Papa

After a couple of hours, they were finished, and Michael's stomach was completely stuffed. He couldn't believe the exorbitant amount Elizabeth had spent in such a short span of time. It surpassed anything he could have imagined and was more money than he could ever hope to spend in his entire lifetime.

Though he disliked feeling jealous, Michael couldn't help but experience a tinge of it. However, he was also genuinely grateful for Elizabeth's extravagant gesture, though he couldn't fathom why she would go to such great lengths for him.

"I'm truly grateful for this, Elizabeth," Michael expressed his gratitude, but Elizabeth simply waved it off nonchalantly.

"We're friends; we look out for each other!" Elizabeth reiterated with a warm, broad smile. Michael found himself intrigued by her mind, even though he couldn't fully grasp her motives.

"Right! Before I forget, we should exchange contact information," Elizabeth advised, but Michael bluntly informed her that he didn't own a phone, which didn't seem to surprise her.

"I know. Here's my second phone," Elizabeth said, handing him a trendy yet not overly expensive device. She even had the charger in her bag, leaving him with no excuse not to keep in touch. Elizabeth owned different phone models, each suited for different neighborhoods, as she preferred not to stand out conspicuously.

At that moment, Michael's thought process revolved around using Elizabeth to escape poverty—a poverty-alleviating scheme, to be precise. Strangely, this idea didn't burden his conscience, except when it came to his close friend Edward and surprisingly, his parents, whom he couldn't bear to harm. For everyone else, they seemed to exist solely for his exploitation.

Accepting the phone, Michael found himself intrigued by Elizabeth, though for all the wrong reasons. He didn't genuinely care about her, and the fact that life had been so generous to her didn't sit well with him.

What did she possess that he lacked, besides wealth? He found himself wanting to dissect her like a tiny lab rat, not in a physical sense, but in an attempt to understand her better.

This inner turmoil troubled Michael deeply because it was the first time he had experienced emotions this intense—neither love nor fondness, but rather a mix of contempt and profound curiosity.

"Are you okay, Michael? You're looking at me like you want to rip me apart," Elizabeth muttered nervously, her arms instinctively covering her chest as if to protect herself.

"Oh, I was just lost in thought for a moment! Thank you for today, Elizabeth! I should be going now," Michael replied as he started to walk away, slyly managing to take some of the generous tips Elizabeth had left for the waiter.

This was his way of getting back home; he didn't want to ask Elizabeth for money, but he was secretly pleased that he had accepted her invitation. It felt like a stroke of divine intervention or fate bringing them together.

"I want her," Michael muttered to himself, his heart beating fast, though he was certain that his feelings weren't merely driven by lust.

-

Edward possessed an unusually mature mind for someone so young, demonstrating street smarts, although he didn't engage in any criminal activities despite Michael's misconceptions about their interactions.

"Eddy!" called out a young boy with brown skin, even younger than Edward, likely in his early teens.

"Hahaha! I've told you to stop calling me that, Mikky," Edward replied with a wide smile as the young boy rushed into his arms for an embrace.

"But you call me Mikky! We're a double-letter duo!" Mikky retorted playfully, striking an elaborate pose that made Edward chuckle before gently patting his Afro as they parted from their hug.

"I'm here to see papa," Edward stated, getting straight to the reason for his visit while affectionately stroking Mikky's hair.

"Papa is furious; I don't think you should see him now!" Mikky warned, stepping backward to block the door behind which Papa, a nefarious figure in the underground world, resided.

"I know he's angry, Mikky. I'm the reason for his anger; I'm here to face my punishment," Edward replied, still maintaining a calm smile. Mikky was well aware of how terrifying Papa could be, but he also knew that he would get into trouble if he interfered with Edward's penance.

Papa was the reason they could still put food on their plates; without him, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that these children would have perished long ago.

"Mike, let him in…" A deep voice seeped through the closed door, causing Mikky to visibly shudder upon hearing Papa's words. He promptly stepped aside, making way for Edward to enter.

"I-I'm sorry, Eddy! I-I'm sorry for being so weak!" Mikky apologized, and Edward chuckled.

"You're the strongest one among us, little champ. I'll be back in a bit," Edward said as he passed through the door.

Behind the door stood an obese, pale-skinned man with a Cuban cigar firmly between his thick lips. He wore dark shades and donned the stereotypical attire of the mafias often seen on TV.

"Edward boy, what am I hearing about delayed deliveries?" Papa asked, and Edward didn't even attempt to make an excuse.

"It's as you've heard, Papa. I'm doing my best, but I'm facing difficulties in keeping up. I promise to improve," Edward replied candidly, fully aware of the potential consequences.

"I like you, boy, because you're honest. You take responsibility for your mistakes!" Papa acknowledged, gesturing for Edward to come closer.

"I'll give you a warning today," Papa declared, and Edward's eyes momentarily showed confusion. He hadn't been summoned by Papa; he had come here on his own to take accountability, but Papa seemed to know everything nonetheless.

Papa gestured for him to lift his shirt, and Edward complied without hesitation. Revealed beneath his shirt were bruises and burns, evidence of the punishment he endured as he extinguished Papa's Cuban cigar using his very body.

Edward couldn't help but groan slightly in pain, though he knew it was relatively mild compared to what he had initially imagined. This offense could have resulted in the severing of a finger, but surprisingly, Papa chose to be lenient.

With his penance complete, Papa dismissed him, and Edward left the room shortly after. As he stepped outside, he noticed that Mike was nowhere to be found; he must have been out on an errand. What they were involved in wasn't technically illegal since they weren't directly trafficking drugs. Instead, they dealt with the substance secreted from a villain's body, a clandestine venture that helped them survive.