Another loud, demanding knock rattled the door, and Ruook a deep breath before slowly opening it, her senses on high alert. The dimly lit night revealed a silhouette on their doorstep, a figure cloaked in darkness.

  The figure on their doorstep, Runebelle and her mother were met with the ued sight of Mrs. Pearl. Her presence brought both surprise and uo their already teuation.

  Mrs. Pearl peered at them both of them with her gaze settling on their makeshift armor and faces looking like they are ready for war. She raised an eyebrow, "Well, this is an iing sight. What in the world are you two wearing?"

  Rune crossed her arms and responded with a gre, "What are you doing here, Mrs. Pearl? You're one of the st people I expected to see."

  Mrs. Pearl sighed and raised one hand towards her . "I came because something doesn't add up. Your case, the evide all seemed too perfect for the prosecution. I had to iigate further, and I stumbled upon some disturbing information."

  Runebelle's mother held a distrustful gre upon Mrs.Pearl. but after a brief pause, she nodded and stepped aside, allowing Mrs. Pearl to eheir home.

  Mrs. Pearl nodded appreciatively and stepped over the threshold, her keen eyes sing the interior of the house.

  Runebelle, her mother Rune, and Mrs. Pearl settled into seats in the living room.

  Mrs. Pearl wasted no time in beginning to talk. She spoke as soon as she sat down. "Rune, I know what's happening tonight, and it's one of the reasons I'm here."

  Rune's eyes narrowed. She exged a quice with her daughter before responding,

  "What are you talking about, Mrs. Pearl?"

  Mrs. Pearl leaned forward. "I've uncovered some uling information, Ru seems you've been involved in some shady dealings, and it's all ected to tonight's events. Am I wrong?"

  Rune's face paled, and her eyes darted nervously. Runebelle could sehe fear and guilt in her mother’s face.

  "What kind of dealings?" Rune asked.

  Mrs. Pearl leaned ba her chair, her gaze steady. "I've found evidence of your involvement in activities that could have serious sequences. You've been trying to protect Runebelle, but your methods have beeio best."

  Runebelle's heart sank as she listeo Mrs. Pearl' revetions. She g her mother with fusion.

  Mrs. Pearl tinued, "Rune, I've been iigating a pany called Shadowcroft. They're not what they seem. They pose as a lending pany, but iy, they cim people's lives. They trap individuals in tracts, and once you sign, they ge the terms, making it nearly impossible to escape. I found evidence of them ging the terms after you signed, Rune."

  Mrs. Pearl pulled out the bck card with the white 'S' that had beeed in court. She pced it on the coffee table between them. "This card also belongs to the corporation."

  "That card," Runebelle said slowly, pointing at the bck card with the white 'S,' "you said it was found with Mrs. Lorraihat's what you told the court, right?"

  Mrs. Pearl hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that's what I said, but that was a lie."

  Rune's eyes narrowed. "Mrs. Pearl, why lie about that?”

  Mrs. Pearl sighed, rubbiemples. She sidered her words carefully. "When I initially said the card was found with Mrs. Lorrai was a strategic move. I was trying to draw attention away from certain es. The truth is, I found this card while iigating you, Rune."

  Rune's face paled. "You found it while iigating me? Why would you iigate me?"

  Mrs. Pearl leaned forward, "Rune, your behavior during the case raised red fgs. I had to dig deeper, and what I found led me to Shadowcroft. I didn't expect the rea from Mrs. Lorraine, but we will get back to her in a moment.”

  Rune began to stammer. Mrs. Pearl noticed her and took a deep sigh. “Listen, I know you were trying to fix things, to protect Runebelle. But I also know you got a job retly, and you were fired suspiciously fast. It's clear that Shadowcroft was involved, and they're ing for you."

  Mrs. Pearl trembled upon tinuing, "I almost fell into their trap, Rune. I had to visit their offi business, and they nearly forced me into signing a tract. It was only through sheer lud my experience as a wyer that I mao escape their grasp. They are ruthless, and they will stop at nothing to cim what they believe is theirs."

  She leaned in even closer. "Now, I believe you have a note from Shadowcroft, don't you, Rune? A threat g your body now belongs to them. They're ing for it tonight, and you o be prepared."

  Runebelle's eyes widened big and she turo her mother. "Mom, is it true? Do you have that note?

  Ruated for a moment. Her hands trembled to reato her coat pocket. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and ha to Runebelle with a frown.

  Runebelle unfolded the note and began to read its ominous tents. It firmed Mrs. Pearl' words, detailing the sinister i of Shadowcroft.

  Mrs. Pearl slide back. "Ruhere's something else I've learned during my iigation. It's something that's been nagging at me sihe court case."

  She fixed her gaze on Runebelle's mother and tinued, "You called Mrs. Lorraine a ‘predator’ after the court proceedings, Rune. As odd as it was, I couldn't dismiss it. I delved deeper into her background, and I've uncovered a troubling ers. Lorraine, despite her friendly exterior, is a part of Shadowcroft."

  Rune's eyes widened in shock alongside Runebelle’s. Mrs. Pearl pressed on, "I believe, Ruhat you've known about Mrs. Lorraine's involvement with Shadowcroft for some time. It's why you called her a predator, isn't it?"

  Ruated for a moment. She avoided making eye tact with Mrs. Pearl and her daughter. She finally nodded after a minute went by with tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, yes it’s all true…. I just… I…couldn't bring myself to tell Runebelle. I was trying to protect her from the truth."

  Runebelle turo her mother with her face about to burst into tears, "Mom, is that what you did? Did you sign a tract with Shadowcroft? Is that why they're after you?"

  Rune, uo hold back fr any longer, nodded silently. She reached out and held her daughter's hand.

  Mrs. Pearl raised one finger,"I think I’ve actually solved this puzzle. Rune, you were in the records room of the proceeding station because of Shadowcroft. They maniputed the situation, and with their influehe prosecutor ersuaded to allow it. Knowing I was handling the defehey believed they could ensure an easy win, and they did."

  "The entire court case, Runebelle, was orchestrated by Shadowcroft. They were after your mother, and they used the legal system to try and cim her. And now, they're ing for her tonight."

  "What do we do now?" Runebelle asked.

  "We o act fast," Mrs.Pearl affirmed. "If I had discovered this information even a day earlier, I would have been here yesterday. But we 't dwell on that now. We must focus on what we do toni--"

  The sudden sound of screeg tires and crashial outside jolted them all from their versation. It was as if chaos had erupted oreets just beyond the fines of the house.

  Runebelle, her mother Rune, and Mrs. Pearl exged worried gnces before rushing to the window. What they saw was a terrifying site.

  Several bck SUVs had collided with one another, f a barricade across the road. Men in dark suits and shades emerged from the vehicles. What alerted Runebelle was the fact that they all had shades.

  ‘Uh oh, they mean business,’ she thought.

  The leader of the group, a tall and imposing figure with spiky blue hair stepped forward and approached the front door of the house.

  Outside, the chaos tio unfold with more cars screeg to a halt and people shouting. It was as if the very night had been disrupted by the intrusion.

  The blue-haired boss turned around to face his followers, with disappoi rather than anger. He spoke with a calm yet stern tone, "Ehhh this type o thing happens every time, doesn't it?"

  His followers, clearly flustered by the chaotic se they had caused approached him with a salute.

  "We're sorry, boss! It won't happen again. We were supposed to be discreet."

  The boss let out a resigned sigh and nodded. "I uand, but we 't afford any more mistakes. Let's focus oask at hand."

  With that, he turned back toward the house and broke down the door with a strong kick.

  The blue-haired boss spoke with an air of authority as he addressed Rune,

  "You call me Bossman, or just Boss for short. It's quite simple, really."

  He tinued, his tone being more serious, "Rune, you broke the terms of the tract, and now we're here t you in."

  Runebelle stepped forward. "You won't take my mom! We won't let you."

  Bossman looked at her with some annoyance. "We don't want the girl, just the mother. She's the one who sighe tract.”

  Mrs. Pearl stepped forward to front Bossman. "You 't just barge into someone's home like this. This is illegal!"

  Bossman, unfazed, narrowed his eyes at her. "Ah, I remember you. You visited our office earlier today, and you said you would think about the tract."

  Mrs. Pearl shook her head firmly. "That never happened. I would never agree to such a thing."

  Bossman's followers exged uneasy gnces, realizing that they might have made a mistake.

  Bossman turo his followers and asked, "Hey guys, is that woman Mrs. Pearl?"

  His followers the same time, firming her identity.

  Bossman raised an eyebrow at Mrs. Pear. His tone became menag.

  "Now, Mrs. Pearl, you see, we are a pany of our word. We offered you an exclusive opportunity, and you agreed. ging your mind is not somethiake lightly."

  Mrs. Pearl remained resolute, "Your words mean nothing. You tried to force me into signing that tract, and I refused. I won't be intimidated by your lies!"

  Bossman's eyes narrowed as he sed the room, finally nding on Runebelle and her mother Rune. A sinister smile curled on his lips as an idea formed in his mind.

  "Well," he mused, "since Mrs. Pearl here seems to have amnesia about our little agreement, how about we take some colteral? Yes, that should do nicely."

  Runebelle's heart raced as she watched the ominous figure approach them. She clutched her wooden sword tightly.

  With a defiant shout, she drew her sword and stepped forward, blog their path. "You're not taking anyone! We won't let you!"

  “A Toy?!”

  Bossman ughed.

  The room filled with tension as Runebelle faced off against the imposing figures of Shadowcroft, but what did she expect to do with a wooden sword?

  While Rune and Runebelle stood together, fag the looming threat of Shadowcroft, Rune's eyes met Mrs. Pearl', and she could see the fear in the wyer's face. It was in that moment, as they prepared to defend themselves that Rune found herself able to speak.

  She took a deep breath and said,"Mrs. Pearl, I... I want to apologize. I know I treated you poorly during the court case, and I should have trusted you. It's too te to make amends now, but I want you to know that I'm grateful for what you're doing. You didn't have to e here tonight. I'm sorry for the way I acted."

  Rune tinued."If things don't go our way tonight, please know that I appreciate everything you tried to do and I'm thankful for your help. You're a better person than I gave you credit for, and I'm sorry it took this long for me to see it."

  Mrs. Pearl looked at Ruh Surprise ing to her face.