Jiri caught it smoothly, weighing it in her hand before slipping it into her robe. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Please, mention not! You’re my old friend, Jepsi. How could I ever ignore your request?" She let out a soft chuckle, then leaned in, wrapping one arm around Jepsi’s shoulders.
"He was easier to fool than I thought, too. You weren’t lying—he really is stupid and dumb as a broom handle."
Jepsi laughed loudly, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "Hah! Yes..."
Then her voice dropped cold.
"But this isn’t just about him."
She turned to face Jiri fully, her smile tightening with hatred. "This is about Ruby. That self-righteous witch walked around like she was better than me—richer, smarter, more noble."
Her fingers curled into a fist.
"Let’s see how well she runs her perfect little bussiness when one of her beloved husbands disappears without a trace. She thinks she’s powerful? I’ll break her from the inside."
Jiri nodded approvingly.
"You always knew how to aim for the heart."
And behind the locked door, Karl remained still—unaware of the plot woven around him.
Julian was the first to stir.
He blinked awake slowly, rubbing his eyes as he sat up from the shared bed he and Karl had curled into after the nap. The blanket was warm. The silence was comforting. But something... felt odd.
He yawned, stretched his arms, and turned—
Karl wasn’t beside him.
The blanket was tossed back, as if he’d left in a hurry.
Julian stared for a second, then chuckled to himself softly.
"Probably ran off to gossip again..." he muttered, sliding his feet into slippers.
Karl had a habit of sneaking out midday to chatter with Angeline’s husbands, especially when he was bored or when Ruby was working late at the office. He’d return full of stories, snacks he didn’t pay for, and scandalous secrets.
So Julian didn’t think much of it.
He folded the blanket properly, changed into his day robe, and walked to the Milo room, who was still snoring lightly with his head buried under a cushion.
A while later, Adrian returned from the company.
"Where’s Karl?" he asked as he set down a fabric sample roll Ruby had given him.
"Probably out gossiping again," Julian replied, pouring tea into two cups.
Milo finally woke up, rubbing his eyes and stretching with a soft yawn. He wandered into the living room.
"Where’s Brother Karl?" he asked, blinking sleepily, his hair sticking up on one side.
Julian glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 5:45 PM now.
Julian looked up from folding the laundry. "Still not back..."
Milo tilted his head. "Maybe he went to gossip with Max or Kenji again?"
Julian gave a small smile. "Probably."
Adrian, sitting nearby with arms crossed, said nothing but the way his eyes flicked to the door said he was thinking the same thing as Julian: it had been hours.
Milo, now more awake, suddenly stood up straighter. "I’ll go check! Maybe he’s just too busy talking!"
Before either of them could stop him, Milo had already slipped into his sandals and dashed out the door, his robe fluttering behind him like a tiny cape.
He ran to Kenji’s house, breathless and red-cheeked.
Kenji opened the door, surprised. "Milo? What happened?"
"Is Brother Karl here? Did he visit?"
Kenji shook his head, confused. "No, I haven’t seen him today."
Milo’s eyes widened. "At all?"
"Not once," Kenji said. "Why?"
Milo didn’t reply. He just mumbled a thanks and turned, his feet already moving faster.
He ran straight to Pillu’s, even tripping once in his rush. But the answer was the same—no one had seen Karl.
His heart pounded now, not just from running.
Back home, Julian was hanging a damp towel when the door suddenly slammed open.
Milo stood in the doorway, breathless, eyes wide with fear.
"He’s not with Brother Kenji. Not with Brother Pillu either."
Adrian stood slowly from the sofa, his jaw tight.
The quiet, steady rhythm of the home shattered in an instant.
Karl hadn’t wandered off.
He hadn’t gone gossiping.
The moment Milo’s words sank in, the house fell into a heavy silence.
Julian set the towel down slowly. Adrian’s expression had turned completely unreadable—calm on the surface, but his fingers were curled into tight fists by his side.
None of them said it out loud, but they all felt the same growing fear in their chest.
Julian was the first to move. "We’ll check everywhere," he said firmly.
Milo followed close behind, his hands fidgeting anxiously. "Maybe... maybe he fell asleep somewhere... or wandered off to get sweets..."
Adrian didn’t speak. He just nodded once and joined them, his long strides purposeful.
For the next hour, they searched every corner of their area.
They checked the back alleys where Karl sometimes snuck off to practice his "star expressions."
They asked nearby vendors.
They peeked inside bakeries, tea stalls, and even behind the temple, where he once hid to avoid doing chores.
But everywhere they went, the answer was the same:
"No, we haven’t seen him."
"He didn’t come by at all."
Julian’s chest felt tighter with every reply.
Milo had stopped talking completely now, eyes darting around, scanning every face that passed them.
Adrian looked up at the setting sun and finally said it out loud:
"Let’s go to Wife’s office."
Julian blinked. "You think he’s there?"
Adrian’s voice was low. "If he’s not there... then something’s wrong."
Without wasting a second, they turned toward the sky path that led to Ruby’s company—hearts pounding, hoping he was just waiting there with a smug smile and a ridiculous excuse.
They were already afraid of what they wouldn’t find.
As the sky turned light red, the three of them reached Ruby’s company building.
Julian pushed open the door.
The air inside was calm. A few workers from Team 2 were packing up their things, chatting quietly as they folded fabrics and stacked boxes. Most of the desks were already cleared, the workstations silent.
Adrian walked ahead with purpose while Milo stayed close to Julian, his small fingers clutched around the hem of his sleeve.
"Excuse me," Julian asked one of the tailors, "did Karl come here today?"
—To be continued...🪄