Chapter 57. At That Moment.

Before Rio could utter a response, his phone abruptly powered down. "Leave it, Martino," he found himself saying, his disbelief palpable. As he awaited a reply, silence greeted him, and he withdrew the phone from his ear, only to discover it had turned off due to a drained battery. A surge of frustration coursed through him, tempting him to hurl the device to the floor. Instinctively, he knew Martino would act, guided by his own sense of righteousness, even if it put Robert in danger.

Without delay, Rio sprinted back to the spot where he had left Ryan earlier, gasping for breath. "Where's Robert?" he asked anxiously.

Ryan turned towards the sweet candy stall that had captivated his attention earlier. "There..." His brow furrowed in a frown. "He was just there a moment ago," he replied.

"Damn it!" Rio cursed, hastening towards the bustling stall, teeming with children. Ryan followed close behind.

"Excuse me, sir," Rio addressed the man in charge of the stall, a mid-thirties man sportin