The mansion doors had barely closed behind Izana before he spoke again.
"…Turn the car around."
Dante stopped halfway through removing his gloves.
"…You're serious."
Izana was already pulling his coat back on.
"…Yes."
Dante stared at him for a moment from across the entrance hall.
Then sighed quietly.
"…You could've had someone else retrieve it."
Izana adjusted the sleeve of his coat once before answering.
"…No."
Silence.
Dante already knew why.
Still—
"…Because it's his."
Izana's gaze lifted briefly.
Cold.
Certain.
"…Yes."
That ended the conversation.
A few minutes later the car was moving through the city again.
Rain still covered the streets in blurred reflections of gold and white.
The roads were quieter now.
Most of the city asleep.
But the office district still glowed in the distance.
Dante drove in silence.
Izana sat in the backseat alone this time.
One hand resting against the small teddy bear ribbon still missing from his grasp.
His eyes stayed on the passing streets.
Focused.
Controlled.
But there was something colder beneath it tonight.
Not anger.
Possession.
Dante finally spoke after several minutes.
"…You know this is insane."
Izana didn't look up.
"…No."
"You're going back across the city in the middle of the night for a stuffed animal."
"…It belongs to Zarek."
Dante exhaled slowly through his nose.
"…That somehow made this sound less insane."
Neither of them spoke again after that.
The office building came into view soon after.
Tall black glass reflecting rain and city lights back into the empty streets.
Most floors were dark now.
Only a few lights remained on.
The car pulled to a stop outside the entrance.
Several guards immediately straightened when they saw Izana step out again.
Surprised.
Nervous.
None of them questioned it.
Izana walked toward the entrance immediately.
Dante followed behind him before stopping suddenly.
His eyes shifted upward toward the building.
One floor still lit.
The meeting room.
"…Someone's still here."
Izana didn't stop walking.
"…I know."
The lobby was nearly silent.
Only the distant hum of lights and quiet footsteps against polished floors followed them.
The receptionist froze slightly seeing Izana return.
Especially at this hour.
Izana ignored him completely.
The elevator doors opened instantly.
Neither man spoke during the ride upward.
But Dante could feel it now.
The atmosphere around Izana had changed.
Quieter.
Sharper.
The kind of silence that usually meant someone was about to make a mistake.
The elevator opened.
Long hallway.
Dim lights.
Stillness.
And at the far end—
light spilled faintly beneath the meeting room doors.
Dante noticed it immediately.
Then looked toward Izana.
"…Izana."
Izana finally stopped walking.
Just once.
Then—
"…Stay here."
Dante blinked slightly.
"You want me to stay outside."
"…Yes."
That was all.
No explanation.
No discussion.
Dante watched him for another second before nodding slowly.
Because he understood immediately.
This wasn't business anymore.
This was personal.
Izana walked down the hallway alone.
Slow footsteps against marble floors.
Controlled.
Measured.
The meeting room doors stood slightly open.
Light spilling through the gap.
Izana pushed the door open fully.
And stopped.
The room was quiet.
Large table.
Half-empty glasses.
Scattered papers still left behind from earlier.
And sitting near the far end—
the expelled member.
Waiting.
Calm.
One arm resting lazily against the chair.
And in his hand—
Zarek's teddy bear.
The red ribbon hung loosely from his fingers.
Silence filled the room instantly.
The man looked up slowly when Izana entered.
Not surprised.
Almost like he'd expected this.
"…I figured you'd come back."
Izana's eyes never left the bear.
"…Give it back."
No greeting.
No wasted words.
The member leaned back slightly in his chair.
Turning the bear once in his hand absentmindedly.
The movement alone felt wrong.
"…You crossed the city for this."
Izana stepped further into the room slowly.
"…Give it back."
The man studied him carefully.
"…You've changed."
No answer.
"…A month ago you wouldn't have left a meeting for anyone."
Still nothing.
"…Now you carry a child into one."
Izana's expression remained unreadable.
Cold.
Still.
The man looked down at the teddy bear again.
"…It's strange seeing someone like you become soft."
That word settled heavily into the room.
Soft.
Izana finally spoke again.
Quiet.
Controlled.
"…You're touching something that belongs to my son."
The member gave a faint smile.
"…It's a toy."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Subtle.
But deadly.
Izana took another step forward.
"…No."
Silence.
Then colder—
"…It belongs to my son."
The man's smile faded slightly at that.
Because he finally understood something.
This wasn't about the bear itself.
It was about who it belonged to.
Still—
he pushed anyway.
"…You think this makes you stronger?"
Izana said nothing.
"…You think loving something in this world won't destroy you eventually?"
Still silence.
The member stood slowly from his chair now.
Bear still in his hand.
"…That child will become your weakness."
The room became completely still after that.
Izana looked at him for several long seconds.
Then finally moved again.
Forward.
Slow.
Controlled.
The member didn't move this time.
Didn't stop him.
Because even he could feel it now.
That quiet danger beneath Izana's calm.
Izana stopped directly in front of him.
And held out his hand once.
Nothing more.
The member hesitated briefly.
Then finally gave him the teddy bear.
Izana took it immediately.
But carefully.
Gentle with it.
Not with him.
His fingers adjusted the slightly twisted red ribbon automatically.
Smoothing it back into place.
The member watched that in silence.
Probably realising too late how serious this had become.
Izana inspected the bear once.
Tiny bite marks near one ear.
Slightly warm still from being held.
Then his gaze lifted back toward the man.
Cold again instantly.
"…Listen carefully."
The member stayed silent.
Izana's voice never rose.
That somehow made it worse.
"…You were already removed from this organisation."
A pause.
Then—
"…Now disappear before I change my mind."
The man went still.
Actually still.
Because he understood exactly what those words meant.
Not a threat.
A final chance.
Izana turned immediately after that.
No dramatic exit.
No violence.
No shouting.
Just complete certainty.
The meeting room doors opened again.
Then closed behind him.
Dante straightened from the hallway wall the second he saw him emerge.
His eyes immediately dropped toward the teddy bear in Izana's hand.
The red ribbon visible beneath his fingers.
"…He gave it back."
Izana walked past him toward the elevator.
"…Yes."
Dante stared toward the closed meeting room doors briefly.
Then back toward Izana.
"…Should I be concerned he's still alive?"
Izana pressed the elevator button once.
"…That depends on him."
Dante decided not to ask further questions after that.
The elevator doors opened quietly.
And the entire ride home—
Izana held the teddy bear carefully in his hand like something fragile.