C108 Hidden Girlfriend

After the last of the wedding guests had left, the Wood family gathered in the dining room for dinner. The lively atmosphere from the ceremony had settled into a warm family gathering. Tracy and the maids had already prepared the meal, and everyone took their seats around the large dining table.

Kelvin sat at the head of the table with little Monica happily resting in his arms. The little girl played with his tie while everyone smiled at the adorable sight. After taking a sip of tea, Kelvin cleared his throat. "Samantha." Everyone looked toward him. "The wedding is over, and from today onward, you are officially a member of the Wood family." Samantha smiled respectfully. "Thank you, Father."

Kelvin nodded before continuing. "That also means the announcement I made when Sarah returned from England will officially begin tomorrow." "I've already arranged an office and assigned a secretary for you. Starting tomorrow morning, you will officially report to Woods IT Company." The atmosphere around the table immediately became more serious.

Samantha stood slightly from her seat before bowing politely. "Thank you, Father-in-law. I won't disappoint you." She hesitated for a second before asking, "But... what about Monica? She still needs someone to take care of her." Kelvin burst into laughter. "You don't have to worry about that." He gently kissed Monica on the forehead. "My wife and Sarah will make sure this little princess stays occupied."

Sarah immediately reached over and tickled Monica's tiny hand. "That's right." "We'll spoil her while you're at work." Everyone around the table laughed. The cheerful atmosphere continued until Ben suddenly cleared his throat. "So..." He glanced toward Samantha. "Now that we're officially married..." "Does that mean I get to spend more time with my daughter?" He smiled awkwardly. "And... am I finally allowed to come to your room?"

The entire dining room became silent. Samantha looked so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear. After composing herself, she answered calmly. "You've always been allowed to see Monica." "I've never stopped you before." She looked directly at Ben. "It was you who never made the effort." Ben lowered his eyes.

Samantha continued. "Before the wedding, Mom and Dad already told me about the agreement you reached with them." She glanced toward Tracy and Kelvin before looking back at Ben. "Even after marriage, I won't become your property." "If you truly want us to become a real family..." "You'll have to earn my trust from the beginning."

Her voice remained calm, but every word carried weight. "And judging from today..." "You still don't seem serious." Ben frowned slightly. "What do you mean?" Samantha sighed. "I never received an apology." She paused. "And neither did Sarah." Ben instantly froze. He regretted opening his mouth. Tracy smiled proudly. "Exactly."

She folded her arms. "Your pride is still far too high." "You always believe you're right." "For years, you've hurt the people around you without ever admitting your mistakes." Ben looked completely embarrassed. After several long seconds of silence, he slowly stood up. He walked toward Samantha. "Wife..." His voice was unusually soft. "I'm sorry." "I've disappointed you more times than I can count." "I know words can't erase everything I've done..." "...but I truly hope you'll forgive me one day." Samantha simply nodded.

Ben then turned toward Sarah. "I'm sorry." "You witnessed the worst side of me." "I understand why you never invited me to your graduation." Sarah looked at him quietly before nodding. "I appreciate the apology." Ben finally forced a smile. "So..." "Am I forgiven?" Before either woman could answer, Kelvin spoke. "Saying sorry doesn't automatically mean you're sorry." Everyone turned toward him. "Your actions should be the proof of your words." Ben slowly nodded. "I understand."

Kelvin smiled slightly before changing the subject. "Speaking of graduation..." He looked toward Sarah. "How come I've never seen any of the graduation photos?" Sarah nearly choked on her juice. Almost every photo she had taken in England included Chris. Some showed them standing side by side. Others had been taken after the graduation ceremony while they celebrated together. Now was definitely not the time for her relationship to become public.

Thinking quickly, she smiled. "Don't worry, Dad." "I'll organize them tonight and send them to you." Kelvin nodded without suspecting anything. "Good." Dinner continued peacefully after that, and before long everyone retired to their rooms.

Meanwhile, at the Mooney residence... The moment everyone entered the mansion, she remembered her promise. Day Two of Five. Without wasting a second, she hurried to the kitchen. First, she carefully brewed Peter's favorite Scottish black tea. Soon Peter, Mark and Georgia were seated in the living room enjoying the fresh aroma.

Peter smiled after taking a sip. "My granddaughter's tea really is becoming addictive." Mark nodded in agreement. "It tastes better every single day." Alicia smiled proudly before putting on her apron. "Now it's time for dinner." She tied her hair neatly behind her head and walked into the kitchen. Today's special meal was traditional Scottish macaroni pie, accompanied by roasted vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and homemade garlic bread.

As the food slowly cooked, a rich buttery aroma filled every corner of the mansion. Even the household maids couldn't resist gathering around the kitchen. Whenever Alicia cooked, they always came with notebooks. Today was no exception. After thinking for a moment, Alicia laughed. "You don't need to keep writing." She handed one of the maids her phone. "Just record everything."

The maids exchanged excited glances. "Really, Miss?" Alicia nodded. "I'll explain every step while cooking." The recording began. She patiently demonstrated every ingredient, every cooking technique and every timing adjustment. After finishing, she smiled. "Perfect." She immediately sent the video to the group chat she shared with Mike and Chris. "Lesson Two completed. Please pass this video to aunt Mary and aunt valeria.

Soon dinner was served. Everyone eagerly picked up their forks. Peter took one bite before closing his eyes. "This..." "...is amazing." Mark nodded repeatedly. "I've eaten in five-star restaurants..." "...but this is somehow even better." The maids secretly smiled proudly. Watching Alicia cook had become one of their favorite daily activities.

Halfway through dinner, Georgia suddenly spoke. "My granddaughter..." "You seem to have developed a liking for jewelry lately." Alicia looked confused. "What do you mean, Grandma?" Georgia pointed toward the bracelet on Alicia's wrist. "And those earrings." "I don't remember you wearing them before."

Alicia smiled innocently. "Oh." "These?" "They were gifts from Aunt Mary." She proudly showed everyone the bracelet and matching earrings. The cheerful atmosphere instantly disappeared. Mark's expression became unusually serious. Peter nearly choked on his food and coughed repeatedly. Even Georgia's smile slowly faded. Alicia looked around in confusion. "What happened?"

After several moments, Georgia asked carefully, "When Mary gave them to you..." "...what exactly did she say?" Alicia thought for a moment. "Grandma, remember when I told you she wanted to thank me for teaching her how to cook?" Georgia nodded. "That was the day." "She gave me these gifts." "Uncle David and Aunt Valeria were there too." "They all said it was simply their way of thanking me." Georgia remained silent. "And..." "Did you ask why they chose those particular pieces?"

Alicia laughed. "Grandma..." "Why would I question someone giving me expensive gifts?" Peter suddenly burst into laughter. "My granddaughter..." "You really do have a sharp tongue." Even Georgia couldn't help smiling. After the laughter died down, she finally explained. "My child..." "The jewelry itself is beautiful." "But it was never meant to be given as an ordinary gift."

Alicia blinked. "What do you mean?" Georgia spoke slowly. "That bracelet..." "...and those earrings..." "...are family heirlooms." Alicia's smile disappeared. "Heirlooms?" Georgia nodded. "They are traditionally given to welcome a future daughter-in-law into the family." She looked carefully at Alicia. "So she only gave you the bracelet and earrings?" Alicia nodded slowly. "Yes..."

Georgia smiled knowingly. "That means they didn't give you the necklace or the ring." "They're saving those." Alicia stared blankly. Her cheeks slowly turned bright red. "So..." "You mean..." "They're acknowledging me..." "...as a future daughter-in-law?" Everyone around the table nodded.

For several seconds, Alicia couldn't say a single word. Then she suddenly stood up. "I..." "I'm tired." "I think I'll sleep early tonight." Without waiting for another word, she hurried upstairs. Peter laughed loudly. "Careful!" "Don't trip over your own feet!" Everyone downstairs laughed as Alicia disappeared into her room, completely overwhelmed by embarrassment.

Back at the Smith residence... Mom and Dad finally returned home. The moment they entered, Mom couldn't stop smiling. I was already sitting in the dining room, though my thoughts were elsewhere. Ever since Laura and I had shared our first intimate moment earlier that day, I couldn't stop replaying every second in my mind.

Mary's laughter pulled me back to reality. "What made you so happy?" I asked. "Did the wedding vows suddenly become so romantic?" Quinton laughed. "It wasn't the wedding." "It was your polygamy candidate." I almost choked. Mary playfully slapped Quinton's arm. "I spent almost the entire day with Alicia." "I barely paid attention to the wedding." "And thankfully no one asked me to stay behind to help clean."

I laughed. "So spending time with Alicia makes you happier than your own son?" "What happens when I finally bring home my future wife?" Mary looked at me carefully. Then she smiled. "My son..." "When was the last time you teased me like this?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What happened today?" "You look happier than you did this morning."

I quickly hid my smile. "I passed my driving test." "Soon I'll be driving my own car." Quinton immediately laughed. "That's worth celebrating." Mary smiled proudly. "I knew you could do it." She happily walked toward the kitchen to prepare dinner, satisfied that whatever had been bothering me in the morning had disappeared.

At the Chambers residence... Chris walked into the house humming happily. Valeria immediately noticed. "My son passed his driving test today." She smiled brightly. "And I got to spend almost the whole day with Alicia." "What a wonderful day." Then she suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" "Chris." "Alicia said you have a girlfriend." She looked at him curiously. "Why didn't you choose her instead?" "She is beautiful." "Tall." "And with a good figure."

Since Chris was already in an unusually good mood, he decided to tease his mother. "Because if I bring her home..." "...you'll probably steal her away from me." David burst into laughter. "Your mother would definitely do that." Valeria glared at both of them. "Nonsense." She folded her arms. "So..." "Who is she?" Chris smiled mysteriously. "You'll know..." "...when you know." Valeria stared at him speechlessly while David laughed even harder.