"Calista, is Sophia awake?"
Hearing Betty mumble, Calista glanced toward the bed. Sophia was still curled beneath the blanket, breathing softly. With a small groan, Calista lay back down beside her, red hair spilling across the pillow.
"No, Master. She’s still asleep."
---
Betty only humd in response, padding toward the kitchen. She uncapped a bottle of cool water and took a long drink, letting it wash the dryness from her throat.
Knock. Knock.
She froze mid–gulp. Slowly lowering the bottle, Betty set it back on the shelf, her expression tightening as she turned toward the door.
Creak.
The hinges groaned when she pulled it open. Standing outside was Claire, arms crossed, eyes narrowed with her usual sharpness.
"Hmph," Claire huffed, looking her up and down. "So you really are Bennett. I ca to inform you—since this building is under my security—everyone’s being relocated. The awakeners are moving to another building, so pack your things. Quickly."
Betty leaned casually against the doorfra, her gaze sweeping Claire up and down.
"W-what? Why are you staring at like that?" Claire stamred, her cheeks puffing slightly.
Betty shook her head with a faint smirk."So you didn’t believe before, huh? Was this your confirmation?"
"Hmph." Claire turned her head, ignoring the jab as her eyes flicked past Betty into the apartnt."Where’s your daughter?"
Betty coughed lightly and straightened, shifting just enough to block the view inside."She’s sleeping. On the bed. I’ll pack—just give an hour."
Without waiting for a reply, she shut the door firmly.
Claire’s puffed cheeks deflated, her face darkening with irritation. She lifted her hand, shaping her fingers into a gun and aiming it at the closed door.
"What was that supposed to an? I was just asking about Sophia... it’s not like I was demanding to know where you keep your gold."
Creak.
"Huh? Already? It’s only been three minutes."
Betty shrugged, slinging a bag over one shoulder while carrying the sleeping Sophia in her arms."Yeah. I don’t have much—just clothes and so snacks."
Claire scratched her head, puzzled, but nodded and started walking ahead."Hm... strange."
Betty followed with a faint smirk tugging at her lips. After five minutes of quiet walking, Claire stopped in front of a tall building, much larger than the previous one.
"This is where most of the awakeners are staying. Well, except the... important people."
As they stepped inside, Betty frowned, her eyes narrowing at the ceiling where lights glowed and electric heaters lazily rotated.
"...Wait. Electricity? Where’s that coming from?"
Claire leaned closer, lowering her voice near Betty’s ear.
"You didn’t hear? So secret scientist has been providing research breakthroughs. Every awakener’s praising her like crazy for how fast she’s been working. So even compare her to Tesla... or Einstein."
Claire shook her head and started walking again."Alright, hurry up. I still have to pick up more awakeners from that building."
At the end of the corridor, she pushed open a heavy tal door and led the way upstairs. On the second floor, she stopped in front of a wooden hotel-style door.
"This one’s yours. The password is 5524. You can change it anyti. Okay, bye."
Betty gave a lazy wave. "Mm, thanks."
She punched in the code, and with a soft click, the lock released.
"Wow..." she muttered, stepping inside. "Is this really an apartnt?"
The living room opened up before her, sleek and spacious, the kind of place she’d only seen on TV.
Gulp. "Feels like I just walked into a VIP suite. Where’s the bedroom?"
She wandered through the rooms, pushing open doors one after another until she found it. The bedroom was larger than her entire old apartnt.
With a tired sigh, she gently set Sophia down on the king-size bed, tucking her in before exhaling in relief.
"Hm? What’s this..."
Her eyes fell on a folded white letter tucked in the drawer beneath the lamp. Betty pulled it out and unfolded the page, scanning the words carefully.
Dear Awakener,
We are doing our best to provide you with comfort and stability in these dark tis. However, we have one small request.
As we all know, the world outside has beco a living hell. We have yet to discover any antidote, and the future remains uncertain. Therefore, we ask that, when the ti cos, you lend us your strength.
In exchange, you will continue to receive this apartnt and weekly supplies.
— The Managent
Betty lowered the paper, her lips tightening into a thin line.
"Hah... yeah. They’re not that generous to give things away for free. Still, a fifty-fifty deal isn’t so bad—I can live with it."
She set the letter aside and lowered herself onto the edge of the bed. Her hand moved gently, brushing over Sophia’s soft hair. Watching her daughter sleep so peacefully made her expression grow solemn.
’Those two bastards... I need to track down those kidnappers. And find if they were only after money, I’ll find out soon enough. But that fat pig...’ Her eyes darkened, fury tightening her jaw.
’He’ll die by my hand—brutally. How dare he even think of laying a hand on my daughter? Back then, I cant believe I wasn’t feeling this much rage on that pig, but now I want to kill that bastard.’
She rembered the mont when she had kicked his balls and escaped.
’That was my chance, I should have killed him there, and co to think of it, Sophia and Betty were caged in that room for the entire month, why didn’t anyone co before?’
She bit her thumbnail in anger.
"im fucking dumb...Augh, why didn’t I think of it before? Is that the father of this body behind this?"
’Well, not father anymore since that contract, did he give money to these kidnappers because of recent blas of trying to kill Lilian?’
She exhales,s shrugging.
"Whatever, he doesn’t look like that type of person, but anyway, he was upper class family head so he can do it."
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