There was a pause. Tedmond waited for her to say something; after all, she had been the one who wanted to talk and had been mad at him, but nothing came out.Silence filled the space. After a few minutes, her voice reached him, far too serious for her age.“You’re… the biggest doofus in the whole wide world, and I can’t believe I have to share a house with you!”Tedmond froze, blinking at the door.‘The biggest doofus in the whole wide world…’He opened his mouth, but no words came. He hadn’t expected her to deliver an insult with that much confidence.Bianca, clearly pleased, crossed her little arms behind the door and huffed.“Do you get it now?!”Even though she was mad at him, nothing about the insult bothered Tedmond.If anything… he almost wanted to laugh.“Yes,” he said, nodding even though she couldn’t see him. “I get it.”“Good,” she shot back.“I’m a doofus,” he added calmly.Silence again.“You’re weird,” she muttered. “Who agrees to something like that so easily?”Tedmond

Rushing back to the living room, Kyle grabbed the remote and switched off the TV, as if that could erase any sign of him being home. Then he sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could with one working arm.His chest tightened, his heart hammering in his chest, the sling bouncing with every step.Reaching his bedroom, he slammed the door, locked it, and shoved the lock again to make sure it clicked. His arms trembled as he grabbed his phone. He didn’t wait to think; he knew Gerald had been there to teach him a lesson, even if it was his son who had kidnapped Kyle first.Kyle dialed a number immediately.*****Tedmond yawned, the sound stretching lazily as he descended the stairs, still in his pajamas. One hand rubbed at his messy hair, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. His feet padded softly against the wooden steps, careful not to wake anyone else in the house.By the time he reached the kitchen, he was fully upright, though his eyes remained half-lidded. He poured

The two men in front of the bikers froze, eyes wide, hands trembling around their guns.“Wh-who are you?” one stammered. “Are… are you with the Karishin family?”Rain stepped forward, calm and commanding, and his presence alone silenced the street.“No,” he said sharply. “This young master is not from the Karishin family. Step aside. Now.”The men exchanged confused glances, unable to process his words.“W-wait!” the taller one shouted. “We were sent by the Griffin family! You can’t just—”Before he could finish, Rain moved.One precise strike to the man’s side sent him sprawling.The other stepped in, trying to argue, but Rain’s clean, hard hit slammed him down beside his companion.Tedmond watched from the backseat, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. His captors were falling before they could react.“Step aside,” Rain repeated, voice calm but sharp as steel. “Now, or you’ll regret it.”Groaning, bruised, the two finally scrambled out of the way with their hands raised.Rain signale

Present Time,Kyle was still lost in the memory of how he had been caught. Gerald was saying something in the background, but Kyle wasn’t hearing any of it. Instead, he was leaning back in the chair he had been placed in, his mind rocking back and forth.‘I should have hidden better,’ he thought, his chest rising and falling too fast, the room closing in around him.“KYLE!”Gerald’s voice cracked like a whip.Kyle flinched hard, jerking upright on the couch as if someone had slapped him. His eyes snapped to Gerald immediately, fear widening them.Gerald’s expression was no longer soft, as it had been when he told Kyle to calm down earlier. It was sharp now. He looked irritated and dangerous.“I said relax,” Gerald repeated, slower this time, his tone dropping lower. “You spacing out like that isn’t helping either of us.”Kyle forced himself to swallow, his throat tight, trying to drag himself back into the moment. His heart still pounded like he’d run miles. To Kyle, it would have

One of the men, a tall, broad-shouldered figure near the corner, nodded stiffly. Without a word, he disappeared toward the back of the room.Seconds later, he returned, carrying a small, ominous object wrapped in a dark cloth.Gerald’s gaze never left Kyle.The calm menace in his eyes made the room feel smaller, heavier. He unwrapped the cloth slowly, deliberately, letting Kyle’s pulse quicken with every inch revealed.“This,” Gerald said, his voice low, controlled, yet dripping with intent, “is something I was asked to keep safe. But I’ve decided it’s time to put it to use… on you.”Kyle’s stomach dropped.He strained against the couch, the pain in his hand and cheek forgotten for a moment, replaced with a sharp spike of dread. His eyes darted to the object, trying to understand what it could be, but Gerald’s calm, deliberate movements made it clear it was exactly what he wanted: a tool for fear.“You will tell me everything,” Gerald continued coldly. “Or you’ll find out exactly why