said the name like it was no big deal. "Andrew Lane."

Steven's whole face went stiff. "From the Lane family? The one in Riven?”

Tristan picked up Emily's birthday present, acting like nothing in the world could bother him. "Yeah."

His attitude only made Steven more irritated. The anger was clear in his eyes. His voice dropped low. "You're not someone who acts without thinking. Tell me why you got into a fight with Andrew Lane."

Tristan leaned back against the sofa, acting casual. “Grandpa, trust me, you really don't want to know why."

That just made Steven even more anxious. "Tell me."

Tristan's eyes drifted to the TV, where the news was playing. He tapped his fingers on the gift box, the sound filling the silence between them. "You don't need to know. I'll figure it out myself."

Steven's frown didn't let up. "And how exactly are you going to do that? This isn't just anyone. It's Andrew Lane. Offending him isn't going to do you any favors."

Everyone knew the saying: Lane

family in the south, Davis family in the north, Both families had been around for generations, rich and powerful. They didn't cross paths much, since they were far apart and rarely did business together but people always talked about them in the same breath. For families like theirs, it was always better to keep things civil than to start trouble.

Both families had weathered a lot over the years. Making an enemy out of one could mean serious problems. That's why the Davises and the Lanes kept their distance, not exactly friends not exactly rivals. It was the safest way to handle things.

Steven got it, and so did Tristan. But just because Tristan understood the politics didn't mean he had to like Andrew Lane.

He looked tired, almost bored. “So what if it's Andrew Lane? If he had any sense of decency, he wouldn't care about something like this."

Tristan might have all kinds of issues with Andrew Lane, but he also knew Andrew wasn't the type to mix business and personal stuff. He wouldn't go after the Davis family just because of a fight. Besides, the Lanes were dealing with the Isabella Austin scandal right now?Their stock prices had taken a bit, and Andrew was probably too busy to even think about anything else. The Davis family was just as powerful as the Lanes anyway. If Andrew wanted to do something, he'd have to think carefully first.

Steven wasn't about to let it go. He'd always been careful, believing it was better to

be safe than sorry. He had to know everything. He looked straight at Tristan, his

voice serious. “Tell me the truth. Why did you fight him?"

Tristan stood up, clearly ready to leave. "There's really nothing to say. If I told you, you'd just get so mad you'd end up back in the hospital.”