"Ezra...!"
A weak voice broke the silence. When Dein and Joshua turned their heads, they saw a frail woman, exhausted from fighting illness, leaning against the open door, staring at them.
"Sandra! What are you doing? I told you to go back to your room...!"
Flustered, Ezra shouted in haste and rushed toward her. But Sandra wasn't the only one there. A young girl, with a surprised expression, was hiding behind Sandra's leg, holding a bear doll almost as big as her own body. Alternating between the two, Ezra didn't know what to do and continued.
"It's nothing, hurry inside. You should sleep, quickly..."
"Ezra."
Ezra tried desperately to send her back to the room, but Sandra didn’t listen.
"Why is Dein here? At this hour. And why are you crying?"
"No, no. I wasn't crying. Dein just, um, stopped by while passing by. Right, Dein?"
He shouted desperately, seeking agreement, but Dein didn't answer. He only looked at him with a cold expression, and Ezra quickly made a grimace at his colleague’s response.
"Ezra."
Sandra called his name again.
"Tell me the truth. Did you do something you shouldn't have? Was it because of my medical bills?"
"No! No, no..."
Ezra denied strongly, but soon his words faded away weakly. He covered his face with one hand, and a heavy silence settled behind him. In the stillness, where even the sound of breathing seemed absent, they stood there for a while, motionless.
"Darling."
Sandra whispered, her voice low, as Ezra began to sob, shaking his shoulders. She gently stroked his arm, whispering softly.
"It's okay. Don't cry, it's okay."
She softly embraced Ezra, and he finally began to cry out loud. Sandra comforted him, rubbing his back. With a troubled expression, she kissed Ezra’s cheek and forehead, then swallowed a breath as if trying to push something down before speaking again.
"Let’s do as Dein wants."
Ezra remained still for a while, then after a few seconds of silence, he slowly pulled away.
"Those guys might try to kill you and our children."
With a trembling voice, Sandra spoke.
"That's why you should tell the police and get protection. And..."
She added after a pause.
"If this happened because of me, I’m responsible for it. I have to pay the price."
Ezra turned pale instantly. But Sandra, as if resigned, was firm. She then looked at Dein and said.
"Protect the kids, Dein. They have no fault in this."
At Sandra’s plea, Joshua, who had been watching, finally spoke.
"We'll protect them at Miller’s place, don’t worry."
He smiled at the child, as though trying to reassure them. Despite being a stranger, the child quickly let their guard down and smiled back. Joshua, still smiling slightly, shifted his gaze to the bear doll the child was holding. He squinted and stared at it for a moment.
"We have no intention of harming your family."
Dein spoke.
"Ezra has to pay for what he's done, but it’s better if he speaks up quickly. The longer he waits, the bigger the price he’ll have to pay."
"Ezra."
Sandra called her husband’s name again after hearing Dein’s words.
"Do the right thing, darling."
Despite her smiling face, there was concern and bitterness in her expression. In the end, Ezra had no choice but to nod.
Ezra sent the child and his wife back to the room and came back out, while Dein and Joshua waited outside the house. Dein took out a cigarette and offered it to Joshua, who shook his head to decline.
"Why didn't you sell that necklace if you needed money? Was it a precious keepsake or something?"
Joshua raised an eyebrow and started speaking. After lighting his cigarette, Dein exhaled a puff of smoke and asked.
"Necklace?"
"The necklace that was on the bear doll."
Joshua pointed with his finger toward the house.
"I know that brand a little, and I’ve seen that necklace before. It’s probably worth around 400,000 dollars."
His tone was calm, but Dein immediately coughed roughly. Coughing and shaking his shoulders, he turned to look at Joshua and asked in a raised voice.
"What, how much?"
"400,000."
Joshua repeated the same words nonchalantly, as if it was an everyday thing. Dein blinked, astonished, and stared at him.
"You really made it... Congratulations. I didn't expect that..."
With admiration, Dein muttered, but Joshua just smiled faintly.
"Thanks, but the person I happened to fall in love with was rich. It’s not like I lucked out on some easy prey."
His calm tone contrasted with the thin blood vessels bulging at his temples, which Dein noticed clearly. With a strange smile, he teasingly added.
"It worked out better because I loved them and they were an easy target. I’m envious. Really."
Joshua frowned at the back patting, not letting the comment slide.
"Didn’t you hear that when Grayson falls for someone, he really pours everything in? Why didn’t you try hitching a ride on that bastard?"
Mockingly, Joshua asked. Dein glanced at him with the corner of his eye and snickered. A brief awkward silence passed between them. The first to speak up was Joshua.
"How should we call those guys out?"
Dein exhaled another puff of smoke and spoke.
"Ezra has to handle that."
"Right."
Joshua agreed easily.
"Since Grayson’s already been called out, he’ll think of something."
Joshua paused, then frowned. Dein looked at him and asked.
"What's wrong?"
Joshua hesitated before speaking.
"About what that bastard said earlier."
Dein waited silently for him to continue. Joshua went on.
"I pretty much understand everything. Well, it's a common story. I also get how Grayson was called out... that part wasn’t difficult. Anyway, they worked at the same company, and I know all about that... but..."
"Then? Hurry up."
Dein urged him, frustrated. Joshua looked up at him, still frowning.
"What I don’t get is why Grayson went along so easily with those # Nоvеlight # guys."
Dein paused and stared at him. Joshua asked again.
"Why? Why did he follow them so obediently? What did they threaten him with?"
Joshua knew Grayson Miller wasn’t the type to just follow orders. This part was something Dein also agreed with. If they had been attacked and ambushed, Grayson would’ve killed them first, leaving them half-dead. But why? Why?
At that moment, Ezra opened the front door and stepped outside. Dein looked at him while exhaling his smoke.
"We’ll have to hear it from him directly."
In a low voice, Joshua nodded.
"Yeah, that’s the only way."
Ezra, anxious, was pacing around the car. Dein and Joshua, hidden in the roadside bushes, were watching him.
"Do you think those guys will really come?"
At Joshua’s question, Dein answered.
"If they don’t come, we’ll think of something else."
There were no other options now. The news of Grayson’s disappearance had already reached Ashley Miller, and a group that had received orders from him was scouring all of California. The reason they hadn’t shown up in front of Ezra yet was simple. Joshua had insisted that it would be more efficient for him and Dein to move alone.
In fact, that was the right call. They were highly trained soldiers, and operations against civilians were, in a sense, trivial. No matter how skilled the kidnappers were, they couldn’t compare to trained soldiers in actual combat.
But that was only until they figured out the kidnappers' base. Once they had a grasp on the situation, Joshua would send the information to the "team," and all they would have to do was buy time until the team arrived.
"...They’re here."
Dein whispered quietly. Just as he said, a car with headlights shining approached from a distance. Upon confirming it was the same type of car Ezra had mentioned, both exchanged glances.