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After finishing a cigarette, Jacob settled onto the sofa, lost in thought. His mind remained blank, his thoughts scattered and disorganized.
He could sense Nina's genuine affection for him, and it was precisely that love which stirred a deep sense of guilt within him, forcing him to reconsider his relationship with Raya.
Jacob sank deeper into contemplation until the doorbell suddenly rang, jolting him back to reality.
"Who could that be?"
Frowning, Jacob recalled his Pokemon and walked to the door. Through the peephole, he spotted a hotel attendant with a delivery cart.
"Hello, your delivery has arrived."
"Delivery?" Jacob glanced at the cart and noticed a small cake sitting on top.
"Someone ordered this cake for you, sir."
"Oh, I see."
Jacob felt puzzled—his birthday had already passed. Who would send him a cake now?
After opening the door and signing for the delivery, his phone rang. It was Raya calling.
Seeing her name on the caller ID, Jacob let out a quiet sigh before answering.
"Hello," Jacob said.
"Did the cake arrive?" Raya's voice came through with its usual charming quality.
Given her typical schedule, it was unusual for her to be awake at this hour. Her voice softened. "The tracking shows you've signed for it."
"You sent this?" Jacob asked, surprised. After a moment's reflection, it made sense.
Raya had helped create his false identity, and only she knew his current location.
"Yes. I know you mentioned you're not fond of cake or cream, but you should still have some on your birthday. So I ordered one for you." Raya laughed on the other end. "Though I realize it's quite late now."
Past midnight—Jacob's birthday had technically ended.
"I wanted to send it earlier, but I knew you'd be with your girlfriend this afternoon, so I didn't want to interrupt," Raya said considerately, showing her thoughtful nature.
"How was your day? Did you enjoy yourself?" she continued. "Also, I left your gift in Magic City. Come pick it up whenever you have time."
"Today was fine," Jacob replied quietly, his spirits dampened. "I'll visit after I finish this mission."
"Alright. It's getting late. Now that you've received the cake, I should sleep. Good night. Make sure you eat some birthday cake on your actual birthday. Happy birthday, Jacob."
"Good night," Jacob responded softly.
"Sweet dreams."
After ending the call, Jacob's gaze fell upon the palm-sized cake resting on the table, his expression troubled.
He sighed and picked up the cake, beginning to eat.
Whatever happens, happens. No matter how complicated things became, he shouldn't deny himself this small pleasure. Wasting it would be foolish—he might as well enjoy Raya's kind gesture.
While eating, Jacob's thoughts churned over how to handle the situation with Nina and Raya. If things continued this way, Nina would eventually discover the truth about them.
No wall could remain intact forever.
What was he supposed to do?
Jacob sighed, running his hand through his hair. His head throbbed as if his skull was expanding, yet no solution presented itself.
Finally, he stood and walked to the hotel room's floor-to-ceiling window, gazing through the glass at the city below. He stared absently at the red taillights streaming along the streets.
He truly was despicable.
Jacob remained motionless for over ten minutes until drowsiness finally broke his trance. Without realizing it, the night had grown quite late.
He stretched and yawned. Sleep beckoned, but first he needed to open Julia's gift.
The thought of Julia's present sent a shiver down his spine.
Dealing with Nina and Raya was complicated enough—adding Julia to the mix would create absolute chaos.
Taking a deep breath, Jacob carefully unwrapped the elegant packaging, revealing the box beneath.
He gently opened it, finding two compartments inside: one contained a small, exquisite gift box, while the other held a thick photo album.
An uneasy feeling settled in Jacob's chest as he looked at the album.
First, he opened the smaller box, which contained an elegant men's watch. Though Jacob knew little about timepieces, its refined craftsmanship clearly indicated substantial value.
Setting the watch aside, Jacob's attention shifted to the photo album. He took a steadying breath and slowly opened it. The first photograph made his eyes widen in surprise.
The image wasn't particularly sharp—somewhat blurry, actually.
In the darkness, bright lights illuminated a nimble Grovyle, a fierce Charmander, and an adorable Noibat training with determination.
Jacob immediately recognized the Dragon Secret Realm's training grounds. The caption showed September 26th of last year, accompanied by a handwritten note.
"This was the first day I really noticed you."
Flipping through the thick album, Jacob discovered it was filled entirely with photographs of himself—mostly from his early Secret Realm training sessions, followed by scenes from his High School Cup matches.
Charizard's thrilling battles, Noibat's evolution, Mega Evolution, promotional posters of Jacob competing.
Many photos captured moments Jacob hadn't even known were being photographed. No wonder Julia always had her phone out—she'd been taking candid shots of him all along.
Each photograph bore a date and commemorative message, continuing right up to the final image: a snapshot from Jacob's birthday lunch.
"Congratulations on turning nineteen!"
Jacob closed the album and quietly put Julia's gift away. After washing up, he lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
I really don't want to be this kind of person.
The night passed, and Jacob didn't wake until ten o'clock the following morning. Checking the time, he quickly freshened up, changed into an expensive designer suit, and fastened the luxury watch Julia had given him around his wrist.
He'd already acquired the Ditto Mask—now he could investigate the Daun Family more thoroughly. However, Jacob needed to set proper bait, enticing the Daun Family to actively invite him into their Underground Black Market and casino operations.
According to his plan, he would disguise himself as a wealthy out-of-town businessman, display considerable affluence, visit Black Dragon City, play the role of an easy mark, capture the Daun Family's attention, and establish contact.
Then he'd find an opportunity to enter either the Underground Black Market or the Casino.
To properly portray a successful businessman, Jacob had commissioned this custom-tailored suit. His physique was already impressive—with his height and proportions, dressed in the sharp suit with his hair styled professionally, he resembled a fashion model.
His appearance was convincing, but something was missing.
He needed a driver, bodyguards, assistants, and a secretary.
Fortunately, Jacob had prepared thoroughly for this mission's success.
He'd already secured two suitable accomplices.
Knock, knock.
A sharp rap sounded at the door.
"Just a moment."
Jacob's eyes brightened. He crossed to the door, opened it, and a figure stepped into the room.