Ivy purposely created the chaos as a distraction to be able to approach the trio sprawling on the ground. She knew there were still eyes around monitoring her despite the majority of the minions appeasing Kyle.

She went to take a look at Ryu who was crying for her as she put on an act to hush him.

“Fake!” She scolded him leaving Ryu confused for a moment while she pretended to observe Jin mysteriously.

Hmm… looking charming even when rogue and bloody. No wonder Cassie fell for you… Ivy thought to herself as she giggled before getting closer to him. She sniffed him on purpose as she recognised his signature perfume since day one.

“Cliff…” She whispered solemnly before standing up and clasped her hands together. “Hmm smells like smoked wood. I like.” She pretended to say as Jin frowned.

Lastly, she went up to Jeremy and sniffed him too. “I’m hungry.” She whispered before standing up. She could not help but chuckle before saying he smelled like fried chicken. Jeremy was trying to suppress his smile as he faced down to the floor and kept his frown when he looked up.

“Where's my food, sweetie?” She stride back to Kyle and asked in a pout.

“Give this mad woman her food! Hurry up!” Kyle bellowed as the minions rushed over with the food collected from delivery leaving Ivy impressed at the speed.

She finally revealed Kyle’s car keys she stole earlier while on his lap. “Thank you! I shall head to Manes myself! Goodbye!” Ivy waved as she skipped her way out of the main door quickly while the minions wanted to stop her but she turned around to meet Kyle’s gaze.

“If you don’t let me go now… I will…” She drew out her penknife again which was nearly confiscated by one of the minions but Ivy fought him. “Find your father next…” Ivy threatened hurriedly.

“Or, maybe pop more pimples!” She squealed happily before running towards him but he stopped her midway by surrendering.

“Alright! Alright! Leave! Go!” He pleaded as Ivy quickly turned around again and ran out of the factory.

After all, Kyle had gotten his signed contract before leaving furiously, leaving the trio to fend for themselves to leave the place.

“Bro, why were you so calm?!” Ryu questioned Jeremy who had already released his hands a long while ago but was patiently trying to play along to Ivy’s games.

“Did Ivy whisper to…” Jin’s question was halted when Jeremy’s stern gaze met his and they reached a tacit understanding as Jeremy helped to release his hands.

“Cliff…” Jin said.

“What does she mean?” Ryu asked confused.

“I’m hungry…” Jeremy said which made Jin and Jeremy laugh while Ryu frowned in agitation.

“At this hour? In the middle of this chaos? Seriously bro, can’t your stomach wait any longer?” Ryu whined while being released by Jeremy.

“No. Ivy said that to me. She told you fake. Figure whatever that meant.” Jeremy reiterated as he walked out of the factory, limping a little while holding on to his injury on his abdomen which he suspected had worsened.

Jin shared a knowing look with Jeremy that his wound needed to be fixed but they had to reach out to Ivy following the clues she left first.

“Where are we heading to?” Ryu asked while Jin caught up with Jeremy.

“To feed your sister. Mung bean cake, mac and cheese, and ginger pork liver.” Jeremy reminded.

“How to meet her? In Manes?” Ryu asked as Jin shook his head.

“The cliff she always heads to with Jason,” Jin said while Ryu finally made sense of the clue she left for him. He recalled the pen she used.

“She didn’t sign the contract…” He mumbled as they got in the car Ivy had left for them earlier.

Jeremy found the keys daringly poked into the driver’s door.

“Your sister is full of mischief tonight!” Jeremy laughed as he boarded the driver seat leaving the brothers to head in.

“She signed a contract to transfer a shell company anyway. Does it matter?” Jin said to Ryu.

“No! The pen she used was the one we always played in primary school. The ink will fade away in two hours. It was the one we scribbled with on the walls! Fake!” Ryu explained leaving Jin and Jeremy laughing and shaking unbelievably at Ivy’s smart mischief.

“He’s terribly out of her league…” Jin mumbled.

“That’s my girl!” Jeremy winked from the rear mirror.

“Is she really my sister?” Ryu concluded as he began to realise how much he had missed earlier.

Ivy ambushed the driver who was driving for Kyle with her penknife and took over his car after a brief fight, leaving all the packed food earlier splattered on to the ground. She sped away to the cliff while ensuring she turned off all the GPS trackers since she already had claimed she was heading to Manes.

It was windy that night as Ivy stood by the cliff alone wrapped in her jacket and blanket. She imagined the skies of clouds which she waltzed in her paracosm and naturally Jason came to mind.

I missed you, you know but don’t worry, it doesn’t ache like it did anymore. I’m healing with time. If this were me back then, I would be running into your arms, crying and wailing weakly and being all so scared. Ivy heard a roaring engine coming by and she recognised the car was the one she had left for the trio.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Perhaps you knew from the beginning what I could have become… She took a deep breath before hearing running footsteps heading to her followed by hugs from four arms.

She opened her eyes to realise it was Jin and Ryu. Thank you, Jason…

She smiled proudly at their smart brains.

“Jeremy’s waiting in the car…” Jin whispered as Ryu whined. “Are you alright? Do you know who I am?” Ivy grinned happily as she rushed to the back seat of the car ignoring Ryu’s questions.

Ivy hopped in and gave Jeremy a bear hug but a strange stench wafted to her nose as she pulled away and stared into his eyes.

“Your wound…” She said which made Jeremy blink trying to hide the injury worsening when the brothers hopped into the car.

“I know. I will fix it later.” He said as she shook her head. “No, now…” She moved her hands to his abdomen and saw it was infected while her stomach growled.

She pouted as he chuckled while Jin handed her some tissues. “Bandage or liquor or ointment?” Ivy questioned as Jin shook his head while Ivy closed her eyes in agony.

Jeremy rubbed her back to calm her. “I promise I will fix this. I need to leave quickly too.” Jeremy coaxed before she sighed reluctantly and gorged down all the food he packed.

The brothers watched her as though she had not eaten for days.

“Are you that hungry?” Ryu asked in surprise.

“Ooo… ven… in deh deh…” Ivy said with her mouthful as she choked a little. Jeremy helped her to a bottle of water while the brothers looked in disgust.

“Barbaric…” Jin mumbled.

“Disgusting Ivy!” Ryu scolded.

Jeremy chuckled. “She said she hasn’t eaten since that day she was kidnapped.”

“How did you know what she was trying to say… No wait, but why? How could they be so cruel?!” Ryu questioned furiously.

“Poison maybe. You never know.” Ivy shrugged and finally swallowed her mouthful of mac and cheese while stealing a kiss from Jeremy’s cheek as she continued to munch on her green bean cake and leaned on Jeremy's unhurt side.

“But with your act, I think he is more afraid of you.” Ryu pointed out as she laughed hysterically.

Jeremy knew it was her crazy act to get the things she wanted.

“It’s just an act. The pen ink…” Ivy updated when she finally regained her composure as she clapped happily in Jeremy’s arms, satisfied with her hunger being fulfilled, surrounded by her loved ones even just for a moment.

“I know. Fake. Will fade away in two hours. Smart!” Ryu praised as Ivy smiled and winked at him.

“But again you can’t stay the night can you?” Ryu asked as she shook her head solemnly.

“I have a mission. Manes first. Anyway, I’m done! His car has a tracker and they will be here soon if they don’t see me in Manes though I switched it off. So, all of you get going.” She said to the brothers.

“Stop getting your wound open up.” She warned Jeremy as he smiled lovingly before nodding solemnly and kissing her.

The brothers quickly looked away to give them some privacy while Jin realised Jeremy had also turned off the GPS tracker on the car they were on. Jin peeped from the rear mirror and for once was at ease who his sister was dating.

“Alright, see you all!” She said abruptly before forcing herself to leave the car with partly wet eyes and watching them drive off first as she knew the longer they lingered, the higher her hesitation climbed.

True enough when she parked by the familiar hill slope leading up to her grandma’s house, Kyle’s minions were already waiting for her at the entrance. She warned them to not go near or her grandma would suspect and that would give her an issue though the minions knew from Kyle that there was no grandma.

She did not enter her grandma’s house first knowing a few of the minions were following her. She jovially skipped to Auntie Soh’s house and acted like a young girl who just gotten home from school.

“Auntie Soh! I’m here for breakfast! Hurry, or I will be late for school!” She knocked on her main door and Auntie Soh who did not sleep a wink quickly rushed to the door.

“Ai Lee! Ai Lee, are you alright? What happened? When you called…” Sandra groggily stepped out of her room while Andrew sat up from the couch and ran towards her.

She winked at them both to play along with the act.

“Mum, let her in and have breakfast first…” Sandra coaxed as Auntie Soh nodded and sighed before rushing into the kitchen.

“Yes, I’m famished! Hurry, I miss your bowl of chili noodles!” Ivy yelled cheerfully but noticed one of the minions wanted to step in. She instantly turned her head around and snarled at him forcing him to step back out as she rolled her eyes and slammed the door into his face.

She quickly pulled the duo into Sandra’s room and put on loud music to soundproof their conversation in the kitchen, ensuring all windows were closed.

“Ivy, what’s going on? Do you remember who I am? Why did you ask me to tell your grandma…” Sandra nearly broke down in tears when Ivy held her to calm her.

“Shhh… Save the tears. Compose yourself. I don’t have time for this. I’m running out of time.” Ivy said urgently when Sandra’s gaze met hers.

“I’m sorry…” Ivy then realise Sandra must have been traumatised by her call as she hugged her tightly.

“It was an act. All an act…” She assured all of them while Sandra smacked her playfully sending the girls giggling.

“Are you alright? Did they bully you? Are you injure…” Ivy interrupted Auntie Soh’s worried back-to-back questions.

“I am fine. No, they didn’t bully me but I have to keep pretending that I lost my memory. I don’t have much time now…” Andrew interrupted her.

“What do you mean?” He asked urgently. “I need to catch Kyle later to catch a flight. It’s essential that I head back to Landsfield or fly from here to Cantisole.” Ivy updated.

“I still don’t get it. Something is missing. What’s in Cantisole? What’s this about Ivy?” Andrew pestered.

“I need to save the kids there who were all sold for slavery and their mothers were killed brutally… Jeremy’s kids are there too… I need you both to discreetly let Jin know as Jeremy will be flying there too. We will need backup.” Ivy said solemnly while Auntie Soh nearly lost her balance only for Andrew to support her from the back.

“Sit Auntie… I will be fine. I promise. I need to put up an act so that they believe me and that they won’t harm any of you. He had gotten what he wanted but it’s only a matter of time before he knew I tricked him…” Ivy explained and instead of calming Auntie Soh, she began to scold Ivy severely.

“Do you know how serious is it?! Do you know how dangerous is it?! Haven’t you thought of your loved ones?! Your dad will be so furious with you!” Auntie Soh vented while Sandra held her and shook her head for fear she revealed the fact that the brothers were trying to hide for now.

Ivy could only obediently listen to her vent but she knew it was also the best to keep up with the act. When she was done scolding, Ivy began to enjoy her breakfast like good old days again surrounded by her two best friends as they lowered down the volume of the radio.

“You better be careful…” Sandra discreetly said to Ivy for fear of stirring more anger in Auntie Soh. Ivy did not dare to nod but blinked in agreement. “Quick run upstairs to eat and before you leave, make sure you say goodbye even if she nags at you…” Sandra continued whispering as Ivy blinked.

“What? Now I cannot hear anything is it?” Auntie Soh scolded as the girls straightened themselves.

“I’m just telling her that Nick will be coming to see her later. It’s important.” Sandra retaliated leaving Ivy frowning in confusion while Auntie Soh sighed heavily agreeing it was important too.

“Go head up and wait for him…” Auntie Soh urged gently before mumbling her last words of anger.

“Stay there till he comes else don’t come and see me to say goodbye!” Auntie Soh vented before leaving for the kitchen as the trio chuckled knowing it was her way of subsiding her own anger.