Xander stared at his phone in disbelief.

The moment he heard someone screaming through the call, his heart had nearly stopped beating.

Taylor, who sat beside him, immediately turned toward his boss with concern.

"Is everything alright, boss?"

Lately, this had become Taylor’s most frequently asked question.

Ever since his boss developed what Taylor secretly called phone-induced emotional instability, every time he saw Xander staring at his phone like it had become the eighth wonder of the world, he knew something unexpected was about to happen.

Xander finally pulled himself out of his thoughts and ended the call.

"We’re not going home," he suddenly announced.

Taylor almost choked.

"Why, boss?" he asked urgently.

Xander had already known that Ivy went to pick Leo up from school. But after calling Teddy to ask whether they had returned home safely, he learned they were still outside—

At an amusement park.

And somehow, the moment he imagined Ivy there with Leo, his thoughts unconsciously drifted toward her again.

"We’re heading to the amusement park," Xander stated calmly.

Taylor blinked at him in disbelief.

Is the office chaos not enough? Now boss wants to traumatize innocent children at an amusement park too?

Taylor was still stuck in his thoughts when he suddenly noticed Xander staring at him sharply.

"Ah—yes, yes! Off to the amusement park," Taylor said, nodding rapidly before quickly signaling the driver to change directions.

***

Meanwhile, Ivy, Leo, and the guards had finally stepped off the Ferris wheel.

"I think I’m about to—"

Benny couldn’t even finish his sentence before nausea hit him violently.

Covering his mouth, he immediately ran toward the restroom at full speed.

Meanwhile, Percy and Nico still looked like their souls had left their bodies.

They had originally believed the Ferris wheel would be less traumatizing than the previous rides.

But the moment the cabin rose higher and higher into the air, both of them felt so dizzy they nearly fainted inside.

Only Teddy remained completely unaffected.

As expected of the most reliable among them.

Ivy smiled faintly before turning toward Leo.

"Mommy, I’m hungry," Leo said while tugging her sleeve.

Her smile instantly softened.

But before she could ask what he wanted to eat, the little boy suddenly gasped excitedly.

"Mommy! I want that cotton candy!"

Leo’s announcement was so loud that even Nico and Percy momentarily forgot their dizziness.

All of their eyes immediately shifted toward the cotton candy stall nearby.

And the moment they saw the line—

Their expressions stiffened.

"The queue is way too long," Percy muttered weakly.

Even Ivy pursed her lips while staring at the endless line of people.

"I’ll go get it," Teddy volunteered immediately as he prepared to step forward.

But Ivy stopped him.

"You stay here with Leo," she said. "I’ll go buy it myself."

Before Teddy could object, Ivy had already walked away.

Leo slowly moved closer before grabbing Teddy’s hand, instantly catching the man’s attention.

"Don’t worry, Uncle Teddy," the little boy said with a bright smile. "Mommy promised she wouldn’t run away."

Teddy pursed his lips.

Even though Leo’s innocent reassurance sounded convincing, he still couldn’t lower his guard completely.

Quietly, he signaled Percy and Nico with his eyes.

The two men instantly understood.

And despite still feeling emotionally attacked by the rides, they reluctantly followed behind Ivy—just in case something unexpected happened.

***

Ivy stood in the middle of the ridiculously long queue with a completely lifeless expression on her face.

The moment she joined the line, she realized something important.

This wasn’t a queue.

This was a test of patience created by humanity itself.

Children ran around screaming happily while colorful lights flashed everywhere around her. The smell of popcorn, fried snacks, and sugar filled the air, making the entire amusement park feel noisy and chaotic.

And yet—

The line barely moved.

Ivy slowly looked ahead.

Then behind her.

Then ahead again.

"...Are these people buying cotton candy or applying for citizenship?" she muttered under her breath.

The exhausted father standing in front of her silently nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, somewhere farther back in the crowd, Percy and Nico stood hidden while secretly monitoring her.

Or at least... that was what they were supposed to be doing.

"Why is the line so long?" Percy whispered in despair.

Nico rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"All this suffering... for sugar on a stick."

Meanwhile, Ivy continued waiting while mentally questioning every life decision that led her to this exact moment.

Still, the moment she remembered Leo’s sparkling eyes, she held herself back from leaving the line.

Anything for the potato child, she thought solemnly.

Five minutes later—

The line moved exactly one step.

Ivy: "..."

The man in front of her sighed deeply.

A woman nearby looked seconds away from collapsing.

Even the cotton candy vendor looked emotionally detached from life.

Ivy tilted her head upward toward the sky dramatically.

"Xander rejected my freedom, the amusement rides nearly killed the guards, and now I’m fighting for survival in a cotton candy line," she mumbled. "What kind of life is this?"

Meanwhile, Percy quietly leaned toward Nico.

"Do you think Madam would get angry if we secretly bought out the entire stall?"

Nico looked thoughtful for a second.

"...Actually, that sounds possible."

Unfortunately, before Percy and Nico could even consider buying the entire cotton candy stall, their eyes suddenly caught something.

And both their jaws nearly dropped.

"What is Madam even trying to do?" Nico squinted suspiciously before almost gasping.

"I-Is she trying to flirt her way out of the queue?" Percy whispered in disbelief.

The two men immediately turned toward Ivy again, only to widen their eyes further in shock.

Because Ivy was actually smiling at the man standing in front of her.

Meanwhile, inside the queue, Ivy was completely unaware of the silent crisis happening behind her.

At first, she assumed the man speaking to her was simply being friendly.

But the more he talked, the redder his face became, making Ivy slowly realize something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"...So, uh, do you come to amusement parks often?" the man asked awkwardly while trying to act cool.

Ivy blinked at him.

"...No?"

The man laughed nervously for absolutely no reason.

"I-I mean, you just seem like the fun type."

Ivy smiled politely out of sheer social survival instinct. Though in the back of her mind she was trying her best not to punch the guy.

’Control Ivy’ she repeated while her lips continued to stretch wider and wider

Unfortunately, that smile almost made the poor man’s soul ascend.

Meanwhile, Percy looked horrified. "She smiled," he whispered.

Nico looked equally traumatized. "Master is going to kill us."

The two men felt genuine fear.

"You know," the man continued shyly, "if you want, I could help you get the cotton candy faster."

Ivy immediately looked interested.

"Really?"

The man straightened proudly.

"Of course. Pretty women shouldn’t have to wait in long lines."

Ivy’s lips twitched as she forced herself to smile politely, though behind her back, her fist had already clenched tightly.

Back in the organization, even grown men trembled before speaking to her.

She had been one of the most feared members there. And any idiot brave enough to flirt with her usually ended up questioning every decision that led them to that moment.

But now?

Now she was awkwardly standing there while a random man tried his hardest to charm her with amusement park small talk.

The man, completely unaware that he was slowly testing the patience of a former killing machine, smiled again.

"I doubt that," Ivy replied uncertainly, trying to subtly stop him before he became even more comfortable.

"You doubt me?" the man asked dramatically.

Ivy pursed her lips.

The poor guy was completely smitten. Every time Ivy smiled politely, his heart practically performed gymnastics inside his chest.

"By the way," he continued confidently, "we could become friends."

Ivy’s smile instantly faltered.

"You know..." he added while brushing his hair back proudly, "a handsome man and a beautiful woman look good together."

At that point, Ivy could physically feel her patience thinning.

She had promised herself she wouldn’t attract unnecessary attention today because she genuinely wanted to spend peaceful time with Leo. But now this man was doing his absolute best to push her toward violence.

Meanwhile, not far away— Percy and Nico were already witnessing the gates of hell slowly opening.

"Should we save him?" Percy whispered nervously.

Nico shook his head solemnly.

"No. It’s too late."

Just as Ivy was about to finally say something, a sudden disturbance in the crowd caught everyone’s attention.

Then she heard a voice speak from behind her.

"You can have my number."

Why does this voice sound familiar? She wondered in confusion.

But before her mind could properly process it, the atmosphere around them suddenly dropped several degrees colder, sending a strange shock through her entire body.

Her brain practically short-circuited.

No way... it’s him.

Ivy’s eyes widened instantly.

And the moment she slowly turned around to look at the person standing behind her—her heart skipped a beat.

There stood Xander. Tall, intimidating, and terrifyingly handsome beneath the amusement park lights.