The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 546: Hajime

The old granny watched as the men spread and secured the large plastic sheets around the adjoining rooms. They moved quickly, not wasting a second. Just by observing them, it was clear that one of the men was an expert in medical procedures.

Earlier, they had all been listening to Izu. Now, they were listening to the medic’s instructions.

"Madam."

The granny slowly turned her attention to Pika, who had approached her cautiously.

"What is it, young man?"

Hesitation lingered in Pika’s eyes, as if he were unsure whether he should ask. "Aren’t there any available networks in Ravah?"

"Networks?" the granny repeated, genuinely puzzled. "What is that?"

"The ones we need to get our devices working?" Pika clarified, but all he received in response was the granny tilting her head.

Pika blinked—once, twice—then paused to think. Only then did it hit him. He had been here for quite some time already. He had even used the old bathroom, which felt like a place where ghosts might linger. Yet, there was nothing modern in this establishment.

Sure, there was electricity, but that was it.

He studied the granny more closely. Her clothes weren’t just worn; they were old-fashioned, almost traditional.

"Oh." Realization dawned on him as he nodded. "So that’s what the driver meant when he said we should change our clothes."

Because it seemed Gigante was frozen in time. Even this establishment belonged to an era long past.

The granny chuckled. "Gigante and its residents are far too busy surviving. We don’t have the same things the bigger towns and main squares do."

"I could provide you with some old clothes left behind by... some of my customers," she added kindly. "They’ve been dead for a long time, but I washed their things when they passed. Some might fit you."

That alone made Pika shiver. "I’m going to wear a dead man’s clothes?"

"Wearing a dead man’s clothes is better than being dead while wearing that," the granny replied, pointing at the shirt Pika had on. "It’s better to claim you’re from another town than to look like a visitor. If the wrong people notice you and start watching, you’ll either have to kill them—or be killed." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Pika gulped. "I’ll wear them," he said quickly, clearing his throat. "Granny, can I use the sockets to charge some of my things?"

"Go to the other room," she smiled. "Though there’s a recently deceased person sleeping in there."

His breath hitched, but the granny laughed immediately.

"I’m joking," she said lightly. "You boys are entertaining. You remind me of my grandson and the boy he used to hang out with. That rascal better be doing well in life."

Pika squinted slightly and lowered his head. Carrying his equipment, he went to the other room as instructed and tried to check whether the Bellemonte team had managed to establish a connection. It had been a while, and the delay was starting to worry him.

The room was dark. Pika used his flashlight to find the switch. When the light flicked on, he squinted and looked up.

Only to be greeted by a massive portrait of a beautiful, glamorous woman.

"Huh?" He stepped closer, staring at it. "Is this...?"

His imagination raced until the granny’s face overlapped with the woman in the portrait.

"This was her?" he gasped. Their eyes were too similar. There was no doubt. "She’s beautiful."

Very beautiful.

Pika had seen many beautiful people in his life, but this woman possessed a different kind of beauty. She was mesmerizing.

"Wow," he whispered. "I guess she wasn’t joking when she said this place used to be popular."

Shaking his head, he reminded himself to focus. He searched for a socket in the corner. Thankfully, they’d brought adapters. After plugging in his devices, he placed his compact laptop on the small table, only to notice a small book resting beside it.

He picked it up to move it aside, but nearly dropped the laptop. To save the laptop, he let the book fall instead.

It hit the floor and fell open.

"Oh God," he muttered, clutching his chest. "That was close."

After setting the laptop down securely, he bent to fix the book, but froze when he saw what was inside.

A photograph.

He lifted it carefully.

It was a family portrait.

"This is the granny when she was younger," he murmured. She looked just like the woman in the wall portrait. His gaze drifted to the man beside her, clearly her husband. They looked like any other couple. Well-off, even.

And seated in front of them was a teenage boy.

Pika narrowed his eyes.

"This guy looks familiar..." he muttered. "Where have I seen him?"

The photo was old. That teenager should’ve been an old man by now. And yet, something about the face tugged at his memory.

"I just can’t place it..."

"That’s my son."

The voice came suddenly—soft, almost ghostlike.

Pika flinched and turned to see the granny standing at the doorway. She chuckled at his reaction.

"You and your friends have such silly reactions," she said. "You’re quite a funny bunch."

Pika laughed awkwardly. He almost wanted to tell her that they weren’t really his friends. That he was an outsider, a pushover in the Order. That the only person he’d thought was a friend was from his department... the same one who had pranked him and sent him a form that landed him on this mission.

The granny stepped closer and extended her hand.

Pika gently placed the photograph into her palm.

She stared at it quietly.

Sadness, longing—regret—flickered in her eyes.

"This was my husband," she whispered. "And we had a son. This was before I owned this place. Those were the good times."

Pika pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond.

"Then we had Harrison," she continued with a sigh. "Sadly, he perished early—earlier than his parents."

Her eyes softened. "I can only hope our grandson is doing well now that he’s no longer here... and in heaven."

"You have a grandson?" Pika asked.

"Had," she corrected gently, smiling. "I’m relieved he isn’t here to suffer with us. Just like his father and grandfather... he would’ve lived a hard life."

Pika nodded slowly, lips thinning.

The granny reached out again, and Pika handed her the book without a word.

As she turned to leave, Pika froze because something clicked in his head.

"Granny," he called out. She paused and looked back. "Your grandson... his name was...?"

The granny smiled faintly.

"Hajime."