C25 A Favor To be repayed

Samantha felt completely different. Her eyes became moist. She couldn’t understand the pain building inside her chest.

She had wanted Mike to move on. She had wanted him to find happiness.

Yet seeing him smiling beside another woman made her feel as though her heart was being torn apart. For years she had convinced herself that she had already lost him.

But now, seeing another woman standing where she once stood, she finally realized she wasn’t ready to let go. The rumors. The photographs. The gossip about Mike having a new girlfriend.

She desperately wished they weren’t true. She wanted to leave. To go somewhere far away. To cry where nobody could see her.

Fortunately, Ben and Samantha had already finished flying their kites. Without another word, they returned to their car and drove away.

Once they were gone, Alicia finally explained herself. “Since she saw those rumors online, she would naturally believe them if I held your hand.”

She smiled proudly. “Women know when it’s time to back off. After today, don’t worry, Big Brother. She won’t bother you anymore.”

Chris was the first to respond. “Younger Sister… you really don’t have any hidden intentions, right?” Alicia laughed. “I did him a favor, so now he owes me one.”

“What?” Both Chris and I exclaimed at the same time. Chris pointed at me. “My brother never asked you to do that.” Alicia smiled mischievously. “Does he need to ask?”

We were left speechless.

Alicia smiled and said, “So brothers, since you owe me a favor, tomorrow at the family dinner please don’t mind whatever my father or my grandpa says. I don’t even know the real reason they invited both your families.”

Chris laughed and shook his head. “So you think we’re that stupid to fall for your little plan? You pretended to help my brother, but it was actually you who needed us. You made it look like a favor, and now we have to repay it.”

Alicia only laughed and nodded. “Yes… so we all benefit.” Chris crossed his arms. “I almost thought you were also eyeing my brother.”

We all burst into laughter, but deep down, Alicia felt something she had never experienced before.

She had never been in a relationship. She didn’t know the signs of falling in love. All she knew was that she cared about Mike, whether it was because he was kind, or because she pitied the situation he was in, she wasn’t sure herself. But something about him stayed in her thoughts longer than it should.

While sitting there, Alicia took out snacks and we ate while enjoying the breathtaking view of kites filling the sky.

In the distance, we suddenly spotted my team manager. Wait… he was talking to someone. When I looked closely, I froze. Those eyes… that face… The same girl from before.

I was dazed for a moment, trying to understand how they were connected. My mind drifted back to that day, the lunch incident.

It was the team manager who had taken us out, yet somehow we ended up sitting with her. And now, here they were again, talking as if they already knew each other. Chris called my name, snapping me out of my thoughts.

When I turned away, the sky was filled with glowing kites dancing in the wind, their strings shimmering under the sunlight as if they were alive.

For a moment, we all stood there admiring the view in silence.

After a while, we started walking back. As we passed through the crowd, a familiar voice called out behind me. “Nerd.” I turned immediately. “Team Manager”. He laughed. “Forget the formalities. We’re not at work.” Chris and Alicia greeted him as well.

His gaze then shifted to Alicia. “It’s rare to see two young men accompanied by such a beautiful lady.”

Josh already recognized her from the Information Systems department and of course, he also knew she was the daughter of the Minister of Police.

Alicia simply smiled politely. “My brothers wanted to try something different, so I brought them to fly kites.”

Behind him, the young woman remained quiet and shy.

After the greetings, Josh gently stepped aside and brought her forward. “Colleagues, this is my daughter, Laura Tryon.”

He turned to her. “Laura, this is Michael Smith the ‘nerd’ I once took out for lunch, remember?” Laura nodded slightly.

Then he gestured toward Chris. “This is Christopher Chambers, from Business Administration.” “And this is Alicia Mooney, Information Systems intern… daughter of the Minister of Police.”

Alicia’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly recovered and smiled. “Hello.” We all nodded in greeting.

She was truly beautiful soft features, elegant figure, neither too tall nor too short. But unlike Alicia’s confident and playful energy, Laura was quiet, reserved, and almost fragile in presence.

After the introductions, we slowly parted ways. Before leaving, we made a promise to Alicia.

Whatever happened tomorrow at the family dinner, it would not change anything between us. We would still treat her as our younger sister. She smiled at that.

On the way back, passing by a small market, I suddenly remembered something.

I had received my salary but I hadn’t done anything for my parents yet. I asked Chris and Alicia to come inside with me.

We spotted a small shop selling matching bracelets simple, elegant, not too flashy. Without hesitation, we bought three of them, symbolizing the beginning of our small circle… our little family. Then we went to a shopping mall.

I didn’t know much about women’s preferences, so I asked Alicia to help me pick something for my mother.

She looked at me strangely. “You know I hardly go out alone. Everything I have has always been bought for me. Where do you think I learned women’s taste?”

Still, she carefully chose a set of earrings, a necklace, and a matching bracelet. Chris also picked something for his mother.

Alicia paused for a moment. Tonight, she thought to herself, she needed to win her family’s approval so no one would make things difficult for her “brothers.” She chose a beautiful jade piece for her grandmother.

We then moved to the men’s section. Chris and I picked ties and watches for our fathers. Alicia added a traditional tea kettle for her grandfather and also chose a tie and watch for her father.

As we finished, I remembered the notice that was posted in the group chat about the company’s dress code. I asked them to accompany me to buy few formal clothes