Chapter 141

Grayson was startled by the sudden shout. But it didn’t end there.

“Move!”

Dane didn’t explain at length and immediately shot up and ran out.

“Dane!”

Grayson, flustered, immediately chased after him. Dane crossed the hallway at a terrifying speed, and when he reached the stairs, he threw himself down.

“Dane, it’s dangerous!”

Grayson shouted in a panic, but it was a waste of worry. He jumped down to the landing in one go, ran a few big steps, and then jumped down to the next landing again. Grayson’s eyes widened. He had witnessed such a scene once before. In a nature documentary he saw as a child, a lion that had been starving for a week ran like that when it spotted a lone, isolated baby gazelle far away.

As if there wasn’t even enough time to step down the stairs one by one, Dane moved to the landings in succession and reached the hall in an instant. When he finally set foot on the first floor, he momentarily lost his balance and staggered, but soon regained himself. And he immediately sprinted towards the front door, leaving Grayson, who had only made it down about half the stairs, behind.

“Wait, hold on! Ashley Miller! Mr. Miller!”

He threw the door open and shouted, and Ashley, who was just about to get into his car, turned around. His eyes slowly widened, seemingly surprised to see Dane Striker looking at him from beyond the open door, panting.

“What…”

Ashley, raising a hand to stop the bodyguard who was trying to block him, stared at Dane. He waited silently, fixing his gaze until Dane came down the stairs and stood before him. As if asking what he had to say.

“Tell Station Chief, to, besides other things, to stop the Community service.”

At Dane’s request, Ashley frowned and opened his mouth. But before he could speak, Dane continued.

“Just forget what Grayson said.”

Ashley’s frown slowly smoothed out. He quietly looked at Dane, then the corners of his mouth slowly lifted. Ashley Miller said with a strange smile.

“Why should I listen to you instead of my son?”

“Because Grayson is mistaken.”

Dane replied immediately. How many people would have the nerve to confidently say that your son is wrong in front of his father? Especially to Ashley Miller, who is already considered no different from the president in the world.

Look at this.

Ashley slowly stroked his chin. He stared at Dane, and soon Grayson appeared. Dane, following Ashley’s gaze, glanced and found Grayson standing on the front steps.

“Grayson, you say it.”

“Huh?”

Dane called my name!

Grayson was surprised and widened his eyes. It wasn’t ‘Miller,’ it was ‘Grayson.’ He blinked blankly at the unbelievable fact, but Dane scowled and gestured with his eyes. Grayson came to his senses a little at that expression. Not knowing the situation, he looked back and forth between Ashley and Dane, and Ashley opened his mouth.

“This man is telling me to ignore your request and only listen to him. What should I do?”

His voice was mixed with a faint smile. Ashley Miller was clearly enjoying this situation. It seemed as if he was enjoying holding the leashes of Dane and Grayson. Of course, the leash was just about whether or not to do Community service, so it felt very trivial.

Meanwhile, Grayson’s mind was very complicated. The impulse to run wild at the fact that Dane had called his name for the first time, the reason that he had to be unconditionally calm in front of Ashley Miller, and the worry of figuring out what Dane, who was glaring at him, wanted and listening to him were all mixed up, making it difficult to come to a conclusion.

Ugh, he groaned and chose one with difficulty.

“Please do as Dane wants.”

Putting aside all his impulses and worries and making a decision for Dane, Ashley looked at his son without a word.

“Are you sure? Really?”

Grayson nodded at the question asked after a pause.

“Yes, it’s okay because what Dane wants is what I want.”

“I see.”

Ashley was inwardly impressed by his son’s another side. Maybe really…

“I will.”

Ashley, who readily answered, now asked Dane.

“Anything else to say?”

“No.”

Ashley’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Dane, who answered briefly.

“Thank you.”

He threw out the words that Dane should have said sarcastically, but Dane just blinked blankly. With a face that said he was annoyed to death.

Ashley shook his head as if he was dumbfounded and got into the car. Immediately, the bodyguard closed the car door and scattered in all directions. Then, the first car started, followed by the vehicles moving in order. And this time, peaceful silence finally came.

“Haaaah.”

Dane stretched and yawned as if he was now alive. Grayson blinked as he watched his back as he strolled away, wondering where the speed from before had gone, and hurriedly chased after him.

“Da, Dane, Dane!”

Grayson shouted in an excited, high-pitched voice.

“You called my name earlier, didn’t you? Huh? You called my name!”

Dane looked ahead and asked back nonchalantly.

“Did I?”

“You did!”

Grayson protested, feeling wronged. Grayson continued to pour out words, going back and forth between Dane’s side, back, and front, who was still walking nonchalantly, grabbing the handrail of the stairs and moving his steps awkwardly.

“You called me Grayson, you called my name! Not Miller, Grayson, right? You called my name, didn’t you? From now on, you’re going to keep calling me Grayson, right? You can’t call me Miller! There are six more Millers in our family! So you have to call me Grayson.”

“Seven.”

Dane suddenly spat out. Grayson, who was talking excitedly, paused and blinked, saying, “Huh?” Dane explained with a face full of annoyance.

“Five siblings besides you, Ashley Miller, Koi Miller. That’s seven.”

“Ah.”

Grayson, who seemed to realize it late, exclaimed and soon explained.

“Daddy doesn’t use the surname Miller.”

“Why?”

Dane paused at the unexpected words. Come to think of it, he seemed to have said a different surname when they first met. Grayson said to him, who was wondering.

“Well, he uses it sometimes, but he says the name Niles is more comfortable. He’s used to it, and I heard it’s better when he’s working.”

Well, that makes sense.

Dane easily understood. The name Miller was too common, so it would be difficult to associate it, but it would be more free to use his own name. Come to think of it, Dane suddenly remembered a fact he had forgotten. Joshua was also using his own surname as it was. Probably for the same reason.

Marrying into an overly famous family isn’t easy either.

Dane nonchalantly moved his steps again. Thinking that it was none of his business anyway. Grayson, who immediately followed, chattered beside him.

“I’m going to change my surname to Striker when I get married.”

Dane’s eyes widened at the sudden declaration. When he turned around with wide eyes, Grayson, who finally met his gaze, said excitedly.

“Grayson Striker

, doesn’t it suit me? Like us! Right? Don’t you think so too? Huh?”

He repeatedly urged for an answer, but Dane didn’t say anything. He just stared at Grayson with a blank face.

At the unknown silence, Grayson stopped with a smiling face and just blinked. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds. After a not-so-long silence, Dane suddenly chuckled.

“Cute.”

There was no sincerity in his tone at all. Leaving behind the words he had uttered as if out of habit, Dane climbed three steps at a time, unlike before, and moved far away in an instant.

“Sleep well.”

Leaving behind a formal greeting, he went into the room. Grayson, who was looking at the closed door, stood there silently and headed to his own room.

Tak, as he closed the door behind him, silence suddenly came. The three teacups that had cooled down were still on the tea table, but Grayson was the only one in the large room.

Standing blankly, he suddenly found the gift he had placed on the table in front of the sofa. It was what Koi had given him. Without thinking much, he unwrapped the package and opened the box, and the scent he had never smelled before spread out. The box was filled with flowers that he had only seen in pictures.