The next morning, Leo was ready to leave with Werren. His suitcase was packed, but his heart felt heavy. Before leaving, he decided to meet Mr. Miles one last time.
Leo walked into the room and looked at his father.
"Father, I'm leaving now," Leo said softly. "Please take care of yourself. And if anything happens, don't hesitate to call me."
Mr. Miles smiled gently, though there was a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Leo, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. And yes, if anything comes up, I'll call you."
Just then, Werren entered the room.
"Leo, let's go. It's time for the flight."
He then turned to his father.
"Dad, I'm heading back. Please take care of yourself."
Without waiting for a response, Werren walked out. Leo stood there for a moment, glancing between Mr. Miles and the door. A strange feeling settled in his chest—something like guilt or uneasiness. But he didn't say anything more. He simply nodded and followed Werren.
Inside the car, Leo sat quietly, staring out of the window. The city slowly passed by, but his mind was somewhere else.
Then suddenly—
"Stop the car!" Leo said urgently.
The driver immediately applied the brakes. Werren looked at Leo, confused.
"What happened?"
But Leo didn't answer. He had already stepped out of the car.
Across the street, he had seen Claire walking toward her school.
Leo's heart started beating faster. Without thinking, he began to follow her.
"Claire…" he whispered under his breath.
He moved through the crowd, trying to keep up with her, but she disappeared inside the school gates before he could reach her.
Leo stopped, slightly out of breath.
"…She's gone."
A faint disappointment crossed his face. He looked at the school gate, standing there for a few seconds as if hoping she might come back.
"I guess… I won't be able to see her before leaving," he murmured to himself.
He checked his watch.
"Oh no… it's getting late."
With a heavy sigh, Leo turned around and walked back to the car.
When he got in, Werren asked,
"Where did you go?"
Leo hesitated for a moment, then replied calmly,
"I thought I saw someone familiar."
Werren nodded.
"I see."
The rest of the journey was silent.
After reaching the airport, they boarded the flight and returned home. The next day, Leo was back at the company.
As he walked through the corridor, he saw Mr. Fred.
"Leo!" Mr. Fred greeted warmly. "It's been a long time."
Leo smiled politely and approached him.
"Hello, Mr. Fred. How are you? Yes, it's been years."
Mr. Fred looked at him with admiration.
"You've grown a lot, Leo. If your father were here, he would be very proud of you. I've heard you're handling the company well."
Leo felt a slight warmth in his chest.
"Thank you, Mr. Fred."
Just then, Werren joined them.
"Mr. Fred, how are you?"
"I'm doing well, Werren. It's good to see both of you together," Mr. Fred replied. "By the way, when is Mr. Miles returning?"
Werren shook his head.
"He's not coming back for now. He has some important work there, and it might take time."
"I see," Mr. Fred said thoughtfully.
They then moved on to discuss business plans and strategies for the company. After a long meeting, Mr. Fred left for his office.
Later, Leo returned to his cabin and called Mr. Miles.
"Hello, Father. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Leo. How are things there?" Mr. Miles asked.
"Everything is going well. Mr. Fred is helping us a lot," Leo said.
Mr. Miles smiled faintly.
"That's good to hear."
Leo paused before asking,
"And you, Father? What about your work there?"
There was a brief silence.
"Well… I'm working on something important," Mr. Miles replied, his voice slightly heavy. "I'll tell you later."
Before Leo could ask more, the call ended.
Days turned into weeks.
Leo and Werren were busy working on new plans for the company. Despite their progress, Leo couldn't shake off a strange feeling.
"It's been so long since Father returned…" Leo thought one evening while sitting alone in his cabin.
Finally, he made a decision.
"I should go and see him."
Leo walked to Werren's office.
"Werren, I'm going to visit Father today. I'll be back soon."
Werren looked up and nodded.
"Alright. Take care, and have a safe flight."
Leo added,
"I've already informed Mr. Fred. I'll be away for a few days."
"I see," Werren replied calmly.
Soon, Leo was at the airport again.
As the plane took off, Leo looked out of the window, his thoughts drifting far away—
To his father…
To the unfinished problems…
And unknowingly… to Claire.
After landing, he headed straight toward the place where Mr. Miles was staying, unaware that something unexpected might be waiting for him.