Chapter: 491

At the same time, she was busy preparing for the Christmas's performance.

The school had high expectations, and she invested a lot of effort, often practicing with her students until late.

That evening, after her last student had left with her parents, Alicia chose to linger in the vacant piano room, playing a piece just for herself.

The piano's melodious tones seemed to gnaw at her heart like a beast.

Ultimately, she felt only emptiness.

When the music ended, she sat silently, deep in thought.

It was then that Monica called her.

Alicia took several deep breaths to steady herself.

"Alicia, it's so late," Monica said softly. "I'm at the school gate. Come out!"

Alicia checked the time and saw it was already after ten.

The Warrington winter was bitingly cold.

Upon seeing Monica, Alicia took her hands and smiled. "Well? Feeling warmer now?"

Monica's hands were cold, chilled from waiting outside.

She chuckled as Alicia warmed her hands. "You had me so worried."

Alicia feigned confusion.

“What did I do?"

Monica gazed at her intently.

In just a few days, Alicia had visibly lost weight. She appeared unchanged at a glance, but her intense dedication in the classroom hinted at an underlying issue.

Documents, and even secured clients and investors for her.

But she rejected it all.

She was intent on building something from scratch.

The initial phase of starting a business would be challenging, but she was ready to face any hurdles. She didn't want to drag Monica into this. "I'll repay you as soon as possible."

Monica was not happy with that. "Don't worry about repaying me. If I need money, I'll just ask my family."

It was quite late when Monica finally dropped Alicia off at the hotel.

"Make sure to call me if you need anything," Monica reminded her.

"I'm available anytime these days."

Alicia nodded. "Have a safe drive."

Outside the hotel, a figure lurked in the shadows and made a phone call.

He said, "Mr. Yates, she's on high alert. I can't get close to her at all!"

Meanwhile, Joshua was on the phone, keeping an eye on the live news broadcast.