C135 The Date Is Set

Alicia had been in an unusually good mood ever since she found out that her future groom was Mike. Every time she remembered the way he had looked at her, called her "Wifey," or smiled at her, her heart raced uncontrollably.

While preparing dinner, she found herself smiling for no reason. "He called me Wifey..." She paused, covering her face with both hands. "Wait... how did I even get the courage to call him Husband?" Her cheeks turned bright red. Then another memory surfaced. That kiss... She touched her lips unconsciously. "Did he really lose control... or did he do it on purpose?" She quickly shook her head. "No... no... why am I thinking so much?" she muttered to herself before smiling again. "Who cares? We're getting married soon anyway."

Today she had decided to prepare another traditional Scottish meal. Along with it, she carefully cooked Peter's favorite creamy porridge. Before long, the delicious aroma drifted through every corner of the Mooney residence. Just as expected... The kitchen became crowded. One maid after another rushed inside. Even the security guard on duty quietly entered.

Mark, Peter and Georgia looked at one another in surprise. "What is happening?" Peter asked. Mark stood up immediately, worried there might be an emergency. Instead... They found every maid gathered around Alicia, some recording videos while others patiently waited for a chance to taste her cooking.

Peter burst into laughter. "I should've known." Georgia smiled warmly. "Our granddaughter is cooking again." Alicia finished preparing everything before doing exactly what she always did. She served generous portions to every maid and even prepared a plate for the security guard. "Thank you, Miss Alicia!" Everyone happily left with their meals.

Only then did Alicia carry the remaining dishes into the dining room where her family was already waiting. Dinner was filled with laughter. Peter looked especially delighted. Not only was he enjoying Alicia's new dish, but beside it sat a bowl of his favorite porridge. "My granddaughter truly understands this old man," he laughed.

After dinner was over, Alicia gently placed her spoon down before smiling. "Well... dinner is finished." She looked around the table. "Can we discuss something important now?" Everyone immediately became attentive. "Grandpa, how are the wedding preparations going?" She continued, "Mrs. Wood said Mike and I will resign once Director Kelvin Wood fully recovers. Since he woke up today, I think that may happen sooner than expected."

She smiled confidently. "So before we begin working at Lucia Goods, I think our engagement should already be settled." Peter nodded proudly. "My child, we've actually been waiting for you." "You've always been the best planner in this family." "We wanted to hear your ideas before hiring decorators or designers." Alicia smiled. "Then forget about hiring someone to design the clothes."

Everyone looked at her. "I'll design Mike's suit and my dress myself." Georgia laughed. "I expected that answer." Alicia continued. "The things we really need to focus on are the venue decorations, catering, invitations and guest list." She paused before laughing softly. "And no... I won't be cooking on my own engagement day."

Everyone laughed with her. "Most importantly," she continued, "the Smith family must also be involved. We should invite Aunt Mary and Uncle Quinton so both families can plan everything together." She looked at Peter. "But Grandpa... I'm sure you've already chosen a suitable engagement date." Peter smiled mysteriously. "I have several dates in mind." "We'll decide after meeting Mike's parents."

Throughout her explanation, Mark silently watched his daughter. By the time she finished speaking, satisfaction filled his face. "My daughter..." Everyone looked toward him. "...is more than capable of leading Lucia Goods." Alicia blinked. "Dad..." Realizing everyone was staring at him, Mark cleared his throat awkwardly. "I mean..." He smiled proudly. "Look at how naturally she organizes everything." "Leadership really comes naturally to her." The dining room erupted with laughter.

Once the laughter faded, Alicia became serious."Dad..." "The recording Mike and I sent you..." "Will it be enough?" She hesitated before continuing. "Mike wanted us to submit only the evidence related to his case." "He believes everything else should be left for the Wood family to handle." The atmosphere immediately became serious. Georgia frowned. "What do you mean?" "If the recording contains more evidence, shouldn't everything be handed over?" Alicia nodded. "It does." "But some of the confessions involve private matters within the Wood family."

Peter leaned forward. "What exactly did Ben confess?" Alicia slowly answered, "He admitted poisoning his own father because Director Wood stood in the way of him becoming Director." Silence. Everyone around the table froze. Even Peter's smile disappeared.

Alicia continued. "He also confessed that years ago he drugged Samantha during the company year-end party before taking advantage of her." Mark slammed his hand onto the table. "That devil..." "He keeps proving how heartless he truly is." He took a deep breath before asking, "So which part did you send me?"

"The part where Ben admitted bribing Josh." "He confessed that he ordered Josh to force Laura into signing the false statement accusing Mike of rape." "He even admitted paying him to do it." Mark nodded slowly. "That's more than enough." He stood up. "Leave the rest to me." "You'll have good news very soon."

That same evening... At the Smith residence... After dinner, I sat with Mom and Dad in the living room. "There is something that I need to tell you." Both of them immediately became serious. Quinton spoke first. "What is it, son?" Mary added anxiously, "Did something happen?" I smiled. "No." "We finally got Ben to confess." Silence filled the room. Quinton frowned. "What do you mean... confess?"

I explained everything from beginning to end. "Alicia asked me to provoke Ben while secretly recording our conversation." "He lost his temper..." "...and confessed to several things." Mary smiled proudly. "My clever daughter-in-law has done it again." I laughed. "Mom..." "We're not even engaged yet." Ignoring her teasing, I connected my phone to the laptop.

Soon... Ben's voice echoed through the living room.When he admitted poisoning Kelvin... Mary's eyes instantly filled with tears. "So..." "They framed us..." Quinton remained silent. He continued listening. Then Ben admitted drugging Samantha. Quinton suddenly interrupted the recording. "Wait..." "So Samantha never betrayed you?" "It was Ben all along?"

I nodded quietly. "A few days ago..." "She finally told me everything." Quinton sighed deeply. "We misunderstood that girl." "I always thought she avoided us because she felt guilty." "So she was a victim too..." The recording continued. When Ben admitted bribing Josh into forcing Laura to sign the false statement, both my parents looked completely stunned. The room remained silent long after the recording ended.

Finally, I broke the silence. "Alicia's father has already taken over the case." "Dad..." "Mom..." "I think justice will finally be served." Both of them nodded. That night, everyone retired to their rooms. Lying on my bed, I couldn't help remembering how Laura and I used to exchange messages every night before sleeping. That chapter of my life was over.

Smiling faintly, I unlocked my phone and typed a message to Alicia. "Beauty. How are things on your side?" Only a few seconds later, Alicia replied. "Everything went well. I told Grandpa and Dad about the recording. They promised to handle Mike's case seriously. We also discussed our engagement. They want to meet Aunt Mary and Uncle Quinton before finalizing everything. I'll tell you the date as soon as it's decided."

I chuckled while reading the long message. "That's a lot to say at once. Are you trying to end the conversation before I reply?" Alicia stared at her phone. Her cheeks became bright red. She wanted to tell me she didn't want the conversation to end. But her pride never allowed her. Instead... She hugged her pillow tightly. "Silly Nerd..."

Meanwhile... At the Chambers residence... Chris barely touched his dinner. Valeria noticed immediately. "Son..." "Is your girlfriend giving you problems?" "Did her parents refuse to accept you?" Chris snapped back. "No, Mom." "It's Mike." David looked over. "What happened this time?"

Chris sighed. "He found proof that Ben framed him." Valeria's eyes widened. "Really?" "How?" "I don't know all the details." "But Mike and Alicia managed to get Ben to confess." Valeria laughed. "So your other girlfriend helped him." Chris rolled his eyes helplessly. "Mom..." "Alicia isn't my girlfriend." "Oh!" "I almost forgot." "I have another piece of news."

Valeria immediately became excited. "What is it?" "Hurry and tell me!" "You know I spend all day at the hospital. I hardly hear any gossip." Chris smiled. "Mom..." "Mike and Alicia are getting married." David nearly dropped his cup. "What?!" "Wasn't Mike still with Laura not long ago?"

Even Valeria looked confused. "So..." "Alicia... the girl I kept teasing you about..." "...is going to become Mike's wife?" Chris covered his face with both hands. "Mom..." "That's... somehow even more confusing than the actual story." The dining room erupted into laughter, ending the night on a much lighter note.