Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 535

On top of that, he had been a complete loner. Aside from Alicia, he had never spoken a single word to any of the other children.

As a teenager, Lyle had been terribly scrawny and malnourished, even shorter than Alicia... A stark contrast to the imposing, six-foot-two man sitting in front of her now.

It was nearly impossible to connect the two figures in her mind.

"Are... are you really Lyle?" Alicia asked, still struggling to process it. When Micah simply smiled without denying it, her shock deepened.

"Yeah," Micah nodded.

A direct confirmation.

He was Lyle.

Alicia remembered that year vividly. The orphanage's funding had been slashed, forcing the director to severely cut back on meals. Desperate to help ease the burden, Alicia restricted herself to one small meal a day, saving whatever she could for the younger children.

One afternoon, dizzy and on the verge of fainting from starvation, a hand reached out and offered her a sandwich.

It was Lyle.

That was their first real interaction since he had arrived.

He was usually so isolated, keeping to his private room and eating alone. He rarely even stepped foot into the communal dining hall.

Alicia had always felt an icy barrier around him, never once attempting to bridge the gap.

But that day, Lyle was the one who extended the olive branch.

After that, he frequently sneaked her extra food.

She was endlessly grateful to the older boy.

He had told her his name was Lyle, a word that sounded like 'wild' or 'unwanted' in their native tongue.

He told her he was just an unwanted stray.

"Annie, I remember you telling me that we were family," Micah said, his gaze burning with a quiet intensity.

Alicia fell silent.

Back then, when he called himself unwanted, she had comforted him. She told him he wasn't a stray, that they were family now.

And she truly had treated him like an older brother.

But a year later, he was gone.

But now, they couldn't just sit across from each other with pure, selfless intentions.

People changed.

She didn't believe for a second that Micah was approaching her without an ulterior motive.

"Why did you suddenly take over Lynch Corporation?" she asked, her tone shifting to something much colder.

She used to view him as family.

She didn't want to view him as an enemy now.

"The company was never my target. Taking it over was just the Gentleman's way of testing my abilities. What I really want is The Quinn Group. I want what is rightfully mine," Micah said, holding her gaze.

He didn't want to lie to her. This was the absolute truth.

Alicia was taken aback by his brutal honesty. "Who is the Gentleman?"

That was the one answer she needed more than anything.

"He's..." Micah's grip tightened around his glass. His eyes darted away, unable to meet hers.