Chapter 108
Clifford furrowed his brow as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen. He’d been working tirelessly since yesterday, trying to crack the Meta Doctors Hospital’s system. Usually, it only took him a few hours to break through, but this one was proving to be a real challenge.
“Seriously?” he muttered to himself, yawning lazily and stretching his arms wide. He was skilled with computers and hacking—something only Rain and Sanya knew about.
Just like Rain’s secret identity as “Chaos” in the gambling world, Clifford had his own alias in the hacker community: “Chubby.” It was a nickname Rain used to call him when they were kids, always accompanied by a playful pinch on his chubby cheeks. The memory made Clifford grin as he began typing again, the nostalgic thought of Rain brightening his mood.
He was good at what he did, and hacking was like second nature to him, but Meta Doctors Hospital’s system was proving tougher than expected.
“I wonder what Enigma’s after this time,” Clifford mused aloud. Enigma was his best client—generous, consistent, and usually only asked for simple tasks. But this request was different. Enigma wanted Clifford to infiltrate Meta Doctors Hospital’s network and retrieve every file linked to a certain Dr. Lambert Russo.
“What’s so special about this guy?” Clifford muttered, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he tried another backdoor method into the system.
After a relentless hour, Clifford finally managed to breach the system.
“Yes he cheered, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he began transferring the files to send to Enigma. The rush of success coursed through him, but soon, his stomach interrupted the moment with a loud growl.
“Ah, I’m starving! What’s Sanya up to? She usually knocks by now,” he muttered, glancing at his wristwatch. It was already close to eight in the morning. Sanya was always awake early. By seven, she’d usually have called him out for breakfast.
Today the two of them were scheduled to visit Rain at the Lancaster Ancestral Mansion for lunch. Clifford couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement for the day, but for now, he just wanted to know why Sanya hadn’t come to fetch him yet.
Maybe she overslept, he thought with a smirk as he wrapped up the file transfer, making sure everything was securely sent to Enigma. It was Sunday after all.
While the file transfer continued, Clifford got up from his chair and walked out to check on Sanya. To his surprise, she was sprawled lazily on the couch, her eyes closed, clearly not in her usual energetic mood.
“What’s for breakfast?” he asked casually, eyeing the dining area. “Come on, let’s eat. We need to stop by the market on the way to Rain’s. It’s rude to visit without bringing anything,” he added.
The scent of freshly cooked food filled the air, confirming that Sanya had already prepared their meal. But despite the inviting aroma, she hadn’t budged from the couch. Clifford frowned and approached her when she still hadn’t moved.
“Sanya,” he called out as he stood beside her. Her eyes slowly opened, but instead of her usual sass, her expression was heavy with unease.
“What if you visit without me today?” she murmured, avoiding his gaze.
Clifford’s brow furrowed in concern. “We’ve already discussed this, Sanya. Don’t drag it out any longer, or you’ll definitely face Rain’s wrath for real,” he reminded her sternly.
Sanya sat up, her shoulders slumping. “I think she already knows. When I called her earlier, she sounded… different p>
“All the more reason to talk to her now,” Clifford urged, his voice softening as he sensed her worry. “You can’t keep avoiding it. Rain’s not going to let this slide, and the longer you wait, the worse it’s going to be p>
Sanya sighed deeply, clearly torn, but she nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk to her… after lunch p>
At the Lancaster Ancestral Mansion, hours passed as Rain and her father-in-law, Rock, enjoyed a leisurely game of chess while waiting for her friends to arrive. Rock moved a piece thoughtfully before commenting, “I bet my son is still holed up in his study, working p>
Rain hadn’t seen a glimpse of Alexander since breakfast, so she assumed her father-in-law was right. “How about I bring him some tea? Do you think he’d be annoyed if I interrupted him while he’s working?” she asked. Then, with a playful grin, she slid her chess piece into place and announced, “Checkmate p>
Rock chuckled, shaking his head. “Looks like I’m getting rusty at chess. I miss my son William—he’s the only one I can still win against. Alexander always beats me, and now you too p>
Rain winked and teased, “Don’t worry, Father. Next time, I’ll let you win without you even knowing if it’s real or not p>
Rock laughed heartily. “I wonder how I’d feel about that p>
“You’ll be anxious,” Rain quipped mischievously. “Always wondering if I went easy on you or if you genuinely beat me p>
Rock gave her a mock pout, his face scrunching up in exaggerated frustration. “Now I don’t want to play with you anymore—you’ll just make me second-guess myself!” he scoffed. “Fine, go on, bring your husband some tea instead p>
Rain chuckled as she stood up, ready to prepare tea for Alexander.
As she walked away, Rock called Ben, who had been quietly reading nearby, to take Rain’s place at the chessboard. “What a clever way to excuse herself to spend time with my son,” Rock muttered with a grin, watching as Ben set up the pieces for their game.
As Ben settled in, Rock picked up a notebook he had been working on—a notebook full of details about Rain, much like the one he had given to her about Alexander. Ben glanced at it curiously. “When are you planning to give that to Xander?” he asked.
“Later,” Rock said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I want to meet Rain’s friends first and see what else I can learn about her. My son isn’t exactly the best at expressing himself, so this should help him get to know her better p>
Ben leaned back, thinking for a moment before asking, “And what about the person who impersonated Rain in the marriage? Are you going to tell Alexander and William p>
Rock had discreetly looked into the situation after William admitted he hadn’t known about the impostor. The investigation report had come in that morning.
“Nah,” Rock replied with a wave of his hand. “I’ll let the kids handle that. In the end, it worked out for the best, so why stir up trouble? I’m grateful for how things turned out, so I won’t make a fuss p>