Back on the streets, Teddy and the rest had combed through every nearby café, shop, and corner.

Nothing. No sign of Ivy. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Now, the four of them stood in front of the car, the food bags still hanging awkwardly in their hands, untouched and completely irrelevant.

A heavy silence loomed over them.

"I think..." Teddy began calmly, scanning the area one last time, "...we should inform the boss."

The reaction was immediate.

"WHAT?!" Nico, Percy, and Benny shouted in unison, their voices practically echoing down the street.

"No, no, no, no—absolutely not!" Percy shook his head vigorously, already pacing. "We just lost her for five minutes! We can still fix this!"

"Yeah!" Nico jumped in. "We haven’t even checked... uh... everywhere!"

"WHERE IS EVERYWHERE?!" Benny snapped, his voice cracking. "We’ve checked everything! Even that random juice stall!"

"That juice stall looked suspicious!" Nico defended.

"It sells oranges!" Percy shot back.

"That’s exactly what makes it suspicious!"

Teddy closed his eyes briefly.

This is getting worse.

"We are wasting time," he said firmly. "The longer we delay, the worse it gets."

Benny clutched his head dramatically. "I can already see my future... jobless... wandering the streets... eating instant noodles—"

"You can’t even afford instant noodles if we get fired!" Nico cut in.

"I’ll eat air!" Benny shot back.

Percy suddenly froze.

"Wait... what if Boss doesn’t fire us?" All three turned to him with hope. "...What if he just kills us?"

"STOP!" Nico snapped, pointing at him. "Why would you say that out loud?!"

"I’m just being realistic!" Percy argued.

"This is not the time for realism!" Benny groaned.

Teddy pinched the bridge of his nose.

Unbelievable.

"I am calling—" but before he could finish, a call came through, leaving all four still.

RING.

All four froze.

It was none other than Taylor.

"...We’re doomed," Benny whispered.

Nico swallowed hard. "Don’t pick it up."

Percy nodded rapidly. "Yeah, maybe if we don’t answer, this problem will just... go away."

Teddy stared at them.

Then answered the call.

"Sir."

The other three immediately huddled closer, practically sticking to Teddy like frightened children.

Taylor’s voice came through, calm... a little too calm.

"Teddy," he said, "quick question."

"Yes, sir."

"Did you lose her... or should I say, did she lose you?"

"..."

Percy covered his mouth.

Nico shut his eyes.

Benny looked like he might faint.

Teddy remained composed, even as the pressure mounted.

Lying had never been his strength. And with Xander, it was pointless anyway. Even from miles away, the man had a way of uncovering the truth.

You’ve got this, Teddy, he told himself, steadying his breath as he prepared to respond.

But before he could say a single word—

A cheerful voice cut through.

"Oh, Taylor," Ivy chimed in lightly, "I’m sorry to disappoint you... but guess what? I’m still here. Clearly listening to you."

All three—Percy, Nico, and Benny—froze.

Stunned as their heads snapped toward Teddy so fast it was almost synchronized.

Teddy, on the other hand... the corner of his eye twitched. Because Ivy was no longer "missing." She was right there, standing next to him. And at some point, no one knew when she had casually walked up, slipped the phone out of Teddy’s hand, and inserted herself into the call like she had always been part of it.

Ivy smiled sweetly, holding the phone to her ear as if she were making a friendly call.

"And as for your boss," she continued, her tone playful, "just let him know... there’s another bill waiting to be added to his list."

Percy slowly looked at the food bags in his hands.

Nico blinked twice.

Benny whispered, "We’re alive..."

On the other end of the line—

Taylor frowned, pulling the phone slightly away before slowly turning his head toward Xander.

The office had gone completely silent.

Xander stood there, his expression unreadable, his eyes dark and steady as Ivy’s voice echoed through the speaker.

He didn’t look angry.

He didn’t look surprised.

If anything, he looked... dangerously calm.

Taylor swallowed.

"...She’s... cheerful," he muttered under his breath.

"Okay, bye~" Ivy sang lightly.

Beep.

Ivy handed the phone back to Teddy like nothing had happened, her expression relaxed, almost pleased.

"Okay, boys, sorry to keep you waiting," Ivy said lightly as she walked toward the car, her tone casual as if nothing unusual had happened.

She opened the door and slid inside with effortless ease, then leaned back comfortably.

"But we still have places to go."

Outside, the four of them stood frozen, staring at her through the window like they had just witnessed something unnatural.

Percy blinked.

Nico frowned.

Benny’s mouth was slightly open.

Teddy remained silent.

To them, she might as well have disappeared into thin air and reappeared just as easily.

"...Did she just...?" Nico started.

"...Yes," Benny replied blankly.

Percy shook his head slowly. "I don’t even know what just happened."

Inside the car, Ivy tapped lightly on the window, snapping them out of their daze.

"Are you all planning to stand there forever," she called out, amused, "or are we leaving?"

That was enough.

The four immediately snapped back to their senses and rushed into action, scrambling into their positions.

As the engine started, one thought lingered in all their minds.

They weren’t guarding her. They were trying to keep up with her.

***

Back inside the office, Taylor slowly lowered the phone, his gaze drifting toward Xander.

"...Boss," he said with an awkward smile, "good news... she’s not lost."

Silence The kind that pressed down on the room, heavy and suffocating.

Xander didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at him. But the shift in the atmosphere was unmistakable. The air felt colder, sharper, as if the space itself had tightened under the weight of his presence.

Taylor swallowed. He would have preferred shouting. Anger. Anything but this quiet. But he knew better.

Because this calm darkness surrounding Xander was far worse, and it made him feel like he might actually start crying.

For a brief second, Taylor considered saying something else. Maybe lighten the mood. Maybe explain. But one look at Xander stopped him, completely.

"Let’s get back to work." That was all he said. His voice was flat, controlled, and final.

Xander’s gaze dropped to the document in front of him, the one he had left unsigned earlier, as if nothing else mattered. As if the entire situation outside had already been dismissed.

But Taylor knew better. That silence wasn’t ignorance. It was a calculation.

And somehow, that made it even more terrifying.

"...Yes, Boss," Taylor replied quietly, straightening as he stepped back.

Then, under his breath, barely audible—

"...We’re all in trouble."