(1301 words)
Chapter 12
Alicia quietly closed the front door behind her, but before she could take another step, Michael's voice came from the kitchen.
"Mom?"
She paused with her hand still resting on the doorknob before slowly turning toward him.
He was standing there, watching her more carefully than usual, as if he were trying to understand something he could not quite explain.
"Are you going out again?" he asked.
"Yes," Alicia answered calmly.
"You've been going out a lot lately."
She looked at him without changing her expression.
"So have you."
"That's different."
Alicia adjusted the strap of her bag and held his gaze for another second.
"Is it?" she asked quietly. "I've simply stopped pretending."
Michael blinked, confused.
"What does that mean?"
Alicia gave him a small, polite smile.
"It means I'm doing exactly what everyone else in this house has always done."
She walked past him.
For a moment, he turned as if he wanted to stop her, but he didn't.
"You're acting strange," he said, his voice quieter now.
Alicia stopped near the door without turning around.
"As I said before, maybe I've simply stopped pretending."
Her voice was soft but firm.
Then she walked away without looking back.
Outside, the afternoon was warm and peaceful. The street looked exactly as it always did—quiet and almost empty—but Alicia moved through it differently now. Her back was straight, her steps steady, and every movement seemed deliberate. She never looked around or hesitated. She already knew where she was going and what she had to do.
The park was almost empty, with only a few people walking along the paths. Alicia chose a bench near the side entrance where she had a clear view of everyone coming in. She sat down, placed her bag beside her, folded her hands on her lap, and remained completely still, watching everything without attracting attention.
When the man arrived, he did not hurry. He walked toward her with calm confidence. As he reached the bench, he gave her a slight nod.
"Alicia."
She looked at him.
"Daniel."
He sat beside her, leaving a small space between them. For a moment he remained silent, studying her carefully, as if he had noticed something different.
"You've changed," he finally said, his voice quieter than usual.
"I'm busy," Alicia replied simply.
Daniel smiled faintly, but his eyes remained serious.
"You're always busy," he said. This time it sounded more like a fact than a joke. He kept looking at her.
"But this... this is completely different."
Alicia turned just enough to meet his eyes.
"Let's not waste time."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
No softness.
Daniel immediately straightened his back.
The smile disappeared from his face, replaced by something much more serious.
"Of course," he replied.
Alicia opened her bag and took out a folder. She placed it between them without making a single unnecessary movement.
"Twenty storage units. Five garages."
Her voice was calm and clear.
Daniel raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked through the papers.
"That's a lot," he admitted before looking back at her.
"You built all of this over the years."
"And now I'm selling it quickly."
She closed the folder before he could study it any longer.
He watched her carefully.
"Why?"
"I don't need to explain."
There was no emotion in her answer.
It was simply a boundary.
Daniel accepted it with a small nod.
"All right."
A short silence followed.
It did not feel empty.
Both of them were thinking.
Measuring the situation.
Planning their next move.
"You know," Daniel finally said, leaning forward slightly, "you'll have to lower the price."
Alicia turned toward him with the same calm expression.
"No."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"That's not how business works."
"Yes, it is," she replied calmly.
Daniel studied her again, trying to understand where her certainty came from.
"You're in a hurry."
"Yes."
"That gives me the advantage."
Alicia did not move.
She did not even blink.
"No," she said quietly.
"It gives you an opportunity."
For a moment, Daniel said nothing.
Something changed between them.
He was no longer talking to someone who felt desperate.
He was talking to someone who had already made every decision.
"You've changed," he said softly.
Alicia held his gaze.
"No."
"You simply see me clearly now."
Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
After another brief silence, he spoke again.
"One hundred and thirty thousand pounds."
Alicia answered immediately.
"No."
"It's a fair price for a quick deal."
"It isn't."
Daniel stared at her, looking for even the smallest sign of doubt.
He found nothing.
"You're asking too much."
Alicia spoke slowly.
Every word was precise.
"You owe me a favor."
"It's time to repay it."
"One hundred and fifty thousand pounds."
"In cash."
"No delays."
Above them, the green leaves moved gently in the breeze, but neither of them noticed.
Daniel remained silent for several seconds before letting out a short, dry laugh.
"You've always been difficult to convince."
"I'm being generous," Alicia replied.
He shook his head, although there was respect in the gesture.
"You know... I could say no."
Alicia stood up, picking up her bag in one smooth movement.
"Then say no."
She turned and started walking away without hesitation.
That made him react faster than anything else.
"Wait," Daniel called.
She stopped but did not turn around.
A few seconds passed before he spoke again.
"One hundred and fifty thousand pounds is fine."
Alicia closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning back toward him.
"Tomorrow," she said.
"I want the money in cash."
"I want it in my hands."
She looked at him for one more second before adding calmly,
"After that... I'll disappear."
Daniel did not answer immediately.
Something changed in his expression.
He understood that this was about much more than business.
"Tomorrow," he finally said quietly.
When Alicia left the park, the sky had already begun to darken and the streets were growing quieter.
She never slowed down.
There was no hesitation left in her movements.
Only direction.
Later that evening, she sat alone in her bedroom with the folder open on the bed.
She studied the numbers, the addresses, and the list of properties. Her fingers moved slowly across the pages, as if she were memorizing every detail.
Then she picked up a pen and crossed out several lines.
Two storage units.
Five garages.
Those would not be part of the sale.
They were in another area, farther away from the others, more hidden, less likely to attract attention.
She would keep them.
For a moment she stopped and quickly did the math in her head.
Each storage unit brought in a small but steady income every month.
The garages earned even more.
Together they produced around two thousand pounds every month.
Sometimes a little more.
Reliable income.
Safe income.
Predictable income.
She looked at the number for several more seconds.
£2,000.
Then she quietly closed the folder.
In the end, it no longer mattered.
Not anymore.
Nina had come back.
Soon she would have all the money in cash, and that would give her something far more valuable than financial security.
Freedom.
She opened a drawer and took out an envelope filled with documents and keys.
Soon she would have to contact the tenants and tell them that, starting next month, there would be a new owner—someone else who would deal with the payments, the questions, and the problems.
That responsibility would disappear from her life forever.
Everything had to be clean.
Everything had to be finished.
From the next room, she could hear voices.
Michael.
Mark.
Leo.
Normal voices.
An ordinary evening.
Life continued as if nothing had changed.
Alicia stood up and walked toward the bedroom door, stopping just before opening it.
For a second, she listened without moving.
Her face remained perfectly calm.
Her eyes stared into the distance.
Then she turned away.
She straightened her back once again, relaxed but completely in control, and allowed the silence to surround her.
She felt no fear.
Only clarity.
She already knew exactly what she was going to do next.