C124 Acceptance

The hospital corridor was unusually quiet that morning. Tracy sat beside Kelvin's bed, gently holding his hand while listening to the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. Although the surgery had been successful, Kelvin remained unconscious. Her phone rested on the table beside her. The invitation for the emergency shareholders' meeting was still displayed on the screen.

She sighed deeply. "So many things are happening at once..." Closing her eyes, she began weighing the people who could possibly become the Interim Director of Wood IT Company. The first person who came to mind was Ben. She immediately shook her head. "No..." Ben had changed. Recently, he had become ruthless, making decisions without considering the consequences. He fired Quinton and Mary before any proper investigation had even begun. If he became Interim Director, would he continue making reckless decisions simply because he had power? She wasn't confident.

Then another name appeared in her thoughts. Samantha. Tracy slowly frowned. "Samantha is intelligent..." "She understands business." "But..." "Samantha is also Monica's mother." Taking care of a child while managing one of the country's largest technology companies would place an enormous burden on her. Besides... Samantha had only recently married into the Wood family.

The truth behind the year-end function had only been revealed a few weeks ago. If Samantha still carried resentment in her heart... If she became Interim Director and began seeking revenge... She might not care what happened to the company as long as the people who had hurt her suffered. Tracy couldn't ignore that possibility.

Finally, she thought about Sarah. A gentle smile appeared on her face. "My little girl..." Sarah had only recently graduated. She was hardworking, kind, and honest. Unfortunately... She lacked experience. The company's senior executives would easily manipulate someone as innocent as her. Tracy let out another sigh. "It seems..." "No matter who takes that position..." "Someone will oppose them." Her eyes drifted back toward Kelvin. "Husband... if only you would wake up." "Everything would become so much easier."

Back at the police station, another visitor had arrived. The officer unlocked my cell before escorting me to the visitation room. The moment I entered, Chris waved enthusiastically. "Brother!" I smiled faintly before taking my seat. "You look happier today." "I have big news!" I raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Chris hesitated for a second before saying, "Laura agreed to get married." For a brief moment, my heart tightened again. Even so, I forced a smile. "It's always like this, Brother." "What do you mean?" "Whether it's Samantha's story or Laura's situation..." "You always tell me things I already know." Chris scratched his head awkwardly. "Actually..." "There's something you don't know." I looked at him. "She's getting married to Bright Gomez." Everything inside me froze. "...What?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "How is that even possible?" Chris looked confused. "What do you mean?" I leaned forward. "Laura knows very well that Bright was the one who secretly took that photograph of us the other day." Chris' eyes widened. "Wait..." "You mean Bright was the one who made that picture go viral at work?" I slowly nodded.

The room became silent. Neither of us could understand why Laura would agree to marry someone who had contributed to destroying our relationship. After a while, Chris changed the subject. "Oh..." "I almost forgot." "You asked me to tell Mom about Sarah's pregnancy." I laughed softly. "So... did you?" Chris covered his face in embarrassment. "I did." "And?" "I told her..." "...then I ran away." I couldn't help laughing. "You what?" "I didn't even wait for her response."

He laughed together with me. "This morning I even left home before she returned from her night shift." For a few moments... We simply laughed. It was probably the first genuine laugh I'd had since my arrest. Although my heart still hurt... Chris somehow managed to make me forget my pain, even if it was only for a minute.

Eventually, he stood up. "I should get going." "My lunch will be over soon." "I am not like Alicia who can skip work and still be fine" I nodded. As he reached the door, I suddenly called out, "Brother." He turned around. "I need you to do something for me." "What is it?" "Please pass a message to Alicia." He nodded. "Tell her..." "I accept."

Chris frowned. "Accept what?" I smiled bitterly. "Grandpa Peter came to see me yesterday." "He offered to help me." "But he gave me a condition." Chris quietly listened. "My parents no longer have jobs." "I don't know what tomorrow will look like." "If accepting his condition helps protect my family..." "...then I'll do it."

Chris still looked confused. "So... what exactly is the condition?" I shook my head. "Just tell Alicia that I agreed." "Her family already knows." He nodded. "I'll deliver the message." As he walked away, I leaned back in my chair. The decision I had just made would completely change my future. There was no turning back now.

Meanwhile... Alicia had remained inside her room the entire morning. She hadn't gone to work. She hadn't answered any business calls. Her thoughts were completely occupied by me. Suddenly... Her phone vibrated. She quickly picked it up. It was a message from Chris. "Younger sister, Mike asked me to tell you to pass a message to your grandfather. He said he agrees."

Alicia frowned. She immediately replied. "Agrees to what?" A few seconds later, another message appeared. "I honestly don't know. He said your family already knows." Alicia became even more confused. Without wasting another second, she hurried downstairs.

In the living room, Peter, Georgia, and Mark were enjoying tea while discussing Lucia Goods. "Dad," Mark said, "if Alicia finally accept the Director'sposition we have to start making plans." Before he could continue, Alicia interrupted them. "Grandpa..." The three of them looked up. "Chris just sent me a message." Peter smiled. "What did he say?" "He said Mike asked me to tell you..." "...that he agrees to your condition."

The room instantly became silent. Mark slowly lowered his teacup. Georgia looked toward Peter. Even Peter himself seemed surprised. No one had expected Mike to agree so quickly. Alicia looked around in confusion. "Grandma..." "Dad..." "Grandpa..." "Why are all of you looking at me like that?" Peter suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha!" Mark couldn't help smiling. Georgia simply shook her head helplessly.

Alicia pouted. "What's so funny?" Peter wiped the tears from his eyes. "My granddaughter..." "You'll understand when the time is right." She folded her arms. "I hate it when everyone keeps secrets from me." Georgia chuckled softly. "It's because your grandfather enjoys surprising people." Peter nodded with a mysterious smile. "Very soon..." "Everything will become clear."

Although Alicia remained confused, seeing her grandfather laugh after several stressful days made her heart feel much lighter. Then Mark slowly stood up. His expression suddenly became serious. "If Mike has agreed..." "Then it's time I show everyone something." The room became quiet again.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning?" Mark smiled confidently. "I may not know the entire truth behind this incident..." "But one thing is certain." "They offended someone my daughter cares about." "And that..." "...is something I cannot ignore."

Without another word, he walked straight into his office. He picked up his private phone and dialed a familiar number. The call connected almost immediately. "My old friend." A cheerful voice answered from the other side. "Mark! It's been a while." Mark smiled. "I need a favor." "What kind of favor?" "They've offended my daughter."

His tone became cold. "I want Wood IT Company to lose at least five percent of its market value." There was a brief silence. Then the other man laughed knowingly. "I understand." "You want us to withdraw our investment." "Exactly." "Can you do it?" "No problem." "It'll happen before the end of the day." Mark smiled. "I owe you one." The call ended.

He calmly placed the phone back onto his desk before looking out the office window. "They wanted to play games with my family..." "Now..." "They'll learn that influence is far more dangerous than power." Outside, dark clouds slowly gathered above the city. The business war... had officially begun.