C115 Beneath The Surface

The atmosphere inside the office felt heavier than usual, like the air itself knew something was wrong. Josh was already there. Waiting outside my office. His presence alone made my steps slow for a moment, but I kept walking anyway.

Before I could even speak, he stood up abruptly, his voice sharp. “Mike, where were you? Do you think this is a place where you come and go as you please?” I stopped right in front of him. For a second, I felt the weight of everything, Samantha’s confession, Laura’s message, Ben’s shadow over everything. Then I looked at Josh calmly. “Why don’t you ask your daughter instead?” I said flatly. His brows furrowed. I didn’t stop. “The one you are arranging a marriage for,” I added, my voice colder now. “Oh wait… I forgot. Her opinion doesn’t matter to you, right?” The room went silent.

Josh’s face tightened instantly, anger rising fast, but before he could respond, I walked past him without another word and entered my office. I closed the door behind me. Then I shut the blinds. Only then did I allow myself to breathe. But I wasn’t alone. Alicia was sitting inside. She was going through the project documents calmly, but the moment she saw my face, she froze.

Her expression changed immediately. “Mike…” she stood up slowly. “Have you been crying?” I tried to speak, but nothing came out. And then it broke. Everything I had been holding in came crashing down at once. My knees felt weak, and I leaned slightly against the desk as silent tears fell from my eyes. Alicia rushed to me. “Mike, what happened? Talk to me.” But I couldn’t. The memories kept flashing. Samantha’s voice. Her tears. Her truth. Ben’s name repeating in my head like poison.

Alicia pulled me into a tight hug. “Don’t overthink,” she whispered. “You need to breathe first. Tell me when you can.” Her hands gently wiped my tears, but I was shaking too much to respond. And then it happened. I don’t even know what pushed me. Maybe confusion. Maybe pain. Maybe the way she was holding me so close while I was breaking apart. I leaned in and kissed her. Alicia froze completely. Her body went rigid for a second like time itself stopped. Then she pushed me away gently but firmly, her face flushed red. “Mike…” she breathed, shocked. “What are you doing?”

That snapped me back into reality. My heart dropped. I stepped back immediately, guilt flooding through me. “I… I’m sorry,” I whispered, unable to look at her. But Alicia didn’t shout. She didn’t leave. Instead, she quietly handed me a bottle of water. “Drink,” she said softly. I did. My hands were still shaking as I tried to calm down. After a few minutes, I finally spoke. I told her everything. Samantha. The truth. Ben. The pregnancy. The forced marriage. The years of misunderstanding. Alicia listened without interrupting.

When I finished, she leaned back slowly in her chair. “And?” she asked calmly. “And I don’t understand anything anymore,” I admitted. “Nothing makes sense. Everything is connected to Ben… but why? Why would he hate me this much?” Alicia’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “That’s the real question,” she said quietly. Silence filled the room for a moment. Then I looked at her. “I’m sorry about earlier,” I said quickly. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I hope i did not offend you .”

Alicia looked away for a second, then back at me. “It’s fine,” she said softly. “You don’t need to feel guilty.” I nodded slowly. Then I hesitated. “Can we… keep that moment between us? Don’t tell Chris.” She smiled slightly. “Don’t worry. It was a mistake. Forget it.” But neither of us had truly forgotten. I could feel it in the air between us. A shift.

Something unspoken.

Then I finally asked, trying to change the topic. “Why were you even in my office?” Alicia took out a folded paper and placed it on the desk. It had Kelvin’s official stamp. “I got approval,” she said. “I can assist you on this project anytime.” I blinked. “That was fast.” She nodded. “The Director approved it himself.” For the first time that day, I managed a small smile. “Then let’s work,” I said. But she shook her head. “Not yet.”

I frowned. “There’s still something more important.” Her tone turned serious. “Laura,” she said. “What are you going to do about her?” I looked down. “I don’t know.” Alicia crossed her arms. “You can’t solve everything alone, Mike. And you shouldn’t.” Then she leaned forward slightly. “Or… we leave.” I looked up. “Leave?” “Yes,” she said. “Lucia Goods. My father’s company. You come with me. Chris too if he wants. We start fresh.”

For a moment, the idea sounded peaceful. No Josh. No Ben. No manipulation. Just peace. But then I shook my head. “And leave Chris here? In the middle of all this?” Alicia sighed. “I know you won’t agree,” she said softly. “That’s why I said think about it later.” Before I could respond, time had already slipped away. We checked the clock. Ten minutes before knock-off. Outside, Josh called out sharply. “Mike! Where is the project?” I stood up. “It can’t be done in one day,” I replied. “Alicia already informed the Director.”

Josh’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. That was new. He was losing control. When we finally left the building, Chris was waiting outside. As soon as he saw us, he grinned. “Ah, the trio is back.” I let out a breath. For the first time that day, I didn’t feel completely alone. We told him everything on the way out everything except the kiss. Chris’s reaction was immediate. “So Samantha finally confessed everything?” he said slowly. I nodded. Chris exhaled. “So it was all Ben.” Alicia added quietly, “It always was.” Chris leaned back. “This is getting too big for my IQ.” That actually made me smile. But then I remembered Laura. And the smile faded.

That night, I went home with a heavy heart. Chris went to Chambers family. Alicia returned to Mooney mansion. And I… returned to silence. But one thing had changed that day. I was no longer standing alone in the storm. Even if I didn’t understand where the storm was leading.