C254 What If They Target The Company

Alicia remained standing beside me, her eyes fixed on the frozen image displayed on my phone. For several long seconds, neither of us spoke. The office, which had felt warm and peaceful only moments earlier, suddenly seemed suffocatingly quiet. She finally broke the silence. "Husband..." "If they really traced your location yesterday..." "...then does that mean they know who you are?"

I slowly shook my head. "I don't think so." "They probably only managed to trace the IP address before I shut everything down." I sighed heavily. "If they knew my identity, they wouldn't have gone to the house." "They would've come directly here." Alicia nodded slowly. "That makes sense." She folded her arms and began pacing around the office. "But even so..." "They've already proven something." I looked at her. "What?" She stopped walking. "They're dangerous." "They didn't hesitate to send armed men to investigate." "What if your parents had still been living there?"

I looked down at the floor. "I've been thinking about that." "If Mom and Dad hadn't moved earlier today..." "They would've walked straight into them." A cold chill ran through both of us. Neither of us wanted to imagine what could have happened. Alicia slowly returned to her chair before resting her elbows on the desk. "This is becoming much bigger than Lucia Goods." "It isn't just about the company anymore." "It's about our families." I nodded in agreement. "Exactly." "Which is why I don't think we should panic just yet."

She looked at me with surprise. "You call this not panicking?" I gave a bitter smile. "No." "I'm saying we shouldn't alert everyone until we understand exactly what happened." "If we tell everyone immediately..." "They'll panic." "My parents have only just moved into your family's home." "They deserve one peaceful day." Alicia lowered her eyes. She understood exactly what I meant. After a few moments she asked quietly, "So..." "What do we do now?"

I leaned against the desk. "First..." "We stay alert." "Second..." "We avoid doing anything reckless online." "I won't attempt another search until I completely change my setup." She nodded. "And after work?" "After work we tell your father and grandfather everything." "They deserve to know." "If the Harris Family is truly involved..." "...then they need to strengthen security at the Mooney Residence ." Alicia agreed immediately. "Yes." "We can't hide something like this from Grandpa."

She suddenly paused. Then another thought crossed her mind. "Husband..." "If they found your old house..." "What if they decide to investigate this company too?" I froze. That possibility hadn't crossed my mind. She continued, "Lucia Goods has only just changed ownership." "Our enemies are already watching us." "If the Harris Family suspects we're investigating them..." "What if they target the company next?"

I slowly rubbed my forehead. "You're right." "We don't have nearly enough security." She nodded. "The guards outside only deal with ordinary problems." "If armed men like the ones we just saw arrive here..." "They wouldn't be able to stop them." I remained silent. Everything she said was true. The security guards at Lucia Goods were trained to protect company property, not to fight heavily armed criminals. Alicia slowly leaned back in her chair. "If they come here..." "The police won't arrive instantly."

I tried to reassure her. "We'll call them." She immediately shook her head. "And by the time they arrive?" She looked directly into my eyes. "If their objective is to kill us..." "They'll finish everything long before the police even reach the building." Her words sent another wave of silence through the room. She wasn't exaggerating. If an organised criminal syndicate truly wanted to attack... Response time would never be fast enough.

After thinking for a long while, Alicia finally spoke again. "I need to find a solution." "And soon." I raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?" "I'm not sure yet." "But one thing is certain." She pointed toward the window overlooking the company grounds. "This company needs stronger protection." "Not next month." "Not next week." "As soon as possible." She paused before adding, "And that has to happen before we finish appointing the new supervisors."

I smiled slightly. "My wife is already thinking five steps ahead." She returned a small smile. "I have to." "I can't allow this company to become vulnerable." I nodded. "In that case..." "I should also start making preparations." She tilted her head. "What kind of preparations?" "I'll rebuild my entire computer system." "Yesterday proved that my current setup isn't secure enough." "If I investigate the Harris Family again..." "I need to make sure nobody can trace me."

Alicia smiled proudly. "Now that's the husband I know." "I'll leave the cyber side to you." "And I'll deal with everything happening inside the company." "Together..." "We'll figure this out." I reached across the desk and gently squeezed her hand. "We will." For a brief moment, the tension between us disappeared. Neither of us knew what challenges lay ahead. But one thing had become certain. The Harris Family was no longer just a distant name.

They had already begun moving. And sooner or later... Their paths would cross with ours. Wanting to lighten the atmosphere, I suddenly changed the subject. "So..." "Are Leon and Adam starting their inspection roles today?" Alicia blinked before laughing softly. "I almost forgot." "Yes." "Today's their first official day as Inspectors." "I already asked Human Resources to prepare their offices." "And their secretaries should have reported by now."

I smiled. "They've been waiting for those positions for quite some time." "They'll probably be more nervous than excited." She laughed again. "I think so too." I looked at the clock on the wall. "Is that why you arrived so early today?" She glanced at the time herself before smiling sheepishly. "Actually..." "No." "I was so busy thinking about everything that happened yesterday..." "I didn't even notice how early I'd left home."

I couldn't help laughing. "So my hardworking wife accidentally became the first employee to arrive." She covered her face in embarrassment. "Don't tease me." "I'm supposed to look dignified as the Director." I chuckled. "Even Directors are allowed to arrive too early." She pointed a finger at me. "You're enjoying this far too much." "I really am." The heavy atmosphere finally eased. After another glance at the clock, I stood up. "I should head to my office." "We've both got a lot of work waiting."

She looked up at me with a playful expression. "You're leaving just like that?" I pretended to be confused. "What do you mean?" She folded her arms. "So..." "No goodbye?" "No morning hug?" I laughed. "My wife is taking the initiative today?" A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "Maybe." Without saying another word, I walked around the desk and gently wrapped my arms around her. She rested her head lightly against my chest.

For a few peaceful seconds... Neither of us spoke. The world outside felt dangerous. The future was uncertain. But in that quiet embrace... Both of us found the strength to keep moving forward. I leaned closer and whispered softly into her ear. "I love you, Wife." Her cheeks turned even redder. She looked away shyly. "I only asked for a hug..." I laughed. "And I gave you something extra." She shook her head, unable to hide her smile. "Go to work before I change my mind and make you stay here." "Yes, Director." I saluted jokingly before walking toward the door.

Just before leaving, I turned back one last time. She was already seated behind her desk again, reviewing the files with the same determined expression that had earned everyone's respect. I smiled to myself. No matter what dangers awaited us... I knew one thing for certain. As long as we stood together... We would face them head-on. With that thought, I quietly closed the office door behind me and headed toward my own office, while Alicia prepared herself for another challenging day leading Lucia Goods.