"Man, you came at the right moment. If you hadn't, my eye socket would've dried out,"Zayun said, half-laughing with his classmate.
"What did Egen want this time?" the classmate asked, his cheeks puffing with laughter.
"A distant relative passed away. That's what he came to tell me. I barely knew the person."
They walked towards the library hall, teasing each other as they went.
Hours later, the messenger boy returned to the shop, tension heavy in his face. Once inside, he stood by the counter and bowed slightly to Yara. His voice was soft as he spoke of the shop owner's cold and dismissive response.
He placed the receipt slowly on the counter, close to Yara's hand, which rested flat on the table. Still avoiding eye contact, he stepped back and lowered his head.
"So he refused to give you a date?" Yara asked, her neatly manicured nails tapping rhythmically on the table.
The boy lifted his eyes briefly, then dropped them again.
"Yes, my lord," he replied.
Near the door, partially hidden behind the shelves of display items, Egen stood quietly, eavesdropping. He had seen the boy visit the shop several times without buying anything, which piqued his suspicion. Narrowing his eyes, he swept his tongue across the roof of his mouth, glanced around, and stood motionless.
"She has her own gang, or what?" he muttered, then smirked and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
"I'll see you later. Thanks for your help," Yara dismissed the boy, continuing to tap the table.
Egen quickly backed away to avoid being spotted by the messenger. He ran off and ducked into a nearby shop, where he stayed a few minutes before rejoining his friends.
Moments later, one of the guys nodded toward the shop.
"Is your place on break this early?" one asked, sipping from his teacup.
Egen turned to look. The shop door was closed.
He stood up, frowning. "I'll be back in a bit," he told them, walking calmly across the street. On reaching the shop door, he noticed it was shut but only bolted from the inside no padlock.
"Where could she have gone?" he muttered, scanning the area. Across the street, the same messenger boy sat on a crate. When their eyes met, the boy quickly looked away and wandered toward a nearby kiosk, chatting with the people around it.
"I hope nothing shady's going on here. That kid looks like a thief," Egen said under his breath, keeping his gaze sharp.
He walked around the trading centre for a few more minutes, then returned to his friends.
"Did you find her?" one asked, leaning back while the others looked on.
"No. I think she went home to handle something," Egen replied, then sat back down and resumed the board game.
At Green Valley Shop, the receptionist stepped out from behind the counter after seeing Yara enter. She bowed politely and offered her a seat.
"Can I see your boss?" Yara asked, folding her hands neatly after taking a seat.
The receptionist smiled, glanced at her colleague, and nodded.
"I'll check if he's in," she said before heading upstairs.
At the top floor, she paused outside the office door, smoothed down her hair, exhaled, and knocked.
"Who is it?" the shop owner called, tucking bundles of cash back into the drawer.
"Saima, sir. Madam Zera's granddaughter is here to see you."
The man curled his lips in a grin and continued putting away the cash.
"Bring her up," he instructed.
The receptionist returned and led Yara upstairs. At the door, she knocked, entered upon instruction, and guided Yara inside before bowing and leaving them alone.
Yara smiled politely and greeted him, remaining standing.
"I hear you've got a few tricks up your sleeve scaring people, making threats. You here to do that again?" the man said, eyes sharp before forcing a grin.
"Maybe you're in the mood for something spicy tonight, but I'm only here for the money," Yara replied, locking eyes with him.
"It's your grandma's money. You should build your own empire," he retorted, his gaze darkening with a thirsty glint.
"I'm here to collect *her* money," she said firmly.
He rolled up his sleeves with a chuckle. Yara smirked and took a seat.
"You're Laoni's sweetest girl," he whispered, leaning in. He reached out, trying to caress her.
THUD.
A loud noise echoed in the office.
The man dropped to the floor, covering his ears, blinking rapidly.
"What the hell is this?" he cried out. A burning sensation tingled through his eyes, making him squint and cry involuntarily.
Across the room, Yara remained seated counting money pulled from his drawer, licking her thumb between stacks.
As the tingling faded, he managed to peek at her through blurred vision. She was calm, precise, focused.
His limbs twitched unnaturally. He tried to move but couldn't. A strange vibration crawled through his muscles.
Yara stood up, walked to him, and kissed his cheek lightly. Then she slipped a candy into his mouth.
"This is what you like," she said sweetly, before walking out empty-handed.
The man gasped and crawled to his drawers, rifling through each one in panic.
They were empty.