Family’s first date

Now, he had one more person to protect from his enemies. Tomorrow, news of his marriage would spread to every corner of the city, and he suspected his enemies had already caught wind of it.

Yet, he remained unfazed. Raven was not one to shy away from pursuing his own happiness out of fear of repercussions. If anything, he would indulge in what brought him joy and deal with the consequences later.

As the most feared figure in the underground, he was prepared to do whatever it took to safeguard the happiness of his son.

Aiden bugged Raven to take him and his mother out. Both Conan and Alex agreed that spending more time together would allow them to deepen their understanding of each other. With that, they bid their farewells, leaving the new family of three to enjoy their time together.

"Where do you want to go?" Raven asked his son.

Aiden turned to his mother, "Mommy, where do you want to go?"

Siren shook her head, "I have no idea." 

She had never engaged in such outings before, leaving her feeling perplexed. If it were Alex, he would often whisk her away to various restaurants to sample new dishes and drag her on shopping excursions to pick out her own clothing.

Raven suggested, "Then we can go to the hub."

Aiden's eyes lit up, nodding vigorously. "Yes, let's go there! I'll introduce Izzy, Medusa, and Odin to my mother."

He grabbed her hand, swinging it left and right excitedly. "Mommy, let's go to the hub!"

Though Siren wasn't entirely sure what the hub entailed, judging by the names mentioned, it seemed to involve something related to raising pets. Nonetheless, she nodded in agreement, expressing her willingness to join them.

The hub was located a little far away from the main city. It takes an hour and a half to reach the hub. It was actually located a little near to the base of his gang which made it easier for the transportation of goods from the hub to the base.

He parked his car in front of the large vintage building which was covered with trees and creepers. The walls boasted rustic yellow and maroon hues, emanating a cozy and welcoming aura.

Raven got down from the car and held the door open for Siren. She didn't comment on his gentleman behavior as she already knew he was not one. Aiden soon followed behind his mother and attached himself to her like glue.

Leading them inside, Raven guided them through the building. Siren's lips tightened into a thin line upon entering, as the interior starkly contrasted with the inviting exterior. Aside from the hallway, the walls were lined with a series of glass boxes, each containing snakes of various sizes and species.

Upon further exploration, Siren realized that the hub they were referring to was nothing more than a snake breeding facility.

Aiden grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the largest glass enclosure positioned at the center. Inside, three snakes slithered around a large piece of wood.

"Mom, that's Izzy, and the one with brown patches is Medusa. The smallest one is Odin. He may be small, but he eats the most!" Aiden exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Siren couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, wondering if it was common for four-year-old child to be so fascinated with snakes nowadays.

She turned around to see Raven who was silently observing them on the sideline. He understood the hidden worry in her eyes and smiled, "They are non venomous"

"Yes. Daddy said they won't bite but swallow as whole" Aiden explained to his mother.

Raven's lip twitched, his hand itching to this unruly brat. Did he intend to tarnish his image in front of his new wife?

Siren shot him a glare before turning her attention back to Aiden, listening to his explanations. They continued to explore the house, with Aiden enthusiastically detailing the names and characteristics of each snake they encountered.

Siren found herself surprised by the depth of the little boy's knowledge about snakes and his evident passion for them. It was intriguing to hear so much information about snakes from his young mouth.

Raven then take them upstairs, where, in contrast to the live snakes below, the space was filled with preserved snake specimens and carcasses submerged in formalin. Neatly arranged on racks were over a hundred samples.

"Raven," a man in his mid-sixties greeted him with a warm smile.

Siren observed the old man, wearing glasses and a white coat, holding a jar containing a preserved snake.

"Dr. Shaun," Raven greeted him in return, and Aiden politely greeted the old man as well.

Raven then introduced Siren to Dr. Shaun, stating, "This is Siren, my wife."

The old man was visibly taken aback, but he didn't neglect to extend a greeting to her, and Siren reciprocated with a polite nod. He and Conan had been buddies since high school, and the realization that the cunning old fox hadn't informed him of the marriage beforehand was not lost on him.

Aiden eagerly accompanied Dr. Shaun upon hearing about the arrival of new species, leaving Raven and Siren alone in the room.

"There's a glass garden at the back of the house. Would you like to see it?" Raven suggested.

Siren nodded her head finding nothing interesting after Aiden went out of her sight.