Frederick had been waiting eagerly outside the bar for Sam. His heart raced with excitement as Sam accepted his invitation to visit his home. Although it was just a simple gesture of friendship, Frederick couldn't contain his enthusiasm.

After a few minutes, Sam emerged from the bar, having finished his morning shift. He greeted Frederick, who was leaning against his car, with a warm smile.

"Ready?" Frederick asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

"Hmm. Yes," Sam replied calmly.

Frederick drove the car towards his home, where his parents awaited their arrival. He had already informed them that he was bringing someone important to introduce to them. Though he hadn't explicitly explained his feelings towards Sam, his parents had sensed his affection and eagerly anticipated meeting him. They were not judgmental of Frederick's feelings for someone of the same gender; instead, they supported and encouraged him to follow his heart.

Especially his mother, who was particularly eager to meet the person her son had taken a liking to.

Of course, he had warned them beforehand not to make Sam uncomfortable as he, himself, didn't express his feelings to him.

When they arrived at Frederick's home, he swiftly exited the car and opened the door for Sam, who chuckled at his chivalrous gesture before they both entered the villa. At the entrance of the hall, Frederick's mother, Gloria, stood waiting to welcome them.

Sam's gaze fell upon Gloria, who was dressed conservatively in a trendy white blouse paired with a light brown denim skirt that reached below her knees. She approached him with a warm smile, taking his hand in both of hers, Gloria continued to speak.

"My son has talked a lot about you. But you are more stunning in person," she said, her smile radiating genuine warmth as she greeted Sam.

"What a hypocrite!" Sam thought inwardly, but he concealed his true thoughts with a practised blush that appeared naturally on his snow-white cheeks.

"Mam, you are exaggerating," Sam replied, his head downcast.

Frederick laughed and interjected, "Mom, didn’t I say not to make him uncomfortable?"

"Shh. Come on, What I said is true, he is really a handsome young boy," Gloria playfully chided her son. She turned to Sam and continued, "You can call me mom, just like Frederick does."

Sam fought the urge to retch and called her sweetly, "Mother."

Gloria ushered them inside the house and served tea and snacks before heading to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Despite Frederick's attempts to convince her to leave it to the chef, Gloria insisted on personally cooking for Sam, who was visiting their house for the first time.

After hearing her explanation, Frederick allowed her to proceed as she wished, though he also cautioned her not to exhaust herself.

Gloria kissed her son's cheek affectionately before making her way to the kitchen to begin her work.

Left alone in the hall, Frederick suggested that he would give Sam a tour of the house until lunch was ready. Sam didn't refuse as today's task involved familiarising himself with the layout of the Hutson's house.

Frederick led the way, showing Sam around various areas of the house. They started with the spacious living room, where sunlight streamed in through large windows, casting a warm glow over the elegant furnishings. From there, they moved to his father’s study, lined with bookshelves filled with an impressive collection of books including law books and documents.

As they continued their tour, Frederick pointed out the lush garden in the backyard, complete with a tranquil pond and vibrant pink cloves in full bloom. 

“Pink cloves are my mother’s favourite. She personally nurtured them with her own hands”, Throughout the tour, Frederick shared stories about each area of the house, trying to make Sam feel more at home in this unfamiliar environment.

"Your house is beautiful," Sam remarked.

"Grandfather and mother used to live here. Before he passed away, he gifted it to my mother. Because this house holds memories for my mother, my father decided to stay here with her," Frederick explained.

Finally, they ended up in Frederick's room, which was tastefully decorated with modern furniture and personal touches that reflected his personality. They rested for a few hours talking about random things when the butler knocked on the door informing them about the lunch.

As they both made their way to descend the stairs, Sam suddenly remembered that he had left his mobile in Frederick's room.

"Ohh. I will accompany you," Frederick offered, ready to assist him.

"Nope. You go ahead and help your mother arrange the plates. I will be back in a second," Sam refused, waving off Frederick's offer.

"Okay, come soon," Frederick nodded before continuing down the stairs to enter the kitchen to help his mother.

Without wasting any time, Sam rushed to the corridor where Frederick had mentioned his mother's room was located. With practised stealth, he silently opened the door and surveyed the decor inside the room. Retrieving the mini cameras he had brought with him, Sam strategically planted them in various locations around the room.

Just as Sam finished setting up the last camera, the faint creak of the door signalled someone's approach. With a surge of adrenaline, he darted into the walk-in closet, concealing himself between layers of suits along the side. Despite the afternoon sun filtering through the windows, no light penetrated this secluded space; all the lights were switched off, and the closet was enveloped in darkness.

He listened intently as footsteps drew nearer, followed by the soft click of the door opening and closing.

Peering through the gaps between the hanging clothes, Sam watched as Gloria entered the closet and flipped on the small yellow light, casting a dim glow around the confined space. Illuminated by the soft light, Gloria began to touch up her makeup in the lengthy mirror attached to the wall.

Sam expected her to leave once she finished, but his silver eyes narrowed in suspicion when he noticed her tracing the mirror gently with her fingertips as if searching for something hidden within its reflection.

"Babe, our son is growing fast," Gloria mused softly, a hint of laughter in her voice. "He even loves someone now and is being serious about the love."

As she spoke, she sprayed a delicate mist of perfume onto her wrist, the scent mingling with the air around her. "But the interesting thing is, our son is in love with a boy," she continued, her tone filled with amusement. "A very unique one at that. He looks like a shy boy."

After placing the perfume bottle to the side, Gloria gazed at the mirror with longing, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "It would be so good if you were here now, right beside me... alive." 

Sam strained to catch her words, but her low voice made it difficult for him to discern the last part clearly.  

As Sam attempted to edge forward to hear her better, a slight movement caused a ripple in the neatly arranged suits, catching Gloria's attention. Narrowing her eyes, she peered in Sam's direction, her gaze probing the darkness of the closet. 

Though this side was shrouded in darkness and obscured by the array of dark suits, Sam held his breath as his heart pounded in his chest.

As Gloria took one step closer, Sam's hand instinctively found the cold metal of the gun concealed beneath his hoodie.