C61 Hearts In Conflict

As the conversation at the café came to an end, silence gradually settled over the table. Although the three of us sat together, each of us had retreated into our own thoughts.

Alicia lowered her eyes to the cup in front of her, barely noticing the coffee that had long gone cold. My words kept replaying in her mind. "You'll always be our sister." Those words should have comforted her. They should have made her happy. Instead, they stirred something she had been trying to ignore. What if... She hesitated. What if I have already fallen for him? The thought startled her. She had never considered it so directly before.

Everything about Mike fascinated her. His calm personality, the way he always analyzed situations before speaking, his willingness to protect those around him, and even the confidence with which he handled problems. She found herself constantly watching him without realizing it. Whenever something happened, he was the first person she wanted to tell. Whenever she was confused, she unconsciously looked toward him for reassurance.

When did this start? She honestly couldn't remember. Had it been during the internship? The business trip to France? Or had her heart quietly changed little by little without her noticing? She sighed inwardly. No... Grandmother understands these things better than I do. I'll ask her later. Perhaps her grandmother would know whether these feelings were merely admiration... or something much deeper.

Across the table, Chris was equally distracted. He replayed Mike's words over and over. If someone truly loves us, they'll understand who our family is. Chris leaned back in his chair. If Sarah and I really end up together... Ben will become part of my family. The thought immediately created another problem. Would I choose my family over Mike?

His brows furrowed. Kelvin had already made his intentions clear. Not to interfere with young kids. But if he truly decided to target Mike because of Sarah, would Chris remain silent? He immediately shook his head. Impossible. Mike had stood beside him through everything.

Another memory surfaced almost instantly. That unforgettable night. Neither he nor Sarah had planned for any of it to happen. Circumstances beyond their control had brought them together, and now neither of them could simply pretend it never happened.

Should I just tell Mike everything? He quietly considered the idea. After all, the drink had originally been meant for Mike. Ben's enemy was Mike. Samantha's former relationship had revolved around Mike as well. Whether they liked it or not, Mike was already connected to the entire situation. Maybe he'll know what I should do.

Meanwhile, my own thoughts wandered elsewhere. Without meaning to, I found myself comparing Laura and Alicia once again. The comparison came naturally. Alicia was undeniably beautiful. She possessed a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. Anyone foolish enough to provoke her usually became the joke instead. Chris had experienced that countless times.

Laura was completely different. She was quiet. Gentle. Kind-hearted. She rarely drew attention to herself and preferred staying in the background. Alicia openly cared about me. She had repeatedly insisted that she only wanted to be my sister and that she had no hidden intentions.

Laura... I still hadn't confessed my feelings to her. I didn't even know whether she liked me. After several minutes of thinking, I finally reached a decision. I'll confess to Laura first. She was the one I loved. Regardless of the outcome, she deserved honesty. If she rejected me, then I could slowly rethink everything afterward.

As for Alicia... I cared about her deeply. She had already become my family. A faint smile appeared before another thought suddenly interrupted me. Mom and Dad already believe Alicia is my girlfriend. What will happen if I suddenly bring Laura home instead? The image alone made me chuckle quietly. The peaceful silence finally ended as we stood up and returned to the company.

Back at the Cybersecurity Department, Team Manager Josh immediately called me into James Courington's office once more. "There isn't much time before Friday," James said with a smile. "So let's continue." For the next several hours he carefully explained the responsibilities of a Strategic Engineer.

He showed me risk assessment reports, long-term security planning documents, emergency response procedures, and how to coordinate with multiple departments during cybersecurity incidents. By the end of the session my notebook was almost full. James nodded approvingly. "You're learning quickly." "I still have a lot to learn," I admitted. "You've got the right attitude," he replied. "That's exactly why they chose you."

At nearly the same time, Alicia's afternoon proved just as demanding. Steven Carl walked into her new office carrying an enormous stack of files before placing them neatly on her desk.

Alicia stared at the mountain of documents. "...You're joking." Steven laughed. "I wish I was." "These are the reports you'll eventually be responsible for." He added several thick manuals on top. "And these." Alicia blinked. "My head already hurts just looking at them." Steven chuckled. "Don't worry." "You won't learn everything today." Even so, by the time the afternoon progressed, Alicia already felt as though her brain was overflowing with new information.

Over in the Business Administration Department, Chris's experience turned out to be surprisingly different. Joe hardly spent time teaching him technical work. Instead, he repeatedly smiled and said, "You already know this." Whenever Chris looked confused, Joe simply continued. "I've watched you explain this process to Rosemary." "You trained Leon on that report." "You corrected Amanda's calculations last month." "You've been doing half of a Team Manager's work without realizing it."

Chris slowly began to understand. His promotion hadn't been based on luck. It had been built on months of quiet observation. As the afternoon continued, he realized something else. Being Team Manager wasn't about personally doing every task. It was about guiding others toward the right solution. Oddly enough... That sounded much easier than he had imagined.

Elsewhere, inside the Vice Director's office, Ben sat alone studying several company reports spread across his desk. Although he had reluctantly accepted the promotions, his attention had already shifted toward something far more important. Company shares.

His father's recent decisions had strengthened people Ben considered obstacles instead of allies. The more he calculated, the less satisfied he became. Then Sarah's words from the previous day echoed in his mind. "The company should reward those who contribute to its success." Even more concerning was the confidence with which she had spoken about her own twelve percent shareholding.

That confidence told Ben one thing. Convincing Sarah to hand over her shares would not be easy. After another hour of calculations, he finally leaned back in frustration. "No..." "There isn't a clean solution." Then another thought appeared. His wedding was only six weeks away. The promotion issue had already been settled.

There was no immediate reason to create unnecessary conflict. "I'll let them celebrate for now," he muttered. "After the wedding... I'll deal with everything." His eyes narrowed. "By then, perhaps Monica's shares... and even Samantha's... can still become useful." Satisfied with his temporary decision, he closed the folder.

Meanwhile, at Wood Mansion, Sarah spent nearly the entire afternoon caring for little Monica. At first the baby remained quiet, but before long she began crying uncontrollably. Samantha carried her. The maids tried comforting her. Nothing worked.

Eventually Sarah gently took Monica into her own arms. "It's alright," she whispered softly. "I'll take her outside." She slowly walked through the garden, gently rocking the baby while humming a quiet tune. Little by little, Monica stopped crying. Within minutes she had fallen peacefully asleep.

Sarah smiled faintly but didn't immediately return inside. Instead, another concern surfaced. She instinctively rested a hand against her stomach. That unexpected night with Chris had changed everything between them. Neither of them had planned for it, and neither had truly spoken about its possible consequences. Chris did not use any protective methods. What if..?

A wave of anxiety washed over her. She couldn't ignore the possibility, however small it might be. At the same time, another mystery refused to leave her thoughts. Chris had said the person responsible for drugging his drink was someone she already knew. But who? She knew very few people connected to that celebration.

The harder she tried to solve the puzzle, the more confused she became. Finally, she made up her mind. She would ask Chris directly. Returning to the house, she handed the sleeping Monica back to Samantha before quietly heading upstairs.

Once inside her room, she picked up her phone and typed a message. "Hi, Chris. I've decided that I want to know who spiked your drink. If you can bring me proof, I'll consider it compensation for everything that happened that night." She pressed send. After staring at the message for several seconds, another worry resurfaced.

Without wasting any more time, she changed into casual clothes, quietly left the mansion, and deliberately avoided using the family driver. Instead, she hailed a taxi to a nearby pharmacy. After purchasing emergency contraception, she took the medication immediately before returning home.

By the time she arrived back at Wood Mansion, Tracy had just returned from shopping. Sarah smiled naturally and greeted everyone as though nothing had happened. No one noticed the anxiety she carried behind that calm expression.