Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 13

The next morning at the mansion, the sun filtered softly through the large windows of the kitchen. The air smelled of fresh toast and brewed coffee, courtesy of Aunty Mai, who had already set the table for Jeff and Perth. As the two sat down for breakfast, the silence between them felt different—less tense than usual but still carrying an undercurrent of unresolved tension from everything that had happened recently.

Perth took a bite of his toast, his gaze drifting out the window. It was a rare moment of calm, but Jeff’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Should we let them out of the chamber?" Jeff asked, breaking the silence.

Perth’s fork paused mid-air, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean, Jeff? Why would we let them out?"

Jeff sighed, setting down his cup of coffee. "Don’t you think it’s pointless to keep them locked in there forever? What good is it? At least if we let them out, they could be of some use around here. They could help Aunty Mai with chores, maybe even help out with other tasks."

Perth hesitated, considering Jeff’s words. The thought of seeing Santa and Barcode wandering around the mansion as house servants didn’t sit well with him, but there was a practical side to it. Aunty Mai had been working hard, and having extra hands would lighten the load. Still, he wasn’t sure if releasing them was the right call.

"Fine," Perth muttered, after a moment. "But if they try anything—"

"They won’t," Jeff interrupted, his voice confident. "They know better."

Perth didn’t respond, instead finishing the last of his breakfast. Jeff gave him a knowing look before standing up, signaling the end of their conversation. After they finished eating, they both headed down to the chamber where Santa and Barcode had been held.

The air in the chamber was cold, Santa was leaning against the wall, sound asleep, while Barcode lay on the cold floor, curled up as he slept. The sight was enough to stir something unnameable in Perth’s chest, but he quickly shook it off. There was no room for pity here.

Without a word, Perth nudged Santa awake with his foot, while Jeff crouched beside Barcode, shaking him gently until his eyes fluttered open. Both brothers blinked groggily as they woke, clearly disoriented. Santa rubbed his eyes, glaring up at Perth.

"What the fuck do you want?" Santa spat, his voice hoarse from sleep.

Perth scoffed, looking over at Jeff, who straightened up and fixed both brothers with a cold, emotionless stare. "Get up," Jeff said in a voice that left no room for argument. "Follow us."

Santa gritted his teeth but slowly rose to his feet, his eyes burning with silent fury. Barcode scrambled to stand as well, his smaller frame tense with uncertainty. They followed Perth and Jeff out of the chamber, climbing the staircase that led to the upper levels of the mansion. The house felt too quiet, the sound of their footsteps the only thing echoing through the halls.

Jeff led the way, his cold gaze focused ahead as he spoke. "From now on, you won’t be locked in the chamber—unless you give us a reason to put you back there."

Barcode, clearly confused, stammered, "Why?"

Perth, walking beside Jeff, gave a scoffing laugh. "My brother and I decided that you two could be more useful as something other than stray dogs."

The insult hit Santa like a slap in the face. His fists clenched at his sides, anger bubbling up inside him. He wanted to yell, to fight back, but something in Jeff’s cold demeanor kept him silent. His pride screamed, but he bit his tongue, not wanting to push his luck.

Jeff glanced at Barcode and Santa. "From now on, you’ll help Aunty Mai with chores around the house. Think of it as repaying us for keeping you alive."