"Are you nning to stay for good this time?"


    "Yeah," Harold''s voice was low, "Not leaving... not for a while."


    At that moment, Colby approached Harold, and Harold felt an almost suffocating pressure emanating from him.


    "You carry the scent of gunpowder," Colby remarked.


    The atmosphere around them grew tense.


    Harold simply looked at Colby with a calm demeanor.


    Jenna chimed in, "Being a soldier for the Costello family, it''d be odd if you didn''t have a bit of gunpowder on you, wouldn''t it?"


    Adler leaned in closer, sniffing the air, "I don''t smell any gunpowder. Colby, you sure you''re not a bloodhound?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Harold casually lifted his jacket, revealing a ck handgun tucked at his waist. "You''re not wrong, it''s there. But... it''s pretty normal. From what I see, Colby, you''re carrying a much stronger scent of gunpowder than I am." "Of course, Colby''s scent of gunpowder is heavier than yours."


    Adler interjected, "Are we done yet? Talking about who smells more like gunpowder on such a fine day, I''m starving!"


    "No, it''s the old man who''s starving," Jenna corrected, ncing at her watch. "Around this time, he''d usually be having his meal. Let''s go, I''ve prepared all of his favorites."


    With that, Jenna linked arms with Sophie. "Forget about these stinky men, let''s head out!"


    Sophie cast a fleeting nce at


    Harold. His return this time felt different. She couldn''t shake the feeling that something had changed about Harold. Colby, too, wouldn''t target someone without reason.


    "I won''t be joining," Harold said. "I have things to attend to. I''ll head home and wait for you."


    With those words, Harold turned and left the hall.


    Adler waved it off, "Hey, if he''s not going, we still will. It''s just us for dinner tonight anyway."


    Sophie asked, "What about the other guests?"


    Adler replied, "The other guests aren''t fit to dine with us."


    An hourter, on the rooftop of an unfinished building, they set up a simple round table. The table wasden with grilled skewers, beer, chicken burgers, and finally, a steaming hot pie. Sophie w


    momentarily stunned by the sight.


    Jenna exined, "Back in his youth, when the old man was making his mark, he loved these junk foods. But for his health, I had him quit these."


    "I remember the old man once said


    how novel it felt when he first tasted


    a burger, and then he developed a special liking for fried chicken and burgers He and his old friends.


    would often eat skewers,


    the rooftop, drink beer, and they would have a reunion meal every year. Though it wasn''t much of a fancy affair, in those days, anyone who could, would eat pie."


    Adler arranged the seating, leaving a spot for Lennon, "The old man hasn''t indulged himself for years. Today, let''s send him off in our own way."


    Sophie and Colby sat opposite Adler and Jenna. Looking at the boxes of liquor and beer on the ground, Sophie felt a lump forming in her throat. "Let''s agree, today is all about bidding farewell to the old man, no tears allowed!"