Jayson stirred awake at the sound of someone knocking on his door.
"Hey. Get up already."
His brother's voice came from the other side, laced with boredom.
For a moment, Jayson considered ignoring it. Sleep still clung to him, heavy and stubborn. But after a few minutes of lying there, he realized the drowsiness had already slipped away, leaving his mind annoyingly awake.
He sighed.
The knocking had stopped. Brandon must have left already.
Jayson slowly pushed himself out of bed, stretching as he yawned. When he checked the time, he wasn't surprised. Saturdays were the one day he never bothered waking up early.
His stomach growled faintly.
Right. Food.
He headed downstairs toward the dining room. Brandon was already seated at the table.
"I thought you weren't going to wake up," Brandon said, speaking around a mouthful of toasted bread.
Jayson didn't respond. Instead, he glanced around the room.
"Where's Grandpa?" he asked.
"He went out. Said he had something to take care of."
Jayson pulled out a chair and sat at the long table. Several dishes had already been laid out, and he could take whatever he wanted—but strangely, his appetite hadn't quite caught up with his hunger.
He grabbed his phone instead and started scrolling through his social media.
After a moment, he looked up again.
"Where are the other two? Did Grandpa take them with him?"
Brandon lifted his gaze from his phone and swallowed before answering.
"They're in one of our basements."
Jayson raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Cleaning up another mess again, big brother?" Brandon asked with a teasing grin.
Jayson stared at him for a moment.
"Nothing," he muttered, letting out a tired sigh.
"Oh, right." Brandon leaned back slightly. "That veterinarian—the one whose sibling you had taken care of. What's your plan for her?"
He smirked.
"Come on. Tell your dear brother your little secret."
"Brandon," Jayson said with a weary sigh. "It's none of your business."
"Relax. My mouth's sealed." Brandon chuckled. "You really are ruthless."
Of course, he already knew what Jayson intended to do with those siblings.
"Damn," Brandon continued. "Just because that Aliya girl kicked you, you're already getting revenge by having her killed." He shook his head. "Did it really hurt that much?"
"Will you shut up?" Jayson said coldly.
Brandon only smirked.
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say."
Jayson reached for an apple from the table.
But it wasn't just because she kicked him.
That damn bitch.
Hopefully she's already in heaven by now.
Well…
Let's see what her older sister can do.
Jayson continued chewing the apple, slowly and thoughtfully.
He noticed Brandon watching him with an amused expression.
"Goodness," Brandon muttered, shaking his head. "I can practically smell your bloodlust from here, bro."
He stood up from the table.
"I've got somewhere to be."
Jayson didn't respond. He simply continued eating the apple.
"Before I go," Brandon added casually, "when are you planning to tell that man the truth?"
Jayson glanced up at him.
"Isaac is dead, right?"
"As long as I can keep manipulating him," Jayson replied without hesitation, "I'll deal with him later."
Brandon chuckled.
"You really are ruthless."
Then he walked away from the dining table.
Jayson let out a heavy sigh.
XXXXX
"Mr. Gandamo."
Luigi heard someone call his name.
He looked up and saw the woman quickly stand to greet him.
He offered her a polite smile.
"How are the animals?" he asked.
"They're doing well now," she replied. "They can be discharged today."
Luigi nodded.
"May I see them?"
"Of course."
Without hesitation, she led him toward the animals he had rescued.
Luigi kept quiet.
He didn't mention that he knew her parents.
He had heard about the case one of his fellow officers had handled—the one involving her younger sister's death. The suspect had been her own father.
But the investigation had ended far too quickly.
To Luigi, it felt wrong.
As if something had been rushed.
As if the truth had never truly been pursued.
Still, the case hadn't been his assignment.
There was nothing he could do.
"Here they are," she said.
Luigi blinked, realizing he had drifted into his thoughts.
He nodded and offered her a small smile.
She smiled back.
She's very skilled with animals, Luigi thought.
The difference in them was obvious. They looked healthier now—calmer, properly cared for.
He nodded again.
"Can I take them now?" he asked, turning toward Aya.
She nodded.
"I'll just prepare the discharge papers first."
Luigi nodded in understanding. She seemed calmer now—no longer as nervous around people like him.
"Mr. Gandamo," she explained while organizing the documents, "before I release them, you'll need to sign a few forms. It's for the animals' safety."
"I understand."
He signed where she pointed.
"I'll get them ready," she said.
Luigi walked over to the waiting area. He knew it might take a while since she appeared to be the only one working at the clinic.
As he sat there, a cat slowly approached him, sniffing curiously.
He reached out to pet it.
But the cat suddenly stepped back.
Luigi sighed softly.
The cat simply stared at him from a distance.
Then he noticed a shadow approaching and lifted his head.
"Mr. Gandamo, here they are," Aya said, carefully carrying the cages one by one.
Luigi nodded.
"Thank you for taking care of them."
She nodded in return.
Fortunately, Luigi's companion was there to help lift the cages and load them into the vehicle.
The animals inside seemed to keep glancing back at Aya.
She simply waved at them with a gentle smile.
Luigi started the car.
"Are these the animals you said you rescued from those scientists?" his companion asked.
Luigi nodded.
"They look like they were cared for and loved a lot."
"Yeah."
"Are we heading to their new home now?"
"Yeah."
His companion didn't ask any more questions.
Luigi quietly watched the scenery pass outside the window. One of the cats scratched lightly inside its cage, but otherwise the ride remained calm.
Soon, they arrived.
His companion carefully carried the cages out of the vehicle.
"Dad!"
A cheerful voice rang out.
Luigi looked up to see his daughter running toward him with a wide smile.
"So you're here, Rochelle," he said.
"Are these the animals you told me about? The ones that were abused?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeah."
"They were treated properly at the vet?" she asked, studying him carefully.
Luigi nodded.
"So don't waste the effort they put into helping them," he said gently, patting her shoulder. "Take good care of them here."
Rochelle smiled brightly.
"Of course I will."
"Rochelle, if you ever need veterinary advice, you can contact her."
"Thanks, Dad."
"I need to go back to work now."
"Please be careful, Dad."
Luigi nodded.
Before leaving, he made a call to someone he trusted.
"Yeah. I've already picked up the animals."
The person on the other end didn't answer.
Luigi quietly ended the call.