Chapter 77: Emotions

At 8 a.m., Ailin discovered that Masashi wasn’t in his room.

Where could he have gone?

Thinking about last night’s phone call, a sense of unease rose in Ailin’s heart.

She had considered calling the police but quickly dismissed the idea. Adams had been trafficking arms for so many years; if the authorities could do anything, they would have caught him long ago. How could he still be walking free?

Now, her only hope was that strange young man. Perhaps he truly had a way to resolve this.

But as she thought about Adams’ influence, she felt like her hope was far too naive. No matter how capable that young man might be, he was just one person. What could he possibly accomplish?

Was there no other choice but to do as “he” demanded?

The thought made her restless.

There were still two days left, right? she thought bitterly.

“Lin, where’s Lei?” Amy, who had just checked Masashi’s room, came over with a confused look on her face.

“He had some business to attend to. Let’s have breakfast first, okay?” Ailin walked over and gently smoothed the girl’s hair.

“Okay.” Amy nodded, though she seemed disappointed.

Ailin didn’t know how to comfort her. Instead, she took her hand and led her to breakfast.

At 8 p.m., while Ailin was accompanying Amy and watching TV, her phone suddenly rang.

She pressed the answer button.

“Ailin, can you recognize my voice?” A familiar, sinister voice came through, laced with amusement.

Hearing it, Ailin’s heart sank instantly. She stood up and walked out of the room.

“Adams, what do you want now?” she asked, suppressing her anger, her trembling right hand turning pale from gripping the phone too tightly.

“Nothing much, just a friendly reminder. One day has already passed, Ailin. Don’t forget, you only have two days left. Don’t keep me waiting too long; my patience is very limited.”

“You… I understand. Please don’t harm Bruno.” Tears silently streamed down her face.

Before she could say anything more, the line went dead. Adams had hung up.

Dropping her phone to the floor, Ailin felt a cold numbness spreading through her body.

She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the shelf, twisting off the cap with a trembling hand and tilting her head back to gulp it down.

In her semi-drunk, semi-conscious state, she felt something soft brushing her face.

Opening her eyes, she saw Amy looking at her with a concerned expression, her small hand gently stroking Ailin’s cheek.

“Lin, don’t cry,” the little girl said slowly, her voice filled with concern.

Looking at Amy’ innocent face, Ailin could no longer hold back. She clung tightly to the girl’s small body and burst into tears.

At 11 p.m., Masashi returned.

Seeing Ailin sprawled on the floor, reeking of alcohol and holding Amy in her arms, who had also fallen asleep, he showed a thoughtful expression.

Carefully removing Amy from Ailin’s grasp, Masashi picked her up and placed her on her bed.

When he returned to the living room, he noticed Amy was now awake, sitting on the floor and rubbing her eyes.

“Lei…” she called out, running over to hug him.

“Sorry for waking you,” Masashi said as he bent down to lift her into his arms.

The little girl hugged his neck tightly and rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she looked up at him.

“Lei, Lin is really sad.”

“I know. Don’t worry, everything will be okay. I promise,” Masashi said softly, brushing her cheek.

“Mm.” The little girl rested her head back on his shoulder.

***

The next morning, Masashi left again.

By now, Ailin couldn’t even summon the energy to wonder where he went. She spent the entire day in a state of unease.

As the night approached, her anxiety grew.

Fortunately, when the clock struck 11 p.m., Adams didn’t call again. Otherwise, Ailin felt like she might have completely broken down.

When the clock hit midnight, her despair became overwhelming. Tomorrow—no, today—was the final deadline.

Sitting silently for what felt like an eternity, guilt filled her to the brim.

Just as she was about to drown her sorrows in alcohol again, Masashi returned silently.

“Ailin,” he said in a low voice.

She turned to look at him, tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a single word.

He walked over, took the bottle from her hand, and placed it on the table. Then, he gazed at her quietly.

Seeing him, Ailin’s emotions began to calm slightly.

“Do you have anything you want to tell me?” Masashi asked suddenly.

The question left her confused.

“Lei… you…”

He raised a hand to stop her from continuing. “Answer my question first. Do you have anything you want to tell me?” His expression was unusually serious.

Ailin looked at him, realizing that tonight he seemed completely different from his usual self. Yet she couldn’t pinpoint what had changed.

After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean.”

Masashi looked at her with an intensity she had never seen before. After a moment, he said softly, “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Without another word, Masashi turned and walked out.

Despite her confusion, Ailin followed him, trusting him instinctively.

“Get in,” he said, gesturing toward a black Bentley she had never seen before.

Ailin wanted to ask about the car, but seeing his reticent demeanor, she chose to stay silent and got in.

The black Bentley sped down the road at an astonishing pace. Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere in the car was heavy.

After 10 minutes of silence, Ailin couldn’t bear it anymore and turned on the radio.

As soothing music filled the car, she felt herself relax slightly.

Turning to look at Masashi in the driver’s seat, she realized he seemed completely different tonight. A strange feeling rose in her heart.

After half an hour, the car stopped in front of what looked like a grand estate.

“We’re here. Let’s go inside,” Masashi said, opening the car door for her.

“Lei, what are you doing bringing me here?” Ailin finally couldn’t hold back her questions.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Masashi replied coolly.

Though filled with doubt, Ailin followed him to the door.

Masashi knocked, and a tall, suited Asian man quickly opened it.

“Sir, welcome,” the man greeted with a respectful bow.

“Where are the others?” Masashi asked.

“Everyone except me, No. 18, and No. 19 is already waiting for you.”

“Good. And the person?”

“In the room.”

Masashi nodded and stepped inside.

Since their exchange was in Chinese, Ailin didn’t understand a word. But the man’s attitude made it clear he held Masashi in awe.

“Miss, please come in,” the man said politely when he noticed her hesitation.

Still unsure of what was happening, Ailin followed Masashi into the house.