The conference room was tense, papers spread out, pens tapping… when suddenly the door burst open.
"DADDY!"
"PAPA!"
Two tiny bodies barreled in, giggling and crying all at once. Lila clung to Leo as they ran straight past the assistants, straight past Kia, straight for Rylan.
"Leo! Lila!" Rylan's voice was calm, low, but somehow cut through the chaos like a whip.
The twins skidded to a halt, crashing into his legs.
"Daddy! We were thirsty! And Max said we could see you!" Lila exclaimed, hugging his waist.
Leo tugged at his sleeve. "And the water! And the—"
Rylan crouched down, eye level with them. "Okay, okay. First, deep breaths. Water comes after I make sure everyone's calm."
He straightened, scanning the room. Kia, standing awkwardly near the table, looked… completely out of his depth. The usual commanding CEO had been reduced to a bystander watching his subordinate's family run wild.
"Sit," Rylan commanded simply. "Both of you. On the floor. Now."
The twins obeyed instantly, plopping down side by side like little soldiers.
Max peeked over Rylan's shoulder. "How… how did you do that?"
Rylan smirked faintly. "Years of practice. Sometimes, authority isn't loud—it's quiet. And terrifying."
Kia blinked, watching the scene unfold. He had trained soldiers, led teams, even fought in Alpha challenges… but he had never seen control like this over small humans who clearly didn't care about rules.
"Daddy, can we have water now?" Lila piped up, already climbing onto his lap.
"After I finish this meeting," Rylan replied, keeping his voice steady. "Max will help you get it. Quietly."
Leo groaned dramatically. "But we're thirsty now!"
Rylan raised an eyebrow. "Leo, you will live. Trust me."
The twins exchanged a glance and slowly, reluctantly, nodded.
Kia, still standing stiffly, finally said, "I—uh—should I…?"
Rylan didn't look up. "Stay there. Watch. Learn. Maybe one day you'll understand how to handle chaos without panicking."
Kia's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to argue but realized—he had nothing to add. The man in front of him wasn't just in control of the meeting anymore. He was in control of everything around him, including Kia himself.
Max whispered, barely audible: "You do scare people… even the boss."
Rylan finally allowed himself the tiniest smirk, picking up a folder like nothing had happened. The twins settled, drinking water calmly under Max's supervision, while Kia watched… silently, and a little frustrated.