Matthew closed the door behind him. The guilt he had shown outside completely disappeared. He walked, calm and composed, to the bedroom. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed before entering.

Inside, a woman sat on the bed. Her knees were tucked under her chin. Her eyes were glassy. She didn’t look in Matthew’s direction, only staring straight ahead.

Matthew walked towards her, sat on the bed beside her, then picked her up and placed her on his lap.

"Did you miss me?" he asked softly.

Her head turned mechanically, as if just noticing him. Her eyes met his, and they regained a semblance of liveliness. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, placed her face in the crook of his neck, and inhaled deeply. Her tongue came out to lick his neck, swiping against the thudding vein.

Matthew sucked in air, pressing her more firmly onto his lap.

"Clair, we can’t stay here anymore." His voice was hoarse as he continued. "I’ve found us a new place. I think you’ll like it there."

The woman sighed against his neck.

On the other side, Jaylin closed the door behind her. She rolled her shoulders and rubbed her neck.

"Oi, we need to go," she called out.

Getting no response, she walked to the bedroom. Opening the door, she clicked her tongue.

"Of course," she sighed. "Get off, he’s about to suffocate."

"He’s fine," the woman responded. Still, she sat up.

The man under her breathed heavily, yet his hands grabbed her thighs, wanting her to sit. Jaylin’s sister, Verdana, swatted his hands away, stood up, and put her clothes on.

Jaylin ignored him. She looked at her sister, at her curvaceous figure that drove men crazy. To Jaylin, her sister was nothing but a black widow. At 32, she had been married five times.

Each time, the man died within a year of marriage. She didn’t ask what happened. It wasn’t her business.

"We need to get out of here. Now. Tony’s wife is being a bitch."

Her sister, unsure of what was happening, didn’t hesitate when her sister said they needed to leave.

As both sides were packing. Tony’s wife made her way back up to the area where everyone had been staying. She looked at the doors to Matthew and Jaylin’s rooms. She had no intention of telling them anything.

She sneered, thinking the man downstairs had threatened her. If he really does come upstairs, she has numbers as an advantage.

Kain’s message had been swallowed, but the people he recruited weren’t planning to stay just because Tony’s wife decreed it. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Five minutes later, Matthew and Jaylin simultaneously opened their doors. Nodding to each other, they closed the door.

Outside the hallway, the people living in the building were waiting. Whether Tony’s wife told them they would try to leave or they expected it, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that they refused to let the two people leave.

"Where do you think you’re going? I was waiting for you to explain what the hell happened and why you two are the only ones back. That shit about them dying. I don’t believe it. I think you two did sup’n. So get the hell back in the room. When you’re ready to talk, then you come out."

Matthew spoke first, his expression one of resignation. "We’ve already told you what happened. They died. They were swallowed whole by giant fish."

"Bullshit! I think you and that fart down there did sup’n to ’em." She jabbed her finger downwards as she mentioned Kain.

He sighed, "We know you’re hurting. But we’ve told you all we can. That man downstairs saved our lives. If not for him, both of us would be gone too. He asked us to stay with him. For his lifesaving grace, we can’t disagree. He only allowed us to come because we begged him to let us take our families with us."

Jaylin listened to Matthew as he spoke. The way his eyes drooped and turned red like he was holding back a terrible memory, she applauded him inside. She didn’t think she was so adept at playing pitiful.

Her sister pinched her, a query in her eyes. Jaylin shook her head so only her sister could see.

"That’s right," Jaylin chimed in. "We didn’t expect things to happen this way. We were bringing back supplies only to meet such an accident. We’re lucky to be alive right now. But we need to leave. We don’t want to be a reminder of the people everyone lost." She sniffled lightly as she spoke.

People living in the building knew Jaylin was a soft person. The only reason she could go on the expedition with them was that they wanted to use her weakness to inspire others to help them.

In short, she could be used as bait. The weaker one appears, the more likely people are to help.

Those standing in the corridor began to feel sorry for her. Mumbling that they shouldn’t have bullied a young girl. But some saw her weakness as a chance to bully her and vent their frustration.

They couldn’t vent on her sister because the few men who stayed were in her corner. She gave them the novel experiences they wanted, and they protected her.

The same couldn’t be said of the little sister. She was so delicate and soft-spoken that they could bully her in the shadows, and no one would say anything.

Tony’s wife scoffed; she didn’t believe a word either of them said. She didn’t believe the pitiful act Jaylin was putting on. She had already seen her true colours.

"None of you is leaving. I already told your ’benefactor’ that you won’t be going with him. He’s gone."

Jaylin and Matthew were quiet for a beat. Did Kain really leave them? No. They didn’t believe he would leave. They were more inclined to believe Tony’s wife was lying.

It wasn’t that they trusted Kain. It was because he dared to recruit them. They believed he chose them for a reason.

"We’ll go down and check for ourselves," Matthew pursed his lips. He held Clair’s hand and made to leave.

Tony’s wife blocked his way, stretching her arms wide. "None of you is leaving. I said he’s already gone." Her words dripped with venom. All that was left to do was to reveal her forked tongue.

The people behind her were grumbling among themselves. They were talking about whether to let them go and whether Tony’s wife was being excessive. Since they were saved by someone its only fair they repay the person.

Tony’s wife heard and reiterated. "No one leaves," she hissed.

"We can’t stay," Matthew said more forcefully.

Even if they didn’t die, he wouldn’t want to stay. The environment here wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. He could go to a place that was better than this one. He could enjoy good food, a shelter that’s not half sunken, and he had Claire.

He wanted nothing else.

Jaylin touched her sister’s arm. "Looks like it’s up to you, sis. Let’s hope those feminine wiles can get us out of here."

Verdana stepped forward, ready to start the charm, but Matthew spoke.

"I suggest stepping aside," he placed Claire in front of himself. "You might get hurt."

He didn’t expect them to heed the warning. Only wanted to make the warning first. He reached down to the bracelet on Claire’s hand and removed it.

They didn’t move; he knew they wouldn’t.

"Little bird," he whispered in her ear. "Fly free for a while, then come back."