Mike snorted, a hint of sarcasm coloring his voice. Previously, he could trust Alexander and listen calmly. But after the embassy incident, anxiety gnawed at him. He doubted the meaning of Alexander’s actions, doubted whether he could save Nick.

"Watch your tongue, Mr. Corden!" Edward's reprimand was sharp.

Mike’s temper flared. He could no longer bear listening. "Who gave you the right to judge me?!" he sneered. "Yes, I lied to Alex, made mistakes, but you have no idea what I’ve been through! Lily’s been missing for days, my son… gone for months! I… I think he might be dead…"

He couldn’t finish, squatting, clutching his head, the water glass still in his hand. He suspected his son's death but dared not voice the fear, afraid to make it real.

Edward started to scold him, but Alexander raised a hand to stop him. The sight of Mike’s pain silenced Edward. He couldn’t bring himself to rebuke him; frankly, he was upset too.

Sadness, pain, and relentless stress had broken Mike’s defenses. His words were harsh, but his emotions were understandable. He seemed to release years of grief, a grown man sobbing uncontrollably.

Mike sniffled, stood, and leaned against a side table, looking utterly defeated. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his head bowed.

"Mr. Corden, we understand, but you shouldn't have said that. How could you say Mr. Russell isn't anxious? Don't you know how close he and his wife are? Don't you know the kind of man he is?" Edward finally released his pent-up frustration.

Mike remained silent, his head still down. He let Edward scold him, lecture him. He knew he'd spoken out of line, that his words were hurtful, but he couldn't control himself.

Edward continued, "I know you're anxious; we all are! At least you're healthy. I don't know what virus I have, when I might die. My wife is pregnant—she could be a widow at any moment. And Alex…"

He glanced at Alexander, hesitated. "His wife gave birth to twins a few days ago. The organization has three hostages now. You said you're anxious, in pain. Don't you think we're all in this together?"

Mike looked up, shocked. "What did you say?! Lily has already given birth?!"

He hadn't expected that. He knew what R10 meant, thanks to Rhea, and Lily's delivery held dire implications. "That's… bad news!" Fear etched his face.

Alexander frowned, sensing something was wrong. "What's bad news?" he asked sharply.

"She's given birth? She's not pregnant anymore?" Mike repeated. "That means… they've already started."