C21 They Will Make Mistakes If I Ignore Them

Before either of us could open the envelopes, Alicia quickly stepped forward. “No!” We both looked at her.

She looked more embarrassed than we had ever seen her. “Open them at home.” “With your families.” The seriousness in her voice surprised us.

Without asking further questions, we placed the envelopes into our bags. The bodyguard smiled knowingly.

As he turned to leave, he added one final sentence. “Your father says he looks forward to meeting the two young men you’ve been talking about.” Then he walked away.

Silence immediately fell between us.

Chris froze. I froze. Alicia looked as though she wanted the ground to open beneath her and swallow her whole.

The black vehicle slowly drove away. Chris turned toward her. “Little sister…” Alicia avoided eye contact. “Yes?” “Exactly how much have you told your father about us?”

She smiled nervously. “Maybe…” She paused. “A little.” Chris folded his arms. “A little?” “Or a lot?” Alicia looked away. “A lot.”

For a moment, the three of us simply stared at one another. Then we burst into laughter.

None of us noticed the figure watching from an office window high above.

Ben stood there with a dark expression. The smile on his face was cold. His eyes followed us as we entered the building.

His plan was already moving forward. Yet something was wrong. Very wrong. The call should have come by now.

The evidence should have been planted. It should already be spreading throughout the company. So why was nothing happening?

His fingers tapped impatiently against the glass. “What is taking him so long?” The cold smile slowly disappeared from his face. Ben began to feel uneasy.

After lunch, everyone returned to their departments.

Ben was already watching closely. He believed Mike had found a new lover, Alicia. And now, the “results” he had been waiting for were finally released.

While everyone was working, Weibo suddenly exploded with activity. A new trending topic appeared at the top of the platform: “Wood IT Company Intern Abuses Women”

The post quickly spread like wildfire. According to the report, it was allegedly posted by a woman claiming to be Mike’s ex-girlfriend.

She stated that she and Mike had been dating long before he joined Wood IT Company.

At first, she claimed, he acted like a loving boyfriend. But after he started working, everything changed. She accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her almost daily.

Attached to the post were several disturbing images. Bruises on her arms and face. A photograph of her standing next to Mike. And another image taken outside the café, showing Mike sitting with Alicia.

Alicia’s face had been slightly blurred, but it was still clear that she was a woman sitting beside him. The timing of everything made the story even more believable to outsiders.

As I continued working, I noticed my phone buzzing repeatedly. I opened the notification. I read the entire article carefully.

To be honest, I wasn’t even shocked at first. I had already become used to this kind of targeting. But when I looked up, I noticed my colleagues were also reading the same post.

Their expressions were slowly changing. Whispers began spreading across the office. “Is he really like that?” “No way… he looks so quiet.” “Maybe he hides it well.” “He should be arrested.” “Someone should report him to the police.”

The words didn’t affect me the way they normally would.

I calmly returned to my work. Alex walked over to my desk. “Nerd… you’re becoming famous every day.” “First the trending topic few days ago, now this.” “Who is targeting you like this?”

I laughed lightly. “No idea.” He frowned. “Are you sure?” “Because you don’t even look bothered.”

I leaned back slightly in my chair. “Whoever it is wants a reaction.” “If I stay quiet, they’ll get impatient.” “And when people get impatient…” I paused. “They make mistakes.”

For a moment, the entire nearby section had gone quiet. It turns out everyone had been listening. Suddenly, someone started clapping. Then another. Within seconds, the entire office broke into applause.

“Mike is a genius!” “He’s handling it calmly!” The tension in the room eased slightly, and the gossip temporarily faded.

But one voice broke through the noise. “If this continues… won’t it damage the company’s reputation?” “Couldn’t he get fired?”

The room went quiet again. All eyes slowly turned back to me. I met the gaze without emotion. “If I get fired,” I said calmly, “then I get fired.” “If that makes everyone happy, then so be it.”Silence followed. Even Alex didn’t speak.

From across the room, Team Manager Josh watched everything carefully. As a manager, he avoided interfering in personal office gossip.

But he also understood something others didn’t. This was not a normal situation. Someone powerful was clearly targeting Mike. And stepping into that conflict too early could be dangerous.

What surprised him most… Was that Mike still looked completely calm.

When it was finally time to knock off, I was still focused on finishing the task in front of me.

Because I had spent part of the afternoon dealing with the rumors spreading online, I ended up staying behind longer than everyone else.

The office had already begun emptying out. As I packed away my laptop, I noticed Alicia standing near my desk waiting patiently.

Immediately, I felt dozens of eyes turn toward us. Alex. Bright. Several colleagues. Everyone seemed unusually interested. It was as if they were waiting for me to explain who Alicia really was.

The moment she spoke, every expression in the office changed. “Brother, hurry up. Today you’re the one making us late.” Her voice was clear and natural.

The single word “Brother” instantly shattered countless assumptions. Bright’s eyes widened. “Brother?” he repeated. Then a huge smile appeared on his face. “Why didn’t you tell us you have such a beautiful sister?”

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped forward confidently. “My name is Bright Gomez.” He stretched out his hand eagerly.

Alicia looked at him. Her playful expression disappeared immediately. The teasing smile she always showed around Chris and me was nowhere to be seen. Even the nagging just now had disappeared.

Instead, she simply nodded politely. “Hello, Bright. It’s nice to meet you.” Bright stood there awkwardly. His hand remained hanging in the air. Alicia never offered hers.

The rejection wasn’t rude. It was simply clear. Very clear. Bright slowly lowered his hand while trying to maintain his smile. “Ah… nice meeting you too.”

A few people nearby tried hard not to laugh. Alicia turned back toward me. “Brother, are you coming or not?”

I grabbed my bag immediately. “Coming.” Without another word, we walked toward the exit.