Chapter 385

The old man lowered his gaze to his rough hands. His face stayed calm—as if he hadn’t just slapped Troy hard enough to swell half his face and leave blood at the corner of his mouth. “So now suddenly you think sneaking around is smart?” Troy’s voice shook slightly. “Grandpa, I wasn’t trying to keep it from you…” “But you *did*. You went off without a word, didn’t report your movements, just did whatever you wanted. Doesn’t matter what it was—you don’t get to act on your own.” Despite his age, the old man’s voice was deep and steady, carrying a kind of authority that didn’t need raising. “One careless move from you, and you waste time, money, and manpower for everyone else. If I knew you were gonna mess it up like this, I wouldn’t have bothered saving you during that negotiation.” Troy clenched his fists, taking the scolding in silence. After a long pause, he asked quietly, “Grandpa, if I had reported back right after I ran, would you still have saved Nora?” The old man’s brow lifted sl