The Brew Shot cafeteria was in the town square, a marquee overlooked by the stone lions. Around the edges were food vendors, giving the middle of the town a sort of market atmosphere. The colors of the inside tuned into the daylight as if they had once been timid to greet the rays.

It stood as a sanctuary where one could cocoon themselves in the illusion of a caring society. Tables dotted the space, each occupied by imaginary companions forming a transient community.

Here, amidst the ebb and flow of humanity, the need for social bonds manifested palpably. Even in solitude, the innate longing for connection lingered, compelling individuals to seek solace in the semblance of camaraderie.

Life's journey often demanded the mantle of a warrior, thrusting individuals into the role of protector rather than the protected. Yet, there persisted a primal need to deceive the senses, to immerse oneself in the illusion of safety and belonging. Amidst the cacophony of voices, the aroma of coffee and the fleeting glances exchanged, felt comforting, however fleeting it could be.

"So, how's the case going, Molly Rayne?" Mr. Bingo inquired as he leaned back in his chair.

"We just started, no major clues yet; just what we had found earlier." Molly responded with a faint smile.

"And what sources are you relying on?"

A moment of guilt flashed across her eyes but she swiftly collected herself and explained, "I couldn't reveal my sources so I told them it wasn't as straightforward. Now, we'd have to rely on linking my existing clues rather than finding it themselves, at least for now."

"At least for now," Mr. Bingo remarked, sipping his tea. "On another note, I wanted to apologize for what happened before."

"What do you mean?" Molly remarked with a raised eyebrow.

'Was he referring to his earlier interactions with me? If it was that, I had already forgiven him long before. Besides, I could understand why he must've been adamant about me taking up the case. He looks well aware of what he's doing so far. But why did he need my help?'

"For how I reached out to you regarding my dad's cause," Mr. Bingo paused for a moment, diverting his attention away from her and looked around the crowded café, "It was simply that... I wasn't sure whether you'd help unless there was something personal at risk. It's human psychology, you see. But I was also so distraught about his death, I was willing to go to any extent to get you to take up the matter and investigate it thoroughly. I should've done better"

His voice cracked, even as he struggled to stay composed. Molly rested her hands on his and reassured him.

"You don't have to apologize, Mr. Bingo. While that was a strange way to request support, I could understand your reasoning behind it. I will help you, even if everything I know is at stake."

"Nicole," he said with an embracing grin, "and thank you for understanding me even though I wasn't able to explain myself properly."

A flash of recognition crossed Molly's eyes. She overlooked the rest of the speech following the name.

'Wasn't Nicole the first child of Dane Wade? That must mean he wasn't lying when he confessed that statement. What about Paige then? Where was he?'

"Nicole as in..." Molly repeated herself to ensure she wasn't dreaming or misinterpreting facts.

"Yes, Dane's first child," he explained, "Nice to meet you too."

A period of quiet between them was broken by Molly's little snicker which escalated into raucous laughter between them.

"I can't believe I'm chuckling over the revelation of my own name, darn it. "Maybe I should do this more often." Nicole responded, stifling his giggles as a beaming smile shone through.

"You should give me credits for giving you such a creative name," Molly said with a lopsided grin.

"Hey, but I lived up to it! I shouldn't have to thank you for that" He chuckled.

"Fine, you win this time." she smiled wide, forming a dimple on her right cheek.

"Bingo," he declared, eliciting another round of glee.

"Gosh, I haven't laughed so much in a while." she remarked, shaking her head as she suppressed the smile that eventually emerged.

"Me neither," he admitted with his own signature grin.

"I had a question though, I hope you don't mind me asking it..." Molly stated with a grim expression.

"Go ahead," Nicole said as he composed himself.

"What about Paige, where is he?"

"Ah, Paige," Nicole said, redirecting his glance across the café, observing the intricacies on the wooden chairs set at the table next to them.

"I haven't been around much, to be honest. As the eldest kid, I felt obligated to become the family's breadwinner as soon as possible, so after college, I relocated to Trevor and began working as an automation tester.

My father was a lawyer, and occasionally a judge. I know it seems odd, but in a tiny city like Mainland, it was fairly typical for senior lawyers to occasionally review simpler cases. It was meant to improve their experience."

"Wait," Molly interrupted, snapping them both back to reality, "didn't you mention he was a drug dealer initially?"

Nicole gulped his saliva in a hesitant note, "That was a bit of a lie," Molly weaved her eyebrows together in confusion, "You see, he didn't have as many cases as often. It was a bit of down track, but it was more of a personal choice than for earning. I mentioned it because I had a hunch that it was important to start from there."

Molly nodded as she mentally connected the dots and Nicole continued.

"He earned a respectable living but most of it was spent on rent and other expenses. Inflation has been sky-high in the recent years. I needed to get myself up and consider my role in the family. I combined two of my college year subjects, and here I am.

After my parents divorced I returned home to take care of other issues. My father was distraught when Lena chose to separate ways. They maintained a civil relationship but that didn't change the fact that he would sometimes go days without eating and was occasionally heard whimpering in his bed at night. He was tremendously jarred by it."

"Didn't Lena have a runaway marriage with Jasper? What reason did she provide in court?" Molly inquired, intrigued by his story.

"Yes, but that's just a part of it. I never got to hear the full story, but that wasn't the only reason, there were other things too."

"I understand and sorry that your dad had to go through that. But much more, you, as their children, did not deserve to go through that suffering." She responded with an understanding nod.

"We weren't as young but we definitely didn't feel as moved by the pain as much as he did, partly because we were too caught up with our own lives or maybe it was all just an act to hide the pain away behind those facades." Nicole admitted with a slight smile.

"Its going to be okay, Nick" Molly told as she gave him a soothing smile, "You're much stronger than you think you are and I am proud of you."

"You are?" Nick asked, looking up expectantly meeting her eyes, "Nobody's ever told me that. It's always been me against the world, or so it has always seemed."

"I am proud of you and I have no troubles in repeating it over and over again until you've drilled that fact into your head." She said as she rested back in her chair with her arms crossed, donning a confident smile.

Nick smiled as a glimmer of hope shined in his eyes. Maybe he wasn't so alone after all.

Their short tranquility was disrupted as the phone rang with the brightest star you've ever seen ringtone.

"Give me a moment," Molly said as she attended the call.

"Hello?" she asked as she put the phone over her ears.

Nick was anxiously tapping the desk, wondering what the call was about.

"That's surprising... did you check through all the details?" she asked.

After listening to what the other person said, she responded thoughtfully, "Alright, I will get to it. Let's see what I can find out."

The other party said something and hung up the phone.

Molly put the phone in her handbag, a worry etched on her face. She stared at the glass on the table and contemplated about the matter.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Nick asked as he leaned closer to the table.

"Its about Gary," Molly expressed while rubbing her forehead, "They couldn't find any financial records under his  name. And while that could've been a cover up, even other records seem to mismatch. Its as if that name never existed!"

"I know what that could be," Nick answered, "Ask them to try Aron Schmitz. This will work, trust me."

"Alright," she responded as she texted the information on her phone, "But, how do you know that?"

"I have been on his trail for the longest time, Molly. That's the reason why he used me as a bait to get against you."

"But, I don't understand. Why is he so keen on defending EOS when he knows how dangerous it is?"

"Gary Lane, by himself isn't a bad guy, he's just being loyal and repaying the kindness that was shown to him." Nick explained.

"How did they help him?"

"Gary was 12 and doing odd jobs just to make ends meet. Their absent dad never contributed a lot. He has two younger siblings and so he was the sole provider. Their family sometimes went days without food to eat just because they were trying to save up for rent. EOS came into the picture like a hero in shining armor and took him in if he promised to stay loyal to them. Naturally, not having many choices, he accepted. Maybe in some ways, we are more alike than different, but we both chose different paths."

"That explains a lot, but he still committed a lot of thefts. The MallMatrix was what got him caught. What's behind that?"

"Look a little deeper, Molly. You'll find the answers for yourself."

Nick remarked as he got up to leave. Molly rose up from her seat, determined to go about her day in quiet and connect the dots.

"It was pleasure spending time with you, Molly Rayne."

"Likewise, Mr. Bingo." Molly teased with a cheeky grin.

They shook hands and parted ways after paying for their beverages. The world seemed to go on with its lives as if nothing mattered. However, in the tiny world they had made together, a new flower bloomed in its gardens.

Word Count: 1737

Surprise surprise! What is this chapter aa- this is probably the most crucial but also my most favorite chapter so far for me.

I loved writing Molly's and Mr. Bingo's conversation here - their banter, understanding, and discussions, my hopeless romantic heart can't >.<❤️💘

i thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter, i hope you did too, and hoping to know your thoughts on them, its been a wonderful ride so far :D

Hope y'll are doing well, catch up on the other side!

cheers,
Sara <3