C86 Performance Bonus

As the conversation continued, Kelvin’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen before answering. A brief conversation followed.

After hanging up, he continued eating. Tracy looked at him curiously. “What was that about?” “The Finance Department,” Kelvin replied. “They’ve finished processing salaries.”

Tracy smiled. “Then Mary and Quinton must be very happy.” As a mother herself, she understood the joy parents felt when their children took another step forward in life.

Unfortunately, she failed to notice the sudden change in expression from both Ben and Samantha.

The atmosphere around the table shifted slightly. Kelvin noticed. But he chose not to comment.

Instead, he calmly added, “After Mike helped stop that security breach, I asked Finance to include a small performance bonus in his salary.”

The moment he finished speaking, his eyes landed on Ben. The meaning behind that glance was obvious.

Only a few days earlier, Ben’s reckless actions had nearly created trouble involving the Minister of Police. Kelvin was still angry about it.

Ben understood perfectly. Yet he pretended not to notice. A faint smile appeared on his face. “I didn’t realize our surname had changed from Wood to Smith.” He casually picked up his fork and continued eating. Nobody responded.

Across the table, Samantha had already lost her appetite. Her thoughts were elsewhere. The photograph. The rumors. The sight of Mike standing beside Alicia. The memory continued replaying in her mind. A strange pain settled in her chest.