C148 The Journey Begins

The afternoon sun hung peacefully above the city as Alicia and I finally drove away from Wood IT Company. For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. We simply looked back through the rear-view mirror at the building where we had spent countless days working together. It was strange.

Just yesterday we were ordinary employees. Today... We had resigned. Tomorrow... Our lives would belong somewhere else. Alicia smiled softly before breaking the silence. "So..." "Mr. Future Husband." I turned towards her. "Hmm?" "The first stop?" I laughed. "The shopping mall." She nodded happily. "My husband's ring won't buy itself."

Nearly thirty minutes later... The car slowly entered the parking lot of Caledonia Crown Shopping Centre, one of the largest luxury malls in Scotland. Tall glass walls reflected the afternoon sunlight while expensive international brands lined both sides of the entrance. Luxury cars came and went. Elegant music echoed through the shopping centre.

Alicia parked before looking at me. "Ready?" I smiled. "I don't think I've ever bought something this important." She giggled. "It's just a ring." I shook my head. "No." "It's a promise." For a second... Neither of us moved. Then Alicia quietly reached over and intertwined her fingers with mine. "Let's go."

Inside the mall... The jewellery section occupied nearly an entire floor. Bright crystal lights reflected from hundreds of display cases filled with diamonds, platinum, gold and white gold. Several sales assistants immediately greeted us. "Good afternoon." "Welcome." Alicia smiled politely before stopping in front of one particular boutique. Its name immediately caught my attention.

Highland Royal Jewellers. Alicia nodded. "This one."

The moment we entered, an elderly gentleman wearing white gloves welcomed us warmly. "Good afternoon." "Are you looking for engagement rings?" Alicia answered without hesitation. "Yes." "For him." The old gentleman smiled knowingly before leading us towards another display.

"You have excellent taste, Miss." Several rings were carefully laid before us. Some were simple. Others were decorated with tiny diamonds.

One after another... Alicia rejected them. "This one is too flashy." "This one doesn't suit him." "This one looks uncomfortable." Nearly twenty minutes later... She suddenly stopped. "There." A platinum ring rested quietly beneath the display lights. Simple. Elegant. Its surface carried a delicate engraved Celtic knot flowing around the entire band. No unnecessary decorations. Just timeless craftsmanship.

I immediately liked it. Alicia noticed my expression. "You like it?" I nodded. "It looks... peaceful." The old jeweller smiled. "This design symbolises an unending bond." "No beginning." "No ending." "It has become one of Scotland's most treasured engagement designs." Alicia looked at me. "I'll take it." I immediately reached for my wallet. She quickly slapped my hand away. "No." "I told you already." "I'm buying this one." "But..." "No arguments." "My husband deserves a beautiful ring."

The old jeweller couldn't help chuckling. "I can already tell who makes the final decisions." I looked at Alicia. She proudly lifted her chin. "Exactly." A few minutes later... The payment was completed. The elegant little ring box was carefully wrapped before being handed to Alicia. She hugged it against her chest. "Our engagement ring..." Her smile alone was worth more than the jewellery inside.

After leaving the shopping mall... We drove straight towards the Smith residence. Neither of us realised what was waiting inside. The moment Alicia parked outside... The front door suddenly opened. Mary rushed outside with the biggest smile imaginable. "Alicia!" "My daughter!" Before Alicia could even greet her... Mary had already hugged her. Valeria followed closely behind. "There she is!" "Our beautiful bride!"

Alicia laughed helplessly. "Auntie..." "Mom..." Mary immediately held both of Alicia's hands. "You are not leaving." "You must stay for lunch." Alicia looked at me for help. I simply shrugged. "There is no escaping once Mom decides." Everyone burst into laughter before entering the house together. Lunch was already prepared. The dining table overflowed with food. Roast chicken. Fresh vegetables. Soup. Homemade bread. Several desserts.

Mary proudly smiled. "I cooked everything." Valeria immediately interrupted. "I helped." Quinton quietly coughed. "I also washed the vegetables." Everyone laughed. As soon as everyone sat down... Mary suddenly remembered something. "Alicia." She smiled warmly. "I've been wanting to ask you something." Alicia looked up. "Yes, Mom?"

Mary gently touched the sleeve of her beautiful dress. "The outfits." "Why did you buy all of them for us?"b"And..." She glanced towards me. "Why did Mike keep insisting he was the one who bought them?" I nearly choked on my drink. Alicia immediately looked at me with narrowed eyes. I raised both hands in surrender. "I didn't." "I simply followed instructions."

Everyone looked confused. I smiled. "Alicia specifically told me it had to remain a secret." Mary slowly turned towards Alicia. "You really did that?" Alicia smiled shyly. "I just wanted everyone to enjoy today without worrying about money." The dining room suddenly became quiet. Mary's eyes turned slightly red. She reached over and gently squeezed Alicia's hand. "My daughter..." "You really think of everyone." Valeria nodded repeatedly. "I told you." "Our future daughter-in-law is wonderful."

I quickly looked towards them. "Wait..." "Who told all of you in the first place?" Valeria answered immediately. "Chris." The moment those words left her mouth... Alicia covered her face before bursting into laughter. "I knew it." "My big brother really can't keep secrets." I couldn't help laughing too. "That's true." "He's hopeless." The room filled with laughter once again.

Mary suddenly became thoughtful. "Oh..." She looked towards Valeria. "You reminded me of something." Valeria blinked. "What?" "You said Chris had gotten a girl pregnant." "You never told us who she is." Silence. Alicia slowly looked at me. I looked back at her. Both of us exchanged knowing smiles. She quietly whispered, "Your turn." I sighed dramatically. "Fine." "It's Sarah."

Mary blinked. "...Sarah?" Quinton frowned. "Which Sarah?" I answered calmly. "Sarah Wood." The room became completely silent. Mary's mouth slowly fell open. "...Director Kelvin Wood's younger daughter?" I nodded. "Yes." Quinton leaned back in complete disbelief. "Our former boss's daughter?" Before either of them could recover...

Alicia suddenly pointed at me and laughed. "You too!" "You can't keep secrets either!"

I defended myself immediately. "He started it." "Besides..." I pointed towards Mary. "They already knew everything." "They only wanted the name." Everyone laughed again. But Mary and Quinton were still too shocked to join in immediately. They simply stared at one another.

Then Mary slowly asked, "But..." "How did those two even meet?" "And..." She looked worried. "Won't this complicate everything?" "The Wood family is still Ben's family..." The smiles around the dining table slowly faded as everyone realised... That question... Had no simple answer.