Just then...

Desmond suddenly vanished from where he stood.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of Ivy, closing the distance between them with frightening speed.

His sudden movement caught the air itself off guard.

However...

Before he could get close enough to touch her....

Bang!

Ivy instinctively lashed out with a powerful kick.

The heel of her foot slammed squarely into Desmond’s chest.

The force sent him sliding several feet backward across the floor.

His boots screeched loudly against the tiles as he struggled to regain his balance.

Fortunately for him, he managed to steady himself before crashing completely into the wall behind him.

Even so, his back still struck the concrete with a dull thud.

For a brief moment...

Silence filled the room.

Desmond slowly lowered his head before letting out a quiet chuckle.

"I knew it..." he murmured under his breath, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "This bitch doesn’t trust me after all."

A second later, he lifted his head again.

The smirk disappeared as though it had never existed.

In its place was the same warm, harmless smile he had been wearing moments earlier.

"Haha... I was only joking," Desmond said casually, his tone sounding lighthearted despite the coldness hidden beneath it. "Looks like your reflexes are pretty amazing."

He brushed the dust off his clothes before smiling once more.

"I’m your family now, remember?"

Although his voice sounded sincere...

Not even a trace of sincerity reached his eyes.

"Anyway..." he continued with a shrug. "I’d better go check on everyone downstairs."

He glanced toward the staircase.

"I wonder why they’re still making so much damn noise."

"Oh... yeah," Ivy replied with an equally warm smile.

"You should."

Her smile looked convincing.

Yet, just like Desmond’s...

It never reached her eyes.

For several long seconds, they simply stared at one another.

Both of them smiled.

Neither of them trusted the other.

Without saying another word, Desmond turned around and calmly walked away.

His footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Only after he completely disappeared did Ivy finally release the deep breath she had been unconsciously holding.

****

Desmond casually walked past the storeroom where the rest of the Blare family had gathered.

He didn’t even spare them a glance.

Instead, he continued walking toward the supermarket’s main entrance where Darren had been standing guard the entire time.

The distance wasn’t exactly short.

Fortunately...

Desmond had already prepared everything in advance.

He carried two large sacks filled with supplies in both hands.

After walking a considerable distance, he entered an abandoned room not far from the supermarket entrance.

He carefully placed the sacks inside before hiding them behind several broken shelves.

Once he was satisfied that no one would discover them...

He stepped back outside.

Now completely empty-handed.

His clothes remained soaked in blood.

Fresh bruises covered different parts of his body.

Some of the injuries had even been deliberately inflicted by himself to complete the illusion.

He slowly staggered toward Darren.

Every step looked painfully exhausting.

The moment Darren saw him...

His face immediately changed.

His eyes widened in alarm.

"What the hell happened?" Darren demanded, rushing over without hesitation. His gaze swept across Desmond’s blood-covered body, and his expression grew increasingly horrified with every injury he noticed.

"Why are you alone?"

"Where’s the captain?"

"And... why are you covered in blood?"

He grabbed Desmond by both shoulders.

"Were there powerful monsters inside?"

His breathing became frantic.

"What the fuck happened to Captain Ivy?"

Desmond lowered his head.

His shoulders trembled violently.

"T... th..."

He struggled to force the words out, his breathing uneven as though he were barely hanging on.

"D....Darren..."

"What?" Darren urged impatiently.

"Talk to me!"

His grip tightened around Desmond’s shoulders.

"Tell me what happened!"

"Where’s Captain Ivy?"

"What happened in there?!"

Desmond slowly lifted his head.

Pain, fear, and desperation filled his expression so convincingly that even the most suspicious person would have believed him.

His lips trembled.

"Captain..." he whispered weakly.

He swallowed hard before finally forcing the remaining words out.

"Captain Ivy..."

"...is in danger."

The words had barely left his mouth....

Darren’s pupils shrank.

"No..."

Without waiting to hear another explanation...

He immediately released Desmond and took off running at full speed toward the supermarket’s main entrance.

"Captain!"

His desperate shout echoed through the hallway.

The remaining Illusion Dogs reacted instantly.

Without hesitation, they sprinted after Darren.

"Fool," Desmond muttered under his breath the very moment Darren disappeared from sight.

The fearful expression he had been wearing vanished instantly, replaced by a smug smile of satisfaction.

Without wasting another second, he turned around and walked straight back toward the abandoned room where he had hidden the two large sacks of supplies.

A few moments later, he stepped inside the room and effortlessly slung the heavy sacks over his shoulders.

As he turned to leave, something caught his eye.

"Hmm?"

Desmond bent down and picked it up.

His eyes immediately lit up with amusement.

It was a set of vehicle keys.

More specifically...

The keys to Ivy’s armored truck.

Darren had been entrusted with guarding them while Ivy searched the supermarket.

A low chuckle escaped Desmond’s lips.

"Well..."

"This is unexpectedly convenient."

A satisfied grin spread across his face.

"Looks like luck is on my side today."

He casually twirled the keys around one of his fingers before slipping them into his pocket.

"Thank you for the generous gift."

Without another delay, Desmond made his way out of the supermarket.

The armored truck was still parked exactly where Ivy had left it.

He pressed the unlock button.

Beep!

The vehicle unlocked immediately.

Desmond opened the rear door and tossed the two sacks of supplies inside before closing it again.

He then climbed into the driver’s seat.

His hands rested comfortably on the steering wheel.

For a brief moment, he glanced back at the supermarket through the windshield.

A victorious smile slowly spread across his face.

"See you never."

A second later...

The armored truck sped out of the supermarket’s vicinity, disappearing down the deserted road while leaving nothing but a trail of dust behind.