They're Coming!

Finally, they arrived at Washington, and as they stepped outside the train, Nana noticed a slender girl with brown curly hair approaching them. She was neatly dressed in a purple shirt and a black, wide-leg pants.

As she approached, Mason stepped forward to meet her. She bowed, and they both engaged in a hushed conversation. After about what seemed like two minutes, Mason clenched his fist, and his emotion transferred to his face.

Nana knew immediately that something bad was going on, but would Mason tell her if she asked? Two years have passed, but her worries for Mason haven't worn off. As she couldn't hold it in any longer, she stepped forward to go and meet him, but Raymond pulled her back.

Nana turned to give him a questioning glare, but he replied with a shake of his head.

"It's been two years, Nana," he whispered amidst the noise of the people around, some going aboard the train while others stepping out. Raymond continued, "You can't expect him to remain the same Mason you once knew. Let him open up to us, there's a reason he brought us here."

Nana cast her face downward in disappointment. "You might be right," she replied. "It's been two years, and he must've passed through a lot during those years and become a different person." Her face darted to Raymond and continued, "I really hope he doesn't change. I prefer the older brother I knew. I don't want him to change."

Just then, Mason arrived, his gaze grim as ever. "I need to go somewhere with Raymond," he said to Nana. "My secretary will take you to my house. I'll join you soon."

Nana wanted to argue, she wanted to follow him. But the look on Mason's face worried her more than anything. As Raymond said earlier, he brought them for a reason. Whatever Mason was passing through now, he'd surely open up later. Even if he didn't, she'd pressure him to. He's her brother after all.

Nana nodded obediently and turned to his so-called secretary, who showed a forced smile on her face, before signalling to someone within the range of five meters. At her signal, two bulky men rushed toward them. When they arrived, they took Nana and Raymond's loads and headed to the exit of the station.

"Please, follow me," the secretary said, and she turned back and followed the bulky men. Nana turned to see Mason before she left; his expression was still grim, and in those eyes she saw something more akin to sadness.

As Nana and Vivian disappeared among the crowd, Mason led Raymond to the other side of the station, where the second exit was located. They hailed a cab and boarded.

On their way, Mason filled Raymond in on the situation: he told him about how he lost the necklace and the hallucinations he'd been having ever since then.

For a moment, Raymond only stared at him and said nothing. His brows are narrowed, and his eyes are locked at a distance. Just when Mason was about to start assuming Raymond didn't believe him, Raymond snapped back to reality.

"If what you said is true, then you're in trouble, Mason," he said. "You must find the necklace, by all means necessary."

"We are here, sir," the cab driver announced, and after paying, Mason and Raymond stepped outside. 

In front of them stood the M.K. FOODS company. "Let's go," Mason said and advanced toward the building's revolving door.

As the security guards saw a bearded man and a strange person wearing a black cap and a nose mask, they intercepted. "What do you want, sirs?" one of them said in a husky voice.

"I'm here to meet Miss Layla," Mason replied, almost in a whisper.

The two guards exchanged a look and turned back to Mason. "Do you have an appointment?" the second asked.

"I don't think I need that to see her. I was here a few days ago," Mason said and moved closer to the guards, who reached for the handles of their batons in case he made any sudden or suspicious move.

Undeterred, Mason swiped down his nose mask and revealed his face. Mouth wide open, the guards were stunned for a moment. Finally, they stepped back and gestured to him to enter. "We've been ordered to allow you in when you come," one of them said.

Mason turned to Raymond and nodded to him to follow as he stepped inside the large hall. Raymond followed, and Mason led them to the location of the elevator. Following the direction one of the employees had taken the other day, Mason and Raymond got to the front of Layla's office.

"Should I wait here?" Raymond asked, pointing to the side of the door.

"You're following me anywhere I go," Mason stated, lowly but firmly. "Even if I ask you to leave me alone, you must not."

Without waiting for Raymond's response, Mason knocked on the door and entered.

Layla sat on her swivel chair, scanning and writing on the documents on her table. "What is it?" she said, not bothering to take a look at her visitor. "Did you find it?"

"I hope it's not true that you lost my necklace?" Mason said, and at his voice, Layla raised her head. Her surprise was evident as she stood up on her feet.

"Mr. Robinson!?" she exclaimed. "You finally came. How could you ignore me for all these days?"

"I didn't come here for that, Miss Layla," Mason said, harsher than he meant. "I came for my necklace, please hand it over to me."

"You can't do this!" Layla retorted. "After what we had. Are you going to pretend it's not a big deal–" she paused as she saw Raymond. "Can you excuse us, Mr. Bodyguard?"

Raymond, surprised at being called a bodyguard, frowned. His dress didn't look like something a bodyguard would wear, but he managed to shake his head in disapproval. If he was here as a bodyguard, then so be it; it was better than staying at home. And protecting his brother is not such a big deal…

"He's my brother, and he's not leaving," Mason declared, his voice still strict. He stretched his hand forward and continued, "My necklace, where is it?"

Layla glared at Mason for a moment, then her expression softened. "Do you want me to speak in front of him–" she nodded toward Raymond– "if that's what you want, then I'm up for it. You can't do this to me, Mason. You seduced me and now you're backing away like a coward–"

"Like a coward?" Mason cut in. "You think I wanted this to happen? You took my necklace from me, Layla." The truth is, he couldn't care less about her as long as he got what he wanted. He was determined to cut her off after investing in her company, but here he was now, all thanks to her ridiculous mistake of taking his necklace.

"You went this far because of a necklace?" Layla's voice jerked him out of his thoughts.

"A necklace!? If you knew what that necklace was, you wouldn't even have messed with it," Mason barked. "If you want things to go back to how they once were, give me back my necklace."

"I've sent my secretary to find it at all costs," Layla said as she proceeded toward Mason. "She disposed of it when she was cleaning my office, and the waste bin has been somehow transported to the dumping ground."

"I need to go find it," Mason said and turned to leave, but Layla held his hand.

"They will find it and bring it to me. Stay here with me," she said, her eyes pleading for affection, but Mason yanked off her hand.

"You've been finding it since yesterday," Mason groaned. "I'll be happy with you only when you find it." He turned around and stormed out of the room, Raymond following behind.

Mason got outside the building and took off his nose mask, breathing heavily. He clenched his fist, his stomach boiling with rage. "I'm going to kill that bitch!" he mumbled to himself.

Raymond remained quiet, watching Mason suppress his anger by himself. He already grasped the weight of the situation, and it annoyed him more to be unable to offer any help.

Mason let out a long, heavy breath and turned to Raymond. "I'm sorry I had to disturb you with my problem," he said.

Finally, Raymond got his chance to speak. He stepped close to Mason and clasped him on the shoulder. "You're not alone anymore, Mason," he said. "You have me and Nana, and we'll do everything to support and help you. Just open up to us and give us the chance."

Mason let out a small smile. "Thank you, Ray. I know I can always rely on you," he said. "I need to go to the dumping ground. I must rally many men as soon as possible to help me find the necklace."

He turned to hail a cab, but the sight he beheld shocked him. He rubbed his eyes vigorously to be sure he wasn't hallucinating again.

"Did you see that, Ray?" he asked, pointing across the road. Raymond followed his direction, scanning everywhere, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"You didn't see them?" Mason asked again, but Raymond shook his head sideways.

"What did you see?"

"The two people dressed like assassins that I saw last night."

Raymond raised an eyebrow and peered at Mason. He noticed the boy's blue eyes sparkling.

What the hell? he muttered.

"We need to run!" Mason shouted. "They're coming!!" Without waiting for Raymond, he took to his heels. Surprised, Raymond ran after him, constantly looking around to verify Mason's claim.

"Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!! They're closing in!" Mason shouted once more as he weaved through the crowd, hoping to lose his pursuers. "Hail a cab when you see one!"