Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart-Chapter 152 - 151

“Not at all,” Raiden said warmly, squeezing his hand. “I love how you light up when you talk about it. It’s nice to see you being so passionate about something.”

Just then, Raiden’s car screen lit up before Hiro could reply and the caller ID read ‘Bitch.’

Hiro frowned a bit, wondering why Raiden would have someone saved as ‘Bitch’ on his phone.

Raiden stared at it for a second, jaw tightening. He hesitated for a moment, looking like he was torn between accepting the call and ending it but then, he accepted the call with a tap of his AirPod.

“Speak,” he said curtly.

“What’s wrong?” Hiro mouthed, feeling anxious. Who was this that took the smile off his boyfriend’s face? It made him feel uneasy.

Raiden just listened for some seconds then ended the call abruptly with a sharp curse. Knowing he was too emotionally charged to drive, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and before Hiro could say a word, Raiden undid his seatbelt, leaned over, and wrapped his arms around him in a firm embrace. His breath was shaky against Hiro’s neck, his body tense.

“Raiden?” Hiro whispered, worried. “What’s wrong?” He had never seen Raiden like this before.

Raiden didn’t answer at first, just pulled him in tighter, like Hiro was the only thing anchoring him in that moment.

“Don’t worry baby. I’m fine,” he said at last, voice low and rough, like he was convincing himself as much as Hiro. “I just want to hug you.”

Hiro knew something was wrong. And he wasn’t about to let it go. Raiden was always the first to sense when something weighed on his heart—always the one to comfort, to protect, to listen. Now, seeing Raiden’s jaw tense, his hand gripping tighter than before, it made Hiro’s heart ache.

Gently, Hiro pulled away from the embrace. His hands came up, cradling Raiden’s face with a soft, loving touch. His thumbs brushed along his cheekbones as he stared into those smokey grey eyes—eyes that usually held calm storms were now swirling with anger, irritation, and pain.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Hiro said softly. “Please.”

Raiden turned his face slightly, trying to hide the turmoil bubbling inside him. “I don’t want you to be worried.” He didn’t want Hiro to be disturbed about anything at all. Especially about the bitch that called him. She didn’t deserve to be in Hiro’s mind.

“But I already am,” Hiro replied, leaning in so their foreheads almost touched. “Seeing you like this upsets me, and I want to do whatever I can to make you happy again. Besides... I’m your boyfriend, Raiden. Who will you share your worries with if not me?”

Raiden’s chest rose with a slow breath. The weight of Hiro’s words settled over him like a warm blanket, peeling back the frost that clung to his heart. His lips parted in a quiet smile, and he pressed a kiss to Hiro’s lips—gentle, slow, grateful.

“You truly care about me,” he murmured, as if he was just realising it. As if he couldn’t still grasp that whatever Hiro said he felt about him was true.

Hiro huffed, cheeks tinged pink as he flicked Raiden’s nose playfully. “Of course I do, dummy. Now, tell me what’s bothering you.”

Raiden sighed, long and heavy. He tugged Hiro into his arms again, this time pulling him over onto his lap and Hiro settled in naturally, their fingers weaving together. To think that there was a time Hiro found sitting on Raiden’s lap very weird.

“The person who called... was my stepmother,” Raiden said quietly. “She wants me to attend their anniversary party tonight.”

Hiro tilted his head. “And that’s a bad thing because...?”

Raiden’s eyes darkened. “I hate her,” he said bluntly. “I loathe her very being, Hiro. I can’t stand the sight of her.”

Hiro blinked, wide-eyed as the words settled in. “Wait wait wait, you have a stepmother?”

Raiden nodded, lips curling into a bitter line. “My father remarried after my mother died and this woman wasn’t just a replacement. She made sure we all knew she was the real wife of the household and she made my life a living hell.”

Hiro’s hands gently squeezed his. His heart throbbing at the quiet hurt Raiden masked with indifference. He could tell there was a lot Raiden hadn’t said yet. But this... this was a start and he wouldn’t push Raiden to tell him everything. He would leave it up to Raiden to choose what to share. He felt it would be better that way.

“She used to starve me,” Raiden said quietly. “Whenever my father traveled for business, she’d lock the kitchen and the store. Tell the house staff not to give me anything. I’d go to school hungry and come home to watch her kids eat in front of me.”

Hiro’s stomach twisted.

Raiden’s jaw clenched as he continued, voice cold. “She encouraged her kids to bully me. Said I was weak. That I didn’t belong in their perfect family. And my father... he never saw it. Or maybe he didn’t want to. I hated her, Hiro and I still do.”

His eyes flickered to the car’s dashboard, taking note of the time.

“I would’ve cut ties with them ages ago if it weren’t for one thing.” He continued. “There’s something my mother left behind. Something that rightfully belongs to me. My father was supposed to transfer it to me when I turned 18 but he transferred it to her so she has it now. And she threatened me with it. Said if I don’t show up to this stupid anniversary party, I’ll never have it.”

That thing was the only thing keeping him from destroying them completely and his stepmother knew. That’s why she kept using it against him.

Raiden let out a long, bitter sigh. “So now, I have to go.”

Without hesitation, Hiro tightened his grip on Raiden’s hands. “Then I’m going with you,” he said firmly. “You won’t have to face her alone.”

His beautiful eyes were shining—not only with tears, but with anger. Protective, fierce anger. He couldn’t believe Raiden had suffered so much and he suddenly felt like ripping the stepmother to pieces. In the four years he had spent without the protections and pampering of his parents, he came to realise that there are so many different kinds of people in the world and not everyone was good.

Raiden looked at him, surprised for a second, before a small, warm smile tugged at his lips. “Oh, I wasn’t planning on going without you, baby,” he said, the edge in his voice softening. “No way in hell would I leave you alone to go attend some stupid anniversary party.”

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