“Oh, hi there, sir, sorry I’m late today. Didn’t expect an inspection day today.”

Adam had expected it. But not as soon as this current moment in time. How did another female clone arrive within a single night? From where? Vicilia was land-locked and thus imprisoned by geography. From where were the clones arriving or appearing from?

‘I guess she thinks I’m Jack Jucas. The owner of this café,’ he casually put on his best businessman demeanor, smiling and shaking her hand politely. ‘Ah, such soft hands. The same hands as my dear Evelyn, nonetheless.’

“Adam, what’s going o—” Radiyana entered the staff chambers, freezing in her movements at the sight of the new Bouchie waitress. She immediately swept her thoughts aside to prioritize putting on an appropriate attitude for the girl without causing her to suspect anything unusual. “Ah, the waitress! Here you are, at last.”

“Good day, ma’am,” the waitress greeted the Russian platinum-blondie. “I am not sure if guests are allowed at the back, but… since you’re here with Mr Jucas, I guess that’s alright.”

“Yes, indeed,” Radiyana grabbed hold onto Adam’s elbow, landing a kiss on his cheek and stroking his hair from the other side of his head. “He’s my husband, after all.”

‘Err… this is getting a bit out of hand,’ Adam wanted to protest but his thoughts put a leash on his tongue. ‘She is overdoing it.’

“Oh, you must be Mrs Eve,” the waitress innocently threw a wild guess, based on the information available in front of her. “A pleasure to have both the business owners here, today.”

“Indeed,” Adam smiled back, while leading Radiyana out of the room, elbow in elbow. “Well, we’ll be right here in the front! Whenever you’re ready.”

When the coast was clear, Adam poured in his thoughts to Radiyana’s ear. Eve was outside, with her ‘presumed’ uncle, Michael.

“Hey!” the detective harshly yelled, at a tone loud enough to be heard and yet quiet enough not to be. “Cut it out, woman! If you’re truly not my wife, why would you even pretend? Also, you’ve got some explaining to do… ex… Authority member!”

Radiyana diverted her eyes outside, to observe the duo inspecting the Bentley. Her siren lips were silent.

Adam grabbed her neck, not too tightly. He asked again.

“You’re certainly hiding some things from us, aren’t ya? Why should we believe someone who had previously chosen to work on an experiment like this in the first place? Why do the Bouchie clones not know that they are also surnamed as the same name of the co-founder? Why do they not recognize me without the proper context? What’s the secret behind these new clones materializing out of nowhere? Huh? Answer me, you damned disgrace to femininity!” he increased the force on his grip. “Now you’ve even begun behaving like a prostitute! Don’t you know that I’m now married to Eve? Why do you behave in such indecent ways when you’re with me? Where’s YOUR husband?”

“Adam! S-stop!” Eve caught sight of her husband strangling his ‘presumed’ ex-wife. She immediately hurried inside to intervene. “ADAM! PLEASE!”

Radiyana’s face turned pale and her eyes closed by the time Adam finally let go. He held up her body, unable to stand.

‘Oh sh… what have I done?’ he cursed at himself. ‘Damn you, Adam! Damn you, Authorities! Damn you, accursed Satan!’

“Day-yum, son!” Michael boomed, entering the café. “What calamity have ya caused this time?”

All of the noises and voices attracted the waitress to arrive on the scene, too.

“Sir—”

Adam shoved Radiyana’s weakened body onto Michael’s arms, and sprinted towards the waitress to land a bone-shattering kick to her head.

The waitress flew with the momentum of a hundred thousand butterflies moving in one vector direction, colliding with the nearest wall with a thump and a patch of blood imprinted onto the surface.

Eve gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Seeing her beloved behave in such an aggressive manner made her rethink her marriage choices. What was going on? Had Adam lost his sense of humanity? Was his mind growing numb under the effects of all the pressure and fusion with con?

“ADAM JUCAS!”

Before he could turn around to face Michael, he launched a spinning kick towards him to increase his chances of survival against a 7-foot-tall giant. He missed, thankfully.

The detective-turned-psychopath had a fire of hysteria blazing across his neural synapses.

‘Ugh… I can’t take this anymore!’

He ignored the voices telling him to stop; he only obeyed the one that told him to go.

And so, he went. Outside. Running.

For freedom.

“JUCAS! STOP!”

“J-JACK!”

He ran towards the highway, confident in the power of his stamina.

‘I’m tired of it. I’m tired of it all. This life. I hate it. That hole in the ground is my only way out.’

Back at the café, Michael rested Radiyana’s unconscious body on the floor with one hand, and dialed up an ambulance next.

Eve faced such an extreme dose of mental shock that she fell on her knees, gasping and wheezing with cries. Her twin remained lifeless across the floor.

Instead of an ambulance, however, a black armored van made its entrance to the scene.