As he made his way upstairs, his path crossed Sumr again, who was busy rummaging through the fridge.
"Where are you going?" Sumr asked, her tone curious but not pressing.
"Sowhere," Don replied, keeping it vague. She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly suspicious, but after a mont, she just muttered, "Whatever," and turned her attention back to the fridge.
Don walked upstairs and once he reached his room, he closed the door behind him and answered the call. "Morning, Gary."
"Good morning, sir. I hope you're doing well."
"I'm fine," Don replied, glancing out the window at the backyard where Samantha and Amanda were still laughing together. "How are Elle and yourself?"
"We're both fine, thank you for asking," Gary responded before quickly getting to the point. "Now, onto why I called. I read through your ssage, and I showed it to the young madam. She and I both believe it to be brilliant—thorough, too, I must say."
Don smiled, pleased. "When do we start?" he asked.
Gary's response was imdiate. "Right now, sir. I've already made arrangents. That is, if you're ready to proceed."
Don took a deep breath. "I am," he said firmly.
"Excellent," Gary replied smoothly. "I'll send you the details shortly. Everything is in place."
With that, Don ended the call with Gary and imdiately changed into a plain workout outfit.
He then grabbed a second set of clothes from his closet and stuffed them into a bag, zipping it up with quickly. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he left his room and made his way downstairs.
As he entered the hallway, he spotted Sumr walking out of the kitchen with a plate of food in hand. "Hey," he called to her, casually. "Tell Mom I'm heading out and I'll be back in the evening."
Sumr paused, balancing her plate of food while giving him a suspicious look. She was tempted to ask where he was going, but she knew Don well enough by now—he wasn't going to give her a straight answer. "Fine," she muttered, already knowing it was useless to pry.
"Thanks," Don said with a smile, then quickly snatched a strip of bacon off her plate as he walked by.
"Hey!" Sumr shouted, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.
Don didn't stop. He just grinned, chewing the bacon as he stepped out the front door, closing it behind him.
Sumr stood there, fuming at the door. "Jerk," she muttered under her breath, then turned around and headed toward the backyard.
Once outside, Don let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. 'It's a sha I can't take my car,' he thought, glancing at the empty driveway. 'But at least Gary arranged sothing.'
He began jogging down the driveway, heading toward the exit of the Chanel Hills community.
Just as he reached the main road, a white rcedes G-wagon drove by and ca to a sudden stop. The tinted window slid down, revealing none other than Cassie in the driver's seat, wearing large, stylish sunglasses.
A sultry smile spread across her face as she lowered her glasses slightly. "Morning, Don," she greeted in a friendly, teasing tone.
Next to her, a woman Don didn't recognize also lowered her sunglasses. She had striking blue eyes, tanned skin, and platinum blonde hair that frad her sharp features. She glanced at Don with a playful smile. "Who's this cutie?" the woman asked, her tone sounding amused.
Cassie laughed softly. "Careful, Sandra," she said, glancing at her friend. "That's Samantha's boy."
Sandra arched a brow, still smiling. "That's no boy," she said with a small smirk. "But alright, I'll behave... for now."
Don couldn't help but think, 'These two really don't try to hide the fact that they're cougars.' He maintained his outward composure, offering them a polite smile. "I enjoy teasing too," he said lightly, "so at least we have that in common."
Sandra chuckled, her gaze lingering on him for a mont. "Oh, I like him."
Cassie leaned toward Sandra and whispered, just low enough that a normal person wouldn't hear, "I saw him first." Of course, Don heard it clearly with his superhuman hearing, but he just smiled to himself. 'Cougars, for sure.'
Out loud, Cassie addressed Don again. "Don't mind her, she loves teasing young n."
"Well, I'm in a bit of a hurry," Don said with a smile, deciding not to dwell on the mont. "But it was nice running into you both."
"Wait!" Cassie called out before he could leave. "How about a ride? We're heading out too, and it's no trouble."
Don shook his head, politely declining. "Thanks, but a friend's picking up. I just wanted to jog to the exit as a warm-up."
Sandra gave a mock pout. "Such a sha," she said, feigning disappointnt. "I'll see you around then."
Cassie, still smiling, added, "If you keep this up, Don, I'll have to hire you as my personal trainer."
Don chuckled, already starting to step away. "If the offer's right, who am I to refuse?" He then glanced at his watch, pretending to be in a hurry. "Anyway, I better get going. Bye." With a quick wave, he jogged off, leaving the two won behind.
As he jogged, Don's thoughts shifted. 'I'll have to figure out a way to deal with Cassie. Can't keep dodging her forever.' He made a ntal note to find ti to ask Donald more about his mom, but he'd have to be subtle about it. The last thing he wanted was to give the wrong impression.
After five minutes of jogging, Don reached the exit of the gated community. He waved at the guard in the booth, who waved back before opening the gate for him. Just beyond the gate, a sleek black sedan with tinted windows waited. Don jogged over to it, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.
As soon as he settled in, Don glanced around. There was no driver, but he wasn't surprised. In this world, self-driving cars were the norm, especially for the general commuting population. Many people preferred them over traditional taxis.
Inside, the car's modern interior greeted him with ambient lighting and soft, comfortable seats.
A screen in the back of the seat in front of him flickered on, and Gary's face appeared, wearing a thobe and a headdress. The image was slightly static, and behind Gary, Don could make out a windy desert scene, with several Toyota pickup trucks, SUVs, and even two helicopters in the background.
Minions similar to the ones Don had seen at 'his' base were scurrying around, carrying supplies.
"Hello, sir," Gary greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Gary," Don replied, leaning back in the seat. He wanted to ask where Gary was, but he hesitated. 'Probably better not to ask,' he thought.
Gary seed to anticipate Don's curiosity. "I'm in the Arabian Peninsula," he explained, his voice calm and professional. "Acquiring weapons for the plan."
Don raised a brow. 'That was fast. We won't even need the weapons for so ti,' he thought, though he chose not to dwell on it. Instead, he nodded. "Good."
As the car started driving itself forward, Gary continued. "It's unfortunate I won't be able to et with you today, but the young madam insisted on delivering the package herself."
Don's expression remained neutral, but internally, he felt a bit of concern. 'Elle.' He hadn't seen her since the last ti she spiraled. "It'll be good to see her," Don said calmly, though inwardly he worried if she'd stay stable this ti.
He could only return to conversing about the plan, "You took precautions, right?"
"Yes, sir," Gary assured him. "If anyone's watching you, there's no chance they'll follow you to the designated location without us knowing."
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