2

"You've bumped into me," Donna purred in a voice that held a hint of innocence. Her oversized sunglasses failed to conceal her displeasure.

Alpha Kilian couldn't help but find the girl's behavior intriguing. He stooped down and extended a hand to help her up from the ground. "Are you alright?"

Donna's response was cut short as she was entranced by the sight of the handsome man standing before her. She had always been drawn to attractive faces, and something about his features seemed strangely familiar to her.

"Of course not. Who knows what other injuries I may have sustained," she coyly replied.

Alpha Kilian examined her closely, but found no signs of injury. He smiled and asked, "Shall I escort you to the hospital?"

"No need for that," Donna stated firmly. "But you can give me your number. I'll reach out to you via WhatsApp if anything should arise." With a commanding tone, she pulled out her phone and added, "Let me scan your QR code."

Alpha Kilian found the cunning girl's boldness quite charming and didn't hesitate. He retrieved his phone and opened WhatsApp, an app he rarely used. It was merely an additional icon on his screen.

After scanning Alpha Kilian's QR code, Donna nodded in satisfaction. "Very well, Mr. Handsome. We shall be in touch through WhatsApp if the need arises!"

"Where are your parents?" They had been engaged in conversation for some time now, but Alpha Kilian couldn't help but notice the absence of the girl's parents.

Donna frowned and muttered, "I haven't even met my daddy yet." Shaking her head, she walked away.

Alpha Kilian chuckled as he watched her depart. What a clever little girl.

"Let's go, Tony," he called out.

Tony glanced at his sister and asked, "What took you so long?"

Donna flashed him an enigmatic smile and replied, "I encountered a handsome uncle by the restroom. He was so striking that I thought he might be some kind of celebrity, but alas, he is not."

Tony, uninterested in Donna's starry-eyed musings, walked ahead of her.

Ben approached Donna and teased, "Could he possibly be more handsome than me?"

"I actually think he resembles both of you. Well, Tony, specifically," she nodded solemnly.

Ben stole a glance at Tony's retreating figure. This little one truly is handsome. I can already envision the heartbreaker he will become.

"How do you think our daddy looks if Tony is so good-looking?" Ben wondered, imagining their father's appearance.

"He must be extraordinarily handsome as well!" Donna exclaimed dreamily.

"Oops. We might be too good-looking for our own good," Ben lamented.

Just then, Tony's voice called out, "Grandpa!"

Donna turned around and saw the elderly man standing nearby. Though his hair was now gray, the triplets felt a strong sense of familiarity with him. "Grandpa!" Donna shouted as she raced over and embraced Wade. "Grandpa, I've missed you so much!"

Wade held the little girl in his arms, hands trembling with emotion. They had kept in touch through video calls all these years, and finally meeting his great-grandchildren in person overwhelmed him. "I've missed all of you too!" he managed to say through tear-filled eyes, glancing at the other two boys.

"Grandpa!" Ben approached Wade and hugged him tightly.

"Alright, alright!" Wade didn't know what else to say. The Jackson family wasn't large, so he cherished this moment, his eyes welling up with tears as he looked at the three children.

Tony, a reserved child who rarely displayed his emotions, simply smiled faintly as he observed them.

"Let's head back now! We can talk more later!" Wade said, ushering them towards the car.

Meanwhile, at Prosper Technologies, the office was abuzz with conversation even before Nelly arrived.

"Did you hear? The programmer arriving today is a woman."

"So what? It's not uncommon to have female programmers. Not exactly groundbreaking news."

"The guys were hoping she would boost office morale. But you haven't seen the photo of the new girl. The men in the Design Department already feel defeated!" a couple of female employees chatted and giggled at the reception.

"Really? Are you serious?"

"I have her photo right here. Take a look!" One of the girls pulled out her phone and showed the others a picture of Nelly.

"Goodness, is this photo from the '80s? Did she grow up in a village?" Someone commented.

"I know! How does someone still have that sense of style in this day and age? She may be attractive, but her fashion sense is truly questionable."

"No wonder the guys in the Programming Department are already despairing!"

The girls pointed towards Nelly's photo, mocking her appearance.

Suddenly, the elevator dinged and opened.

The manager stepped out, leading Nelly. "Follow me, Ms. Jackson," he directed.

Nelly trailed behind the manager, wearing oversized sunglasses to conceal her face. She disliked wearing makeup while traveling, a habit encouraged by Donna. Over time, she had grown accustomed to it.

The girls at the reception fell silent as they noticed their manager.

In unison, they greeted him.

"Go make a cup of coffee."

"Yes!" one of the receptionists scurried off to make a cup of coffee, stealing a glance at Nelly before leaving. Wow, where did this stunning lady come from?

"We didn't mean to interrupt your day and call you in, but we've encountered a challenging issue," the manager explained.

"It's alright. I have some spare time anyway," Nelly replied.

"Great. Let's go. The Programming Department is this way," the manager said, leading her towards the office.

The girls regrouped and resumed whispering to each other. "Who is she?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen her before!"

"Could she be a celebrity?"

"Doubtful. Celebrities usually have assistants accompanying them. Furthermore, the manager's tone didn't suggest she's a celebrity."

"Come on, let's get a closer look."

Meanwhile, in the Programming Department, the manager clapped his hands to gain the attention of the busy staff. "Everyone, this is Ms. Nelly Jackson. You've probably heard of her. She will be joining us next Monday, but I asked her to come in today to assist us with the final stages of our project."

The men in the Programming Department froze upon seeing Nelly.

Nelly removed her oversized sunglasses and greeted everyone, "Greetings, everyone. I am Nelly Jackson. I apologize for not wearing any makeup today, so please pardon my tired appearance."

As she removed her sunglasses, the entire office, including the men from the Programming Department, the girls who had mocked her earlier, and the manager, were all left astounded.

Nelly epitomized porcelain-fair skin.

Her perfectly oval-shaped face accentuated her dark, obsidian eyes. Though not large, they sparkled like stars in the night sky. Her long, flowing hair, cascading down to her waist, further added to her captivating aura.

Is this the same woman from the photo?