The Last Umbrella- Five Hargreeves x OC story

Two I Birthday Party

Stepping into the vibrant, bustling atmosphere of the party venue, I felt the energy hit me immediately. The room was alive with the joyful noise of toddlers playing, bubbles floating through the air, and the bright colors of jungle gyms and ball pits drawing the children's attention. Laughter and excitement filled every corner, and I couldn't help but smile at the infectious atmosphere.

I carried a brightly wrapped gift, carefully placing it on the gift table among the other presents. As I glanced at Five, we shared a brief, affectionate look before parting ways. He headed toward Ben, who was standing by the ball pit with a beer in hand, while I made my way to Gracie, joining her and her friends in their play.

Kneeling down to engage with the kids, I felt a genuine joy light up my face. These moments, simple and full of laughter, were something I treasured.

FIVE'S POV

As I approached Ben, my curiosity piqued, I couldn't help but wonder what he'd gotten himself into this time. "What was it? A Ponzi scheme? White-collar fraud?" I asked, my tone only half-serious.

"Crypto exchange," Ben replied, with an air of pride that made it sound like the most natural thing in the world. He added with a smug grin, "Web 3.0, baby."

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. But of course, Ben wasn't done. He continued, almost defiant. "Feds only went after me because I'm an outsider, a fucking maverick like Elon."

my voice, heard with sarcasm as I retorted, "Well, that and you bankrupted 100,000 people."

Ben waved off my comment like it was nothing more than a trivial detail. "The whole thing was a witch hunt."

I sigh, raising my beer in a mock toast. "Yeah, well, say what you will. It's still good to have you back. Cheers."

Our beer bottles clinked together, the sound ringing out. Suddenly, Luther burst out of the ball pit with that wide grin of his.

"Ha-Ha! Gotcha!" Luther exclaimed, his excitement almost childlike.

But both Ben and I gave him blank stares, unimpressed. Luther, ever the optimist, spread his arms wide, trying to lift the mood. "Oh, come on. It's been years since we've been together like this," he said, his voice full of forced cheerfulness.

Ben wasn't having any of it. He shot Luther a cold look. "Ever think maybe there's a good reason for that?"

The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. I could feel it hanging in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. I glanced around, noticing something—or rather, someone—was missing. "Where's Viktor?" I asked, trying to shift the focus.

Luther's smile faltered slightly as he glanced around, clearly expecting Viktor to appear at any moment. "Oh, uh, he said he was coming," Luther replied, his optimism waning.

I nodded, but the answer didn't satisfy me. Something felt off, so I pressed on. "What about Allison?"

Luther hesitated, his earlier cheerfulness now dimmed. "Oh well, she's usually a no-show, right? Maybe it's better that way."

A brief silence fell over us, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The weight of unspoken tension hung in the room, thick and suffocating, as I tried to piece together what was really going on with our family.

SOPHIA'S POV

As I looked up from the game I was playing with Gracie, I noticed Five watching me. I couldn't help but smile, feeling a warmth spread through me as our eyes met.

Gracie, ever the observant one, noticed my attention shift and looked up at me. I gently nudged her and pointed toward Five. She beamed and waved enthusiastically at her uncle. I joined in, waving at Five with a playful smile.