C226 A Dept Written In Blood

Alicia instinctively tightened her grip around my hand. Peter continued. "Your Aunt Malice..." "...was extraordinary." "She had already received job offers from some of Scotland's biggest companies." "Technology companies." "Financial institutions." "Engineering firms." "They all wanted her." Mark smiled proudly despite the tears in his eyes. "My sister rejected every single offer."

Peter nodded. "She told us..." "Why should I build someone else's dream when I can build my own?" A small smile appeared on Alicia's face. "...That really sounds like me." Peter smiled gently. "It does." "She wanted to establish her own technology company." "She spent months preparing business proposals." "Meeting investors." "Studying markets." "She believed Scotland deserved another great technology company."

Peter looked away. "One afternoon..." "One of her friends introduced her to several investors." "It was supposed to be an ordinary business meeting." He paused. "Your mother..." "Gabrielle..." "...decided to accompany her." Alicia's breathing became uneven. "My..." "Mother?" Peter nodded. "She wanted to support Malice." "They left together that morning." "They were laughing." "They even argued over which café they would visit after the meeting."

Georgia suddenly covered her face as tears streamed through her fingers. "I still remember waving goodbye..." "I told them..." " To come home early." Her voice completely broke. "They smiled..." "...and drove away." Silence. No one moved. Peter swallowed painfully. "Hours later..." "We received a phone call." His voice became almost inaudible. "That there had been..." "...a terrible car accident."

Alicia slowly shook her head. "No..." Peter closed his eyes. "We rushed to the scene." "The car..." "...was completely destroyed." "The police told us..." "...they died instantly." Georgia began sobbing uncontrollably. Mark could no longer stop his own tears. Even Peter's voice cracked. "We were devastated." "We buried two daughters..." "...on the same day."

Alicia finally broke down. Her tears poured freely as she whispered, "My mother..." "My Aunt..." "They..." "They never came home..." I immediately wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She buried her face against my chest, crying silently. I had never seen Alicia like this before. Not once. Peter wiped away his tears before continuing. "Our grief blinded us." "We accepted the accident report." "We never questioned it." "We simply..." "...thought it was an accident."

Mark lowered his head. "Years later..." "I joined the Police Department." "I always believed something wasn't right." "I wanted to reopen the investigation." "But every request..." "...was rejected." "Every door was closed." "Every file disappeared." He continued " Ever since that accident Harris Family stopped chasing after me." "The threats i had gotten since coming from my retirement stopped." "That could only mean thing that they got their revenge." "And their revenge was taking Malice and Gabrielle's lives."

Peter wiped away his tears as he continued. "The two innocent lives." "People who did not even know anything." "That is why i always blame myself over this." "And I will not stop blaming myself untill i get justice for them. He slowly added. "Recently..." "We discovered that the Harris Family had become interested in acquiring Lucia Goods." Alicia slowly looked up. "Lucia Goods?"

Peter smiled sadly. "Yes." "We bought Lucia Goods for two reasons." "The first..." "...was because Malice dreamed of owning a company." He gently looked at Alicia. "When we watched you grow..." "We realized something." "You laughed like her." "You argued like her." "You solved problems exactly like her." "You even loved technology." "It felt..." "...as though a part of Malice had returned." Fresh tears rolled down Alicia's cheeks.

Peter continued, "So..." "We decided Lucia Goods would become your company." "Your dream." "And..." "Our way of honoring hers." He paused before his expression hardened. "The second reason..." "...was to force the Harris Family into the open." "If they truly wanted Lucia Goods..." "They would eventually reveal themselves." Mark slowly nodded. "And now..." "They finally have." I suddenly remembered something. My eyes widened. "Grandpa..." "When Alicia and I first arrived at Lucia Goods..." "Adam Tavez and Leon Wright mentioned that many people expected the Harris Family to buy the company."

Mark immediately looked at me. "You remember that?" I nodded. "I thought it was just company gossip." Peter's expression darkened. "No." "It wasn't gossip." "It was true." Mark added quietly, "Recently I also had Jack Harris arrested." "He was involved in drug trafficking." "His bail was posted..." "...but every movement he makes is being monitored." "The moment he slips..." "We'll know." "And maybe he can lead us to Willy." Silence filled the room once again.

Alicia slowly wiped away her tears. She looked toward the family portrait hanging on the wall. Although Gabrielle and Malice weren't in that photograph... It somehow felt as though they were watching over everyone. Her voice trembled. "Mother..." "Aunt..." "I don't know if you can hear me..." "But I promise..." "I'll find the truth." "I'll find justice for both of you." The room fell completely silent.

Then Mark looked at her seriously. "What about Lucia Goods?" "What are you going to do about the people opposing you?" Alicia slowly stood up. For the first time that night... The tears disappeared from her eyes. In their place... Was determination. She looked directly at her father. "I'll investigate every department myself." "I'll uncover everyone connected to the Harris Family." "And..." She paused. Her voice became cold. "As for those trying to sabotage Lucia Goods..."

She looked at me before finishing, "I'll fire them." "If they call me ruthless..." "So be it." "I would rather be feared..." "...than allow my mother's killers to hide behind my kindness." No one questioned her. Not Peter. Not Mark. Not Georgia. Because they all understood... The gentle Alicia they had always protected... Had finally inherited not only Malice's brilliance. But also Peter Mooney's unwavering resolve. And from that night onward... The battle against the Harris Family had truly begun.

Peter slowly walked over to Alicia and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking into her tear-filled eyes, he spoke with a voice filled with both love and concern. "My child, you may plan to seek justice... you may even dream of revenge. But never let that revenge take you away from us. If I were forced to choose between avenging the past and protecting you... I would choose you every single time. We have already buried too many people we loved. I cannot bear the thought of losing you as well." A faint smile appeared on Alicia's face as she nodded softly.

However, deep inside her heart, another emotion had already taken root. It was no longer just grief. It was determination. The desire to uncover the truth burned fiercely within her. She wanted justice for her mother, Gabrielle. She wanted to avenge her Aunt Malice. No matter how long it took or how difficult the road ahead would become, she silently vowed that those responsible would one day answer for every innocent life they had stolen.