C141 A New Home

Bright understood better than anyone that everything had changed within the span of a single week. At work, he had always avoided Mike out of guilt. If he, as an outsider, found it difficult to face him, then how much heavier must Laura's heart have been?

He knew Laura had never wanted any of this to happen. She had simply been trapped between her father and the man she loved. Every day Bright tried his best to make her smile, but no matter what he did, he could still feel the invisible wall between them. He woke up early every morning to prepare breakfast before she woke up. Laura would politely thank him, take a few bites, then quietly put her spoon down. "I'm full."

Those two words had become her daily response. He invited her to go shopping. She gently shook her head. "I'm not in the mood." He suggested taking a walk through the city. She smiled faintly before refusing again. Bright never blamed her. Instead, he silently reminded himself that healing took time. One day... One day she'll smile sincerely again. One day the memories of Mike will no longer make her cry. One day I'll become someone she can truly rely on.

That evening, the Gomez family gathered around the dining table for dinner. The atmosphere was peaceful until Laura suddenly spoke.b"Mr. Gomez..." "Mrs. Gomez..." She hesitated before continuing. "I'm... not officially married yet, am I?" Prince Gomez and Goddess Gomez exchanged surprised glances.

Finally, Goddess smiled gently. "My child, No You are not." But this isn't a prison." "You are free to do anything you like." "If you wish to visit your home, you're free to go whenever you like." The moment Laura heard the word prison, her smile disappeared. She slowly lowered her head. A painful thought crossed her mind. Mike... He's still trapped because of me. Her eyes gradually filled with tears.

Everyone at the table noticed the sudden change in her expression. Goddess reached over and gently held Laura's hand. "My child..." "I hope you won't misunderstand." "We're not trying to keep you here." "We simply want you to feel that this is your home too." She smiled warmly before continuing, "I was actually hoping to learn the family business."

Prince smiled. "Our jewelry company, Nava Blaze Jewelry, has existed for many years." "Designing jewelry isn't as simple as people think." "You have to understand gemstones, melt gold, shape silver and create designs that customers will treasure." "It takes patience." "It takes creativity." "But I think you're capable of learning all of it."

Godness nodded in agreement. "If one day you master this business..." "Perhaps you and Bright can choose to continue running it together instead of him working at Wood IT." Laura remained quiet for a long moment before forcing a small smile. "Then I'll... make a plan." Although she answered politely, everyone could still see that her heart was somewhere else.

After work, I finally returned home. The moment I sat down on the sofa, Mom hurried over. "Mike!" "How are you?" "I saw today's news." "They said Ben was arrested." "What happened?" "How did they arrest him?" I laughed helplessly. "Mom..." "I've only been sitting down for five seconds." "You've already asked me ten questions."

Quinton burst into laughter. "Forget your mother." "I have something more important." I looked at him curiously. "What is it?" He smiled. "Why didn't you tell us the Mooney family was coming today?" I frowned. "They were here?" "For what?" "Did something happen?"

Quinton laughed again. "No." "They came to discuss the engagement." I blinked. "The engagement?" "When?" Mary could no longer hide her excitement. "This Friday evening!" I stared at both of them. "So soon?" She nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't want either of you changing your minds." "Especially my future daughter-in-law." A warm silence filled the living room.

After a while, Mary remembered something else. "Oh yes." "The Mooney family also brought several gifts." "They told us not to worry about your engagement outfits." "Alicia insisted on designing both of them herself." I looked surprised. "You mean..." "Alicia designs clothes too?" Quinton smiled proudly. "Your future wife has more talents than you realize."

Mary chuckled. "She's beautiful..." "She's intelligent..." "She can cook..." "She can manage a company..." "And now you've discovered she's also a fashion designer." Quinton laughed. "You really found yourself an incredible woman." I smiled quietly. "I know." Soon we finished dinner together before everyone returned to their rooms.

Later that night, after taking a shower, I lay comfortably on my bed. Out of habit, I picked up my phone. My fingers quickly typed a message. "Good night, my sweet darling. Don't work too hard." Almost immediately, my phone vibrated. "How did you know I'm working?" I smiled before replying. "Let me guess... You're designing our engagement outfits."

Only a few seconds later, my phone rang. Video Call from Alicia. I answered without hesitation. The screen lit up. Alicia was sitting in her bedroom wearing a light silk nightdress, her long hair resting naturally over her shoulders. For a brief moment... I completely forgot how to breathe. My Adam's apple moved unconsciously. Fortunately, Alicia was too focused on the sketches spread across her desk to notice my reaction.

She looked up with a smile. "So..." "What kind of suit do you want?" She turned the sketchbook toward the camera. "I've already drawn several ideas." "What do you think?" I couldn't help smiling. "I trust your taste." "Whatever you design..."b"I'll wear."bShe smiled proudly. "I knew you'd say that."

Then she looked down at another notebook. "Oh..." "What about your ring?" "I heard your family's heirloom includes both a ring and a necklace." "I also heard Aunt Mary plans to give them to me." She looked back at the screen with a curious smile. "So I don't have to worry about choosing jewelry." I nodded. "That's true." "They've been passed down through generations." "They're meant for the eldest son's wife."

Alicia blinked. "Then..." "I suppose I should treasure them." I smiled softly. "They'll suit you perfectly." She looked away shyly. "You keep saying things like that." "How am I supposed to concentrate?" I laughed. "Then finish your work." "My future wife needs her beauty sleep." She rolled her eyes playfully. "And whose fault is it that I'm still awake?" "The engagement is only a few days away." "I want everything to be perfect."

Looking at the determined expression on her face, I couldn't help feeling grateful. The future no longer seemed uncertain. It felt like, little by little... Happiness was finally finding its way back to us.