C12 What Is Wrong With Shaking Hands

I laughed so hard that I nearly dropped my fork. Without missing a beat, Alicia turned toward me. “What about you, Nerd?” She tilted her head curiously. “Which one are you exactly?” “Mike?” “Michael?” “IT Guy?” “Or just Nerd?”

Before I could answer, Chris suddenly clapped his hands. “Beauty with brains.” He nodded approvingly. “Not bad.”

Then he turned toward me. “Actually, Brother, I wanted to ask that too.” “Since when are people calling you Nerd?” “What other secrets are you hiding from me?”

I placed my fork down and smiled politely. “Hello Alicia.” “My name is Michael Smith.” I offered my hand. She shook it. “I’m currently interning in the Cybersecurity Department.” “My parents aren’t rich, but they work hard and provide everything we need.” Alicia nodded respectfully.

Then I glanced at Chris. “If you want to know why they call me Nerd, then introduce yourself properly first.” Chris groaned. “You two are teaming up against me already.” But he had no choice. “Fine.”

He sat upright dramatically. “My name is Christopher Chambers.” “I’m interning in the Business Administration Department.” Then he folded his arms. “As for my family background…” He paused. “That information is classified.” The three of us burst into laughter.

After that, I explained how I earned the nickname “Nerd” after helping stop the security threat in the company network.

Alicia listened attentively while Chris occasionally interrupted to exaggerate parts of the story. Before we knew it, the lunch break was almost over.

We exchanged contact information. Even Chris, after complaining the entire time, ended up giving Alicia his number.

As we stood up to leave, none of us noticed someone sitting several tables away. A phone was quietly lowered beneath the table. A photograph had just been taken.

In the picture were I was shaking Alicia’s hand, both smiling so brightly. Michael. And Alicia. The photo was immediately sent to someone else.

A few seconds later, in the Vice Director’s office, Ben’s phone vibrated. He opened the image. His eyes narrowed. A slow smile spread across his face. “Interesting,” he murmured. “It seems this little Nerd has found new company.”

When we returned to the office, news of our lunch had somehow spread throughout the company.

To make matters worse, a photograph of me shaking Alicia’s hand was circulating through various department group chats.

I tried to ignore it and focus on my work, but something continued bothering me.

The rumors weren’t only about me. Alicia was involved as well. What if she got blamed? What if she already had a boyfriend? What if these rumors caused problems for her? The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became.

I quickly called Chris. The call connected almost immediately. “Brother,” he answered. “Did you see?” “See what?” Chris asked. “Did you solve another threat already?” I sighed. Clearly, the Business Administration Department had been too busy to keep up with the gossip.

I explained everything as quickly as possible. Then I asked, “What should we do? What if all the blame falls on Alicia? What if she gets into trouble because of us?”

Chris couldn’t have cared less. “She invited us, not the other way around.” He paused. “And what’s wrong with shaking hands?” “Come on, Brother. I’m serious.” I rubbed my forehead. “We need to think of something.”

For a few seconds, Chris remained silent. Then he laughed. “You seem very worried about this girl.” Before I could defend myself, he continued. “You’ve forgotten your own skills.”

“What skills?” “The fact that you’re the biggest computer specialist I know.” His voice carried amusement. “Wasn’t it you who hacked the café’s Wi-Fi and cracked their password in minutes?”

I blinked. “If you’re that desperate to know what happened, then investigate.” The call ended.

I sat there staring at my phone. Then suddenly I felt stupid. Chris was right. I was the cybersecurity intern. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Fortunately, I finished my assigned tasks early.

When I checked the time, there were still thirty minutes left before work ended. I opened my personal laptop. A few commands later, I was reviewing the café’s security footage.

Fast-forward. Fast-forward. Fast-forward. Then I found the exact moment.

The handshake. I zoomed in. And immediately froze. Cold sweat formed on my back.

The person taking the photograph wasn’t a random employee. It was Ben’s secretary. My hands stopped moving. Questions flooded my mind.

Why was she taking pictures? Why did Ben want them? Would he use them against me? Against Alicia? I tried to calm myself.

No matter how powerful Ben was, he wasn’t the company director. His father, Kelvin Wood, still held that position. And from everything my father had told me, Kelvin seemed like a fair man.

Eventually, I closed my laptop. There was no point worrying without evidence. Before I realized it, the workday had ended.

As I packed my things, Alicia appeared beside my desk. Because the Information Systems and Cybersecurity departments worked closely together, our offices were located near one another.

When we left together, the rumors suddenly seemed far more believable. To anyone watching, it looked as though we had planned to leave together.

What surprised me most was Alicia’s reaction. She looked completely unbothered. Not worried. Not embarrassed. Not even slightly uncomfortable.

Outside the building, Chris was already waiting. The moment he saw Alicia walking beside me, his expression immediately changed.

Before he could say anything, I spoke first. “Alicia, what are we going to do about those rumors?”

I looked at her seriously. “I’m not in a position to start a relationship.” “And honestly, I’m not strong enough to protect anyone if things become complicated.”

As I spoke, the image of Ben’s secretary taking that photograph replayed in my mind. But I kept that information to myself. At least for now.

Alicia listened quietly. Then she smiled. “Brother, I wasn’t born yesterday.” “I’m stronger than I look.” She glanced at both of us. “Besides, I feel comfortable around you two.”

“As for the rumors…” She shrugged. “I’ll ask my father to make them disappear.” Chris raised an eyebrow. “You sound very experienced.” “Has this happened before?”

Alicia sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, yes.” Then she pointed at herself. “It’s not my fault that I’m so beautiful.”

She looked at Chris. “Some people’s girlfriends aren’t even close to my level.” Chris stared at her. Speechless. Again. I tried not to laugh. Alicia clearly enjoyed provoking him.