C97 Lucia Goods Will Be Yours

On the other side of the city, Alicia woke up feeling no different from the night before. She had spent hours lying awake, replaying every word her father and grandfather had said. "Lucia Goods will be yours." "When you're ready, you'll become its director."

No matter how many times she thought about it, she still couldn't come to a decision. She wasn't afraid of hard work. She was afraid of disappointing everyone who believed in her. After getting dressed, she slowly made her way downstairs.

The dining room was much quieter than usual. Her father, Mark, had already left for work early that morning. Only Peter and Georgia remained, enjoying tea together. The moment Peter saw his granddaughter, he smiled knowingly. "My granddaughter," he said warmly, "you look like someone who didn't sleep well."

Alicia forced a small smile. "I... was thinking." Peter chuckled softly. "I thought so." He motioned for her to sit beside him before pouring her a cup of warm tea. "You were thinking about what we discussed yesterday, weren't you?" Alicia nodded honestly. "Yes, Grandpa." "I kept thinking about it all night." Peter gently patted her hand. "My child..." "You don't have to pressure yourself." Alicia looked up at him. "If you're not ready now, that's perfectly fine." "The company isn't going anywhere."

He smiled reassuringly. "If it takes you five years to prepare yourself, then prepare for five years." "If it takes even longer, we'll still wait." "It will still be your company." His calm voice slowly eased the burden in her heart. She lowered her head slightly. "Thank you, Grandpa." Georgia smiled lovingly. "Just continue learning." "You're still young." "Nobody becomes a great leader overnight." Alicia nodded. She felt her mind becoming a little lighter.

By the time I arrived at Wood's IT Company, the parking area was already filling up. I parked my bicycle in its usual place before looking toward the company entrance. As expected... Chris was already standing there waiting. The moment he saw me, he waved enthusiastically. I laughed as I walked over. "Look who's finally back." "My brother, how are you?" "Did you enjoy the UK?" Chris grinned. "You have no idea." "It was one of the best weekends I've ever had."

Before he could continue, we both noticed someone approaching slowly. Alicia. She was walking toward us with her bag over one shoulder. Although she smiled when she saw us, her expression looked unusually tired. Chris immediately noticed. He folded his arms before teasing her. "So..." "You're still unhappy that your boyfriend went on a date with Laura?"

Alicia looked at him before rolling her eyes. "We have much bigger problems than that..." "And you're still teasing me." The three of us laughed together. It was nice seeing her smile again, even if only for a moment. Chris lowered his voice. "So..." "Have either of you figured out who took the photo?" I shook my head. "Not yet." "But someone clearly followed Laura and me." "We have to investigate."

Alicia nodded in agreement. "The picture wasn't taken by coincidence." "The timing feels too deliberate." Chris leaned against the wall. "I agree." "Someone wanted people to see it." For several minutes, we discussed different possibilities. Was it someone from the company? Someone connected to Laura's family? Or someone targeting me personally? Unfortunately... None of us had an answer.

Trying to lighten the mood, Chris suddenly smiled. "Enough about that." "You two haven't heard my England story yet." Alicia immediately became interested. "So..." "Tell us everything." Chris laughed. "I attended Sarah's graduation." "We spent the entire day together." "We visited different places..." "Went sightseeing..." "Ate too much food..." "And made plenty of memories." I smiled. "So..." "You confessed?" Chris scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "...No."

Both Alicia and I stared at him. "You spent an entire day together and still didn't confess?" Chris laughed helplessly. "It... just never felt like the right moment." "Besides..." "What happened between us wasn't exactly planned." "It just... happened naturally." Alicia smiled. "Maybe that's even better." Chris simply nodded.

I then shared my own weekend. "After shopping, Laura and I went to the beach." "It was peaceful." "We just walked along the shoreline and talked." Chris smiled knowingly. "Not bad." Alicia looked at both of us before laughing. "You two are making me feel single." I smiled. "Speaking of weekends..." "What about yours?"

She laughed softly. "I spent mine teaching Aunt Mary and Aunt Valeria how to make Cranachan Mille-Feuille." Chris raised an eyebrow. "They actually learned it?" "They did surprisingly well." I laughed. "What else?" Alicia smiled proudly. "Then your father suggested we play chess." "Your father and Chris's father challenged me."

Chris looked confused. "My dad played?" She nodded. "Both Uncle Quinton and Uncle David." "And..." She coughed awkwardly. "I beat both of them." I blinked. "...Together?" She nodded again. "In about five minutes." Chris and I looked at each other before bursting into laughter. "How many talents do you actually have?" I asked.

Chris nodded repeatedly. "Seriously." "Every week we discover something new." Alicia blushed. "It's nothing special." "Nothing special?" I laughed. "You cook..." "You bake..." "You paint..." "You play chess..." "You analyze systems..." "What exactly can't you do?" She covered her face in embarrassment. "You two are exaggerating."

Soon the company bell signaled the beginning of work. Chris stretched. "I should head to my department." "See you both later." We waved goodbye before continuing down the corridor. As Alicia and I walked side by side, I noticed several employees glancing in our direction. Some whispered quietly. Others simply smiled. The photo was obviously still circulating.

For a brief moment, I remembered something my mother had asked me yesterday. She had wanted to know more about Alicia. At the time... I couldn't answer a single question. Smiling, I looked at Alicia. "Can I ask you something?" She looked at me curiously. "Of course." "What's your favorite color?" She blinked before smiling.b"Light blue." I nodded thoughtfully. "What about your favorite food?"

She thought for a moment. "I like many foods..." "But if I had to choose, probably seafood." I smiled. "And your hobbies?" That question made her brighten. "Oh..." "I love painting." "I enjoy designing." "I like reading." "I also enjoy cooking, baking, gardening, learning new software, solving puzzles, and occasionally writing." I stared at her. "...That's a lot." She laughed softly. "I get bored easily, so I keep learning different things."

I continued asking questions. "What do you like?" She answered patiently. "Honest people." "Kindness." "Quiet mornings." "Rain." "Family gatherings." "What about things you dislike?" She wrinkled her nose slightly. "I don't like lies." "I dislike people who hurt others intentionally." "And..." She hesitated. "I don't like disappointing people who believe in me."

Hearing those words, I immediately understood why she had looked so troubled earlier. Without realizing it, our conversation had completely distracted her. The worried expression she carried all morning had disappeared. Instead... She kept blushing every time I asked another question. Soon we reached the intersection between our departments. My Cybersecurity Department was on the left. Her Information Systems Department was directly opposite my office.

She smiled warmly. "I should get going." I nodded. "Have a good day, Alicia." "You too, Mike." As we walked in opposite directions, neither of us noticed that several pairs of eyes had been quietly watching us from farther down the corridor.