Ndeshi knelt before the boss, desperation etching every line of her face.
"Boss, please! I swear, that's Paige. She'd never blow her cover—no matter what. Please, spare my father… try something else."
The boss gave her a withering look. "Nathan must be dead by now. There's no point in keeping your old man alive."
Meanwhile, Vicky—disguised in a guard's uniform—wandered the halls of the mansion, unseen.
"What is this place...?" she muttered to herself, eyes scanning the grand but sterile corridors. As she turned a corner, she overheard two guards conversing near a doorway.
"If Mr. Shikongo was killed, why haven't Kyle and his team checked in? It's getting late," one said, sounding tense.
"Why be so formal about someone who's gone?" the other scoffed.
"I just liked him. Nathan Shikongo was a decent guy... was supposed to get married in two months, just to please his kuku," the first replied.
The name hit Vicky like a thunderbolt. Her breath caught—Nathan was supposed to marry?
Still shaken, she stumbled into a room lit dimly by a night lamp. A child sat on the carpet, playing with toys in eerie silence.
"I've been waiting for my dinner. What happened?" the boy said casually.
Vicky hesitated. "Hey... uh, you're here?"
"Where else would I be?" he replied, not looking up.
"Of course… um, what's your name?" she asked gently, crouching down and reaching out to him.
The boy suddenly shoved her hand away and pulled a small gun from beneath a pillow, pointing it directly at her.
"Whoa! Easy there," Vicky said, raising her hands.
"Who are you?" the boy demanded.
"You need to put that down now. It's not a toy," she warned.
"And I'm not a toddler," he snapped back. "I'm going to shoot if I have to ask your name again."
"Vicky," she said slowly, eyes never leaving the gun.
"Where's Roger?" the boy asked.
"Roger?" Vicky echoed, confused.
"Why are you wearing his clothes? What did you do to Roger?" His voice rose in alarm.
"Shhh—" Vicky tried to calm him, but he fired.
She dodged the bullet by a hair's breadth, lunged forward, tackled him to the floor, and wrestled the gun away. The boy whimpered, suddenly small and scared.
At that moment, Karen arrived at the boss's chamber and froze—her father was nowhere to be seen.
Elsewhere, Roger stirred groggily inside a locked bathroom, bruised but alive. Rocky, stone-faced, led Simon toward a grim task: to kill Roger. But Simon hesitated, locking the bathroom door behind him instead.
Back in the room, Vicky tried to reason with the child now sobbing at her feet.
"I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened... but you can't play with this. It's too dangerous."
"I want it back!" the boy cried.
"No," Vicky said firmly, stepping back. Suddenly, the child drew another weapon from his jacket and fired again. The shot missed, but the sound brought a guard rushing in.
"What's going on here?" the guard barked.
"There was someone here—wearing Roger's clothes!" the boy pointed to an empty space. "A woman—she was just here! Where did she go?! Search the room! Now!"
"Yes, boss!" the guard obeyed.
Vicky held her breath behind the sofa, heart pounding. She needed a diversion—and fast. Her fingers slipped into her utility belt, ready to create a trick.
Elsewhere…
Ruben parked outside a small black-painted house. Inside, an elderly couple, Loise and Gabriel, were preparing dinner. Gabriel relaxed in front of the television, watching his favorite team.
Just as the striker moved in for a goal, the power cut.
"Damn it! They were about to score!" Gabriel shouted.
"I'll get the candles, babe…" Loise said, walking toward the living room.
Before she could light one, the lights flickered back on—and there he stood.
"Drop your weapon!" Loise screamed, aiming a pistol with impressive steadiness.
"I see your vision's not what it used to be, Mom," Ruben said, unfazed.
Outside the house, Natasha and Evan crouched under the window, listening.
"Ruben?" Loise whispered, tears welling up.
"Ruben? Are you… Ruben?" Gabriel echoed, standing.
"Cut the drama. Where are Simon and Paige?" Ruben demanded, barging through the house, throwing open doors—even the upstairs rooms.
"Son… who's Paige? Who's Simon?" Loise asked, clearly shaken.
"Ruben's back?" Gabriel said softly.
"He's back, honey… our son is home," Loise whispered, crying openly now.