Chapter 55

Summer vacation has started. Ray got busy training day and night at the Leo family mansion, while Taria spent her days living happily and peacefully. She spent some days at the mansion, however, she spent most of the days at the apartment.

After three weeks, Taria asked Ray to come back as their travel was on the next morning. Josephine and Ve drove Ray home, and once he opened the door, lights turned on and everyone shouted (happy birthday).

Ray showed no expressions, yet everyone else was having fun. He made a wish, forcefully, then he blew out the candles and cut the cake, while everyone was cheering him energetically.

After eating the cake and drinking some juice, the presents part began. Ray was sitting on the middle at the ground, and everyone was sitting around him holding their presents with sparkles on their eyes

"Happy birthday, sweetie. I wish you a happy long life", Taria said, then she handed him a box tied with blue ribbon. Ray opened the box calmly, yet he paused once the box mover on its own. He looked back at his mother who was waiting for his reaction impatiently, then he opened the box and a small puppy jumped out.

"Do you like it?" Taria asked with sparkling eyes

Ray looked at the tiny puppy that was already sitting on his lap and moving its soft tail that was tickling his feet. Its white soft hair was giving him warmth, and its black eyes that were looking at him were shiny and lively. Ray stayed silent, he held the puppy with a confused look in his eyes, yet the puppy licked his face, leaving him to smile unconsciously.

"I knew it. I knew you will like it", Taria said

"Yeah. Thanks, mommy", Ray said

Taria froze as Ray had stopped calling her mommy a long time ago. She looked at her son trying hard to hold the puppy that was moving a lot, yet she was delighted to see him confused. She liked seeing her son acting as a child even if it lasted for a short time.

After that, Josephine handed her present to Ray and he opened it without hesitation. It was a silver bracelet with his name on it, and he wore it directly after looking at it

"Thanks for the gift, aunt Phine. I will treasure it", Ray said

"Well, it's not a normal bracelet..", Josephine was saying, yet Ray interrupted her saying "I know exactly what it is", with a sharp look in his eyes that reminded Josephine that there were some strangers, so she stopped talking.

"Happy birthday, little brat", Ve said, handing the present to Ray. He was unsure if he should open it or not, yet Ve nodded for him, sending him a feeling that it was safe to open. Ve's gift was a pair of silver cufflinks with black gems, yet they weren't any cufflinks, they were the ones his father was supposed to wear at his wedding day, with the names Tian and Taria written on them. He realized that fact fast, so he thanked his uncle for the gift and moved it aside in a hurry before his mother could realize what they actually were.

"Happy birthday, Ray. I wish you a long life filled with happiness", Edrian said, then he handed Ray his gift that was a normal perfume.

"Yeah, thanks", Ray said coldly, putting the perfume aside without even taking it out of the box. Finally, Steven's turn came, yet before he could say a word, Ray said "I don't want your gift. I want you to fulfill one wish for me instead", calmly and coldly as ever, with a sharp eyes that confused Steven

"What is it?" Steven asked

"I want you to teach me how to fight", Ray said

"RAY, stop it", Taria said

"No, mom. I want to learn how to fight like you, and I want you to promise me that till the day I can defeat you, you won't stop teaching me", Ray said, standing up in front of Steven with the same sharp look

"Ok, let's do this if it was your wish", Steven said, patting Ray's head with a soft smile on his face.

Steven felt strange after he saw Taria's reaction to her son's wish, yet the steady brave look in those wide eyes of the child who wasn't even half his height forced him to say yes and to ignore Taria's voice that got sharp out of a sudden

Edrian looked at Taria who was furious yet calm at the same time. He looked at her eyes that were deeply looking at Ray, unable to understand if she was sad or angry, or maybe both. He got closer to her and whispered "are you ok?", yet she gasped and smiled warmly again after her face was cold and sharp.

The party ended, and Edrian and Steven got out together, leaving the family alone.

"You sensed it too, didn't you?" Steven asked once they got into the car

"If you mean the strange atmosphere surrounding that family then yes", Edrian said calmly

"The man looks like Ray a lot, could he be the father", Steven said

"No, he is the father's brother. Taria once said that his name was Ve", Edrian said

"So he is that brother Ve teacher always talks about! I had a completely different thought about him", Steven said

"That family is dangerous", Edrian said, pressing on the steering wheel as well as the pedal, and thinking deeply about the relationship between those dangerous people and Taria.

On the other hand, Taria was hysterically angry, while Josephine and Ve were trying to calm her down.

"Boxing! Do you know how dangerous that sport can be? Isn't it enough that you are forcing your body to train everyday? Shooting, swords, swimming, running, and now boxing. What's next, ha? What's next, young lord? I won't stay still and watch you getting yourself killed trying to get stronger. CAN'T YOU BE A NORMAL CHILD?" She shouted, then everything got quiet as she finally realized what she just said.

Taria's eyes got wider, and her hands covered her mouth automatically. It was the first time she got this mad, especially at Ray. However, he was standing calmly, paying the utmost attention to every word his mother said. He knew that she was only afraid to lose him, yet he hated that the most.

"The young lord is father's name, not mine. You were wrong to choose him in the first place, and now you are basically blaming me for the blood running through my veins. How am I supposed to be a normal child when I was born into a strange family? If you want a normal child, then you can have another child, I don't care anymore. Go have a new family and live normally, Taria Park. Don't jump into the sea and ask it to dry", Ray said, then he left the house quickly, leaving his mother to drown in her tears.

Ve went after Ray, while Josephine stayed beside Taria who wasn't able to stop crying

"What should I do now? I'm thankful to have a special child like him yet it's so hard. I'm afraid, I'm terrified to lose him, Josephine", Taria said, crying her heart out and wetting her clothes with tears

"Taria, you must move on. Tian is dead, and you are only hurting yourself and Ray by holding onto that past. I know it's not time for it, but you must find someone to fill the father's spot in Ray's life and the lover's one in yours. Who knows, maybe it would be better this time", Josephine said

After a while, Josephine had to go as her mother called, and Taria went out to have some fresh air, yet she ended up being drunk.