Chapter 21
Running
On their way to the car, they were met with an unwanted surprise—the landlady.
Standing by Edward's car with a judgmental gaze, her brows furrowed as if trying to solve a mystery only she could see.
She had never seen this car before—
—or so she believed, despite Edward having used it several times in the past.
But as a self-proclaimed neighborhood drama queen, she always thought she knew everything.
Unfortunately, she often misunderstood situations but never admitted her mistakes. Her ego wouldn't allow it.
And today, at the worst possible time, her trouble radar was active.
Eve nudged Lucius with a side glance, her jaw stiff from tension.
"Brother!! The landlady. Ugh! Why now?!"
Lucius had already noticed her.
His sixth sense had gone off like an alarm the moment they stepped outside.
Of course—it had to be her.
Keeping his pace and forcing a tight smile, he whispered back,
"I know… Do you have any ideas?"
Before Eve could respond, the landlady's gaze locked onto their group.
Her eyes narrowed at Edward first—the only male among them. Her stare was sharp enough to shave glass.
Next, her attention shifted to Lucius—
Or rather, Lucia.
She didn't know who this 'beautiful girl' was exactly,
—but she had heard plenty of rumors.
Apparently, there was a gorgeous stranger staying at Sophia's house.
This was her first time seeing "Lucia" in person.
The landlady's eyes practically sparkled with suspicion.
Her stare pierced Lucius like a dagger, and his sixth sense screamed louder.
She wasn't just being nosy.
She was hunting for gossip.
Then her eyes landed on Sophia and Eve—
—and that smile formed.
It was the kind of smile you'd see at an exclusive socialite party—sweet on the surface, sour underneath.
It said: "You're hiding something. And I'm going to find out."
Seeing this, Sister Sophia quickened her pace, walking ahead of the group and putting on her own practiced business smile.
She intercepted the landlady before any questions could fly.
"Good morning, ma'am! You're looking sharp as always.
Did you hear about the new fashion trend in Paris? It's all over social media lately."
The landlady raised an eyebrow.
"Oh-ho-ho~ Good morning, Sophia? But it's nearly 11 o'clock. Shouldn't we say 'good afternoon' by now?"
Still smiling slyly, she added:
"And did I hear you say Paris? How glamorous.
But before we discuss handbags and haute couture—
Would you kindly introduce your lovely guests?"
Her smirk deepened.
"I'm very curious about your re-la-tion-ship."
Sophia kept her cool and tried again to steer the topic.
"Oh ma'am, you simply must see this new designer bag.
It's all over the fashion blogs!"
For a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossed the landlady's face. But she recovered quickly, her tone turning sharper.
"Ohh? Are they perhaps doing something suspicious?
Why are you avoiding introductions?
You're not trying to hide them from me, are you?"
---
In the background, Lucius, Edward, and Eve stood side by side, frozen.
They couldn't reach the car—not with the landlady guarding the driver's side like a territorial cat.
Realizing how badly the situation was deteriorating, Eve whispered, fidgeting.
"Erm… Brother… I have an idea. But you might hate it."
Lucius didn't look away from the escalating conversation.
His tone was firm.
"Just say it. Getting out of here is the priority. I'll do whatever's necessary."
Edward stood tense beside him, trying to think of a backup plan. He knew the landlady's type.
From everything Lucius had told him, this woman was persistent and petty—
A terrible combination.
Taking a breath, Eve confessed:
"How about pretending to be Edward's girlfriend?
You know... just to throw her off."
Lucius and Edward both went still. Their faces mirrored the same expression: Wait, what?
Seeing their reaction, Eve immediately backpedaled.
"Never mind! Forget it! Bad idea—"
But it was too late.
Sophia and the landlady were now walking toward them. Fast.
Lucius panicked and nudged Edward.
"Sorry, dude. I think we have to do it.
I'll act affectionate—follow my lead."
Edward let out a shaky laugh.
"Haha… okay..."
---
'Fck! I really don't want to do this.*
If I were alone, I'd just fly away or turn invisible or something.
But we're out of time. If the government sends patrols... if we're still here...
Let's do this, Lucius. Just pretend it's a theater performance.'
---
The two women arrived. Time to act.
Sophia led with a calm voice and a practiced gesture.
"This young man is Lucius's best friend from high school—Edward.
He's kindly giving us a ride today."
Edward bowed politely and smiled, though his lips twitched slightly.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. Nice to meet you.
Allow me to introduce this beautiful young woman beside me.
"She's my girlfriend, Lucia. She came from overseas two weeks ago to attend a party with me.
Since then, she's been staying with Lucius—turns out, they're cousins. What a coincidence, right?"
Lucia (Lucius) stepped forward, smiling sweetly.
She gave a polite bow, but said nothing—playing the part of a foreigner who couldn't speak Bahasa.
The landlady glanced at her expectantly.
After a few awkward seconds of silence, Edward filled the gap:
"Ah, sorry ma'am—my girlfriend only speaks English.
She's still learning the language, so please don't mind her quietness."
A flicker of surprise passed across the landlady's face.
But she quickly returned to her fake smile—this time with a tinge of suspicion.
"I see… is that so?" she said slowly.
Then, looking directly at Sophia:
"So tell me… is she really your cousin?
And where is Lucius?
I haven't seen that boy in more than a week.
Last time Evelyn said your brother was with you two Sundays ago," the landlady said, feigning casual interest. "She said he went out with you all for an outing."
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"But… why haven't I seen him since then?"
A barrage of suspicion, hidden behind a smile.
Sophia stayed composed.
With a calm tone and practiced grace, she answered,
"Ma'am, I apologize for not informing you sooner. It was my mistake. Lucia here is indeed our cousin—from our late father's side. She came to visit, as Edward mentioned, to meet him after being apart for a long time.
"As for Lucius… he went abroad. He departed exactly two weeks ago—on the same day we went out. That outing was actually a farewell party for him."
She finished her explanation with a polite smile, waiting.
The landlady nodded slowly, clearly processing the story. She still looked unconvinced, but before she could speak—
Edward stepped in.
Bowing slightly, he said with polite urgency,
"I'm really sorry to cut the conversation short, ma'am, but our schedule is tight. We won't make it in time if we don't leave now."
He gently took Lucia by the arm and guided her toward the car. Eve followed closely after.
Sophia gave a final smile, apologizing with a graceful nod.
"It was lovely seeing you, ma'am. Let's catch up again sometime."
Of course, the landlady hated having the conversation end not on her terms, but she could only watch as the group moved to the car.
---
Edward opened the front passenger door like a proper gentleman, letting Lucia in.
He then circled to the driver's side, while Eve waited with Sophia by the curb.
Once everyone was seated, Edward rolled up the window and started the car.
Without wasting another second, he drove them out through the gate, leaving the neighborhood behind.
---
Inside the car, everyone finally exhaled.
A collective sigh of relief.
The tension that had been strangling them for the last ten minutes melted into nervous laughter.
Lucius broke the silence.
"Edward… now that you've met the final boss, what's your verdict?"
Edward kept his eyes on the road, smiling grimly.
"Damn… I knew she was 'strong' from your stories, but that?
That was a barrage of attacks with no breathing room.
I hope I never have to face her again."
The others chuckled at his answer.
Eve leaned in, sharing her own encounter.
"You don't know how many times I've had to talk my way out of her traps. She's got more questions than an immigration officer!"
They laughed again. The moment felt lighter.
But deep down, they all knew—
the real danger wasn't the landlady.
They still had to make it to the villa without getting flagged by authorities.
With tensions high in the country, and military checkpoints rumored to be forming, they couldn't afford mistakes.
To be safe, Edward chose the fastest route: the toll road.
The group chatted idly as the car hummed along the highway.
Roughly 30 minutes in, Edward spoke up.
"Uhh… I just realized—we're way past lunchtime. It's almost 1 PM.
Wanna stop at a rest area for food?"
Everyone immediately agreed.
Their stomachs had been quiet during the stress, but now that the threat was behind them, hunger took over.
"I'll treat you guys," Edward offered cheerfully. "Let's eat our fill!"
Sophia smiled and declined politely.
"Thank you, Edward. But allow me to treat this time. Consider it a small thank you—for helping us."
Edward relented with a chuckle, not wanting to argue.
A few minutes later, they reached the rest area.
It was spacious and well-maintained, with various facilities:
a gas station, mosque, ATM, general store, bathrooms, and a large food court with dozens of vendors.
Edward parked close to the food court entrance to minimize walking.
As they stepped out, he instinctively led the way.
The food court had a semi-outdoor design: stalls lined the perimeter, and shared tables filled the center. Self-service, no waiters.
Lucia scanned the options.
"I want nasi goreng," she said. "You guys can order what you like—we can meet back here once everyone's done.
Oh! That table's empty, perfect for four. Let's drop our bags there."
As they walked over and placed their things, Eve offered,
"Sister Lucy, I'll order for us. I want nasi goreng too."
"Oh, great!" Lucia smiled. "Make mine the spiciest version—the special one with everything, please."
Sophia and Edward headed off in opposite directions to order their meals.
Edward chose mie ayam pangsit with a side of meatballs.
Sophia went for nasi Padang with rendang.
Despite it being lunchtime, the place wasn't crowded—likely because of the government's recent warning. Families were probably avoiding travel.
Sophia returned first in three minutes.
Edward followed at five.
Eve came back at seven, carrying two plates of fragrant fried rice.
Lucia looked around and noticed something.
"We forgot drinks," she said. "I'll get them—what do you want?"
After noting everyone's requests, she left to find a beverage stall.
As she returned with drinks in hand, something caught her attention.
A large television mounted above the far wall flashed with a breaking news segment.
---
<"We've just received an official update on the three Awakened individuals detained last Thursday.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defense, they have been released to their families.
After a thorough investigation, there were no indications of criminal activity.
We haven't had a chance to speak directly with the individuals, as they've refused public interviews.">
---
Lucia exhaled, relieved.
It was good news—on paper.
But something gnawed at her.
'All three of them refused interviews?
'That's odd.
'One, maybe.
' all three? Right after being wrongfully detained?'
She didn't like it. Not one bit.
Just as the suspicion settled in her mind, another alert flashed across the screen.
Lucia stared.
'As expected... I was right. Damn politicians,' she muttered under her breath.