I walked toward the entrance.

The moment I stepped inside, warm lights greeted me.

The house was bright despite the late hour.

Maria’s doing.

She always insisted that a home should never feel dark.

After Alicia left, I came to realize something.

Our marriage hadn’t contained many happy memories.

Most of the memories involved her trying to make things work...

While I remained indifferent.

And the final months before she disappeared remained some of the most painful memories of my life.

Eventually, I couldn’t stay in the old villa anymore.

Every corner reminded me of mistakes I could never undo.

So I moved.

This villa stood in another estate owned by Blackwood Dominion.

Far larger.

Far quieter.

After what happened, I no longer wanted people around me.

Especially not in my personal space.

But Maria refused to let me live like a ghost.

She insisted on hiring additional staff and making the place feel lived in.

Sometimes I suspected she worried about me more than she admitted.

"Welcome home, sir."

Maria emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray.

Only then did I realize several staff members had greeted me when I entered.

My mind had been elsewhere.

"Thank you, Maria."

I started toward the stairs.

"Freshen up and come downstairs for dinner."

The familiar reminder made the corner of my lips twitch slightly.

"Alright."

For the past two years, Maria had been one of the few people keeping me grounded.

She made sure I ate.

Made sure I slept.

Made sure I didn’t completely bury myself in work.

Sometimes it felt as though she had quietly stepped into the space Nana left behind.

Not replacing her.

Just helping me survive without her.

I headed upstairs and entered the master bedroom.

The room was spacious.

Elegant.

Perfectly decorated.

And yet...

It felt empty.

I walked into the walk-in closet and placed my briefcase on the shelf before loosening my tie.

My gaze drifted to the other side of the closet.

Alicia’s side.

When I moved from the old villa, I made sure every one of her belongings came with me.

Every dress.

Every pair of shoes.

Every piece of jewelry.

Everything.

The staff had suggested packing them away into storage.

I refused.

They remained exactly where they belonged.

Carefully preserved.

Waiting.

Because no matter how much time passed...

I still couldn’t accept the thought of her disappearing completely from my life.

Two years.

Two years of searching.

Two years of following leads that went nowhere.

Two years of hoping every new report would finally bring me to her.

And still...

Nothing.

Sometimes, I felt as though fate itself was against me.

After freshening up, I went downstairs for dinner.

As usual, the dining table was covered with various dishes despite the fact that I rarely finished even half a plate.

A few minutes into the meal, Maria came to check on me.

When she saw that I was actually eating, relief flashed across her face.

She was about to leave when I called out.

"Maria."

She turned around.

"Yes, sir?"

"I’ll be traveling tomorrow."

Her brows rose slightly.

"Traveling?"

I nodded.

"I’m going to Rosewood Town for a business partnership."

Surprise flickered across her face before she smiled.

"Oh."

Then she immediately switched into her usual efficient mode.

"Alright. I’ll start packing your luggage."

"Thank you."

She nodded and left.

After dinner, I spent several hours working in the study before eventually returning to the master bedroom.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

I lay down on the right side of the king-sized bed and stared at the empty space beside me.

The left side remained untouched.

Just as it had been for the past two years.

After several minutes of turning restlessly, I finally got up.

I walked toward the balcony and retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the drawer nearby.

The cool night air greeted me.

I lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing.

Then another.

And another.

At some point, smoking had become a habit.

A way to occupy my hands when sleep refused to come.

A way to silence thoughts that never truly left.

Most nights ended the same way.

A memory.

A dream.

A reminder of Alicia.

And tonight was no different.

By the time I finally returned to bed, the first signs of dawn were already appearing in the distance.

The next morning, I left the villa early.

Jim drove me to the airport while the security team followed behind.

When we arrived, Karen and the rest of the representatives were already waiting on the tarmac.

After brief greetings, we boarded the jet.

For some reason, the uneasy feeling I’d experienced since yesterday hadn’t disappeared.

If anything, it had only grown stronger.

I tried to ignore it.

I simply hadn’t traveled in a while.

That was all.

Several hours later, the jet landed in Rosewood Town.

A convoy of black vehicles was already waiting for us.

Several professionally dressed representatives stepped forward the moment I exited the aircraft.

Their expressions immediately shifted when they recognized me.

Clearly, they hadn’t expected the chairman himself to come.

"Welcome, Chairman Blackwood. It’s an honor to have you here."

"Thank you."

We exchanged brief greetings before one of them stepped forward.

"Please, we’ll take you to your accommodations."

I shook my head.

"No."

The man blinked.

"Take me to Whitmore Industries."

A brief silence followed.

"Chairman?"

"Work comes first."

The representatives exchanged surprised glances but didn’t argue.

"Of course."

Soon, the convoy left the airport.

As we drove through Rosewood Town, I found myself studying the scenery outside.

The town was much smaller than I expected.

But it was beautiful.

Cotton fields stretched across the landscape.

The ocean glittered beneath the sunlight.

Small shops lined the streets.

People moved about their day without the hurried pace of the city.

It felt...

Peaceful.

Strangely peaceful.

Eventually, a tall building came into view.

It towered above the rest of the town.

Clearly the center of Whitmore Industries.

A fitting symbol of the company that sustained almost the entire community.

Minutes later, we arrived.

"Right this way, Chairman Blackwood."

The representatives guided us toward the elevators.

The higher we went, the stronger the strange feeling in my chest became.

I couldn’t explain it.

Nor could I ignore it.

The elevator doors opened.

One by one, we stepped out.

Several executives were already waiting to receive us.

Another formally dressed man stepped forward with a calm expression..

"Welcome to Whitmore Industries."

He extended his hand.

I shook it.

"You must be Evan leister."

"Indeed."

He smiled faintly.

"Thank you for coming all this way, Chairman Blackwood. We...."

Suddenly, something small crashed into my leg.

The force wasn’t enough to hurt.

But it was enough to interrupt the conversation.

Instinctively, I looked down.

And froze.

A little girl stood there.

She looked no older than two.

Dark curly hair.

Tiny features.

Big blue eyes.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

Because those eyes...

I knew those eyes.

And somehow...

The child standing in front of me looked painfully familiar.