C34 Ben And Samantha's Wedding Announced

Naturally, many people secretly glanced toward my department. After all, Samantha and I were once lovers and almost everyone in the company knew that.

Some expected me to look depressed. Others expected me to be angry. A few even thought I might leave work early.

Unfortunately for them, I simply continued working. The news no longer affected me the way it once had. The pain was still there, but it was no longer strong enough to control me.

At some point during the morning, Ben’s secretary came looking for me. The message was clear, Ben was looking for me and Chris. We both went to his office.

Ben’s confident voice came as soon as we entered. “Mike.” “Chris.” “I just wanted to let you know personally.” There was a brief pause. “Samantha and I are getting married.”

Ben waited. He expected anger. Disappointment. Jealousy. Anything. Instead, I simply replied calmly. “Congratulations.”

The smile on Ben’s face immediately stiffened. That wasn’t the reaction he expected.

After a moment, Ben continued. “You should forget about my future wife now.” His tone carried obvious provocation. I remained silent for a few seconds. Then I answered honestly. “I let go of Samantha a long time ago.”

The response completely caught Ben off guard. For a moment he didn’t know what to say. Was Mike pretending? Or was he serious?

The calmness in my voice didn’t sound fake. It sounded genuine.

Ben suddenly felt as though he had punched empty air. There was no reaction. No pain. No anger. Nothing. After exchanging a few more words, we left his office.

Ben sat quietly in his office. Confusion filled his face. “How is that possible?” He had expected Mike to suffer. Expected him to react. Expected him to reveal weakness. Instead, Michael sounded completely indifferent.

A dark expression crossed Ben’s face. For a brief moment he even considered sending Mike a wedding invitation just to force him to attend and watch Samantha marry someone else.

He imagined seeing disappointment on Michael’s face. Imagined seeing regret. But after thinking about it, he dismissed the idea.

There was still plenty of time before the wedding. He would think about it later. Soon his attention returned to work.

Lunch arrived faster than expected. As usual, I was so focused on my work when a familiar voice appeared outside the Cybersecurity Department. “Brother!”

Everyone instantly recognized the voice. Alicia Mooney. The office became strangely quiet. Several people secretly looked toward the entrance. Alicia stood there smiling brightly.

Today she wore a simple white blouse and dark skirt, yet she still attracted attention everywhere she went. I stood up. “Let’s go before your protector starts complaining.” Alicia laughed. “Good idea.” I followed her.

Then she did something nobody expected. Without warning, she grabbed my hand. The entire office froze. Even myself, I froze.

Before I could react, Alicia happily began pulling him toward the exit. “Hurry up!” “Chris is waiting.” I could only follow helplessly.

Behind us, dozens of eyes widened. The moment we disappeared around the corner, the office exploded. “Did you see that?” “She held his hand!” “Wasn’t she the girl from the rumors?” “No way.” “I thought she was just his friend.”

Alex nearly jumped out of his chair. “Bright!” Bright immediately appeared beside him. “You saw that too, right?” “I saw everything!” The two looked as though they had just witnessed the biggest event in company history.

Soon curiosity spread throughout the department. People began asking questions. Who exactly was Alicia? Where did she come from? How was she connected to Mike?

As employees started digging around, an even bigger revelation emerged. Someone from the Information Systems Department spoke up. “Wait…” “You don’t know who she is?” Everyone turned toward him.

He lowered his voice dramatically. “That is Alicia Mooney.” “So?” The employee stared at them as though they were idiots. “Police Minister Mark Mooney’s daughter.”

Silence. Complete silence. Then chaos erupted. “What?!” “The Minister of Police?” “You’re joking.” “No wonder nobody dared touch those rumors.” “Oh my God.” “Mike actually knows her?” “Not only knows her.” “She was holding his hand!”

The gossip spread from one floor to another.

Within an hour, almost everyone in the company knew. Some were jealous. Some were impressed. Some simply couldn’t believe it.

Meanwhile, Alicia, Chris, and I sat together in the café completely unaware of the storm raging inside the company. Chris was busy complaining. “You two walked too slowly.”

Alicia immediately pointed at me. “Your brother was walking like an old man.” I nearly choked. “Me?” “Yes, you.” Chris looked between us and shook his head.

For some reason, seeing the us argue made him feel strangely relaxed. Little did we know, throughout the company, one question was being repeated over and over again. Just how lucky was Michael Smith?

After lunch, the three of us remained seated at our usual table for a little while longer. The conversation eventually shifted back to the topic that had been occupying my mind since yesterday.

Chris narrowed his eyes and looked at me suspiciously. “Brother, be honest. Has Laura really caught your attention that much?” I paused.

For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer. Alicia leaned forward with interest. “Yes, Nerd. Yesterday you couldn’t stop talking about her. Today you nearly ran out of your house without eating breakfast because she sent you a message. That sounds serious.”

My ears immediately became hot. “It wasn’t like that.” “It was exactly like that,” Chris replied. Alicia burst into laughter. I looked away and muttered, “Maybe a little.”

“A little?” Chris asked. “You looked happier receiving her text than you looked receiving your first salary.” Alicia laughed so hard.

“Brother, that’s dangerous.” I looked at them helplessly. “You two aren’t helping.” Chris finally stopped laughing and his expression became more serious.

“Michael, what will happens if she rejects you?” The question hit me immediately. My smile faded. I had been so happy about Laura’s message that I hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“What if she only sees you as a friend?” Chris continued. “What if you’re misunderstanding her kindness?” I opened my mouth but no words came out.

Alicia asked another question. “And what about Team Manager Josh?” I looked at her. “What about him?” “Laura is his daughter.” She spoke softly. “What if he doesn’t like the idea? What if the way he treats you changes after finding out?”