C154 A Night Of Promises

After Alicia and I finished welcoming the last of our guests, we returned to the beautifully decorated stage. The soft chatter throughout the hall gradually faded. The pastor smiled warmly before stepping up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "thank you all for gathering here tonight to witness the engagement of these two wonderful young people." The audience responded with warm applause.

Alicia quietly reached for my hand. I squeezed it gently. Before us stood the small table carrying our engagement rings. The pastor offered a short prayer, speaking about love, trust and commitment before inviting us to exchange the rings. I carefully picked up Alicia's ring. She slowly extended her hand. For a brief moment... Our eyes met. Neither of us spoke.

The entire hall watched as I gently slipped the ring onto her finger. A wave of applause immediately erupted. Smiling shyly, Alicia picked up my ring. She took a deep breath before carefully placing it onto my finger. "From today onwards..." she whispered softly so only I could hear, "...you officially belong to me." I laughed quietly. "And you belong to me." Her cheeks instantly turned pink. Another round of applause echoed throughout the hall.

Yet despite the joyful atmosphere... Many guests found themselves repeatedly looking toward one particular object. The magnificent piano standing beside the stage. It was a beautifully preserved 1946 Steinway & amp; Sons grand piano, one of Scotland's most treasured concert instruments. Crafted with exceptional precision, it was famous for producing warm, rich melodies that could fill an entire hall with emotion.

However... It was equally famous for another reason. It was notoriously difficult to master. Only experienced pianists could truly bring out its voice. Even professional musicians treated it with respect. Meanwhile... Several rows away... Sarah's attention wasn't on the stage at all. Instead... Her eyes kept drifting toward Chris. Chris was sitting quietly beside his parents, occasionally smiling at the conversations around him.

Unfortunately for Sarah... Someone noticed. Valeria. The older woman smiled knowingly before waving enthusiastically. "Miss Wood!" Sarah blinked. She pointed at herself. "Me?" Valeria nodded happily. "Come here." Sarah looked toward Samantha. "I'll be back in a minute." Samantha smiled gently. "Go." Sarah slowly walked across the hall.

The moment she reached them... Valeria immediately pulled her into a warm hug. "My child..." Sarah froze completely. "...Auntie?" She didn't even know Chris's mother that well. Why was she hugging her so affectionately? Then... Realisation struck. That brat... Chris had definitely failed to keep their secret. Sarah sighed inwardly. 'Big mouth...'

When Valeria finally released her, Sarah looked toward Mary with guilt written all over her face. She lowered her head respectfully. "Aunt Mary..." "I've wanted to apologise." Mary gently interrupted before she could continue. "Daughter..." "What happened wasn't your fault." "You weren't involved." "So don't carry Ben's sins on your shoulders." She smiled kindly. "Today is a happy day."

Her expression suddenly became curious. "So..." "How many weeks?" Sarah blinked. "...Huh?" Valeria chuckled. "My guess..." "...six weeks." Sarah's eyes widened. She instinctively lowered her gaze toward her stomach before looking back up. "Auntie..." "...how did you know?" Valeria laughed proudly. "First..." "Stop calling me Auntie." "Call me Mother." Everyone laughed.

Then she continued, "And secondly..." "I'm a nurse." "When I hugged you..." "...I quietly checked your pulse." Sarah covered her face in embarrassment. "So you noticed..." Valeria nodded confidently. "The pulse is stronger." "You've also been more tired than usual." "And..." She smiled knowingly. "...your face tells the rest of the story." Sarah finally gave up trying to hide it.

She smiled shyly. "Yes..." "It's been six weeks." Mary's eyes immediately brightened. "My goodness..." "Our family is growing again." Chris, who had been standing quietly beside them the entire time, wished the floor would open and swallow him. How had the conversation somehow become about him?

Just as he was preparing to escape... Valeria suddenly called out, "Chris." He froze. "...Yes, Mom?" She looked at him seriously. "Our family is just an ordinary family." She then glanced toward Sarah. "Will her parents really accept you?" Chris scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Mom..." "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Sarah smiled gently. "My parents aren't unreasonable." Although... Deep inside... She wasn't nearly as confident as she sounded. The four of them chatted for several more minutes before a light tap echoed through the speakers. "Ahem." The hall immediately became quiet. Sarah excused herself. "I should head back." She returned to her seat beside Samantha just as Mark walked onto the stage.

He looked around the packed hall before smiling broadly. "Tonight..." "...is one of the happiest days of my life." Warm applause echoed once more. "I would first like to thank every single person who took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate my daughter's engagement." The applause grew even louder.

After waiting for it to settle... Mark continued. "There is also another announcement I would like to make." He paused deliberately. Many guests looked at one another curiously. "I'm sure many of you have heard the recent rumours." He smiled. "Well..." "...they're true." The entire hall fell silent. "Our Mooney Family is now the majority shareholder of Lucia Goods." A wave of whispers spread through the audience.

Without giving anyone time to recover, Mark continued, "And with that..." "...allow me to officially introduce the new Director of Lucia Goods..." He looked proudly toward Alicia. "...my daughter..." "...Alicia Mooney." Thunderous applause filled the hall. Before it could die down... Mark smiled again. "And standing beside her..." "...the new Vice Director of Lucia Goods..." "...Michael Smith."

For a moment... I thought I had heard him incorrectly. Vice Director? I slowly turned toward Alicia. She looked just as shocked as I was. Wasn't I supposed to begin as her assistant? Even Georgia looked surprised. She quietly leaned toward Peter. "I thought Mike insisted on starting from the bottom." Peter smiled knowingly. "That boy probably did."

He chuckled softly. "But..." He glanced toward Mark. "...did you really expect our son to allow his future son-in-law to introduce himself as an assistant?" Georgia finally understood. She couldn't help smiling. "As expected..." "...Mark still has his pride as a father." Around the hall... Many employees and senior managers from Lucia Goods exchanged surprised looks. "So young..." "They're both younger than most department managers."

Some secretly questioned whether the company was making the right decision. Others looked unconvinced. However... None of them dared voice those thoughts aloud. One after another... They stood up and approached us with polite smiles. "Congratulations, Director Alicia." "Congratulations, Vice Director Smith." "We look forward to working under your leadership."

Although a few smiles were forced... Everyone still offered their congratulations respectfully. Not far away... Samantha watched everything quietly. Her heart felt unusually heavy. Every announcement made Alicia seem further and further beyond her reach. Power. Status. Family. Alicia now possessed everything she couldn't compete against. She truly realised... There was almost no chance of winning Mike back.