Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 23

Perth arrived back at his mansion, the weight of the morning still lingering on his mind. As he stepped inside, the familiar sound of pots clanging and the scent of food cooking drifted from the kitchen. Perth smiled softly; Aunty Mai, as always, was hard at work preparing a meal.

He walked towards the kitchen, noticing the space was quieter than usual. Normally, Santa and Barcode would be helping Aunty Mai, either chopping vegetables or setting the table. But today, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Aunty Mai," Perth greeted, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "Where’s Santa and Barcode? They’re usually here helping you out."

Aunty Mai glanced up from the pan, her smile warm. "Oh, they wanted to help, but I told them to focus on their lessons today. Santa is teaching Barcode right now."

Perth nodded, feeling a bit of relief. It was just like Santa to take responsibility for helping Barcode with his studies. "They’re in Santa’s room?"

"Yes, they’re in there," Aunty Mai confirmed, returning her attention to her cooking.

With a nod of thanks, Perth left the kitchen and made his way upstairs to Santa’s room. As he approached, he could hear faint voices through the door. He hesitated for a moment, listening to the calm and steady rhythm of Santa explaining something.

Knocking lightly, he waited until he heard Santa’s voice from inside. "Come in."

Perth pushed the door open to find Santa sitting at his desk, a book open in front of him. Barcode sat beside him, his face scrunched in concentration as Santa explained something in English.

Santa looked up at Perth with a small smile. "Yes, phi?"

Barcode followed Santa’s gaze, glancing at Perth. A flicker of something crossed Barcode’s face, and Perth noticed the quick flush of embarrassment. Barcode shifted uncomfortably, probably remembering the sounds he had overheard yesterday when Perth had been with Santa.

Perth cleared his throat, trying to keep the moment light. "Barcode, can I borrow Santa for a minute?"

Barcode nodded quickly, offering a shy smile. "Sure, phi."

Perth gave Barcode a reassuring nod before signaling to Santa. Santa stood up, looking slightly curious as he followed Perth out of the room and into the hallway.

Once the door was closed behind them, Santa tilted his head slightly, his eyes filled with curiosity. "What’s wrong, phi?"

Perth leaned against the wall, exhaling as he searched for the right words. "I went to Pond’s mansion earlier," he began, his tone steady but laced with something Santa couldn’t quite place.

Santa stayed silent, his brow furrowing slightly as he waited for Perth to continue.

"I texted him yesterday, but he didn’t respond," Perth said, his voice growing quieter. "So I decided to go to his mansion to talk about something—about us."

Santa’s expression softened, sensing that something deeper was coming.

"I went to his room,” Perth continued, meeting Santa’s eyes. "And I was right."

Santa remained silent, waiting for him to finish.

"I saw him lying in bed… with someone else."

The hallway seemed to go completely still for a moment. Santa’s eyes widened slightly, his lips parting as he tried to process what Perth had just said. He didn’t speak, not right away, unsure of what Perth wanted him to say in response.

Perth leaned his head back against the wall, his expression unreadable. "I wasn’t surprised. I mean… I know he was hiding something from me. But seeing it… just confirmed what I already suspected."