Sir… Leo didn't inform anyone where he was going," Rayan said politely.
"So I'm afraid I don't know where he is."
Werren nodded slightly.
"I see…"
Rayan continued,
"Sir, Ms. Emily's father wants to meet you regarding the company. You asked for his help."
Werren leaned back in his chair.
"Yes, I did," he said seriously.
"I don't want to work with Seth. He's not trustworthy."
His expression darkened.
"He's the kind of person who waits for the right moment… to bring others down."
Rayan listened carefully.
"Make sure to keep an eye on him," Werren added.
"Yes, sir," Rayan replied before leaving the room.
That evening, Werren arrived at a restaurant.
Mr. Fred was already there, waiting for him.
Mr. Fred was Emily's father—and also a close friend of Leo's late father. After his friend's death, he had always felt a deep sense of loss.
"Hello, Mr. Fred," Werren said respectfully.
"And I'm sorry for making you wait."
Mr. Fred smiled warmly.
"It's not a problem, Werren. I'm doing well. How about you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. And thank you for coming."
They both sat down.
"I'm ready to help your company," Mr. Fred said.
Werren nodded gratefully.
"Thank you. That really means a lot."
Mr. Fred sighed softly.
"I want to help because this was my friend's company… Bernard worked very hard to build it."
His voice grew slightly emotional.
"He was a good man."
Werren nodded.
"Yes… Uncle Bernard was truly a great person."
After a moment, Mr. Fred asked,
"How is Leo doing? He must still be going through a lot."
Werren replied,
"He misses his parents… but slowly, he's getting better."
"That's good to hear," Mr. Fred said.
He looked around.
"By the way, is he not at the company these days?"
Werren hesitated.
"…I haven't seen him recently."
"Maybe he's busy," Mr. Fred said. "After all, he's handling his father's position now."
"I guess so," Werren replied.
They continued discussing business matters late into the evening.
Meanwhile, at home—
Ms. Fiona, Werren's mother, went to check on Leo.
She cared for him like her own son.
"Leo, dear… how are you?" she asked gently.
"How was your trip?"
She brought some food for him.
"Here, eat something."
Leo looked at her and gave a small smile.
"Thank you… mother."
Ms. Fiona smiled warmly.
She was relieved to see him looking a little better.
But then she noticed something—
Leo seemed lost in his thoughts.
"Leo?" she called softly.
"Hmm?"
"Did you know… while you were away, Emily came to see you many times?" she said.
"She would ask about you and look around, as if hoping you were here."
Leo paused.
"Oh… I see," he said quietly.
"I'll go and meet her tomorrow."
Ms. Fiona observed him carefully.
"What do you think about her?" she asked gently.
Leo thought for a moment.
"To me… she's kind. A good person… and a good friend."
Ms. Fiona smiled faintly.
"I see…"
She didn't say anything more, but she understood Emily's feelings.
"Take care, Leo. Get some rest."
After she left, Leo sat silently.
"…Why am I thinking about her?" he murmured.
He closed his eyes.
"In the past, being with her felt easy… comfortable."
"But now… why does it feel different?"
He held his chest lightly.
"Why does it hurt…?"
"It's so strange…"
The next day, Leo went to the company.
He sat in his cabin, trying to focus on his work.
Knock. Knock.
"Yes, come in," Leo said.
The door opened.
It was Emily.
"Hey, Emily," Leo said.
"How are you? I was actually thinking of visiting you."
Emily smiled, a little nervous.
"I'm fine… how are you? It's been a while since we last met. You must be really busy."
Leo nodded.
"Yeah… I'm fine. I heard you wanted to see me?"
Emily's cheeks turned slightly red.
"Aah—no, it's not like that," she said quickly.
"It's just… I saw you the other day, and then you weren't here…"
Leo looked at her.
"Oh… I thought there was something important you wanted to talk about."
Emily hesitated.
She didn't want him to realize her feelings.
Then she quickly said,
"It's about the company."
Leo frowned slightly.
"The company?"
Emily nodded.
"My father and I… we're going to help your company. Werren asked for our help."
Leo looked surprised.
"Did Father know about this?"
"I'm not sure," Emily replied.
"My dad met Werren yesterday, and they came to an agreement."
Leo leaned back slightly, thinking.
"I thought Seth was going to help us…" he murmured.
"What's really going on…?"
Just then, Emily's phone rang.
"Oh—it's my dad," she said.
She picked up the call.
"Hello, Dad?"