After a brief silence, Xander let out a quiet sigh before signaling Taylor with a glance.

"He is our guest," Xander said calmly. "Take good care of him."

Sal froze.

His soul almost exited his body again.

The moment the words registered, he shot up from his chair so fast it nearly tipped over.

"T-There’s really no need for hospitality, Mr. Emerson!" Sal said hurriedly, waving his hands nervously. "I’m already grateful that you listened to me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I shall humbly take my lea—"

His words abruptly died in his throat when two guards suddenly grabbed him from both sides.

Sal’s eyes widened in horror.

"W-Wait—"

Before he could react, the guards started dragging him away mercilessly.

Panic instantly exploded inside him.

"Let me go!" Sal cried, struggling dramatically. "I don’t want anything! Keep the hospitality to yourselves!"

The guards ignored him completely.

Sal looked desperately toward Xander like a man begging for mercy before execution.

"Mr. Emerson! Please! I have a weak heart! And low bank balance! Don’t do this to me!"

Xander didn’t even blink.

"Feed him," he said coldly before standing up.

Sal instantly gasped in betrayal.

"Feed me?! Why does that sound like my last meal?!" he shouted as the guards continued dragging him away.

Even Taylor had to lower his head to hide the twitch of amusement on his face.

Meanwhile, Sal’s cries echoed throughout the garden like a kidnapped princess.

"I SWEAR I’M A GOOD CITIZEN! I PAY TAXES SOMETIMES!...."

"Ah, poor guy. He should’ve thought twice before laying his eyes on Boss’s woman," one of the guards muttered sympathetically while continuing to run across the lawn.

The others could only nod in agreement despite being on the verge of collapsing themselves.

At this point, they weren’t even sure who was suffering more—them under the brutal punishment or the unlucky man currently being dragged away toward his unknown fate.

***

Sal had absolutely no idea where they were taking him.

The entire journey, he had been dragged around blindfolded like some kidnapped side character in a low-budget crime movie.

But the moment the blindfold was removed, his heart nearly leaped straight out of his mouth.

Before him was an extravagant room bigger than his entire apartment building combined.

The chandelier alone probably cost more than his yearly income.

Sal blinked repeatedly.

Am... am I actually being treated like a guest?

For a brief moment, he felt touched.

Then another horrifying thought suddenly entered his mind.

Wait... what if this is their way of sacrificing me?

His face instantly paled.

First they feed me luxurious food... then they kill me peacefully so I die happy!

The more he thought about it, the more logical it sounded in his terrified brain.

"No... no..." Sal muttered dramatically while clutching his chest. "I’m too young and handsome to die!"

He immediately started pacing around the room in panic.

Then suddenly, his expression darkened.

"It’s all because of that woman," he grumbled bitterly. "She’s the one who dragged me into this mess!"

If Ivy hadn’t appeared, he would’ve been peacefully at home eating instant noodles and arguing with customer care over bad internet service.

Instead, he was now trapped in a billionaire psychopath’s mansion waiting for his mysterious execution.

Sal sniffled emotionally.

"My life was so short..."

Just then, one of the guards stepped forward respectfully.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

Sal paused.

Slowly... very slowly... he turned his head toward the guard.

His eyes suddenly sparkled.

A new realization hit him.

If I’m going to die anyway... then why not die like an overweight king?

Determination instantly filled his soul.

Sal straightened proudly before slamming his hand dramatically on the table.

"Bring me your best food!"

The guard nodded professionally. "Certainly, sir."

"No, no," Sal corrected while raising a finger. "Not food for one person."

The guard looked confused.

Sal inhaled deeply.

"I want food for emotional support."

"...?"

"I want grilled chicken, roasted duck, steak, seafood, noodles, dumplings, pizza, garlic bread, burgers, desserts, three milkshakes, five juices, and whatever rich people cry while eating."

The guard stared at him silently.

Sal wasn’t done.

"Oh—and if there’s lobster, bring two. One for me and one for my dying spirit."

Even the guard’s expression cracked slightly.

Meanwhile, Sal leaned back on the sofa with the expression of a man who had accepted his fate.

"If death comes tonight..." he said solemnly, placing a hand on his chest, "then let it find me fully fed."

***

Meanwhile, inside Ivy’s room, her body suddenly stirred as the nightmare returned once again.

It was always the same dream. The same terror. The same helpless feeling that had haunted her for years.

In her dream, Ivy found herself hiding inside a dark cupboard, buried behind hanging clothes while the heavy sound of boots echoed throughout the room.

Her tiny hands covered her mouth tightly as she curled into herself, pressing her knees against her chest to stop herself from making even the slightest sound.

Her small body trembled violently.

"She’s not here," one of the men said coldly.

Through the narrow crack of the cupboard door, little Ivy watched the armed men leave the room one after another.

A terrifying silence, as the sound of their boots faded.

Thinking they were finally gone, she slowly pushed the cupboard door open and climbed out with shaky steps.

The room was a mess. Broken glass, furniture overturned and blood. So much blood.

"Mommy... you can come out now," the little girl whispered fearfully. "Those bad people are gone..."

Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks as she carefully walked downstairs, her tiny feet stained by the blood spread across the floor.

Her frightened sobs grew louder with every step she took.

"Mommy..."

Her trembling voice echoed through the silent house.

"Please come out... they’re gone now..."

But no one answered her.

Little Raven only wanted her mother. But she didn’t know that the woman she was desperately searching for was already lying motionless in a pool of blood.

Following the trail with trembling steps, she stopped outside another bedroom door.

"Mommy... are you in there?" she asked softly.

Still no response.

Fear slowly consumed her little heart. "M-Mommy...?"

The door creaked open slightly. And the next second a scream erupt from her mouth.

"MOMMY!"

"Ah—!"

Ivy jolted awake violently, gasping for air as if she had been drowning.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly while sweat covered her skin.

For a few seconds, she could only stare blankly at the ceiling, her breathing uneven and shaky.

The nightmare that had followed her for years still left her frozen every single time. Like a wound that never healed. Like a memory her mind desperately wanted to forget... yet could never truly erase.

And just like always, after the fear faded, the details of the dream slowly slipped away from her again—leaving behind nothing but a suffocating emptiness in her chest.