But Vincent had never agreed.
......
Lawson & Co.
Vincent sat slouched in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"Mr. Lawson, you have a meeting with a huge group on Monday. Should Iâ?" His assistant stepped in, voice tentative.
Vincent stayed silent for a long moment, eyes landing on the schedule spread across his desk. He'd already marked that day with a star...
Alicia had begged him more than once to come to her graduation ceremony.
He'd always refused her, butâ
He had thought, at least, about giving her a meaningful gift on that day.
But now...
"Don't schedule anything for Monday. I have something personal to take care of," Vincent said quietly. He wanted to see Alicia, to be there for her graduation.
Even if, by his standards, it was madness.
"Understood..." The assistant didn't dare push further.
"AndâMr. Lawson, Miss Holloway asked me to remind youâMonday is an auspicious day. She's booked an appointment at city hall. She wants to get your marriage license." The assistant's voice dropped to a whisper.
Vincent frowned, leaning back in his chair.
He picked up his phone and called Mina. "Mina, Monday's going to be crazy at work. I... probably can't make it to city hall. Let's wait a bit longer.
There's no rush."
"Vincent, work can wait..." Mina's voice was tight, anxious. She was terrified he'd slip from her grasp, desperate to make things official as soon as possible. "Besides, I heard your father brought that illegitimate son into the company. If we get married quickly, it'll send a message."
The Holloways weren't quite the Lawsons, but they weren't insignificant either. Marrying her would cement Vincent's standing in the family.
Vincent's father was a notorious womanizer, with countless lovers and a string of illegitimate children. Word was, one of his mistresses was pregnant againâthis child would be nearly thirty years younger than Vincent.
Vincent's expression darkened. It felt like Mina was holding their marriage over him as leverage.
"Mina, I really am swamped. I barely have time to go home these days."
Lately, he'd been working around the clock, practically living at the office.
He was determined to get a firm grip on Lawson & Co., to win over every key player. That way, even if the so-called "bastard son" showed up, he'd have nothing to fear.
As for his fatherâVincent had his own ways of forcing the old man to hand over his shares. But now wasn't the time.
He couldn't risk tipping his hand.
"Vincent..." Mina protested, frustration dripping from her voice.
"I have another meeting. We'll talk later." Vincent hung up without waiting for her response.
Lately, he'd found Mina increasingly exasperatingâshe wasn't nearly as patient or gentle as Alicia.
Alicia never pressured him to do things he didn't want to do.
In four years together, Alicia had never made any unreasonable demands.
And yet, he'd spent all that time neglecting her.
Maybe, he thought, he'd made a mistake.
But he was certain Alicia still loved him. Deep down, he still had a place in her heart.
After all, four years of love couldn't be undone in a few short days by someone like Tyrone.
......
Seaview College of Arts.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 142 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions Melanie waited outside the main gate, looking thoroughly put out. Alicia was lateâten minutes late.
Alicia rushed up, breathless and apologetic. "Sorry... The traffic was awful."
She lied, cheeks tinged pink.
One of Melanie's classmates snickered beside her. "Melanie, didn't you say your uncle was picking you up? Where is he?"
Alicia shot the girl a look. "What's it to you if her uncle's picking her up? He's Melanie's uncle, not yours."
Just then, Tyrone appeared, carrying two candy apples. He stepped up behind Alicia, handed one to her, and gave the other to Melanie.
Melanie's face lit up. She bounced on her toes, then shot back at her classmate, "What, do you live at the beach or something?"
The girl, seeing Tyrone had actually shown up, huffed and hurried off.
Tyrone glanced at Alicia with a smile, and pulled open the car door himself. "Let's go home."
Melanie darted for the back seat, but Tyrone caught her by the collar and nudged her toward the passenger's side. "Don't even think about stealing my spot."
Melanie let out a dramatic sigh and climbed in, slamming the door shut.
She couldn't shake the feeling... Did her uncle really like Alicia?
Was that a good thingâor a disaster?