Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Raymond closed the last file that Thyme gave him as he relaxed his stiff muscle because he continued to sit in a chair for nearly six hours. His eyes behind the glasses he was wearing twitched—the result of continuing to divide his concentration on reading the printed file with the computer screen on his desk. Raymond turned his head to find his boss seemed to be enjoying their lollipop, which had shrunk like a toddler, looking at their computer screen enthusiastically, as if they were playing games. He raised from his chair and walked over to their table.

‘Already finished all of them?’ asked Thyme, enjoying their lollipop again.

Raymond nodded.

‘I want to talk about Amanda's condition,’ Thyme's face suddenly turned serious, moving the lollipop away from their mouth. ‘Yesterday I wanted to inform you, but I couldn’t contact you. I wonder why.’

Their sarcastic tone made him remembered that day. After he broke up with Hazel, he stayed in his bedroom for a day, not checking his smartphone. He was not disappointed in Hazel. It was natural for her to choose to end their relationship, given the fact that his mental health was unstable as he was still struggling to deal with it. Instead, he was disappointed in himself for making Hazel doubt their relationship. The negative thoughts that haunted him at that time became true. Nobody wanted to be in a relationship with a former cop detective who had PTSD and was targeted by a mafia organization.

In fact, it would be much better if they were not dating anymore because that meant Hazel would be safe. She would not get into the problem even if they live together. Well, as a precaution, he secretly slipped a tracking device in her bag and adding some security layer inside the apartment. At least, he would not worry about her, making sure that his now ex-girlfriend was safe.

‘Sorry. I forgot to charge my smartphone,’ he lied, leaning a part of his body beside Thyme's desk. ‘Did something happen to her?’

‘She was attacked again by Simon's people. This time they got more serious than before. There were four cars following her until my subordinates were overwhelmed by it.’

Raymond immediately leaned toward Thyme, who was trying to appear calm. 'So how is she now?!’

‘Wanna know?’ Thyme said with a grin when looking at his expression. ‘I also have a surprise for you.’

‘Surprise?’ Raymond raised an eyebrow, interested in what Thyme had said.

‘It won't be a surprise if I revealed it. But you don't have a problem, going home late?’

‘No.’ Raymond, who was now moving away from the Thyme table.

‘Great. Follow me.’

Thyme led him out of the room they were in, through the corridors of the Umberbridge residence which were filled with more people on guard around than before he started working here. The security around the house was tightened. Naturally, considering that they had underestimated their enemy and ended with the death of Nicholas Paddington— their confidant that they already considered as their own brother. If adding to what Thyme just said before, it means that the problem was getting serious.

‘I don't know what happened to you until it was hard to reach you yesterday,’ Thyme said, full of sarcasm, not even turning to him. ‘You must have your own reason, so I won't ask any further.’

He was silent, still followed Thyme from behind. Deep in his thought, Raymond questioned the age of the person walking in front of him even more. Thyme was too mature for their age. Was it because they lived in an underground world that the environment forced them to act more mature than their actual age? Ah, maybe it was not the case. For instance, Verdict Walter, Arnold's younger brother, was a Walter family leader—one of the great mafia family at Morozov City. Even though he was appointed as the new head of the Walter family when he was only eighteen years old, he still acted like a child whenever he met him and Arnold. This means he could cross off the possibility of the environment from the list of triggers for Thyme’s personality.

He was so deep in thought until he did not realize Thyme was taking him to a room that seemed to be used for secret meetings. He winced because he had never stepped foot into the meeting room in front of him now.

‘There’s someone who's been waiting for you. You must be surprised,’ Thyme entered the meeting room, strolled casually toward a man who seemed to be sipping black coffee that the coffee scent spreads to fill the room filled only by a silhouette of a man he felt familiar with. He frowned. Slowly he followed Thyme into the room, approaching the man who was now putting back his cup on the table.

‘Already arrived?’

His eyes widened when he heard a familiar voice and quickly approached a figure he clearly knew very well.

‘You!?’ Raymond faced the man who looked pathetic because of the many injuries and bandages all over his body.

‘Hi, Brother Ray!’ Verdict smiled when he saw him. ‘How was it? Surely you did not expect me to be in here.’

‘I didn't really expect it. So was that the reason why you called me?’

‘Yup! But before I finished talking, you hung up the call. I'm sad, Brother Ray, giving the fact that you hung up my call quickly.’

‘You called me in the wrong situation, as usual,’ Raymond murmured to himself.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Nothing,’ Raymond cleared his slightly dry throat to dodge Verdict’s question. His eyes moved to the man's condition. ‘I assume you're not in a good shape, huh? Were you beaten up by your exes again? How many women this time? ‘

‘You mean this one?’ Verdict pointed to his bandaged right arm. ‘No, it's not the case. Only a small wound. My award as a man. It’ll recover quickly just as usual.’

‘This is what I want to talk to you about, Raymond,’ Thyme cleared their throat, then sat down on a chair not far from Verdict, clearing the chair right next to the man. Thyme's hands swiftly grabbed the potato chips on the table for some reason with a cup of black coffee that Verdict drank earlier was now half-left, completely incompatible with the identical image of black coffee served with cake or biscuits. It was as if the lollipop that they ate earlier still could not satisfy their desire to eat snacks. ‘What a coincidence. It was good to have Verdict save Amanda when she was attacked by Simon people.’

Coincidence? He hesitated because there was a little chance it was a coincidence. It must be on purpose, considering that was a very classic way that Verdict always did whenever he planned to approach someone. He became worried, thinking about Amanda might fall into Verdict's trap sooner or later.

‘Woah. Great. You did a great job.’

‘Don't talk with a flat tone, Brother Ray. Better keep quiet if you don't intend to praise me,’ Verdict grumbled, eating half the potato chips. ‘Brother Ray doesn't believe me?'

‘Yes,’ he replied quickly, followed by a Thyme laugh.

‘I hate Brother Raymond! Hmph!'

He rolled his eyes, reluctant to admit Verdict's success, which he thought was so insincere. He knew him very well. Verdict could not possibly want to do something just like that if there was no reward or challenge.

‘All right, then. Let’s assume I believe you. So what's the payment for what you did?’ He pulled out the chair on Verdict's left. ‘Drinking at a bar nearby? Or help you deal with a problem you made?’

Verdict moved his left index finger while shook his head. ‘Not both of them. I already got my reward from the start.’

‘Hm? What's that?’

‘The person who became my destiny.’

He immediately shivered at Verdict's straightforward answer, shifted his chair a little away from Verdict. ‘What’s with that ridiculous answer!?’

‘What? It's true,’ Verdict did not seem offended by his reaction. ‘I already got my payment. Much more valuable than anything.’

‘Well, I'll make it quick. Verdict fell for Amanda at first sight,’ Thyme interrupted, calmly, not realizing Verdict's glaring at Thyme. ‘It's cliché, isn't it? I never thought that there are people who still believe in love at first sight at this modern times.’

The way Thyme said it made them look much older than their real age. His laughter exploded in an instant.

‘Award as a man, huh? I got it, got it,’ Raymond patted Verdict's shoulder, not intending to stop laughing at the man whose face was blushing now.

‘Shut up, jerk!’ Verdict grumbled, grumbling again, annoyed that his pride was crushed after Thyme had spilt his secret.

‘Verdict is already grown up as a man now,’ said Raymond between his laughs.

‘Thyme! I really didn't believe you'd betray me quickly,’ Verdict shot a glare at Thyme who seemed completely unfazed. ‘I said to you earlier, remember!? Don't mention that part to Brother Raymond!’

‘Eh? Did I say that?’ Thyme replied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, taking out a small packet of wet wipes from his coat pocket, and took out a piece of wet tissue to wipe his hands. Then they throw the tissue in the trash nearby. ‘I'm just keeping silent. Don't say anything. From the start, your assumptions were wrong, assuming that I agreed with your term.’

‘Urgh, I should’ve known this…’

‘You guys are very close,’ Thyme put the wet tissue package back into his coat pocket.

‘Yes, because I already think of him as my little brother that I never had,’ said Raymond, tapping Verdict lightly on the shoulder. ‘I don't have a family, so I consider his family as my family.’

‘Oh? You mean like deciding to move to this city to avenge Brother Arnold's death without notifying me? That's not how it works, Brother Ray.’

He ignored what Verdict said. His hand took out his cigarette and an automatic lighter, then slipped the cigarette between his lips and lit the cigarette, spread the smoke throughout the room.

‘Why did you know I came to this city? Did Martha tell you?’

‘Sis Martha? No, I got your whereabouts from my informants,’ replied Verdict. 'Did you mean that Sis Martha is still alive? I thought she was dead.’

***