❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
When Jean's group arrived at the BETA party they got separated and started their mission to search for clues. And Sam went to the mansion of Browns.
Sam sneaked into the mansion. While everyone was busy with the party outside, the mansion was less guarded than he expected and he took this chance to roam around the mansion. The mansion was huge. And Sam thought that Mr. Brown like Golden, haha. Because the mansion was decorated with a golden theme, everything is golden here that his eyes are hurting. While exploring the mansion like a thief. He came to a room that he was searching for through a blueprint he got while using some connections. Not to say Sam is also an heir to a real estate company. But getting this print almost cost him his life. Huff!
Sam twisted the door knob slowly, muttering to himself, "Yep… . walking straight into a tiger's den. Smart move, genius. "
The door creaked open and he stepped inside
and immediately paused.
Everything was black.
Walls, furniture, bed, even the damn curtains.
Not moody-black. Not artsy-black. Predator black.
"Figures", he muttered.
To the left , a round king size bed wrapped in black silk. Not a wrinkle on it or a speck of dust… it's giving … .. serial killer with taste… kind of vibe.
Sam's eye flicked to the right… .. A sofa set facing a massive TV embedded in a sleek box unit. Along the wall behind it, shelves stretched nearly to the ceiling, stacked with medical books, corporate files, and a few very suspicious locked compartments.
And tucked quietly beside them… another door. Barely visible.
"Yup. Hidden door. Classic villain behavior. "
He exhaled, stepping in further, boots muffled by the matte black flooring.
The scent of cologne lingered… . expensive, dark, intimidating.
"Who decorates like this? "
He took a step toward the bookshelf...just a harmless peek. It looked older than his entire group combined.His fingertips brushed the spine… …
then froze.
Behind him, he heard it.
The soft, unmistakable click of the bedroom door being closed.
Locked.
A deep, spine chilling voice, that he heard many times on the tv but never this closely. It cut through the silence like a blade.
Sage: Didn't your mother teach you to knock?
Sam jerked, turning fast… heart in his throat.
Sage stood by the now-locked door, one brow raised. Calm and unreadable.
Sam: Oh, I did knock. The room just seemed… shy.
Sage didn't laugh. Didn't blink. He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, like a predator that knew the outcome.
Sage: This wing is off-limits to guests.
Sam: I'm not a guest. I'm a mistake who took a wrong turn.
Sage: Hmm. You speak like someone who's used to lying.
Sam: And you move like someone who's used to getting away with things.
They are close now… . a breath apart.
Sage's hand lifted, not to touch but to tilt Sam's chin just slightly with the back of his fingers.
Sage: You shouldn't be here.
Sam : Then make me leave. (Whispering)
Sage: If I do, you won't be walking straight.
Sam blinked… . face heating instantly.
But instead of backing down, he tilted his head, lips curling into a grin.
Sam: Well then… . What are you waiting for? Fifty Shades? Scared I might like it?
That did it.
In a split second, Sages smirk vanished.
He grabbed Sam by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the bookshelf behind them… … . hard enough for a few books to shake loose and fall to the floor.
Sage with his cold and a little tougher voice…
" You think this is a game? "
Sam while panting slightly, eyes wide but unafraid " Not yet, but you're playing like you want to lose. "
Sage's face hovers close … too close… . jaw tight, breath unsteady. Sam could feel the heat, his grip still firm.
Sam: Careful, you're starting to sound invested.
Sage : I don't get invested. I end problems.
Sam : You always manhandle your guests like this?
Sage smirks, voice low and calm," Only the ones who lie with a smile. "
Without warning, Sam knees him in the stomach. Sage lets out a sharp grunt " You little"…his reflexes kick in. He grabs Sam's arm as he stumbles, spinning them both … .
and they crash into the edge of the bed, tumbling onto it in a tangle of limbs.
Sam lands beneath him, one hand clutching Sage's coat. The air is tense. Too close. Too still.
Sage props himself up just slightly… . but doesn't move away.
Sage while staring down at him, breath steady… ." .. You throw kicks like you want attention ."
Pause
"Good thing I like difficult guests."
Sam's eyes widen… . whether it's shock, embarrassment, or something else, even he doesn't know.
Sam: Try me.
Sage: Trust me.You'll break.
His voice, slightly hoarse, said, "Get off."
Sage smirks as he finally steps back, adjusting the cuffs of his sleek coat as if they hadn't just wrestled on his bed.
"Consider that a warm welcome."
Sam scrambles up, muttering curses under his breath… cheeks flushed, ego bruised, but chest tight in ways he can't explain.
Sage's voice low, calm and a little amused "You should go."
Sam lifted his brows, confused and suspicious.
"What, tired already?"
Sage with his sharp glance, colder now.
"No. I'm being generous."
He walks to the door, hand on the knob. Then pauses … head tilted, tone suddenly serious, no trace of the earlier teasing.
Sage: Tell your little group to be careful. The mansion's full of eyes… . and some of them report to me.
"If I catch any of you again, this won't end with a bed."
His eyes flick to Sam. Not playful. Not threatening either. Just… warning. A quiet promise that they both know will come true. If they don't do as he says. A true predator.
Then he opens the door and steps out, back straight, head held high… . like nothing ever touched him.
The noise of the party swells for a moment before the door clicks shut behind him.
Sam stays frozen.
Chest rising fast.
Knuckles clenched.
And heart?
Betraying him. Just a little.
❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
The ballroom shimmered with gold chandeliers, expensive perfume and empty compliments.
Sage stood at the middle, flawless in a black tuxedo, one hand casually resting on the mic stand. The crowd hushed as he cleared his throat.
Sage: Thank you all for being here tonight.
Applause rippled through the room, but Jean… …. tucked near the back… . didn't clap.
He stood still, eyes locked into the man on stage. And suddenly…
Sage's gaze swept the crowd and stopped.
Right in Jean.
The room didn't seem to notice the pause.
But Jean felt it.
The stillness. The pressure. Like a sniper's red dot had landed on his chest.
Sage smiled.
Sage: BETA has always been a company built on trust… . loyalty.. .. and healing.
He held Jean's gaze.
"Even when certain people try to tear it apart from the inside."
Jean's jaw tensed.
He didn't blink. Neither did Sage.
Sage: But no matter what shadows slip through the cracks… we always find them.
The crowd clapped again… completely unaware of the silent war playing out across the ballroom.
The applause died down. Champagne glasses clinked. The elite crowd returned to idle chatter.
But Sage stepped off the stage like it meant nothing… … .. his eyes never leaving Jean.
Jean stood his ground near the bar, hands in his coat pockets, cool on the outside, calculating within.
Sage approaching with measured steps.
"Did you enjoy the speech, Mr… ?"
He let the question hang, though he clearly knew.
Jean: Arison.
Sage: Right. Jean Arison.
He glanced at the crowd.
"Lovely party to crash."
Jean's expression didn't change.
But his mind is screaming. He knows. He's
known.
Sage lowered his voice just enough.
"Tell me, Jean… are you here to find the truth?"
Pause.
"Or to decide if there even is one?"
Jean didn't answer right away. The tension between them vibrated like wire pulled too tight.
Jean: People like you always dress up the truth in suits and charity. Doesn't mean it's clean underneath.
Sage stepping in closer, voice softer, deadlier.
Sage: And people like you always believe they're the heroes… . until they break something they can't fix.
Then—-
A familiar voice slid in.Rai while grinning.
Rai: Well, this is awkward. I steal one little invitation, and suddenly I'm in enemy territory."
Sage turned, eyes narrowing just slightly. He recognized him… … not from introduction, but from late night whispers.
Sage said dryly. "Detective Rai. Breaking and entering now, are we?"
Rai: Don't worry. I removed the proof.
Sage: Good. I'd hate to have you arrested before dessert.
Rai: Oh, I'm flattered, you care.
Jean sighed, muttering, "Children."
Rai leaned against the bar like he owned it, chin tilted slightly.
Rai: So. Sage Brown. CEO. Philanthropist….. Suspect.
He raised an eyebrow.
Rai: You're prettier than your file photo.
Sage: And you're more reckless than your record suggests.
Their eyes locked… . two wolves sizing each other up while Jean stood between them like the only sane one in the room.
Sage to Jean while still looking at Rai.
"You two make a dangerous pair."
Jean: We're not a pair.
Rai without missing a beat. "Yet."
Sage huffed a dry laugh, straightened his collar, and glanced back toward the crowd.
Sage: Enjoy the party while it lasts.
And with that, he vanished into the Hall… . leaving Jean fuming and Rai grinning like he'd just won something.
❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
Sam told Jean to go to the Hall and he will go to the Mansion. Sam was already stressed when he turned the corner… but what he saw?
Absolutely not on today's chaos bingo card.
There, in the middle of the corridor, stood Jake… . wearing a literal tank like it was a fashion statement. And beside him, Prez, who was supposed to be with his dad collecting information, not arguing with her archnemesis in 6 inch heels and a black bodycon.
They are bickering, voices sharp and spitting venom.
Prez: You reckless little bomb trigger—-
Jake: At least I'm doing something instead of standing there like corporate tax fraud!
Sam's brain short-circuited.
He sprinted up behind them, grabbed both their mouths with his hands, and yanked them into a dark corner like a spy on a super rush.
Sam: Why are you ignoring the calls?! Where the hell did you get the tank?! And why are you two together?!
Jake: One at a time, bro!
Prez while freeing herself dryly responded.
"Such an unpleasant encounter, Sam."
Sam, "Same here."
He turned on Jake, pointing to the tank strapped to his back.
Sam: Where did you even get this thing?!
Prez: I've been asking that same damn question for twenty minutes!
Jake while grinning. "From the basement. And guess what's inside it?"
Sam and Prez together screamed.
"What?!"
Jake: Gasoline.
Sam: YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT! WHY ARE YOU WEARING GASOLINE?!
Prez: Remove it. Now.
Jake shrugged and casually unhooked it, setting it on the floor.
Suspicious, Sam leaned down, picked it up—-
It felt… . light.
Sam: Wait… . it's empty?
Jake: Nope.
Sam narrows his eyes. "Then where's the gasoline?"
Jake, "I spread it."
Silence.
Then Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out a black skeleton lighter.
Prez: Did your brain get cooked in that tank?! There are kids here!
Jake: I told Ray and Juli to get them out. Everyone's clear.
Then, loud and proud—--
Jake yelled. " RUN!!"
He threw the lighter down the stairs into the basement.
BOOOOM!!
The three bolted down the Hall as the entire floor shook behind them, heat roaring and alarms blaring.
Sam while running, "I SWEAR TO GOD. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AFTER THIS!!"
Jake laughed, " Gotta catch me first."
Prez's heels clicking and furious, " I wore Valentino for this?!"
BLAST!!
—-------------
The explosion shook the mansion like thunder cracked open the sky.
Jean and Rai didn't waste a second… . bolting from the hall, pushing through the stunned crowd into the garden. The air reeked of smoke and panic.
What they saw outside was pure chaos.
And just as Jean opened his mouth to speak—
"Rai."
A familiar voice called out.
Rowon sprinted toward them, breathless and sweating like he'd just run a marathon.
Rai: What happened to you?!
Rowon while glaring at Rai.
"I swear to God, Rai —--- invite me to one more thing like this and I'm disowning you."
Jean blinked, confused by the sheer drama radiating from this stranger. But before he could ask, Ray and Juli came stumbling in behind.
Jean: What's going on?!
Ray between gulps of air, " We got the kids out. All of them. Safe."
Jean looked around—- and sure enough, not a single child remained. The garden was packed with panicked adults, but the kids? Gone.
Jean: Wait… . you only evacuated the children?
Ray: Yeah. Jake told us to.
Jean's eyes narrowed.
Jean: Wait a damn minute. That blast we just heard—- was that… .?
Before anyone could answer, a tall suited man in his 30s stepped into the view— voice booming over the chaos.
Security—
"Everyone, we have a situation. Please cooperate with our staff. Follow the guards and evacuate the Hall immediately."
The man turned to another guard, who whispered urgently in his ear.
Guard—--
"Sir Fox, there's been an incident. We need you in the mansion basement. Now."
The man nodded and rushed off.
Jean stood frozen. His gaze swept the garden.
Sage was gone.
Jean to Rai, " He's not here. Did he already get back inside?"
Rai with a serious tone, " We need to leave. Now."
Jean didn't hesitate. He whipped out his phone to call Sam. But before he could even press the dial, Jake appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Jean and Juli's wrists with wild urgency. At the same time, Sam came in from the side, grabbing Ray by the collar.
Sam: NO TIME. RUN.
Rowon : What the hell is going on —---?!
Rai: MOVE!
And just like that, all of them vanished through the back of the mansion—- leaving behind firelight, alarms, and a garden full of confusion.
❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
The fire lit up the night like a second sun.
From the garden, panic rang out in shouts and scattered footsteps. But Sage didn't flinch. He slipped through the back of the Hall and made his way toward the mansion, coat trailing behind him like a shadow.
The fountain's silver reflection rippled.
Left—the garden, where the chaos had begun.
Right—-the Hall, where the lies were dressed in velvet.
Straight ahead—-the mansion, still burning
Flames licked up from the basement and had already devoured part of the first floor, coughing smoke into the sky. It hadn't reached the garden. Yet.
Felton: Sir… . it was ignited. Deliberately.
Sage said flatly, "I can see that."
Felton stiffened. A bead of sweet slipped down his temple.
Sage quietly, " And where have you been?"
Sage's steps were slow, predatory.
Felton swallowed hard, " In the garden, sir."
Sage: Hmm. Strange.
Pause.
"Wasn't your post in the Hall tonight?"
Felton froze.
Sage came closer now, " Are you betraying me, Fox?"
Felton bowed immediately, spine snapping into a 90 degree angle. " Never, sir!! I… I would never! I was just—"
But he faltered.
He couldn't explain.
He wouldn't explain.
A pretty little detective took his attention. He couldn't say those words to his master.
He stood there in silence, guilt and for the mess.
And that was all Sage needed. He reached forward, curled his hand around the back of Feltons neck, and with zero hesitation — drove his knee into Feltons stomach.
Felton gasped, coughed violently, but didn't dare cry out. Sage leaned down, lips near his ear.
Sage said softly and in a tone that Felton couldn't understand. " You disappointed me, Fox."
Then let go. Felton crumpled to the ground
A few nearby guards came forward, Sage turned his gaze on them, eyes cold. With his sharp voice, " You want to help him?"
Guards snapping to attention, "We'll do our best, sir!"
Sage's smirk was nothing short of dangerous.
Sage: Clear it up, Fox. That's what you're good at.
And with that, he turned and walked away, never once looking back.
The fire roared behind him. But in his mind? Quiet. Controlled. Focused.
"I knew that group would be trouble."
But this?
This was more than expected
Fox losing focus?
That was… new.
Suspicious. Dangerous. Weak.
He'd have to watch him closely from now on.
Sage took the mansion stairs, steps slow, deliberate, each one echoing his thoughts.
By the time he reached his bedroom on the second floor, clicked opened his door and as he stepped into the bedroom, a fleeting memory surged forward—
A flash. A voice.
A certain someone who had stood in this space not long ago.