The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 548: Prince

Surprisingly, the granny was well-connected. She stepped out for only a short while, and when she returned, she already had someone with her. A middle-aged man whom she barely bothered to introduce to Izu and Pika.

Before Izu could even ask whether this man was enough to stand watch while the operation was ongoing, more people began arriving at the establishment. They didn’t come all at once. One by one, quietly, until there were nearly ten new men inside.

"I told you," the granny said, giving Izu and Pika a knowing look. "The residents of this territory specialize in living as quietly as the dead."

Despite the gathering, the night remained undisturbed.

"This man," the granny gestured toward the middle-aged man, "already knows your plan. He’ll take you to the right place."

She paused, her lips stretching into a confident smile. "Don’t worry. You can trust him."

"But you need to memorize the route we’ll take and listen carefully to the roads I point out," the man added quietly, looking first at Pika, then at Izu. "I can’t be seen with you."

He didn’t need to explain why.

They already understood. If anyone in Gigante were seen helping outsiders like them, death wouldn’t be the only punishment.

The entire town would pay.

Izu huffed softly and nodded first to the man, then to the granny.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

With that, Izu glanced toward the room where the operation was ongoing. Inside, Ransom and Florida paused and looked up at him. Both men nodded silently, signaling that everything was under control.

Izu nodded back.

Soon after, he and Pika left the establishment, following the man out. They traveled on foot at first until they reached a small, old truck. One that looked like it belonged to the earliest generations of vehicles.

As they moved farther from Gigante, Izu leaned closer to Pika.

"Why?" he asked quietly, studying him. "Why do you think we can trust her?"

The granny’s willingness to help at first could be explained—it was transactional. But that didn’t mean Izu fully trusted her. Not enough to leave Ransom and Florida behind, at least.

He had only agreed because of the silent urgency screaming in Pika’s eyes.

Pika exhaled slowly. "Haji," he said, meeting Izu’s gaze. "She’s Haji’s granny."

"What?"

"I wasn’t sure until I mentioned his name," Pika explained.

He hadn’t brought up Haji thoughtlessly. He had turned the idea over in his head countless times in a short span, then remembered what Lola had told them.

In this territory, speaking in codes was a language of its own.

By hinting that her grandson—if Pika was right—was connected to them, the granny would be far more willing to help.

And Pika had been right.

Before that moment, the granny had helped them quietly and alone. But the instant she heard Haji’s name, she moved quickly—calling in others, arranging routes, offering protection.

I still don’t know why she claims Haji is dead, Pika thought. But it’s safer that way than having people hunt for her grandson.

The lines on Izu’s face deepened as he looked at Pika with surprise. He’d been preoccupied with other matters, so it hadn’t occurred to him that Pika had already grasped the unspoken language of this territory.

"Good catch, Pika," Izu said approvingly, noting the brief flicker of surprise on Pika’s face. "For now, let’s focus on this mission. Don’t worry about anything else. I’ll buy you as much time as you need."

The surprise on Pika’s face faded, replaced by determination. This wasn’t the time to be flustered over a compliment.

At that moment, the man driving them spoke again.

"Once we’re outside Gigante, there are several routes you can take to return," he said over the loud rattle of the truck. "I suggest using those instead of the one we’re on now. Those roads lead to other towns."

"So if you’re discovered," he continued, "it’ll buy you time—either to escape or to keep Gigante from being targeted by the big boys."

Izu and Pika listened closely. With the engine roaring, missing even a word would mean missing everything.

What the man was saying was simple: confuse the trail. Scatter suspicion. And above all, don’t let Gigante take the fall.

"We’ll remember that," Izu said sincerely. "Thank you."

The man didn’t reply right away. He studied Izu’s reflection in the rearview mirror, gauging his sincerity. Then, he turned his eyes back to the road.

After a brief silence, Izu spoke again.

"I noticed everyone was willing to help the granny."

The man let out a low, bitter chuckle. "That old hag rarely asks for help. So when she does, the entire town moves for her."

He continued casually, "She used to be very influential in this territory. She was the first lady of our region."

First lady—as in, the governor’s wife.

Izu and Pika exchanged looks, brows knitting in shared confusion and intrigue.

"Our region was once the most peaceful," the man said. "Ravah wasn’t always like this. They wanted change—to make Ravah like other countries, not what it is now. But not everyone wanted that." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

What he was really saying was clear.

Pika had been right.

The granny had lived a luxurious life. Her husband had once been one of the three governors of Ravah, until the other two turned against the only man who stood for the people.

Two against one.

There had never been a chance for him to win.

"But instead of killing them... hah," the man scoffed. "They kept them alive. Forced the governor into manual labor with his son. And the madam was made to endure worse."

His smile twisted bitterly. "Even then, she endured it all—for her people."

He sighed. "And even now, she’s still protecting Gigante with that frail body of hers. What a woman!"

As the man fell silent, weighed down by the knowledge that their lives were still being shielded by that old woman, Izu and Pika were thinking of something else entirely.

So, in other words...

Pika bit his tongue.

Haji... used to be like a prince? Of some sort?!