Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 34

As the tension in the mansion grew, Bible and Pond arrived, bringing along reinforcements and a fresh face. Phuwin, Pond’s boyfriend, stood quietly beside him, surveying the tense atmosphere. Bible, always direct, immediately approached Jeff, his eyes narrowed with concern.

"How did this happen?" Bible asked, his voice low and intense. "How did Santa get caught by them?"

Jeff let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know, Bible. They said he was walking alone in the middle of the night. I didn’t even know when he left."

Pond, who have been with Perth before, walked over to Perth, who stood quietly by the window, lost in thought. "Perth, we’ll get him back," Pond said softly, placing a firm hand on Perth’s shoulder. "Don’t worry."

Perth nodded, his jaw clenched as he tried to hold back the overwhelming sense of fear and guilt gnawing at him. He wanted to believe Pond’s words, but the terror of what Santa might be going through was too much to push away.

Meanwhile, Jeff glanced at Phuwin, the unfamiliar face catching his attention. "And who’s that?" Jeff asked, motioning toward him.

Pond smiled slightly, introducing him with pride. "This is Phuwin, my boyfriend. He’ll be helping us."

Jeff sized Phuwin up for a moment, then nodded. "Good, the more help we have, the better."

With the urgency growing, Jeff turned to Bible. "We need to gather all of our workers."

Bible, always prepared, gave a firm nod. "I already brought them with us."

Without wasting any more time, Jeff pulled out his phone, quickly calling his workers. "I need everyone to meet us. We’re going to save Santa. Be ready for anything."

Once the call ended, Bible spoke up again, his voice steady with the calm authority of someone who’d been in high-pressure situations countless times. "We need to make a solid plan," he said. "We can’t afford to get caught or ambushed ourselves. This has to be precise."

Everyone nodded in agreement, the seriousness of the situation hanging over them. They gathered around a large table in the living room, Bible laying out a map of Est’s known hideouts and possible escape routes. Jeff, Perth, Pond, and Phuwin listened closely as Bible outlined the plan, each of them adding their own insights to ensure nothing was left to chance.

The plan was set. Now it was time to arm up.

Jeff and Perth went upstairs to their rooms, both men moving with purpose, their minds focused only on the mission ahead. In his room, Jeff opened a drawer and pulled out a gun, the weight of it familiar in his hand. He grabbed a knife, slipping it into a sheath on his belt, and then took a deep breath.

Across the hall, Perth was doing the same, grabbing his weapons with a cold determination. His mind was solely on Santa—on getting him back, no matter the cost.

Once they were both armed, they headed back downstairs. Aunty Mai stood waiting for them, her face lined with worry, but she didn’t say anything. She knew this was something they had to do.

Perth walked over to her. "Aunty, we’re leaving now."

She nodded, her voice soft but firm. "Be careful, all of you."

Just as Jeff was about to walk out the door, Barcode rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Jeff in a tight hug. Jeff, surprised, hesitated for a moment before hugging him back. He looked down at Barcode, seeing the worry etched on his face despite the anger that had lingered between them.

"I’ll get Santa back," Jeff promised, his voice soft but full of resolve.

Barcode, his voice barely above a whisper, said, "Be careful, phi. Please."