Chapter 34 Great Gifts (1)
"Sorry, I can't come tonight to the birthday party. Please don't waste your time to find me. After some time I will answer your questions, but for now, don't try to find me."
Apparently, Rain sent this message to…
Charles (His father),
Carla (His mother),
Mark (His butler),
Kaya (His sister),
Emma (His fiancée).
Upon seeing this massage, everyone's reaction was different.
***
[Charles' POV]
"You bastard! Son of a bitch!" he shouted, his face contorted with anger and his voice raised in a rage.
But his wife interrupted him, her eyes narrowing and her body tense with fury. "Darling... who are you calling a bitch?" Her voice was cold and cutting, her tone sharp with disapproval.
Carla's voice was innocent, but her words cut deep, and Charles felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He was suddenly acutely aware of the weight of her disapproval, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear creeping over him.
"Rain told us not to look for him, but where on earth could he be?" Charles fretted, his mind racing with worry. His voice was strained, and he sounded almost desperate.
Carla shared his concern. "I just hope he's okay and comes back soon," she said, her eyes fixed on Charles. Her voice was firm but gentle, and there was a note of tenderness in her tone. "And don't you dare scold him when he returns, understood?" Her gaze was unwavering, and there was a hint of warning in her words.
Charles nodded, shuddering under her gaze. He felt small and helpless, but he knew that he had to comply with her wishes. "Y-yes," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
***
[Emma's POV]
"Oh... So he's not coming today. I wonder where he could be," remarked Emma, her tone tinged with disappointment because she couldn't break off the engagement.
But then she quickly added, "Still, it doesn't matter right now. I'll just enjoy the party and leave early." Her voice was bright and cheery, as if she was determined to make the best of the situation.
***
[Kaya's POV]
Kaya's mind raced with questions. "Hmm, so he's not coming?" she asked herself, her tone filled with uncertainty.
"Why isn't he coming?" she wondered aloud, her puzzlement growing.
"Where could he be?" Kaya asked, her thoughts racing as she tried to come up with answers.
"And why did he specifically ask not to be found?" Kaya added, her confusion deepening.
"Could he still be injured?" Kaya contemplated, her mind searching for clues.
"Or did his injury not fully heal?" Kaya queried, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"This all seems strange," Kaya thought to herself, her curiosity piqued.
"But regardless, why bother with the truth? Let's just spread some rumors," Kaya suggested mischievously.
Soon, the rumors started to spread like wildfire...
─ Rain hurt himself during training.
─ Rain is scared to come to the party.
─ Rain is not at home.
─ Rain looks down on others.
And many more rumours.
If Rain was here, he would think,
"Who the hell came up with this dumb shit?"
***
[Mark's POV]
Mark let out a sigh, "The young master would be so lonely alone." He didn't know where Rain was. Still, he thought, "There might be some reason for this. Let's wait."
Although Mark's guess that Rain was alone was correct. However, Rain was alone for different purposes, which Mark was not aware of.
***
In the Party Hall, there was an air of anticipation as everyone eagerly waited for Rain to arrive so that the party could begin.
The hall was beautifully decorated with balloons, streamers, and colorful lights, adding to the festive atmosphere.
However, as time went on, the party was already running late, causing some individuals to become irritated and angry.
They felt like their time was being wasted, and they began to wonder when the party would finally start.
As they waited, some people began to indulge in the food and drinks that were set out on the tables.
Others chatted amongst themselves, trying to figure out what was causing the delay. There was a sense that something was unusual, and this only added to the tension in the room.
Suddenly, Charles appeared, causing everyone to turn their attention to him.
He announced that Rain was sick and would not be able to attend the party.
Apparently, Rain had overexerted himself while training, and this had led to his illness.
The news shocked many people, and negative rumors began to circulate about what could have caused Rain's illness.
Despite the disappointment of Rain's absence, people began to enjoy themselves as the party continued.
Gifts were exchanged, and blessings were bestowed upon Rain.
Charles graciously accepted the gifts on Rain's behalf, thanking everyone for their kindness.
The party was meant to celebrate Rain's birthday, yet he was unable to attend.
After several hours of merriment, the party finally came to an end.
The staff of the Holmes Family began to clean up the drawing hall, picking up the discarded decorations and wiping down the tables.
Although the party didn't go exactly as planned, people still managed to have a good time and celebrate Rain's birthday.
However, as the night progressed, many of the guests started leaving early, and only a handful of people stayed behind in the mansion.
Among them was Emma, who had no choice but to stay reluctantly since her parents were also staying there.
As the night grew later, Rain didn't come back yet.
Charles and Carla decided to look for him tomorrow through their secret network.
Although Carla was still worried, she decided to wait for some time as Rain might return.
Some of the other people were also worried.
However, in the end, they also went to bed - thinking Rain would return soon.
However, In the early hours of the morning, around 5 am, the phones of five individuals, Charles, Carla, Emma, Kaya, and Mark, all began to ring simultaneously, sounding like alarms.
Drowsy and half-asleep, they checked their phones to find a message.
The message was similar to the one they had received the previous day from the same app and person. Rain Holmes.
And the content was...
"Good morning, I left a gift for you in my room. Collect it from Mark."
Although they were initially disoriented and thought it might be a dream, they soon realized that it was a genuine message from Rain.
Curiosity piqued, they began to walk towards Rain's room while thinking about something. There were many questions in their mind.
What's the return gift?
Did he come back?
Why didn't he come to the party?
Where was he?
What was he doing?
And only Rain can answer their questions now.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side,
Rain was fast asleep, completely oblivious to the chaos he had caused.
He was enjoying the warmth and comfort of his bed, lost in his dreams.
"…so…comfy…"
Rain snuggled in his bed.