Matching Slippers

Not long after, Rael showed up with a scowl on his face, carrying a rectangular package in one hand as he walked into the Wexford Lane lobby.

The moment he came in, he spotted Leif sitting on the sofa, buried in paperwork.

Leif seemed the same as usual, but something was subtly different. Rael casually tossed the rectangular package onto the table and then walked over to Leif.

Leif’s gaze landed on Rael, his eyes seeming to hint at something unspoken.

Rael, being blunt, didn’t notice anything odd. He shook his head and sat down on the sofa beside him, his voice tinged with fatigue. “Mr. Vexley, I hope I’m not too late?”

Leif glanced at him and said, “No.”

Rael: “…”

Why does he keep feeling like something’s off with Mr. Vexley?!

Rael racked his brain, but then his peripheral vision caught sight of Leif’s feet. His eyes widened, and he jumped up from the sofa in shock. “Holy crap! Mr. Vexley, what the hell are you wearing on your feet?! Didn’t you say before that stuff was childish, tacky, and totally tasteless? You’d never wear anything like that!”

Leif replied calmly, “Did I say that? Don’t you think it’s actually kinda cute?”

Cute?! What the heck?!

Rael’s scalp went numb on one side as he took a couple of steps back, goosebumps rising on his arms. Holding his chest, he blurted out, “Cute? What kind of nonsense is that? You’re not usually like this! Mr. Vexley, are you sure you haven’t been cursed or something?!”

Just then, Gale came out of the kitchen. He couldn’t speak but used his actions to communicate.

Rael watched as Gale walked over and, surprisingly, tugged on his own hand, then pointed to the adorable little dinosaur slippers on his feet.

Gale was literally showing Rael his dinosaur slippers!!

To make sure Rael wouldn’t miss it, he even lifted his foot high so Rael could see clearly.

Rael: “…”

He slapped his forehead and tried to calm himself down. He told himself to chill out, that it’s just slippers, nothing to make a big deal about, no need to act so immature or lose his composure.

Wait, wait, wait!!

Suddenly, Rael remembered something and quickly looked away, turning to check Mr. Vexley’s feet again.

Sure enough, father and son were wearing the exact same slippers!

He’d only been gone for a dozen hours—what kind of terrifying thing had happened?

Just then, Raina came out of the kitchen and said, “Mr. Cruz is here. I’m already preparing dinner. We’ll be having Pozole Rojo tonight. Mr. Cruz, please have a seat; the food will be ready soon.”

Hearing that voice behind him, an unprecedented thought suddenly rose in Rael’s mind. He muttered to himself, “No, no, no, it can’t be what I’m thinking… It just can’t…”

Muttering like that, he slowly turned around.

Damn it! He knew it!

Raina was wearing the same dinosaur slippers on her feet!!

Rael felt like he was losing his mind. What the hell was going on here?!

A fleeting thought even crossed his mind: Why did all three of them have the same dinosaur slippers, but he didn’t?

Forget it. He’d rather be blind.

Raina noticed Rael’s strange behavior and cautiously asked, “Mr. Cruz? Are you… okay?”

Rael took a deep breath, covered his face with one hand, and weakly waved the other. “I’m fine, really. Don’t mind me. Please just pretend I’m dead, thank you!”

Raina: “…”

He really didn’t look fine.

At that moment, Leif said, “Ignore him.”

Raina glanced at Leif, sensing something strange between the two of them. Shaking her head, she went back to the kitchen, feeling confused.

Rael stood there for a while before finally pulling himself together. His expression was complicated. After a long pause, he sat back down on the sofa and cautiously said, “Mr. Vexley, you’re… serious about this, aren’t you?”

Then he added, “This woman’s background is mysterious, her identity questionable. There’s a five-year blank in her resume since she went abroad. So, she’s definitely not as simple as she appears. Besides, you saw her last night—she’s dangerous. She could drag you into danger at any moment. Someone like her, you should stay away from. So why… why would you—”

Leif signed the last document, set down his pen, and looked at Rael. “Do you know why I didn’t let you in last night?”

Rael’s face darkened at the mention of last night.

Leif had called him for backup, but when they arrived, Leif ordered them to stay outside the fire line. Rael was terrified—if anything happened to Leif, how would he explain it to Gale? To Leo?

The Vexley family was down to just those three. No one could afford to lose anyone else.

Rael suddenly lifted his gaze, his deep eyes staring intently at Leif. “I don’t know.”

Leif said firmly, “Because I believe in her.”

Rael blinked, frowning. “What did you say?”

Leif said confidently, “Even if no one came to help, I believe she can safely get everyone out.”

Rael had no idea where this confidence came from.

“But…” Rael’s brow furrowed deeper, “what if she can’t? Last night, the fire was everywhere. If we’d been just a little later, there’d be no other way out. No one could guarantee everyone would make it out alive.”

Fire is uncontrollable. What if Raina made a mistake? Or what if there really wasn’t a secret passage? What if they couldn’t escape?

Leif said again, “I believe her.”

Rael suddenly didn’t know what to say. He was silent for a moment, wiped his face, and his gaze unintentionally swept over Leif’s feet again. A chill ran down his spine.

He said, “That thing on your feet—she bought it for you, didn’t she?”

Leif said, “Yes.”

Rael’s mouth twitched hard. He looked resigned. “Fine, fine. I’m done talking. Done asking questions. You… you guys have fun then.”

Leif said, “Okay.”

Rael: “…”

You really don’t have to be that honest!!

“Oh, right, one more thing…” Rael had just started when a weird, suffocating smell wafted over. His face changed drastically as he shouted, “Holy crap! What’s that awful smell?! Are you guys seriously cooking crap in there?!!”

***