Chapter 76: What Happened While I Was Gone

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: What Happened While I Was Gone

~Reynold’s POV~

Frederick gave me one final, intense look before turning and walking out of the room. He closed the door softly behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut and I was left alone, my legs finally gave out. I collapsed onto the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest and burying my face in my hands as a shattered, shuddering breath escaped me.

Just then, my phone buzzed sharply in my pocket. I pulled it out with trembling fingers, only to see Julian’s name flashing across the screen.

I stared at it for a moment but didn’t answer.

I was deeply disappointed in him. He had completely shattered whatever trust I had left in him, destroying the friendship I once believed we shared. Almost immediately, another notification appeared, a text message from him. I didn’t bother opening it. I tossed the phone onto the bed, pushed myself to my feet on shaky legs, and walked into the bathroom.

I stripped off my clothes and stepped straight under the showerhead. I turned the handle all the way, letting the hot water cascade over my head and shoulders as I stood beneath the spray, crying until my eyes burned and my throat felt raw.

After a long while, I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my waist, and dried myself before walking into the walk-in closet. I dressed in something soft and comfortable, then walked back into the bedroom and sank onto the edge of the bed, feeling completely hollow.

As I settled onto the bed, a quiet knock sounded at the bedroom door.

"Sir? Your food is here," a gentle, familiar voice called out.

"Come inside," I said.

The door clicked open, and the housekeeper stepped inside, carrying a tray. She placed it neatly on the table by the window before turning back toward me and walking closer.

As she drew closer and saw my swollen, tear-stained face, her expression softened with deep maternal concern. She was old enough to be my mother, and her eyes held a gentle, grounding warmth.

"Sir, you really don’t have to worry yourself sick over everything," she said softly. "Mr. Corvin is already making calls. I could hear him downstairs. It’s going to be sorted out."

I looked up at her, desperate for answers that could make sense of the nightmare I had just been through.

"Please..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "Tell me what actually happened. How did Julian and Theron end up here with Frederick? And when did Frederick even arrive?"

The housekeeper gave a sympathetic nod, folding her hands in front of her apron.

"Well, sir... it was a little after ten this morning. Julian and Theron showed up at the house, looking for you."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I told Julian that you hadn’t come back home yet. They said they were worried and wanted to wait for you until you returned, so I told them they could wait in the living room."

"They sat down," she continued. "After a while, they started talking among themselves. They were confused because your car was still at the hotel, but you were nowhere to be found, and you weren’t answering your phone. They said they had gone to the reception to check whether you had booked a room, but the receptionist told them you hadn’t booked one. Theron also said the receptionist confirmed that you weren’t in any of the rooms the party organizers had prepared."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"Julian kept asking, ’So where could he have gone? Where could he possibly be?’ They were both getting more worried because they couldn’t figure out where you were or what had happened to you."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t interrupt her. I listened as she continued with her story.

"They looked genuinely worried for a while," the housekeeper went on. "Then, a few moments later, both of their phones buzzed at the same time with a notification. It was that video of you circulating online. They panicked. They had already been waiting for over an hour, so they stood up and told me they had to leave and go back to the hotel to find you since you still weren’t answering their calls."

She let out a small sigh. "I nodded. Julian and Theron looked frantic as they headed for the door. But just as they were about to step outside, Mr. Corvin’s car pulled into the driveway with his friends."

My breath hitched. "The moment Julian saw Mr. Corvin stepping out of his car," the housekeeper continued, her voice dropping lower, "he told Theron they shouldn’t leave after all and that they should just stay and wait for you here."

"So my friends got here before Frederick?" I asked, my voice tight.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Corvin and his friends walked into the living room and found your friends already there. He asked where you were, and I told him you still hadn’t returned. Then he asked why your friends were here if you weren’t. Julian started explaining, and somewhere during the conversation, Mr. Corvin found out about the video online. He tried calling you over and over, but your phone just kept ringing."

She looked at me with deep pity in her eyes.

"Mr. Corvin was terribly worried, sir. He kept pacing around the house, waiting and growing more frustrated by the minute. Just when he finally decided to make your friends take him to the hotel to find you, we heard your car coming into the driveway."

I looked at her, a heavy lump forming in my throat. "So... that’s what really happened."

"Yes, sir," she confirmed softly.

"Alright. Thank you."

"You don’t have to worry yourself sick, sir. Everything will be okay. Now, please get up and try to eat your food. And if possible, stay away from your phone for a while so you don’t have to see all those terrible comments or deal with unnecessary calls."

I gave her a tired but grateful look. "Thank you."

"You’re very welcome, sir. I’ll leave you to rest now."

I nodded. "Alright."

With a quiet click, she turned and slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

After she left, the thought of food made my stomach churn. I didn’t have an ounce of appetite, so instead of touching the tray, I crawled back under the covers. Exhaustion and lingering grief dragged me down, and I cried quietly into the pillows until I eventually drifted into a heavy sleep.

By the time I woke up again, hours had already passed. The room was dim, bathed in the quiet shadows of evening. I turned my head to the side and found Frederick lying right beside me, silently scrolling through his phone.

I looked at him, searching his profile for any sign of softness, but he didn’t even turn his head to look at me. We lay there in total silence, neither of us saying a word, the heavy air thick with unspoken tension.

Realizing I was only suffocating in the silence, I slowly climbed out of bed. Frederick didn’t ask where I was going, nor did he try to stop me.

I slipped out of the room and quietly made my way down the stairs. The moment I reached the ground floor, the housekeeper spotted me and hurried over, her face etched with concern.

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I’m fine," I murmured, forcing a weak smile. Then, glancing around the empty living room, I asked, "What about Mr. Corvin’s friends?"

"They already left, sir."

"Okay," I murmured as I sat down on the sofa.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Sir... may I sit with you?"

"Go ahead," I said, gesturing toward the sofa.

She sat down across from me, her expression turning earnest. She hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to approach what she wanted to say.

"Sir... I’m not sure how to say this," she began softly. "I don’t really understand the kind of relationship you and Mr. Corvin share. But as a mother, and as someone who has seen how closely he watches over you, I can tell you that Mr. Corvin genuinely cares about you, deeply."

She lowered her voice slightly. "What happened today truly broke his heart and made him so angry. While he was trying to clear everything up, I heard him talking to his friends about how he has always given you everything you could ever need and made sure you never had to worry about anything. He does everything he can to protect you and take care of you... yet you still hid things from him and lied to his face."

"I know I was wrong," I whispered, staring down at my hands as fresh guilt stung my chest. "I shouldn’t have lied to him. I regret it more than anything."

The housekeeper nodded sympathetically. "The video has already been scrubbed and removed from the internet, thankfully. But, sir... from now on, please, just listen to him. Whatever he warns you about, whatever he tells you to stay away from, please just stay away."

I looked up, meeting her warm, maternal eyes. "Thank you so much."

"You really don’t have to thank me, sir..."