After the call with Werren ended, Leo stood outside the café for a moment, staring at his phone.
Something about the call didn't feel right.
Werren is coming here… tomorrow?
His brows furrowed.
To meet father…? About what?
A strange uneasiness settled in his chest.
Why now…?
Leo ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady his thoughts.
Maybe I should talk to Rayan… he might know something…
But even that thought felt uncertain.
Too many questions.
Not enough answers.
Leo took a deep breath and went back inside the café.
Clair looked up at him immediately.
For a moment, he tried to act normal.
He sat down and continued talking, responding to her, even smiling faintly—but his mind was somewhere else.
Far away.
Lost in thoughts he couldn't escape.
Clair noticed.
"Leo…?" she said softly. "You seem distracted."
Leo blinked, then gave a small smile.
"…It's nothing."
But even as he said it—
He knew he wasn't convincing.
His thoughts kept circling back.
Why is Werren coming?
What does he want to talk about with father?
Is it about Seth…? About the deal…?
Leo clenched his fingers slightly under the table.
This is getting more complicated…
He couldn't focus anymore.
Suddenly, Leo looked at Clair.
"Hey… Clair," he said.
She looked at him.
"Yeah?"
"Let's meet tomorrow," Leo said. "There are… some things I need to take care of today."
Clair studied his face for a moment.
She could tell—
Something was wrong.
But she didn't question him.
"…Okay," she said softly.
Leo stood up.
Then, without thinking—
He stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug.
Clair froze.
Her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face.
But after a moment—
She gently hugged him back.
This time, the hug felt different.
Shorter.
Quieter.
Like something unspoken was passing between them.
After a few seconds, they slowly pulled away.
Neither of them said anything.
They just looked at each other.
Then—
They went their separate ways.
By the time Leo reached home, the sky had already begun to darken.
He stepped inside.
And stopped.
In the living room—
Mr. Miles was sitting there.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Leo didn't say anything.
Neither did Mr. Miles.
Without a word, Leo walked past him.
Straight to his room.
He closed the door quietly behind him.
Leo leaned against the door and exhaled deeply.
Everything came rushing back again.
The truth.
The betrayal.
The unanswered questions.
Mr. Miles.
Seth.
The past.
Mr. Daniel's silence.
Leo walked slowly toward his bed and sat down.
His eyes lowered.
His hands clenched slightly.
"To me…" he whispered to himself, his voice low and heavy,
"…you were everything."
He paused.
"A father… someone I trusted more than anyone else."
His expression darkened.
"But now…"
He looked away.
"…now you feel like someone I don't even know."
He leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
And tomorrow… Werren is coming.
Leo let out a slow breath.
"It's all so strange… so complicated…"
His mind kept turning.
Why is Werren coming here?
What does he know?
Then suddenly—
Clair's face crossed his mind.
Her smile.
Her voice.
The way she looked at him.
For a moment—
Leo's expression softened.
At least…
Not everything in his life was broken.
But even then—
One question remained.
The most important one.
Leo closed his eyes slowly.
"Why, father…?" he whispered.
"What are you really hiding from us?"
And as the night grew deeper—
The silence in his room felt heavier than ever.