C132 The Recording

The moment I returned to my office, I slowed my footsteps. Alicia was still sitting where I had left her. The sunlight streamed through the office window, falling across her desk. Her fingers danced across the keyboard while her brows were slightly knitted together in concentration. She looked completely absorbed in the project, occasionally brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before continuing to type.

I leaned against the doorframe without making a sound. For a few seconds... I simply watched her. I had always known Alicia was beautiful. Even compared to Laura, Alicia possessed a different kind of beauty, one that wasn't only in her appearance but in the confidence she carried. Whether she was laughing, teasing someone, cooking, or solving problems, she always seemed to shine brighter than everyone around her.

Perhaps... That was why my parents liked her so much. Perhaps... That was why she had slowly become someone I relied on without realizing it. Just then, she looked up. Our eyes met. She blinked once before raising an eyebrow. "Nerd..." "What are you staring at?" I smiled. "I was admiring your beauty."

She froze. "...What?" I laughed as I walked toward her desk. "Now I can admire it openly." She lowered her head immediately. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "So..." "You were afraid before?" I scratched my head awkwardly. "You know how my brother is." "If he caught me looking at you like this, he would've teased me for the next ten years." She couldn't help laughing. "That sounds exactly like Chris."

I nodded before suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of Chris..." "Lunch starts in an hour." "We'll have to tell him." The moment she understood what I meant, her face became even redder. "No." "You'll tell him when I'm not around." I burst into laughter. "Beauty..." "You've never been afraid of anything before." She glared at me. "Don't call me that in public."

Then, as if trying to escape the embarrassing topic, she quickly asked, "So..." "How did the provocation go?" A smile slowly appeared on my face. Without answering, I took my phone out of my pocket. I connected it to the office computer. A few moments later... The recording appeared on the screen. "I made a copy before anything happens."

Alicia moved her chair closer until our shoulders almost touched. "Play it." I clicked. Ben's voice echoed throughout the office. At first, Alicia listened calmly. But as the conversation continued... Her expression slowly changed. Her eyes widened. Her breathing became heavier. Then Ben admitted poisoning Kelvin.

Alicia covered her mouth. "He..." "He confessed..." She stared at me in disbelief. "He actually confessed." I nodded quietly. The recording continued. Soon... Ben admitted drugging Samantha and destroying her life. Alicia slowly lowered her hand. Tears gathered in her eyes. "So everything Samantha told you..." "...was true."

Again... The recording continued. Then came the part where Ben admitted writing Laura's statement himself and using Josh to force Laura into signing it. Silence filled the office. Neither of us spoke for nearly a minute. Finally... I broke the silence. "Wifey." Her head snapped toward me. "...Who?" "You." "My wife." Her cheeks instantly turned crimson. She looked away immediately. "We..." "We have the evidence now."

I leaned back in my chair. "Yes." "But we won't use all of it." She looked confused. "What do you mean?" "We'll only use the part relating to my rape accusations." She frowned. "But..." "What about Kelvin Wood?" "What about Samantha?" "If we remove those parts..." "They'll never know." I smiled. "Didn't you say your IQ was higher than mine?" She pouted. "I'm serious." I laughed softly. "So am I." "We don't need to expose everything ourselves." "The Wood family deserves to hear those truths together."

She remained silent. I continued, "After lunch we'll visit Kelvin Wood." "As employees." "As people concerned about his health." "But..." "We also need Sarah and Samantha there." "But Ben must not be present." She slowly understood. "So..." "They'll hear the truth together." I nodded. "Exactly." "The part concerning me goes to your father tonight." "The rest..." "I want the Wood family to hear with their own ears."

Alicia smiled. "I like that plan." She quickly opened an editing program. Within minutes she carefully trimmed the recording until only Ben's confession about forcing Laura's statement remained. "There." She smiled proudly. "This version is only for Dad." I looked at the screen. "Perfect." Soon... The lunch bell rang.

Chris was already waiting for us inside the cafeteria. Unlike usual... He looked restless. He stood the moment he saw us. "Brother!" "Have you heard?" "Sarah became the Acting Director!" I nodded. "I heard." Chris buried both hands in his hair. "I'm finished." Alicia burst into laughter. "So what's wrong?" "You're dating the boss."

Chris looked at her helplessly. "Exactly!" "What if they don't approve?" "What if the board finds out?" "What if..." Alicia interrupted him. "Remember..." "You're not only her boyfriend." "You're also the father of her unborn baby." Chris froze. She continued calmly. "There are only two possibilities." "The good one..." "They'll accept your relationship." "You'll marry Sarah." "You'll become part of the Wood family."

Chris smiled slightly. "But..." "The bad one..." "They'll oppose you immediately." "They might pressure Sarah to end the relationship." "They might even threaten her inheritance." "They could even use the baby against her." Chris's face turned pale. "Alicia..." "Are you trying to comfort me..." "Or give me nightmares?" Alicia and I laughed.

I patted Chris on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it." "Sarah isn't weak anymore." "She'll protect both herself and your child." Chris finally calmed down. Then... I casually spoke. "Brother." "Alicia and I are getting married." Chris was stunned. He blinked once. Twice. Then pointed between us. "...What?" He turned toward Alicia. "You agreed?" "I knew something was going on!" "When did this happen?" "Why didn't either of you tell me?"

Alicia immediately stood up. "I..." "I suddenly remembered I need to call my father." She hurried toward the exit. Chris quickly grabbed her wrist. "Wait!" "You're not escaping." "Explain first." She looked at me helplessly. I couldn't stop laughing. "Brother..." "Let her go." "It's something important." Chris reluctantly released her hand.

She immediately walked outside, taking out her phone before disappearing around the corner. Chris slowly turned back toward me. He folded his arms. "You've been hiding something." "I knew it." I smiled. "What makes you think that?" He pointed toward the door Alicia had just used. "The way she blushed." "The way you called her Beauty." "The way she didn't deny it." "I've known you since we were children." "You can't fool me."

I laughed. "You really are getting smarter." Chris rolled his eyes. "Enough." "Tell me everything." "When did this start?" "Did you confess?" "Did she confess?" "Who kissed who?" The last question made me cough. Chris immediately noticed. His eyes widened. "No way..." He pointed at me dramatically. "You kissed her first!" I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "...It was an accident."

Chris stared at me. "An accident?" "How do people accidentally kiss someone?" Before I could answer, Alicia returned. She looked at both of us suspiciously. "What are you two talking about?" Chris immediately smiled. "Oh, nothing." "I was just asking how my future sister-in-law stole my brother's heart."

Alicia's face instantly turned red again. She shot me an accusing look. "You told him?" I quickly raised both hands. "I didn't." "He guessed." Chris laughed proudly. "My IQ isn't that low." The three of us looked at one another. Despite everything surrounding us... Despite the investigation... Despite the danger waiting ahead... Laughter returned to our table.