章 35: Great Gifts (Kaya & Emma)

[Rain Holmes: Good morning, I left a gift for you in my room. Collect it from Mark.]

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As they arrived at the door of Rain's room, they saw Mark waiting for them.

He opened the door, and they followed him inside.

Upon entering, they were immediately taken aback by the sight before them.

The room was devoid of any personal touches, with no decorations, art pieces, or even photos on the walls.

The bright, sterile white of the walls gave the room an empty, almost clinical feel. The sunlight coming through the window highlighted the emptiness of the room.

The wooden floorboards creaked as they walked through the room, the only sound in the silence.

The group was puzzled by the state of the room. They had expected to find Rain there, but the lack of any personal belongings made it seem as though nobody had lived there for years.

The desk was empty, with no papers or books scattered about, and the closet was bare, with no clothes hanging inside.

They were filled with a sense of unease as they looked around, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

As they continued to explore the room, they noticed that there was one thing in the center of the room: an ordinary medium-sized box.

It was made of dark wood and had intricate carvings on its surface.

They were confused as to why it was there. Could it contain their gifts? Looking at each other's expressions, Mark realized that they would just keep standing there unless he did something, so he walked over to the box and opened it.

Inside, there were five envelopes, each one with a name on it.

The envelopes were made of thick, cream-colored paper and had a small, elegant font.

There was also a message written on each envelope instructing them to open it alone. The ink was black and bold, as though written with great care.

Curiosity piqued, they quickly took an envelope with their name on it and left the room.

As they walked down the hallway, each one lost in their own thoughts, they couldn't help but wonder what was inside their envelope.

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Just as they returned to their own room, their phone rang. The sound made them feel a bit uneasy.

They knew from past experiences that whenever their phone rang on this day, it meant there was a surprise waiting for them.

Upon checking their phone, they were shocked to see that the notification was from the 'Connect' app.

[User 'Rain Holmes' has changed his name to 'Rain'.]

[User Rain has Unfriended you.]

[User Rain has Unfollowed you.]

[User Rain has removed you from his followers.]

[User Rain has blocked you.]

The sudden flurry of messages sounded like thunder to them. They were bewildered and anxious, which made them want to open the envelopes as quickly as possible.

What could be inside?

Upon opening the envelope, they found some papers and a pen drive. On the pen drive, there was only one video.

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[Unknown Deserted Island]

Rain lay on his bed, scrolling through the messages on his phone. His eyes darted across the screen, taking in the flurry of notifications that flooded his inbox.

"So, by now, everybody should have received their 'great gifts,'" he muttered to himself. A sense of anticipation built up inside him as he imagined their reactions.

But then, a sense of disappointment washed over him. He wished he could have been there to see their reactions in person.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make it. A pang of regret tugged at his heartstrings, and he sighed heavily.

'I hope this can cut cause and effect.'

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[Holmes Family Mansion, Karoon City]

Kaya sat at her desk, staring at the envelope and pen drive in confusion.

She couldn't understand why Rain had distanced himself from everyone and changed his name.

As she inserted the pen drive into her virtual projector, she couldn't help feeling a sense of unease.

'Let's see the video first.'

The screen stayed black for a few seconds, and Kaya was about to give up when it slowly started to gain color.

Suddenly, a handsome man appeared on the screen. Kaya couldn't take her eyes off him - his shining black hair with a brownish shade, his smooth and pale skin like jade, and his well-honed muscles all made him look like a Greek male god.

As she watched, Kaya couldn't help but wonder if this was really Rain.

The man on the screen looked so different from the Rain she knew - more confident, more commanding, and more... handsome.

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"Hello, Kaya," Rain said in a calm voice, looking directly into the camera. "You've received my message, I assume. From now on, I am just Rain. Not a member of the Holmes Family anymore."

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Kaya watched the video with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Why would Rain abandon his family and change his name?

This was shocking news for Kaya. Although she made some assumptions about Rain doing that.

She never thought in her dreams that it would become true.

Kaya was in shock upon hearing Rain's announcement.

She had suspected that he might be distancing himself from the Holmes family, but she never imagined that he would go so far as to change his name and renounce his membership.

It felt like a surreal dream come true, and she couldn't help but feel a mixture of disbelief and curiosity about Rain's reasons for taking such a drastic step.

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"Yeah, I have fallen out of the Holmes family," Rain's voice trembled slightly, his brows furrowing with a mixture of sadness and determination.

"And I have given you a copy of the documents regarding this."

"If you want to see the real one, you can take them from, uh, Dad," Rain's voice faltered for a moment, his gaze shifting away as he corrected himself at the end of the sentence.

"Now, you can become the Head. That's what you always wanted, right?"

"Well, now I am no longer a candidate for the Head position. Your roadblock is gone." He managed a bittersweet smile, an attempt to mask the turmoil within.

"Now you no longer have a brother," Rain's voice quivered slightly. He took a deep breath, composing himself. "Let me call you for the last time." His voice wavered with fondness.

"What I always wanted to say: Best of luck, Sis." A bright smile graced his face, a sincere expression of love and support.

And just like that, the video ended, leaving behind a whirlwind of emotions in its wake.

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Kaya's heart was pounding in her chest as she watched Rain's video.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing - her brother had left the Holmes family? And he had changed his name to just "Rain"? It all seemed so sudden and unexpected.

Had something happened within the family?

Had he grown tired of the responsibilities that came with being a Holmes? Or was there something else going on that she didn't know about?

She felt a twinge of sadness as Rain mentioned that he was no longer a candidate for the Head position.

For years, she had dreamed of taking on that role herself, and she had always seen Rain as a potential rival.

But now, with Rain out of the picture, the path was clear for her to pursue her goal.

As the video came to an end, Kaya felt a mix of emotions - shock, confusion, and a hint of excitement.

She knew that this sudden change would shake things up within the family, but she also couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for what was to come.

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In the luxurious guest room of the grand mansion, Emma sat on the edge of an ornate chair, her fingers tracing the edges of the envelope with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

The room exuded an air of opulence, with its plush furnishings and golden accents, yet Emma's attention was solely fixated on the unassuming envelope resting in her hands.

Lost in a moment of contemplation, she weighed her options.

Should I open it or not?

Personally, her relationship with Rain was full of up and downs. In past years, they have almost become strangers.

However, Rain's messages had stirred something within her—a glimmer of intrigue that refused to be ignored.

What secrets might this envelope hold?

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she resolved to unveil its contents. "Very well, let me see it." she murmured, her voice barely audible amidst the room's hushed elegance.

With a sense of cautiousness, Emma gingerly tore open the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly.

As the flap of the envelope yielded to her touch, her eyes widened in astonishment, reflecting a mix of disbelief and awe.

There, nestled within the enclosure, was the very object she had long yearned for—a symbol of her deepest desires.

It was a gesture she never expected Rain to make, a testament to the complexity of their relationship.

For a fleeting moment, Emma was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions—gratitude, surprise, and a tinge of vulnerability.

Swiftly, her fingers brushed against the play button of the video device, her heart racing faster and faster.

She knew that what awaited her on the screen would forever alter her perception of Rain, of their shared history, and of the path that lay ahead.

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"Hi, Emma. Have you received my gift? I hope it brings you some joy," Rain's voice sounded somewhat distant, carrying a mix of hope and uncertainty.

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Emma's gaze shifted to the document he mentioned—the engagement dissolution contract she had exchanged prior to their duel.

A bittersweet pang coursed through her as she realized the significance of his words.

"Indeed, it's the contract," Emma acknowledged, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "I remember signing it, freeing us from our engagement."

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"In the past, I was oblivious to it, but now I understand. I know that you harbor a deep disdain for men, and perhaps I am the one you detest the most."

"But what could I do? I tried everything, yet I lost everything."

He shrugged his shoulders, and continued, "So, yes, you are free from any lingering attachments," Rain reassured her, his voice carrying a touch of melancholy.

"I apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused you in the past. I, too, am no longer a member of the Holmes Family, so there's no need to worry about any impact on your family."

"At this moment, I imagine my father has received the news as well. Our parents have always been close friends. Please, Emma, do not blame yourself,"

At last, Rain finally expressed what had long remained unspoken.

"Emma, there is something I have always wanted to tell you. I have loved you," he confessed, his words carrying the weight of unfulfilled dreams and the ache of lost opportunities.

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At that moment, the video abruptly ended, leaving Emma momentarily stunned.

She couldn't tear her gaze away from Rain's smile, a smile that seemed to possess an inexplicable power over her, even despite her deep-rooted aversion to men.

As the screen faded to black, Emma's mind whirled with a myriad of conflicting thoughts.

She struggled to reconcile the emotions churning within her, a tempest of surprise, confusion, and an unsettling curiosity she couldn't quite quell.

Her eyes widened, reflecting a mingling of fascination and apprehension. "How could this be?" she mused silently, her thoughts racing to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her.

A flurry of memories flickered across her mind's eye—their shared moments, the arguments, the unspoken tensions, and the delicate dance of their complicated relationship.

Emma found herself grappling with the duality of her feelings, torn between the comfort of her convictions and the unsettling allure that Rain seemed to embody.

"It's unsettling,"

The words carried the weight of her internal struggle, an admission of the tumultuous storm raging within her. "A part of me resists this unexpected pull, while another part...."