Werren was furious.
"Why is Dad taking help from someone like him?" he muttered to himself.
"Seth is not someone we can trust."
He walked back into the company building.
As he entered, he saw Seth shaking hands with Mr. Miles before leaving.
Werren clenched his fists.
Just then, Seth noticed Leo standing nearby.
He smirked and walked toward him.
"Hey there, Leo. How are you doing?" Seth said casually.
"I didn't expect to see you working here… but it's good for you."
Leo stayed quiet.
Seth continued,
"I mean… after what happened to your parents."
Leo's expression darkened. He didn't want to remember that moment.
Seth quickly added,
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."
He smiled faintly.
"I was just saying—it's good that you've taken your father's place. It's helpful for the company."
Leo looked at him seriously.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Seth crossed his arms.
"Well… Mr. Miles asked me to help your company. It's not doing so well, after all."
Leo felt a heaviness in his chest.
He knew Seth was right.
After his father's death, the company had been struggling.
"Don't think too much, Leo," Seth said.
"My father and I will help you. So don't worry."
Then Seth noticed Werren standing nearby.
"Oh, Werren," he said with a smirk, "I know you don't like this… but your father has already agreed to work with us."
Werren's eyes filled with anger.
Seth laughed lightly.
"Relax. Hating me won't fix your company's problems."
He turned away.
"See you around."
Seth walked out and got into his car.
As he sat inside, his expression changed.
"I must say… this Werren has some nerve," he muttered.
"How dare he talk to me like that?"
Then he drove away.
Werren immediately went to his father's office.
"Dad, I want to talk to you," he said firmly.
Mr. Miles didn't even look up.
"I know what you want to say. It's about Seth, isn't it?"
"Yes," Werren replied.
Mr. Miles sighed.
"I don't want to discuss this again. My decision is final."
"But Dad—"
"That's enough, Werren," Mr. Miles said strictly.
"I'm very busy today. You can go now."
Werren stood there for a moment, frustrated and angry.
Then he turned and walked out.
In the corridor, Leo saw him.
"Hey, Werren," Leo said. "What happened? You were in your father's office… is everything okay?"
Werren looked at him for a moment.
"…It's nothing," he said.
He didn't want to worry Leo.
"I see," Leo replied.
"What about you?" Werren asked.
"Oh… I just wanted to talk to him about something," Leo said.
"Alright. I'll see you later," Werren said before leaving.
"Yeah… see you," Leo replied.
That evening, Leo was leaving the office when someone called out to him.
"Hey, Leo!"
He turned around.
It was Emily.
"Hi. How are you?" she asked.
"I heard about your parents… I'm really sorry. Are you okay now?"
Leo nodded slightly.
"I'm fine now," he said.
"But what are you doing here? It's been a long time."
Emily smiled.
"My father came here for work. I heard you were here too… so I wanted to see you."
Leo looked at her calmly.
"I see."
Emily continued,
"It's really been a long time. The last time I saw you was at school… and then you suddenly disappeared."
She paused.
"Everyone was shocked. Even your friend… what was her name… Claire?"
Leo froze.
"Claire…"
He hadn't heard her name in a long time.
"She must have been surprised too," Emily added. "Though I didn't know her very well."
Leo's heart tightened.
"I didn't even say goodbye to her…" he thought.
"She must have been waiting for me."
"How could I forget about her…?"
He felt a deep regret.
"Hey, Leo?" Emily said. "Where are you lost?"
Leo blinked.
"Oh… it's nothing."
Emily smiled.
"Come on, let's go meet Uncle Miles. It's been a while since I've seen everyone."
Leo nodded, but his thoughts were still somewhere else.
"I have to see her…" he thought.
The next day, Leo packed his things.
He was going somewhere.
Mr. Miles saw him.
"Leo, are you going somewhere?"
"Yes," Leo replied.
"I see. Have a safe trip," Mr. Miles said kindly.
He was happy to see Leo moving forward.
Soon, Leo arrived in the city where Claire used to live.
He stood quietly.
"I don't even know what I'll say to her…"
He went to her old house and knocked on the door.
An elderly woman opened it.
"Yes, dear? How can I help you?"
Leo hesitated.
"Does… Claire live here?"
The woman shook her head.
"No, dear. I live here now."
Leo's heart sank.
"Ah… I see."
As he walked away, he sighed.
"How foolish of me… it's been years. Of course she moved."
Still, he didn't give up.
He walked through the streets, remembering everything.
Then he went to his old high school.
It was Sunday. The school was empty.
He walked slowly through the grounds.
Everything felt the same… yet different.
He stopped near a cherry blossom tree.
"…This tree," he whispered.
"This is where I first saw her."
He sat on the bench.
"And this is where she kept looking at me…"
A soft smile appeared on his face.
"Claire… she was always quiet… kind… and gentle."
He looked up at the sky.
"I wonder where you are now…"
"Will I ever see you again?"
The next day, Leo searched for her again.
He met some old classmates.
One of them said,
"Claire? Yeah, she studied with us… but after some time, she left the school."
Leo felt even more lost.
By evening, the sky turned dark.
Black clouds slowly covered it.
"It's going to rain," Leo said.
"I should go back."
As he walked toward his car, something caught his attention.
A girl with black hair was standing nearby, looking around as if searching for someone.
Leo stopped.
His heart skipped a beat.
"…Claire?"