Standing by the center island was a man he never expected to see again. Was it really Jojo?

The man with brown skin and black hair. Milo had only met him once, but he would never, ever forget that man.

Milo felt the air leave his lungs. Until now, he hadn’t known how Jojo was connected to Hartley. But he didn’t want to know either. He just knew that man was a bastard.

Milo was sure Jojo had followed him when they were running away and had pretended to offer him help. He was certain that man was also the one who took his wallet.

Whatever the case, Jojo was the reason Milo had been caught during his last attempt to run away.

Milo stared at the man. His hands began to shake at his sides.

Jojo was dressed in a simple black t-shirt and trousers. He was holding a cup of coffee, looking perfectly at ease. He turned his head and saw Milo. He didn’t look surprised at all. Instead, a slow, greasy smile spread across his face.

Felix was standing next to him, seemingly explaining something. He was talking to Jojo, ignoring Milo’s existence.

"This pantry is where the guards and staff take their breaks," Felix said to Jojo, his voice flat. "Every morning, Salvatore expects everyone to be on the field. He’ll ask you to exercise with everyone else. So be ready by six tomorrow morning."

Jojo nodded, his eyes never leaving Milo. "Okay, boss! I can handle that."

Milo felt a wave of nausea. He couldn’t breathe properly. His vision began to blur at the edges.

What does this mean?

Is Jojo going to stay here?

The thought that Nero had sent Jojo flashed through his mind. He was sure Jojo was here to find a way to drag him back to the Hartleys.

The fear turned into a sharp, jagged spike of rage. It was a feeling Milo wasn’t used to. Before he could think, before he could calculate the risk, his feet were moving.

He reached out and grabbed the front of Jojo’s collar with both hands, jerking the man forward.

"Why are you here?! You bastard!!" Milo shouted.

The sound of his voice, loud and raw, made the servants and the two other guards in the room stop what they were doing. The clattering of pans ceased. Everyone turned to look at them.

Jojo didn’t fight back immediately. He let Milo hold his collar, but he didn’t drop his coffee. He looked down at Milo’s hands, then back up at his face.

"Hey. Is that how you greet an old friend, Milo?"

Milo’s grip tightened. He felt the fabric of the shirt straining under his fingers. "Why are you here?!! You’re going to take me to Nero, right?! You bastard!"

Milo pulled back his right hand and threw a punch. It was a weak strike. His fist hit Jojo’s shoulder and grazed his jaw.

The force wasn’t enough to cause an injury, but the suddenness of the attack made Jojo step back. His coffee spilled onto the floor.

Jojo looked shocked. But then he chuckled, a dry, mocking sound. He set his coffee cup down on the counter.

"Well. You’re brave enough to throw a punch now, I see."

Milo’s heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his teeth. He remembered the blow to his back, the shackles, the torture, all because of his last attempt to escape, which had nearly succeeded if not for that man.

And just as he felt a moment’s respite, the nightmare returned. He was convinced that Jojo’s presence meant his time at the Portello mansion was over. He felt as though his safety was being torn away.

Milo pulled his arm back again, intending to strike Jojo’s face this time, but his wrist was suddenly caught mid-air by a powerful and painful grip.

Milo looked around to see Felix holding him.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Felix asked harshly. He yanked Milo away from Jojo, twisting his wrist to force him to step back.

"Let me go!" Milo struggled, trying to pull his hand free. "I want to kill him! Why is he here?! He’s a snake!"

Felix looked surprised. For days, he had seen Milo as a fragile, passive figure. Seeing him launch a physical attack on a new recruit was completely unexpected.

But Felix’s shock quickly turned back into his usual irritation. He held Milo’s wrist very tightly, his fingers digging into the bone.

"Do you think you can do whatever you want?" Felix hissed. "He is a new guard. It is not your place to question who Salvatore hires or why he is here."

Milo looked at Felix, his face red with anger and his eyes watering from the stress. He didn’t care about anything right now. He only cared that a man who had helped Nero torture him was now standing right in front of him!

"Let me go!" Milo shouted again.

Felix shoved Milo back, forcing him to take several steps away from the island. Felix stood between the two men, his arms crossed. He looked at Milo with deep contempt.

"I don’t know why Salvatore brought a stray cat like you," Felix said, his voice loud enough for the other guards to hear. "You have no use here. And now, on top of being useless, you’re going to cause trouble for everyone? Do you think you have the authority to start a fight?"

Milo fell silent immediately. He held his breath. He looked at Jojo, who was standing behind Felix, looking smug and satisfied.

Then he looked at Felix. The insult hit him hard. A stray cat.

"He’s a liar!" Milo shouted, his voice trembling now. "He works for the Hartleys. He’s here to take me back!"

"Not everything is about you," Felix snapped. "He’s a Portello guard now. If you touch him again, I’ll have you locked in the basement until Salvatore gets back. Do you understand me?"

Milo looked around the room. The other guards were watching him. None of them moved to help. They just looked at him like he was a nuisance. Maybe they were confused too.

Milo realized then that despite everything Salvatore had done to him, he was still at the bottom of the hierarchy. He was the "stray" that the Don had decided to keep, and the men who had actually worked there for years had no respect for him.

Jojo smoothed his collar and picked up his coffee again. He winked at Milo over Felix’s shoulder.

Milo still felt the rage in his chest, now even more frustrated. He looked at Jojo, the man’s face was bright. It meant that man would stay alive. It meant that man would have a chance to kill him or destroy him.

"What happened here?" Salvatore asked as he walked toward them, closely followed by Roderick.