Chapter 14: The Return of the Lying Son
847 Words
The moment Arden stepped out of the mafia vehicle surrounded by four bodyguards, he mentally drafted his will.
His mother had been waiting on the porch.
Arms crossed.
Slippers in hand.
Aura of doom activated.
Arden turned to the closest guard and whispered, "If I die, tell Kai I was brave."
The guard blinked.
“You tripped on the stairs twice.”
“Tell him I died bravely.”
The bodyguard nodded respectfully.
---
MOTHER BOSS MODE: ACTIVATED
And then Arden's mother advanced on him like a wrathful goddess.
“LEE. ARDEN. SANTOS.”
Arden straightened, trembling.
“M-Mother… hello…? Your son has returned to you… al—alive!”
She side-eyed the four enormous bodyguards behind him.
"What", she said slowly, "is this?"
Arden panicked.
Think, THINK.
LIE. Lie like a professional.
“These men,” he said with confidence, “are… uh… volunteers.”
Her eyebrow twitched.
"Volunteers? For what?"
Arden's brain: Say something smart.
Arden's mouth: "Charity."
His mother's eyes narrowed. "Charity… bodyguards?"
Arden nodded, sweating.
"Very protective. charity."
The biggest bodyguard suddenly bowed profoundly.
“We are here to ensure Arden arrives home safely, Ma’am. Please do not worry."
Wrong move.
Arden shot him a betrayed look.
“BRO—NO—DON’T SOUND PROFESSIONAL SHE’LL THINK I JOINED A GANG”
His mother turned to him sharply.
“You. Inside.”
Arden gulped.
“Yes mother”
He waved goodbye to the guards.
“Don’t wait for me! I mean wait! I mean DON’T LET MY MOM ADOPT YOU—she will make you do chores—SAVE YOURSELVES”
The guards were trying very hard not to laugh.
---
Arden sat on the couch like a prisoner.
His mother stood before him, her arms folded across her chest.
“Explain.”
He took a deep breath.
“Mother. I can ex—”
"No stuttering. No lies. And no nonsense."
Arden swallowed.
OK.
He could not tell her he was kidnapped by a mafia heir.
He could not tell her that he had dined with a crime syndicate.
He couldn't tell her he was sleeping in a mafia boss's master bedroom, wearing a hoody that said PROPERTY OF KAI.
So, he went with the safest story:
“I… made rich friends.”
His mom narrowed her eyes.
“Rich friends who send four gigantic men to guard you like you’re the president?"
Arden nodded vigorously.
“Yes! They are very… uhm… dramatic.”
She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her forehead.
“Arden, what trouble did you get into?”
Arden said the first thing that popped into her mind.
"A charity event."
“…A charity event?"
“Yes! Very serious charity. Very dangerous charity. Very… important.”
His mother stared at him for a full fifteen seconds.
Arden smiled nervously.
Then—
She sighed, then walked away.
Arden blinked. “I… I’m not grounded?"
"Not today," she said wearily. "But if I find out you're lying—"
He saluted, "Ma'am yes ma'am, I will lie better-"
She threw the slipper at him.
He dodged.
---
NIGHT OF PARANOIA
Arden sat in his room with his pillow cl(*]utched tight, staring out the window.
“Kai said I have to return,” he whispered dramatically.
"I don't want to go back."
He sighed.
"I'll probably return."
He lay down.
“I hope there’s milk tea.”
Then—
A soft buzzing emitted from his phone.
Unknown number:
“Did you reach home safely?”
Arden screamed into his pillow.
“KAAAAAAAITOOOOO Stop being so calm it's terrifying!!”
He quickly replied:
“YES! SAFE! VERY SAFE! ALIVE! GOODNIGHT!”
Kaito replied immediately:
“Good. Get some rest. You have school tomorrow.”
Arden froze.
H-how did he know—
When did he-
WHO-
Yet another text arrived:
“Don’t be late.”
Then:
“Interesting boy.”
Arden dropped the phone.
“I AM BEING STALKED BY A MAFIA BOSS HELP.”
He passed out eventually, due to stress.
---
THE NEXT MORNING: NEW LEVEL OF CHAOS
Arden woke up, dressed, ate breakfast, and walked outside—
—and immediately screamed.
There were two bodyguards at the gate.
Two were across the street.
One waved politely.
Another was holding an umbrella when it wasn't raining.
“GOOD MORNING, MISTER ARDEN,” they chorused.
Arden looked around desperately. “NO. NO GOOD MORNING. GO HOME. GO AWAY. HUMANS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO COME WITH DLC BODYGUARDS.”
One of the guards stepped forward. "We are assigned to escort you to school."
“BY WHO—never mind I KNOW WHO BUT WHY—"
The guard blinked. "Orders from the Young Master."
Arden dramatically collapsed onto his knees. “Kaito… why…”
He stood up, accepted his fate, and dramatically marched down the street to school surrounded by four intimidating men, as if he were a kind of royalty—or a criminal.
People stared.
Students whispering: Cars slowing down.
Arden covered his face. “I SWEAR TO GOD IF KAI THINKS THIS IS FRI—"
The guards hushed him.
- Writer
