To my surprise, Uncle Steve laughed quietly.
Not mockingly.
Not cruelly.
Just a soft laugh.
"What’s funny?" I asked, irritation slipping into my voice.
"Nothing."
His tone was calm.
Then he sighed.
"I just never thought I’d hear you say those words."
I frowned.
"What words?"
"That you love her."
Silence filled the room.
I lowered my gaze.
For years I had never questioned my feelings.
Never examined them.
Never tried to understand them.
I simply lived my life believing everything was the way it should be.
Yet now that Alicia was gone, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Couldn’t stop searching for her.
Couldn’t stop missing her.
"You know," Uncle Steve said quietly, "your grandmother would be smiling if she heard you right now."
The ntion of Nana made my chest tighten.
"Alexander."
His voice beca serious.
Though still gentle.
"Maybe Alicia had just reached her limit."
The words struck harder than I expected.
" Loving soone isn’t always enough."
"Sotis people get tired."
"Tired of waiting, of hoping, hurting."
I sat there silently.
Unable to argue.
Because deep down, I knew Alicia had been hurting for a very long ti.
And I had been the cause of most of it.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" I asked hoarsely.
"Give her ti."
Uncle Steve answered.
"And while you’re searching for her..."
His voice softened.
"Try searching for the answers you’re still refusing to see."
Uncle Steve let out a sigh before saying sothing that made freeze.
"Alicia didn’t leave because she stopped loving you or because of so misunderstanding. She just needed space. No matter how long it takes, if you’re ant to find your way back to each other, then she will co back."
I stopped hearing the rest.
The sa words kept repeating in my head.
She didn’t stop loving you.
My grip tightened around the phone.
First Aiden.
Now Uncle Steve.
Aiden had said the way Alicia looked at was different.
Uncle Steve was saying she didn’t stop loving .
I swallowed hard.
Was it really true?
Had Alicia always loved ?
If she did, then how is it possible that I never noticed.
My thoughts were a complete ss.
Uncle Steve’s voice pulled out of them.
"After all, she’s carrying your child. I’m sure Alicia wouldn’t deprive a child of their father’s love."
My chest tightened, but I didn’t say anything.
"Alicia loved your grandmother. She wouldn’t want you abandoning the legacy Roseline left behind. She wouldn’t want you walking away from the company all of you worked so hard to build."
I closed my eyes briefly.
Nana.
Even now, every ntion of her still hurt.
"If you’re going to et your child one day, then you need to be prepared to beco the father that child deserves."
I looked out through the glass window of the suite.
The ocean stretched endlessly in the distance.
A week.
I had spent almost a week searching.
Chasing every clue.
Following every possibility.
Yet I was no closer to finding Alicia than when I first arrived.
Maybe Uncle Steve was right.
Maybe I couldn’t keep running around like this forever.
"Think about it, Alexander. You know what to do."
I released a long breath.
"Alright."
My voice sounded tired even to my own ears.
"I’ll return"
Uncle Steve was silent for a mont.
Then he finally spoke.
"Good."
A few seconds later the call ended.
I lowered the phone and stared at the dark screen.
But my mind wasn’t on the company.
It wasn’t even on the search anymore.
It was on one question.
Had Alicia really loved all this ti?
And if she had...
How blind had I been?.
I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes.
For the first ti since she disappeared, exhaustion settled deep into my bones.
Maybe Uncle Steve was right.
Maybe I couldn’t keep running around blindly forever.
If Alicia truly needed space, then forcing my way into every corner of the world wouldn’t bring her back any faster.
But that didn’t an I would stop looking.
It only ant I needed a different approach.
After a mont, I picked up my phone and dialed Jane’s number.
The call connected almost imdiately.
"Sir."
Her voice sounded alert as always.
"Prepare for our departure tomorrow morning."
There was a brief silence.
Then she spoke carefully.
"We’re returning to Velaridge City?"
"Yes."
I glanced out the window toward the ocean.
"We’ve exhausted every lead we have here."
Jane hesitated.
"Understood, sir."
"Inform Henry as well."
"I will."
Another pause followed before she asked quietly,
"Sir... are we ending the search?"
My grip tightened around the phone.
"No."
My answer ca imdiately.
"Just changing the way we do it."
"I understand."
"Make the arrangents."
"Yes, sir."
The call ended.
I set the phone down and looked at the ocean one last ti.
M city had given hope.
Then disappointnt.
And sohow even more questions than answers.
Especially after speaking with Aiden.
Especially after speaking with Uncle Steve.
Both of them seed convinced of sothing I couldn’t fully understand.
That Alicia loved .
I lowered my gaze.
Was it really true?.
It kept repeating itself in my head.
And that sa question, followed long into the night.
---
The next morning arrived sooner than expected.
After getting ready, I left the suite and headed downstairs.
Jane and Henry were already waiting in the lobby with our luggage.
Neither of them spoke much.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The drive to the airport was quiet.
I sat beside the window watching the scenery pass by.
Crystal-blue waters.
Rows of palm trees.
The sa breathtaking views Alicia would have loved.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
I wondered how many mories I had missed creating because I was too blind.
Soon we arrived at the airport.
The private jet was already waiting.
After boarding, I settled into my seat near the window.
Jane and Henry sat farther away, giving space.
As the aircraft began moving, I looked out at the runway.
Part of felt like I was giving up.
Another part knew I had no choice.
A week had passed.
The company needed .
Nana’s legacy needed .
And if I was ever going to beco the father my child deserved, then I needed to pull myself together.
The jet accelerated.
A few monts later the ground disappeared beneath us.
I watched as the islands slowly beca smaller and smaller until they vanished completely among the clouds.
For a mont I closed my eyes.
Alicia.
Wherever you are...
Please be safe.
That was the only thing I asked for now.
The flight continued toward Velaridge City.
And for the first ti since she disappeared, my mind was filled with a different question,apart from where she was.
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