14 Plan and Escape (3)

The heavy rain outside could be heard inside, but other than the noise, it had had no effect on the mansion. It was still per usual; it was still quiet with the addition of noise from the rain. His pace quickened, but he remained cautious. He always made sure that he wouldn't encounter any servants. Fortunately, they were busy due to the rain and deliveries.

Arren quietly made his way to the first floor, the sounds of servants being busy outside as they carefully placed items inside reached his ears. Outside, boxes were transferred from the delivery truck, and servants carried them while it rained. The rain caused some inconvenience for the servants, as they needed to keep them from getting soaked, just as Arren had predicted.

The servants were concentrating right at the front entrance; no one bothered him or even noticed him. He walked silently over to the main door, observing everyone and seeing them busy at the front door. The three delivery trucks were parked just in front.

He adjusted his cap and mask before joining the crowd in silence. Because no one was paying attention, and his attire also helped, the busy servants were not suspicious and assumed he was also a delivery man. If anyone was perplexed as to why he appeared from within the house, they weren't in a position to speculate as they were currently busy. They went on with their work as if nothing had happened.

Arren scanned the crowd and approached the truck after ensuring that everything was in order. The delivery men also assisted in the transfer of the items; he went to the driver's seat, which was empty. He just stood there outside, however, and did nothing. The rain became more intense as time passed. He also helped to speed up the work in order to maintain his appearance.

No one had time to count the number of delivery men or remember their faces because of the rain. The servants only see the item boxes and nothing else. Even the guards who were guarding the side started to work together to speed up as the rain poured intensely.

After an hour, all of the items were transferred from the truck to the mansion. The boxes were just that many. Arren thought if the servants weren't prohibited from talking about their master, they would already have a conversation about what the young master ate to go crazy and order so many items.

Anyway, after all of that, Arren immediately climbed into the truck and took a passenger seat in one of the trucks ahead of everyone. The two trucks had only two delivery men each at the start, but with his addition, there were now seven.

That was simple to fix; just earlier, Arren approached someone and said he was needed inside; the situation was too chaotic at the time, and he was easily duped. That delivery guy would be kept busy for quite some time. It was risky, and while he appeared calm on the outside, his insides were trembling with anxiety.

It was not impossible that the delivery man was noticed by the guards before they left the neighborhood. Hopefully, as the servants sorted out the items, the delivery man would help out. Fortunately, the mansion's servants rarely dealt with deliveries and were unfamiliar with the rules or the norm.

They would not consider it inappropriate for a delivery man to assist them. The deliveries were simply enormous. It was enough for everyone to be preoccupied and not notice any inconsistencies. It could keep them occupied for a while longer.

The drive through was as if forever for Arren. He couldn't be at ease at all. He had already hoodwinked these delivery men before as he hurried them to set out. The rain was pouring down heavily, and the streets were dimly lit. The driver was completely focused on the road. Perhaps they were also nervous about leaving; the driver remained silent the entire time.

Soon after they arrived at the gate, some guards confirmed something. They were released after the procedure was completed.

Arren bit his lips, which were hidden behind a black mask. Along the way, he requested that they stop at a gas station to relieve his nature call. The driver was not suspicious of his colleague's actions because he had stated that he would do the same. There were many people in the convenience store right next to the gas station. The rain forced everyone who wasn't prepared for the rain to seek shelter.

He didn't go to the restroom, however, as that was just his excuse. Instead, he rushes and calls a taxi. Someone had just gotten off, which he quickly replaced. He didn't feel complacent yet and took in his surroundings before he sighed in relief and collapsed in exhaustion. Damn, he was so nervous.

Earlier on, he imagined scenarios such as someone stopping the truck and thinking he was exposed. It was nerve-wracking. Arren, no matter how exciting his life was, had never experienced such stimulation. It was fucking insane that any small action could cause everything to go wrong. And he was extremely grateful for the rain's assistance. It was extremely helpful.

At the very least, he was successful in the end. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sir, where to?" the taxi driver asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

Arren took a deep breath and thought for a moment. His money was only enough for a taxi fare, but he couldn't go that far either. He skipped over those he frequently visited because they would be the first locations his father would check after he heard the news.

Arren realized he didn't have as many options as he had previously thought. When he had free time, he would always go to bars or clubs to party. Then maybe some restaurants he felt like it. Obviously, he couldn't go in any of those.

He searched his memories for any possible location that he had only visited once before. He pondered for a moment, as a location came to mind. He smiled and said the location to the driver. He didn't tell the driver the exact name of the building but only the street. It was because... it might be not that convenient to say.

Steamy Café Room. It was a name that was highly suspicious and conspicuous when someone first heard it. One might think it was some kind of business providing private services. The café's general location was an old commercial street that few young people visited. A lot of the establishments were those old shops and restaurants.

He was just curious when he saw the name of the café online and decided to check it out. Their webpage had few comments, but the reviews were excellent. Nobody made an obvious remark, but everyone wrote ambiguously. Arren was very intrigued about this. The store didn't appear to be illegal, unlike those that only operated at night, so he decided to give it a shot and see what all the fuss was about.

Arren then discovered that the café was exactly that. It wasn't a business that provides private services, but rather those who match unmarked omegas and alphas or search for a temporary heats or ruts companion. They would meet at the café and, if one was willing, they would get to know each other. These types of businesses were very popular currently.

Matching online was not as effective as meeting in person because they could smell and scent the pheromones when they were face to face and could immediately tell if they were compatible. Some pheromones repel each other, so one might think that a pheromone was too strong or couldn't stand it, which was a sign of incompatibility.

Anyone in the café was free to release pheromones and attract the opposite sex. While in the room, one could also wear a face mask to keep their identity hidden. Wearing scent blockers in public was mandatory in this era, especially in crowded places, and only in special buildings like this one would anyone be free to release their pheromones as much as they wanted.

It was also due to incidents such as unexpected heats or ruts occurring in public places, and with the invention of scent blockers and inhibitors, a law was passed prohibiting anyone from openly releasing their pheromones. It was especially true in the workplace, where omegas and alphas could coexist. It also prevented riots from the aggressive alphas. This included bars and nightclubs.

He did not return, however, because he was not interested in finding a temporary alpha. Now, he was standing again at the entrance of that seemingly suspicious café.

He didn't rush in and instead took a look around. Perhaps it was because of the rain that there were few people inside the café and on the streets. Arren's jeans and clothes were somewhat soaked from the rain. He also had to remove the hat from his head as it was already soaked and damping his hair. He looks as if he took a bath. Arren also felt cold from the wind and finally decided to get in.

Arren, on the other hand, was still wearing a face mask, and a few people looked over and quietly glanced at him for a second before looking away. He was also wearing a scent blocker, which made any alpha uninterested. There were two types of people who wore scent blockers in this place: first-timers and those who didn't know what kind of place this was and were simply intrigued by the name. It was quite common.

There were few people, probably not more than a dozen, just as he had seen earlier. He did not, however, continue to observe his surroundings and instead finds a relatively quiet spot. He quickly found one and walks right into it, as the café's business was not good in this torrential rain, and it was very easy to find seats. It was a four-person table at the far end of the café.

They served a variety of coffees and desserts, just like any other café. On the surface, it appeared to be normal, but the real purpose was the blind date and match-making, with the menu coming in second. It was also quite expensive, but it was good if he could remember correctly.

Arren opened his wallet to count his money and soon after made a grim expression. He didn't have much. He couldn't even get the cheapest cup of coffee. He reached for a black card and stared at it. He let out a deflated sigh and stuffed it back into its pocket. He couldn't use the card yet, no matter what. Otherwise, all of his efforts would be futile.

The problem was that he was already cold, and the air conditioner in the room made him feel even colder. He needed a cup of hot coffee right now. But he didn't have any cash and couldn't use his credit cards. He had another headache—fuck, another problem.

Wait, Arren took his phone from his pocket and opened it. If he didn't have any money, he could call someone over to treat him to a cup of coffee, 'no? Yeah, it was a brilliant plan.

The other issue again was who he would call over. Certainly not those so-called friends; he will not want to owe them anything. Not Ramon, he was grounded or something more terrifying than he was. His father would definitely call the houses of his other friends. The one meeting him in the café was not just a friend but a group of bodyguards to 'catch' him.

Ah, he didn't have many options either. He came across a name while scrolling through his contacts. Arren paused, staring at the contact's name. Yes, he had just saved this number earlier. Mister Royal Investigator, it read.