C387 The Gathering

The afternoon came much faster than any of us expected. By the time the clock approached the scheduled training session, the employees of Lucia Goods had already gathered at the training area. The atmosphere was different from the previous days. The recent attack on the Mooney family had left everyone uneasy, even though most of them still did not know the full details of what had happened. I stood in front of them and began the session myself. For a few minutes, I went through some of the basic exercises with them, correcting their movements and reminding them why their training was important, most of them had never imagined that one day they might actually need to defend themselves.

I could see the uncertainty on their faces. Some were still trying to understand why their training had suddenly become so serious. Before I could continue, the ten coaches arrived. The moment they stepped onto the training ground, everyone's attention shifted toward them. Hammer took charge immediately. "Everyone, get into position." The workers quickly followed his instructions. The coaches divided them into different groups and began organizing the training session. Their movements were efficient and disciplined, making it obvious that this was something they had done many times before.

I stepped away from the group. Before leaving, however, I walked over to Leon and Adam. "From tomorrow, both of you will officially take over again." Leon looked at me for a moment before nodding. "Understood, vice director." Adam also nodded. "We won't disappoint you." I smiled. "I know. Take care of the company while we're gone." With that, I left the training ground and hurried back home. By the time I arrived at the Mooney residence, everyone was already waiting. The cars were parked outside, and several members of the family were already dressed for the evening. I walked inside and immediately realized that I was the last one to get ready.

I quickly went upstairs, took a shower, changed my clothes, and returned downstairs. Everyone was gathered in the living room. I looked around before asking, "Alicia, are you taking Emmanuel with us?" Alicia shook her head. "No. We're only going to be there for about an hour. He's sleeping, so the maid will stay with him." I nodded. "Alright. Then let's go." Alicia looked toward the maid. "Please stay with him. If something happenes, call me immediately." The maid nodded. "Yes, Madam." Alicia gave one final glance before walking outside. Three cars soon left the Mooney villa. I drove the first car, with Alicia sitting beside me. Mark drove the second car with Quinton beside him. Peter, Georgia, and Mary travelled together in the third.

As we drove away from the villa, I glanced at Alicia. She was unusually quiet. I reached over and gently held her hand. "You okay?" She looked at me and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about everything that's happening." I nodded. "I know." Neither of us said anything else. There was too much on our minds. Tonight was supposed to be a simple meeting. But we both knew it was much more than that. We were about to ask all the families to accept something that could change everyone's lives. At the Wood residence, everyone was also preparing to leave. Sarah had already made sure Tristan had everything he needed before handing him over to someone who would take care of him while she was away.

Samantha was quieter than usual. She kept checking her phone, reading the same messages repeatedly. The idea of disappearing for three months was still difficult for her to accept. She had a family. She had responsibilities. And now she was being asked to leave everything behind without being able to explain where she was going. Sarah noticed her expression. "You okay?" Samantha looked up. "I don't know." Sarah smiled faintly. "None of us know." The two sisters exchanged a look before walking outside. At the Chambers residence, David was seated comfortably in his chair while Valeria prepared herself for her night shift. The house was relatively quiet. Then the front door opened. Chris walked inside.

The moment he saw his parents, he froze. He suddenly remembered something important. He had never actually told them what was happening. He had simply assumed they would come. "Mom. Dad." Valeria looked at him. "Yes?" Chris rubbed the back of his neck. "We have a meeting." David lifted his eyes from his glasses. "A meeting?" Chris nodded. "It's in an hour. You two need to get dressed." Valeria stared at him. "Chris, I'm preparing for work. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Chris sighed. "I know, Mom. I'm sorry. But it's urgent, and it won't take long. Please, just come with me. It's important." David placed his glasses on the table. "What is happening?"

Chris hesitated. "You'll understand when we get there." David frowned. "That doesn't answer my question." Chris smiled awkwardly. "I know. But if I explain everything now, we'll be late." He quickly pointed toward the hallway. "Please go and change." Without giving them another opportunity to question him, Chris rushed toward his room. Valeria and David exchanged a confused glance. "What is that boy hiding?" Valeria asked. David slowly shook his head. "I don't know." A few minutes later, they were ready. Chris sent them the location of the meeting, and soon all three of them left the Chambers residence.

The evening slowly settled over the city. At Ben's club, only a few customers were seated inside. The number of customers was nowhere near what Ben had expected. He stood near the entrance, watching the room. "This is supposed to be crowded," he muttered. Then several cars arrived outside. Ben's expression immediately changed. He recognized the vehicles. The Wood family had arrived. He quickly straightened his clothes and walked outside. "Sister!" Sarah smiled. "Brother." Ben looked around. "You actually came." Sarah laughed. "Of course. We told you we were coming." Ben nodded excitedly. "Well, then come inside. You are the first proper group of customers I've had today." Samantha laughed. "Already complaining about your business?" Ben shook his head. "I'm not complaining. I'm just saying I expected more people." They entered the club.

Ben immediately instructed the waiters to take care of them. For the first time that evening, he looked genuinely happy. Then another group of cars arrived. Ben looked toward the entrance. The Mooney family had arrived. His smile disappeared for a brief moment. He saw me stepping out of the car. Our eyes met. Ben forced a smile. "Welcome." I smiled politely. "Thank you." Ben stepped aside and allowed everyone to enter. Although he remained polite, his eyes followed me for several seconds. Alicia noticed. She said nothing. We proceeded toward the large table where the Wood family was already seated. A few minutes later, another group arrived. The Gomez family.

Bright walked in first, followed by Prince, Godness, and Laura. "Good evening," Bright greeted everyone. Everyone returned the greeting. Laura immediately went toward the others. "Hello, everyone." Sarah smiled. "You're finally here." Laura nodded. "I almost thought I was going to be late." "You're not," Sarah replied. Before they could continue, another group arrived. Faith's parents. The moment Faith's mother stepped inside, she looked around curiously. She had no idea why her daughter had suddenly invited her to such a meeting. Faith had given them almost no information. They simply knew that it was important. They greeted everyone and took their seats.

Sarah looked around the table. She counted everyone carefully. Then she smiled. "One more family is still coming." Everyone exchanged glances. I looked toward her. "Who?" Sarah smiled. "You'll see." Ben, meanwhile, could barely contain his excitement. His club was suddenly filled with people he considered extremely important. Wood family. Mooney family. Gomez family. Faith's family. He kept waving toward the waiters. "Make sure everyone has something to drink." "Bring more red wine." "And make sure nobody is waiting too long." The waiters hurried around the room. For Ben, this was turning into a much better evening than he had expected. He quickly took a photo of everyone.

Then another vehicle stopped outside. Sarah looked toward the entrance. "There they are." Everyone turned. The door opened. Amanda entered first. Behind her were her mother and father. The Stokes family had arrived. Amanda immediately spotted Chris. Their eyes met. Chris gave her a small nod. Amanda returned it. Amanda and her parents approached the table. Introductions were exchanged, greetings were made, and eventually everyone found a seat. The large table was finally full. For a few moments, nobody spoke. There were too many people from different families sitting together. Some knew each other well. Others barely knew one another.

And most importantly, none of them knew why they had really been invited. Faith's mother finally broke the silence. She looked around the table before asking, "Is there something important happening? I don't think I've ever seen so many families called together for one meeting." The question immediately changed the atmosphere. Everyone became quiet. Alicia looked at me. I looked back at her. We both knew there was no turning back now.