Ryan held a binocular in his hand and gazed at Perseus' front yard with it. He was standing on the balcony with Tom, holding a tray of peeled apples behind him.He was in the building next to Perseus. He had just bought the building since he hadn’t gotten the chance to speak to Perseus.Now he was sure that Perseus was at home. He had been standing there, and so Perseus drove in. He pulled down the binoculars and took the apple that Tom was handing him.Taking a huge bite from the apple, juice dripped down his chin, which he casually wiped with the back of his hand even though Tom was handing a napkin to him. He returned to look at the villa through the binoculars.“I don’t get it,” Tom said, after being quiet for a long time. He had been watching Ryan for a long time, and all Ryan did was stare at the building as he could see through it. “You have been staring at the building for hours, and now that he is back, aren’t you going to say hi?”Ryan didn’t respond; he kept on munching on
“Did you invite anyone over?” Perseus asked, glancing back at Sherry.Sherry shook her head. “I didn’t.”“Two men are ringing the doorbell.”He tried to remember where he had seen the guy. There was no way anyone wouldn’t have noticed someone that skinny in a crowded place, yet he had no idea where he had met him.Sherry left the bed and appeared next to him in seconds. She stared at the screen and back at Perseus. “I think they are our neighbors; I met them earlier when they moved in. Truth be told, it was the skinny guy who made me see them. He was pulling on a large bag that I thought was going to injure him somehow.”"Surprisingly, he took those heavy bags up himself. I was quite stunned because I wasn’t expecting him to.” She continued.Neighbors? Perseus had no idea the villa next to them wasn’t occupied. He hadn’t had any close relationships with his neighbors; they only exchanged greetings, so this was all new to him.“Perhaps they are here to ask for something. Let’s let them
Sherry’s eyes widened when she realized the men weren’t his friends. She shot a glare at Ryan, who quickly averted his gaze.“Well, you wouldn’t call us friends, would you?” Ryan muttered, trying to lighten the mood. “But let’s forget about that for now. We’re neighbors, so let’s enjoy what I brought.”Sherry looked up at Perseus, her eyes questioning. “Is it okay to let them stay?”Tom interjected, “We’re already in. But you can still ask us to leave.” His tone made it clear that he preferred that option.“Shut up!” Ryan snapped, swatting Tom’s head lightly. “I need to talk to him.”Perseus glanced at Sherry and then nodded. “Alright. We can entertain them.”A few minutes later, they were all seated around the table. Perseus handed a piece of meat to Lexi, while Sherry savored the fish. Tom and Ryan helped themselves to the drinks Perseus offered.‘Can I get more information about Ryan?’ Perseus asked Iris.[Sure, host.] A panel appeared in front of Perseus as Iris navigated it.[He
Perseus held Ryan’s gaze, both of them refusing to look away. However, after a few minutes of silence, Ryan decided to look away.“How do you know about my parents?” Perseus questioned. “Have you been investigating me—or perhaps stalking me?”With a soft chuckle, Ryan turned his back to Perseus. “It’s awful to think that you don’t know me, even if I have been watching you.”“Pardon?”“I am not going to deny it anymore.” Ryan glanced over his shoulder to look at Perseus. “I have been watching you since you were in the sixth grade.”Perseus fell into step with Ryan. “That long?”Ryan’s eyes widened, expecting Perseus to call him a freak, but Perseus was so used to meeting different people that he didn't care if it was weird.“Yep.” Ryan nodded. “But that isn’t why I am here. I have always wanted to meet with you and speak to you the way we are speaking now. However, I have something more important to tell you.”“How do you know about my parents?” Perseus inquired. “Judging from your app
“No, he isn’t. He died the same day as your parents. He was kidnapped and tortured to death. I felt nothing when I stared at his grave at his funeral. If anything, I was glad that he was gone because I could escape such an awful place.”[He was a psychopath from a very young age,] Iris noted. [He was the happiest he had been at his dad’s funeral, smiling and beaming all through the day.]Perseus remained expressionless as he absorbed all of this. “Aren’t you curious about who did that to your parents?”Ryan shook his head. “I am not. As long as they don’t come after me, we are good.”“I am sure they will come after you at any moment,” Perseus told him. “If our parents were involved in the same project, then you are also being targeted. It is only a matter of time before they come for us. So I think I will make a deal with you.”Ryan's eyes widened. “Really?”“Yes. As long as we get to work together and take down the company our parents worked for, Okay?” Perseus asked, peering at Ryan
Perseus yawned, stretching his back as far as it could go. He adjusted his shoulders and put on the apron. Picking up a pot, he placed it on the stove and began cooking. Eris and Sherry were asleep since they had spent the whole night taking care of Lexi, who had refused to go to bed. “I can’t believe three days have gone by like that.” He mumbled, grabbed the knife, and began chopping the vegetables. Three days had gone by since he last spoke to Ryan. All he did in the past three days was watch Lexi while the others went to school. It had been a tough ride, and he was glad that he would be able to go on with his tasks.The day was when Lexi was going to recover, and he couldn’t wait to show her all of the embarrassing things she had done. [Good morning, host!] Iris greeted her, her voice chirping like the early morning birds. “Good morning, Iris.” He responded. [You have unlocked five missions for staying at home for three days without heading out.]“How can missions be unlocked
“Good morning, Perseus,” Eris greeted, walking down the stairs just as he was setting the table.Sherry and Lexi were by her side, and Lexi was red with embarrassment. Looking at them, he could tell they had already teased her about acting like a kid.“Good morning,” he breathed out a response.After Iris had asked him the question, she had disappeared, saying she would be back when he was done cooking.“Morning,” Sherry chimed, hurrying down the stairs faster than the rest. “Lexi was alright when we woke up this morning. She was watching us sleep with a confused look on her face.”“She had no idea why she had her hair in two braids and was holding a teddy bear and a lollipop,” Eris stated.Sherry leaned in to peck Perseus on the cheek, stunning him and sat down as if nothing had happened. “Thanks for making breakfast.”Perseus touched his cheek, a faint blush creeping up. “Umm...sure.”“I should have woken up and made breakfast,” Eris implied. “It must have been a bother.”“It was no
“I’m heading out,” he announced, walking past the three ladies who were still eating in the dining room.They were still eating after he had bathed and dressed. What slow eaters they were! It was probably because they were talking.“Where are you headed?” Sherry asked, her head snapping towards his direction.He glanced back at her, his hand in his pocket. Her eyes widened when she took a good look at his face. His hair was pulled back, showing his forehead and the earrings in his ears.Blush slowly crept to her face. He looked more handsome with his hair up. She shook her head repeatedly, snapping out of her thoughts.He gave her a questioning look before answering. “A tournament.”“What tournament?” Eris questioned. “Are you a player?”Perseus shook his head. “It is a chess tournament and I am part of the audience, but the best chess player in the country invited me.”“You mean Gold Herald?” Sherry asked, pretending to gag. “That brat always acts like he wants us to worship the groun