The warehouse stood near the edge of the city surrounded by metal fencing and armed guards.
Cold evening wind moved through the open loading area while black vehicles lined the concrete outside.
Dante stepped out of the car first.
Then Izana followed.
Dark coat.
Black gloves.
Expression unreadable.
The atmosphere around the warehouse shifted almost immediately the second people noticed him.
Conversations lowered.
Several men straightened instinctively.
Nobody wanted to be the first person to speak.
Izana walked past them without acknowledging any of it.
Inside, large wooden crates had already been arranged across the warehouse floor beneath harsh industrial lighting.
Weapons.
Ammunition.
Imported stock.
The dealer approached carefully.
"Sir."
Izana's eyes lifted toward him briefly.
"…Open them."
The man immediately gestured toward his workers.
Crates opened one after another.
Metal gleamed beneath the lights.
Izana stepped forward calmly and picked up the nearest rifle.
Checked the barrel.
Weight.
Condition.
Serial markings.
Every movement precise.
Careful.
Silent.
Dante stood nearby already watching the dealer grow nervous under the inspection.
Which was understandable.
Because Izana noticed everything.
Another crate opened.
Then another.
Izana checked each weapon personally.
At one point he paused slightly while inspecting a handgun.
The entire warehouse immediately became still.
The dealer swallowed nervously.
"…Something wrong?"
Izana looked at the weapon again.
Then toward one of the storage vents above them.
"…Humidity."
The dealer blinked.
Izana placed the gun back into the crate carefully.
"Your storage conditions are poor."
The dealer visibly relaxed slightly after realising it wasn't another scam accusation.
"We'll correct it immediately."
"You'll correct it before the next shipment."
"…Yes, sir."
Izana moved toward the next crate.
Cold.
Controlled.
Completely different from the man who spent mornings putting tiny socks onto a two-year-old.
Dante's eyes shifted briefly toward Izana's phone resting near the paperwork.
The wallpaper visible for half a second: Leah lying on the sofa while Zarek slept on top of her holding his lion plush upside down.
Dante looked away immediately.
"…Unbelievable."
Izana didn't glance up.
"…What?"
"You went from international crime boss to someone with a family wallpaper."
"…And?"
"…Nothing. I'm mourning your former image."
Izana ignored him completely.
The meeting dragged on for hours afterward.
Numbers.
Routes.
Shipments.
Future negotiations.
By the time everything finally ended, night had fully settled outside.
Dante looked exhausted already while gathering the remaining documents.
Meanwhile Izana checked the time again.
Dante noticed immediately.
"…You've checked the time seventeen times."
"No I haven't."
"…Twenty then."
Izana slid the paperwork closed calmly.
"I made a promise."
Dante stared at him for a second.
Then sighed deeply.
"…The chocolate."
"…Yes."
"Unbelievable."
Nearly forty minutes later, the car stopped outside a small late-night confectionery shop near the city center.
Dante looked through the window slowly.
Then toward Izana.
"…You're serious."
Izana opened the car door.
"…Obviously."
The small bell above the shop door rang softly when Izana entered.
Warm light filled the little store.
Shelves lined with chocolates and sweets stretched across the walls.
The poor employee behind the counter visibly froze for a moment seeing him walk inside dressed entirely in black looking like he belonged anywhere except a candy shop.
Meanwhile Dante stayed near the entrance already regretting his existence.
Izana stood silently in front of one display for several seconds.
Studying it.
Carefully.
Dante watched in disbelief.
"…You inspect chocolate more carefully than weapons."
Izana picked up one box.
Looked at ingredients.
Then another.
"…Incorrect."
"Really."
"…Equal amounts."
Dante covered his face briefly.
"This organisation is doomed."
Eventually Izana selected several chocolates before walking calmly toward the counter.
The employee looked terrified accepting payment.
Izana thanked him politely.
Which somehow frightened the man more.
Outside again, Dante stared at the expensive chocolate boxes in complete disbelief.
"…He's two."
"And?"
"He would've been happy with literally anything."
Izana adjusted the bags slightly.
"I know."
Dante blinked once.
Then realised: this wasn't about the chocolate itself.
It was about the promise.
And Izana never broke promises to Zarek.
By the time they returned to the mansion, the estate had gone quiet again.
Warm lights glowed softly through the downstairs windows.
The atmosphere felt peaceful after the tension of the warehouse.
Izana stepped inside first.
Immediately hearing soft voices from the living room.
He walked toward them quietly.
And stopped.
Elias sat in one of the large armchairs near the fireplace with sleeping Zarek curled in his lap beneath a blanket.
Lion plush trapped beneath one arm.
Teddy bear held tightly against his chest.
Leah sat beside them on the sofa with one hand resting gently against Zarek's hair while quietly talking with Elias.
The second she noticed Izana—
her expression softened immediately.
"You're back."
Izana nodded once.
His entire expression had already changed simply from seeing them.
Softer now.
Calmer.
Safe.
Dante entered behind him carrying paperwork before immediately stopping too.
"…He waited up?"
Leah smiled faintly.
"For as long as he could."
Elias looked amused.
"He asked about the chocolate six times."
"I asked seven," Dante muttered.
Izana stepped closer quietly.
The floor echoed slightly beneath his shoes.
And immediately—
Zarek stirred.
Tiny sleepy movements first.
Then slowly his eyes opened.
Still half asleep.
Messy pale hair falling everywhere.
He blinked toward the voices.
Then saw Izana.
His entire face lit up instantly.
"DA-DA!"
He sat upright so quickly the blanket nearly fell off him completely.
Elias barely had time to steady him before Zarek was already reaching toward Izana excitedly.
"…Da-da home!"
Izana took him carefully immediately.
One arm supporting him securely against his chest while Zarek wrapped both tiny arms around his neck.
"…I'm home."
Zarek pressed sleepily against him before suddenly pulling back.
Like he remembered something extremely important.
"…Choc'late?"
Dante immediately looked away because he was apparently surrounded by the same person in two different sizes.
Izana reached into the bag calmly.
"I remember."
The second Zarek saw the chocolate box his eyes widened dramatically.
"…BIG one."
"You negotiated well."
Zarek gasped softly when Izana handed it to him.
Tiny fingers grabbed the box carefully like treasure.
Leah laughed quietly watching his reaction.
"You made his entire week."
Zarek hugged the chocolate against his chest proudly.
Then leaned against Izana again immediately afterward.
Already sleepy.
Already relaxing now that Izana was home.
Izana looked down at him quietly.
At the messy hair.
Sleepy eyes.
Chocolate clutched tightly against his chest beside the teddy bear.
And somehow—
after hours spent discussing weapons and violence—
this felt more important than any meeting ever had.
Leah stepped closer beside them.
Her hand brushed lightly against Izana's arm.
"…You remembered."
Izana looked down toward Zarek curled against him.
Then pressed a soft kiss against the top of his son's head.
"…I told him I would."