His Hidden Big Shot

Chapter 10

Ray's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Sarah, who was curled up on the floor and wailing in despair. "What's going on? Strangle you?" he asked, bewildered. 

Sarah's sobs only intensified as she explained her predicament. "I can't bear the thought of being humiliated like that. I want to end my life now." Ray felt his heart race as he tried to comfort her, promising her multiple times that he wouldn't let her suffer that humiliation. However, Sarah's trust had been broken too many times, and she remained skeptical of his assurances. 

As the tension mounted, Ray's phone buzzed, and he read Eli's text message with a sense of relief. With the Peters out of commission, Ray knew that he could take action to protect Sarah. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, determined to show her that she had nothing to fear. 

Despite the gravity of the situation, Ray chuckled at Sarah's playful punches as they made their way out of the room. He couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as he proved to her that his words were more than just empty promises. Together, they faced the future with renewed hope and confidence.

He gallantly took Sarah's hand and led her through the open door, stepping out into the cool evening air. Sarah's heart thumped wildly in her chest as she followed behind him, her eyes cast downward, fearful that they might be stopped at the gate. But as they reached the turn of the stairs, a growing sense of unease washed over her. Why was the house so quiet?

Slowly, cautiously, she looked up, and what she saw made her gasp in shock. The entire house was filled with a faint green smoke that smelled sickly sweet. Dozens of people lay sleeping on the sofas and floors of the living room, including Monica, who was nestled among them, her glasses perched on her nose as she snored contentedly.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, her voice trembling with fear. "Why are they all sleeping?"

But before Ray could answer, he covered her mouth and nose, shaking his head frantically. He took her hand and leaped over the sleeping bodies, running toward the gate as fast as they could.

Once they were safely outside, Sarah pried Ray's hand away from her face, her irritation mounting. "What were you thinking?" she scolded. "You nearly suffocated me!"

Ray gasped for air, his chest heaving. "You didn't notice the smoke?" he asked incredulously. "If we had stayed in there any longer, we could have passed out too."

Sarah's eyes widened in horror. "You mean someone has poisoned the house?" she exclaimed. "Should we call the police?"

With a deep breath, Ray nodded. "We have to. Someone needs to help those people."

Ray's face twisted into a wry expression as he let out a sneer. "Well, why don't we just wake them all up so they can force us to run around naked?" Sarah's face paled as she shook her head vigorously. "No, no! Let's not do that. Let's just let them sleep." Ray nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's go. I'll take you to the Oscorp Corporation  welcome party."

Sarah looked at him skeptically. "Did you get us on the guest list?" Ray smirked. "Of course. I have a friend who works for Oscorp Corporation , and he did me a favor." Despite her doubts, Sarah decided to go along with Ray's plan.

As they approached the Oscorp Corporation  building, they were greeted by a sea of luxury cars parked around it. The passage from the parking lot to the entrance was adorned with stunning flowers, adding to the grandeur of the occasion. At the entrance, numerous news media were waiting with microphones and cameras, eager to capture the arrival of Mr. Garcia.

Ray held Sarah's hand as they walked towards the building, chuckling to himself. "These reporters are going to be disappointed today. I won't let them take any pictures of me." Sarah, who had never been to such an extravagant event before, tugged on Ray's sleeve nervously. "We're really going in? Are you sure we're on the guest list?"

Ray tilted his head and gazed at her with pride. He couldn't resist a mischievous smile as he spoke. "How about we make a bet? If I get you into the welcome party, you'll let me kiss you again."

Sarah's senses were still reeling from the memory of her first kiss with Ray as they approached the channel, guarded by police armed with automatic rifles. Her apprehension was palpable, and she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if Ray's claim of getting them on the guest list fell through. As they walked, she kept her head down, lost in thought, until Ray suddenly halted, causing Sarah to bump into him and hurt her nose.

Looking up, she saw that they were confronted by two people, Alice and Ryan, both dressed to the nines. Alice's shock quickly turned to anger and nervousness, while Ryan sneered at Ray's audacity for sneaking out instead of preparing for the naked running event, for which they had put down all their savings on a bet that Ray and Sarah would participate in.

But Ray, ever the smooth talker, greeted them with a smile and offered to go in together, calling it a coincidence. Sarah couldn't help but wonder what Ray's true motives were, but before she could voice her concerns, Ryan continued his tirade against Ray's courage. She couldn't help but feel caught in the middle of something much larger than she had anticipated.

"Ryan turned to his wife and requested, 'Alice, could you please call home and inform them that Ray and Sarah have arrived? We need to ensure they are taken back immediately.'

Alice swiftly reached for her cellphone, her gaze fixed on Ray, as if she was worried he would elope with Sarah. She dialed the number and tried the landline first, but there was no answer. She tried calling the others' cell phones one by one, but none of them picked up. Unbeknownst to her, all the other Peters were sound asleep, snoring away in the house.

Alice's anxiety levels skyrocketed, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she glared at Ray and Sarah with resentment. The naked running event was scheduled to begin shortly, and if Ray and Sarah did not arrive on Glory Avenue soon, she would lose all the money she had placed on the bet.

'Honey, I can't reach anyone,' Alice said, her voice trembling with fear.

Ryan remained composed and sneered at Ray, 'Mr. Cole is eagerly anticipating your naked running performance. Do you honestly think they will allow your kind to attend the party? You must be out of your mind.'

Alice's face contorted with rage and despair as she wished she could grab Ray and Sarah, strip them down, and drag them to Glory Avenue.

Ryan continued to taunt Ray, 'Interestingly, both you and the big shot share the same last name - Garcia. How is it that he is so distinguished, while you are no better than a pile of garbage? It's ironic.'

Despite Ryan's arrogance, Ray remained calm and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes."

Ryan couldn't help but feel uneasy as he caught a glimpse of Ray's serene expression. It was as if nothing could ruffle his feathers. Ryan, on the other hand, was seething with annoyance and frustration. "Forget about them," he muttered, glancing at his watch in irritation. "We're running out of time. Let's head inside." 

With a quick adjustment of his bow tie, he straightened his posture and offered his arm to Alice, who eagerly took it.

As they made their way towards the entrance, Alice cast a venomous look towards Ray and muttered under her breath, "Just wait and see. I'll deal with you later." Sarah, who had been walking behind them, could feel the anger building up inside her. The tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to hold back her emotions. "Alice, what gives you the right to speak to us that way? Why do you think you can insult us?" she demanded, her voice shaking with emotion.

Alice sneered and flashed a malicious smile. "Because my husband is a government official, and he can get us invited to events like this. Can your husband do that? No, he's nothing but a loser. You'll always be looked down upon as long as you're with him." Her words stung like a slap in the face, and Sarah was at a loss for words.

She took Ray's hand and shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "Let's go. We don't need to subject ourselves to this humiliation." Ray could feel the weight of her sadness and frustration, and he was on the verge of revealing his true identity to comfort her.

But before he could speak, he felt a surge of determination rising within him. "No, we're not leaving," he declared, his voice filled with conviction. "Trust me. Alice won't be gloating for long. In a matter of moments, she'll be begging for our forgiveness."