Chapter 399
Rain slept the entire flight to Palan Island. Even when they finally landed, she was still sleepy, so Alexander carried her to the car that would take them to the institute’s in-house facility.
She stilled and then finally opened her eyes. It was already dark outside. “What time is it?” she asked him.
“It’s quarter to seven. Sleep more if you want,” he said, a tender look in his eyes. Rain bit her lip and teased, “Don’t your arms hurt? It’s not like I’m a lightweight, right p>
Alexander chuckled, and instead of answering, he leaned in and nipped at her lips before suckling on them. “I don’t mind carrying you for the rest of our lives,” he whispered against her lips, sliding his tongue inside her mouth.
Rain let herself drown in the intensity of his passionate kiss.
Then they heard a cough, and Rain’s body froze. She turned her head, and her eyes widened when she saw William and Sanya seated in the back. She just noticed they were in an SUV. Instantly, she shifted and sat beside Alexander, her face burning red. “How could you not tell me she murmured to Alexander.
He simply shrugged and said, “It’s fine… I’m sure they don’t mind p>
“Hell, we do mind!” William interrupted.
“Ah, we don’t! It’s actually entertaining to watch!” Sanya teased.
Rain felt so embarrassed she wanted the ground to swallow her whole, but Alexander was so nonchalant that he even grabbed her hand and clasped their fingers together.
Soon, they arrived, and Dr. Ivan quickly greeted them alongside Clifford and Kelly. After Clifford made the introductions, they exchanged pleasantries. Rain already knew about Kelly since she had read her profile, but this was her first time meeting her in person.
“Wow, you’re so beautiful!” Sanya commented, and Rain couldn’t agree more.
“Oh, thank you, but you two look so stunning and gorgeous as well,” Kelly replied.
Clifford had already briefed Rain and Sanya that he had shaved his head with Kelly to support her, so they weren’t surprised.
But, as Sanya said, even with a bald head, Kelly’s beauty was radiant. Rain couldn’t help but imagine how much more stunning she’d look with her hair.
“You all must be starving. Come, let’s eat first,” Clifford said, leading the group to the dining hall.
“So, he’s Chubby?” Alexander whispered as they settled into their seats. Rain nodded with a grin.
“Doesn’t look chubby at all,” he added.
Sanya, sitting across from them, overheard and casually remarked, “Well, Clifford was really chubby before… FAT, to be exact p>
“He was?” Kelly asked curiously.
“Oh yes! He was fourteen when I first met him, and oh boy, he was really big. But he started working out around that time, which is why he’s the hunk he is now,” Sanya said with a grin.
Rain chuckled, knowing full well this dinner would end with Sanya grilling Clifford, as always.
“It’s my special night. Can you stop bullying me for once?” Clifford complained with a pout.
“So how did you all meet and become friends?” Kelly asked curiously. “You see, Clifford mentioned he had two close friends but didn’t say how you guys met. He always says it’s a long story and he’s embarrassed to share p>
Clifford looked at Rain, and she could already tell from that look that he didn’t want to share the details. After all, how she and Clifford met was far from ordinary, he had been thinking of jumping from their school building because he was a victim of bullying.
Rain smiled at Kelly and said, “Clifford messed with my turf, the rooftop of our school building. You see, that’s my favorite hiding place whenever I’m on a break. But imagine my surprise when I heard him crying while I was trying to nap there. It was because some students often called him fat p>
She noticed Clifford release a sigh of relief.
“Well, Clifford is lucky to have met Rain, and then Rain introduced him to me. Since then, we’ve been his guardian angels. Rain helped him deal with the bullies, while I convinced him to diet and exercise!” Sanya said cheerfully.
Sanya was still unaware of the truth about Clifford’s suicide attempt. It was a secret she and Clifford had kept and buried. Rain was just glad she had been there at the right time to convince him not to let those bullies ruin his life. Now, seeing how Clifford had become successful and used that incident as motivation to strive and become his best self was incredibly satisfying. She was truly proud of him.
“So, how did you end up becoming the best hacker, ’Chubby’?” Alexander directly questioned, making Rain almost choke on her own saliva. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Alexander to acknowledge Clifford as the best. The last time she remembered, Alexander and Clifford were always bickering and annoying each other.
But then he lost his memories, maybe that changed his view of Clifford.
Clifford chuckled and said, “Ah, it feels good to hear that I’m the best from you p>
“Well, William told me everything, that if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have found Rain. I’m really grateful for that,” Alexander said with a curt nod.
Clifford glanced at Rain and Sanya, who just shrugged.
“Ah, my future husband is really great!” Kelly proudly commented. She turned to Rain and added, “I heard you’re amazing too, Rain! And that you were hardworking even at a young age. You even worked as an agent at the age of fifteen. I’ve been asking Clifford for details, but he won’t tell me. I imagine you in action films, like a female lead spy p>
Rain couldn’t help but observe the dynamic between Clifford and Kelly as the dinner continued. Despite Clifford’s usual reserved nature, there was an ease to the way he interacted with Kelly. His subtle smiles, the way his eyes softened when she spoke, and the quiet attentiveness he gave her made it clear how deeply he cared for her.
Kelly, on the other hand, was lively and engaging, effortlessly drawing everyone into the conversation. She had a natural charm that filled the room with warmth, a trait that seemed to perfectly complement Clifford’s quieter demeanor.
It seemed Clifford had already told Kelly a lot. Rain was just glad that Clifford had finally found the one for him, though it was a bit sad knowing that Kelly’s life remained uncertain.
“Don’t you have anything to talk about with Kelly besides Rain?” Sanya teased with a pout.