<h4>Chapter 131: Key Witness</h4>
Rain was curious about where Henry was taking her but didn’t ask any questions. When he stopped the car in front of a small eatery near the wet market, he stepped out, and she followed.
It was clear they were overdressed for the ce. The customers—mostly market workers and drivers—paused to stare as they walked in and sat down. But after a moment, everyone resumed their meals.
"Their braised pork is good here. Want to try?" Henry asked.
"Sure," she replied. The small eatery reminded her of the ces she and Sanya used to frequent during their high school days. She sighed, her heart sinking as she thought of Sanya. She missed her friend, and even now, Sanya hadn’t reached out to her.
Henry called over the older woman running the ce and ced their order, snapping Rain out of her momentary trance.
"So, why here?" she asked, curious about his choice of restaurant.
"Are you ufortable?" Henry asked, curious.
"Of course not, why would I be?" Rain muttered.
"Because you’re overdressed? Your signature clothes might get dirty?" Henry mumbled with a shrug. Rain was well aware that her outfit screamed elegance and luxury, but what could she do? It was a gift from her father-inw, so naturally, she wore it to show her appreciation. Besides, she wasn’t the only one dressed nicely.
"You’re not ufortable getting dirty, so why would I be?" she shot back, noting that Henry was also wearing branded clothes. "So, why here? I’ve heard you’re a madman, so I doubt you brought me here just for lunch."
"Ah, I guess you’ve heard all the rumors," he remarked with a shrug. Then his face crumpled in annoyance as he mumbled, "Madman? Can’t theye up with something better? I’m way too handsome for that nickname."
Rain didn’t respond, keeping her thoughts to herself.
"I just want the granny here to earn more. I tried convincing others to join me, but they always turn me down. d you came along," he said with a smile as the olderdy brought their food.
Rain narrowed her eyes, wondering what Henry was really up to. Jane had already warned her that this wouldn’t be a simple lunch. That’s why others kept declining his offers, especially when it involved stepping outside the office.
"Do we have a case to solve here?" she asked, half-joking.
Henry chuckled. "Well, sort of."
Rain didn’t say much after that, focusing on eating. Between bites, Henry updated her on the case he had been working on, sharing everything important he had uncovered.
He was right—the braised pork belly and trotters were amazing. She even ordered takeout to share with her father-inw and Alexanderter.
"What?" she asked when she caught Henry grinning at her as they left the eatery.
"How about a coffee from the convenience store? I’m stuffed," he suggested.
She agreed, and as they walked, Henry casually remarked, "I’m surprised how you eat without worrying about your diet. Admirable, really." Then he paused, turning to her with a smirk, "You’re not pregnant, are you?"
Her eyes widened, and she blurted, "No!"
Henryughed. "Rx, it’s only natural to ask a married woman. I just asked because... well, we might end up runningter."
"Running?" she repeated, confused.
"Maybe not. Anyway, we’re here," Henry said, leading her into the convenience store. After ordering coffee, they sat outside, facing the school grounds.
As they sipped their drinks, Rain noticed Henry kept ncing at the school and checking his watch. When the students started pouring out, Henry suddenly stood. "There’s your key witness," he murmured, and Rain quickly followed.
She cursed herself for wearing heels as they started tailing a boy. Just then, a group of men appeared and grabbed the boy, causing Henry to swear. They walked so fast and she wouldn’t be able to keep up with her damn heels.
Rain hesitated for a moment before kicking off her heels. She grabbed them and smashed the heels off, turning them into ts. ’Such a waste,’ she thought because she knew how expensive they were. "Damn that Henry! He could’ve warned me!" she grumbled, quickly putting her makeshift ts back on and running after Henry.
Ignoring the stares around her, Rain sprinted down the street, following Henry and the men who had dragged the boy away. Out of breath, she finally caught up to them in a quiet alley without people around. Henry was in the middle of a fight with nearly ten men, struggling as they wielded bats, while another man held the boy, who was crying and terrified.
Without hesitation, Rain set down her takeout bags and ripped her below-the-knee skirt to give herself more freedom to move. Henry nced at her mid-fight, frustrated. "What are you doing? Just walk away and wait for me at the store! Call for back-up if I’m not back in three minutes!" he shouted,nding a punch on one of the men.
Ignoring his demand, Rain grabbed a bat from the ground and swung it with precision, hitting anyone in her path. Her strikes were calcted—not fatal, but certainly painful enough to incapacitate. She steadily made her way toward the man holding the boy hostage. The man, seeing her approach, pulled out a knife and pressed it to the boy’s neck.
"One more step, and he’s dead!" the man screamed, his voiceced with panic.
Rain narrowed her eyes, quickly assessing the situation. She nced at the ground, spotted a stone, and picked it up, her mind racing for a way to disarm him without risking the boy’s life.
Rain picked up a stone from the ground, her gaze fixed on the man threatening the boy. The man sneered, "What are you going to stop me with, the damn stone, woman?"
Rain ignored his taunts and hurled the stone with precision, aiming for his forehead. The stone struck its target, causing the man to cry out in pain and drop the knife as he clutched his face. Without missing a beat, Rain kicked him hard and quickly grabbed the boy, pulling him to her back.
"Go now!" Henry shouted, still fighting off the remaining attackers. "Take the boy to safety and get back-up!"
Rain nodded and started to approach the boy, but she noticed him trembling. His eyes widened in fear as he gasped, "Behind you!"