C143 An Empty Mansion

Tracy and Kelvin finally returned home in the afternoon. But the moment they stepped inside the mansion, something felt wrong. It was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that did not feel peaceful, but empty. Monica was inside, but under the care of a maid, leaving the house unusually still. The warmth that usually filled the Wood residence was gone.

Kelvin slowly removed his jacket as he walked in, his expression heavy. Tracy followed behind him, her thoughts scattered. All she could think about was Ben. Their son. Locked behind prison bars. The image of him being bullied, humiliated, or worse refused to leave her mind. Kelvin sat down slowly, rubbing his forehead. "What if they hurt him?" Tracy whispered. "What if he is not safe in there?"

Kelvin exhaled sharply. "I’ve already made calls," he said. "I’m not going to sit and do nothing." He immediately picked up his phone again. One call after another. Until finally, he reached someone important. The Police Minister. "Kelvin," the minister’s voice came through calmly, "you and I go way back." Kelvin nodded even though the man could not see him."I need a favour," Kelvin said firmly. "My son… Ben. Has been bullied. I need him protected." There was a short silence on the other end.

Then the minister responded slowly. "I can help… but only on one condition." Kelvin frowned. "What condition?" "If Ben is released or helped in any way," the minister said, "you must ensure he behaves from now on. No more chaos. No more trouble." Kelvin didn’t hesitate. "I promise," he replied quickly. "Just help him." "I will speak to my daughter about it first." The call ended. Kelvin felt a small spark of hope.

Meanwhile, at the office, Alicia and I were still working without rest. The entire morning had passed without us even thinking about lunch. We were too focused. Too determined. The project we had been building was finally reaching completion. Alicia leaned closer to the screen. "If we adjust the security layer here," she said, pointing at the interface, "it will prevent unauthorized access completely."

I nodded. "And we merge it with the application system," I added, typing quickly, "so the users don’t just get protection, they also get real-time monitoring." Alicia smiled slightly. "So we’re not just building defense… we’re building intelligence." I looked at her. "Exactly." We both paused for a moment, realizing how far the project had come. From an idea… to something powerful enough to attract major banks.

Alicia leaned back in her chair. "This is going to change everything." I smiled. "It already is." By late afternoon, the system was fully operational. We tested it again and again. Smooth. Fast. Secure. And user-friendly. Alicia stretched her arms slightly. "I think we did it," she said softly. I nodded. "We did."

After finishing the system tests, we finally allowed ourselves to breathe. I turned to Alicia. "Honey…" She looked at me. "You still didn’t answer me about the outfit color. Alicia blinked. Then smiled. "Oh… that." She tilted her head slightly. "Sky blue." I paused. "Sky blue?" She nodded. "It’s calm. Elegant. And it suits both families." Then she added softly, almost shyly, "It also reminds me of peace… and you."

I felt my heart warm slightly. I laughed. "That’s a dangerous answer." She raised an eyebrow. "Why?" "Because now I like the color even more." Alicia looked away quickly, blushing. After a moment, she spoke again. "You said your parents are also preparing outfits?" I nodded. She hesitated. "Can I… buy them?" I looked at her, surprised. "For my parents?" She nodded again. "I want them to wear something I chose. But please… don’t tell them it’s from me."

I folded my arms. "Why not?" She smiled softly. "Because I want it to feel like a gift from you… but chosen by me." I stayed quiet for a moment. Then I sighed. "Alright… I’ll take the blame." She immediately smiled. "Good." By the time we were ready to leave, Chris was already waiting outside the building. And he was not smiling. He crossed his arms. "You two." I blinked. "What now?"

He pointed at us. "You abandoned me during lunch."

Alicia burst into laughter. "We forgot." Chris looked offended. "You forgot? I waited like a statue for hours!" I laughed. "Brother, we were working." Chris shook his head. "My ego suffered today." Alicia teased him. "Did Sarah not feed you?" Chris immediately turned serious. "I refused her offer." "She said she would bring food to me, but I bring it for her instead."

Alicia raised her eyebrow. "Why would you refuse?" Chris cleared his throat. "Because… I have pride." I laughed harder. "And then?" Chris sighed. "I met Samantha in the corridor." I froze. Alicia laughed. "Oh no." Chris nodded. "Exactly. Oh no." We talked for a while longer before deciding to go shopping for the outfits. Chris insisted on coming. "I also need outfits for my parents," he said. So we placed our bicycles in Alicia’s car trunk and left together.

At the mall, everything felt strangely normal. Almost peaceful. Alicia took control immediately, choosing elegant sky-blue designs for my parents. Chris chose a deep red outfit for his own parents. We moved around the shop, laughing and debating small things. Chris kept complaining. "Why are designer clothes so expensive?" Alicia replied calmly. "Because quality has value." Chris sighed. "That’s what rich people say."

I laughed. "You’re just poor emotionally." Chris gasped. "I’m rich in personality!" Alicia shook her head. "No refunds for that personality." We all burst into laughter. After shopping, Alicia insisted on paying for everything. Even Chris was shocked. "You’re paying for ALL of this?" Alicia nodded. "Consider it a gift." Chris whispered to me. "Your girlfriend is dangerous." I laughed. "I know." We then went out for dinner together.

For the first time, the three of us sat at a restaurant like a small family. Chris kept arguing with Alicia about who eats more expensive food. Alicia responded calmly. "I don’t eat expensive food. I eat good food." Chris groaned. "You’re impossible." I just smiled. Later that evening, we dropped Chris off at his house. He got out first, taking his bicycle from the trunk.

Valeria and David were shocked when they saw him arriving in a luxury car. Valeria immediately asked, "Was that Alicia driving?" Chris nodded. "Yes, Mom." David smiled. "You went shopping?" Chris nodded again and handed them the bags. Valeria opened them and froze. "This dress is… 25,000 dollars?" Chris sighed. "It wasn’t me." "It was Alicia."

Valeria immediately softened. "I like her more now." David nodded. "We must thank her properly tomorrow." Alicia dropped me off at home shortly after. My parents were already waiting. Mary looked worried immediately. "Was that Alicia?" "Did something happen?" "Why she did not come inside?" I quickly shook my head. "No, Mom. She’s fine." "She was just busy finishing our engagement outfits." That immediately calmed her down.

Quinton smiled. "So you went shopping?" I nodded. Mary gasped. "Did you even know our sizes?" I smiled. "She guessed perfectly." We all laughed softly. That night, everything felt peaceful again. Rhe world felt calm. And tomorrow… was the engagement.