Future City, Scienetopia, five years later.
The man opened the door to his room slowly. As soon as the door opened, Hugh could see his son lying on the bed, still in a deep sleep. A smile was etched on his face as he looked at his son's serene, angelic face. He really didn't have the heart to wake him up, but it was already morning, and he really had to go to school.
Hugh walked over to the bed and started to wake Shawn, who was still fast asleep. Shaking his little body gently, Hugh tried to wake him up in a gentle way. "Sweetheart, it's time to get up. It's morning, and if you don't wake up, then you'll be late for school."
Shawn opened his eyes slowly as Hugh woke him up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he could immediately see the handsome man who was now squatting beside the bed, looking at him with a smile. "Good morning, my angel."
"Good morning, Dad." Shawn answered in his typical raspy voice when he woke up. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned, indicating he was still sleepy. While trying to gather his consciousness, Shawn got up and sat down to gather his strength. Hugh could only smile at his son's adorable behavior. The man now moved over, climbed onto the bed, and sat on the edge. His hand reached out, rubbing the top of Shawn's head, who still seemed to be struggling to open his eyes fully.
"Are you still sleepy, Sweetheart?"
Shawn nodded, leaning against his father. He still felt quite sleepy, as he had gone to bed later than usual the night before. "Come on, Sweetheart, if you don't get up, Mom will be mad at you. You don't want Mom to get mad, do you?"
"But I'm really sleepy." Shawn whined.
"Listen, Dad will give you anything you want today if you get up. Besides, Mom has prepared your favorite breakfast."
"Really?" Shawn forced open both of his eyes. Hugh's words delighted him. Hugh just nodded, and it made Shawn break into a wide smile. Eagerly, he got up from his bed.
"Then I'll get ready for breakfast!" he said, running towards the bathroom.
"Does Daddy need to help you get ready, Sweetheart?"
"No need, I can get ready on my own."
"Alright."
*
"I really hope you can go straight to the office and help me until my company can grow further."
That sentence echoed in her mind, leaving Serena increasingly puzzled about what to do. She never expected such a situation to arise in the midst of her current circumstances.
It had been five years since Serena left Pandora—the land of her birth—to pursue her dream of becoming a business consultant, and a lot had happened in the last five years.
"Mommy!" Serena snapped out of her reverie when she heard a boy's voice. Upon turning, she saw her son running towards her, embracing her. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Sweetie." Serena smiled, returning the hug. "You seem more excited than usual today. What's going on? Is there something happening?"
Shawn released the hug and glanced at Hugh, who stood not far away. "Daddy said it's a secret between boys. So Mommy doesn't need to know."
Shawn chuckled softly. Serena, who heard that, immediately put on an artificially disappointed face. "So, you've dared to hide something from Mommy, huh? Watch out; I will punish you."
Serena smiled mischievously, and her hands now moved to capture Shawn's body. The boy laughed while trying to break free, but his efforts failed because Serena had already tickled his stomach, making Shawn unable to resist being amused. The boy laughed while continuing to rebel, he asked Serena to stop.
"Hahaha, stop, Mommy, I'm ticklish." Shawn continued to laugh while squirming every time Serena tickled him.
"Then tell me, what are you hiding from Mommy?"
"Well, Daddy says it's a secret between boys." Shawn ran to Hugh while laughing loudly because he was finally free from her mother's tickling.
"Just watch out for you." Serena prepared to chase after him.
"Daddy!" Shawn hid behind Hugh, laughing. Hugh, seeing their interaction, could only join in the laughter. Situations like this were pretty common in their home.
After teasing Shawn, the three of them finally had breakfast together. Hugh, as usual, focused all his attention on Shawn, making sure his son had a proper meal. They also discussed some things that interested Shawn. The boy kept chattering throughout the breakfast session. Meanwhile, on the other side, as Hugh and Shawn were busy chatting, Serena was lost in thought. The woman couldn't forget her client's request for her to come directly to their office in Pandora. Serena was contemplating all of this before deciding how to respond.
"Babe..." Hugh patted Serena's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.
"H-huh?" Serena looked at Hugh with a puzzled expression.
"What's up? Is there a problem at the office? You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"Oh... no. I'm just thinking about my client's request."
"What did your client ask that's bothering you so much?"
Serena fell silent for a moment upon hearing that question from her husband. Meanwhile, Hugh waited for her response. "The client I'm currently handling asked me to review their company in person."
"Isn't that good? So, what's the issue?" Hugh looked puzzled. This shouldn't be unusual for Serena, as it was part of her job. Occasionally, she did get directly involved in reviewing her clients' office situations to assist them.
"The problem is, my client's office is in Pandora."
"What?" Hugh's face immediately changed upon hearing her words. How could it not? This was astounding. After all, Hugh knew Serena's situation and what she had been through since they first met. Serena met Hugh when she first set foot in Scienetopia, and since that meeting, many unexpected things have happened in Serena's life, involving various situations that even a few times put Serena's life at risk. However, in each of those situations, Hugh was always there to help her. He consistently protected Serena and ensured her safety. Unknowingly, these situations led them both to be involved in each other's lives, and they eventually understood one another.
"Have you answered their request?"
"Not yet. I'm still considering it. But, what do you think? What should I do?" Serena sought his opinion.
"If the job is crucial, then you can't afford to miss it. You should accept your client's request and go to Pandora. Shawn and I will always try to support you and strengthen you in facing everything."
"But this is a long-term collaboration that might take not just weeks but possibly months. I can't just leave Scienetopia, especially considering Shawn has to go to school, and unfortunately, this is a crucial collaboration for me. Moreover, I'm afraid that if I return, they might be able to trace my whereabouts. You know yourself, right? Even now, it seems like they're still trying to track me." Serena explained everything with a worried expression. Hugh, realizing their conversation was too sensitive for the children to hear, tried to divert Shawn's attention so he wouldn't overhear Hugh's conversation with Serena.
"Shawn, if you've finished eating, can you get Daddy's car keys from the room? Daddy forgot to take them. We'll leave in a moment, okay?"
"Sure. I'll get them." Shawn finished his milk, then got up to fetch the car keys as his father requested.
"If you can't refuse it, and it's crucial for you, just accept the request."
"But, what about—"
"I'll take care of everything. We'll go together."
"But what about Shawn?"
"Leave that to me; I'll handle everything. And about those who keep chasing you, you don't need to worry about them. As long as you stay with me, you're safe. They'll never be able to track your location. The evidence is that until now, they haven't been able to find us again, right?"
Serena fell silent for a moment. Upon further thought, what Hugh said made sense. She couldn't miss this opportunity. "So you mean I should still go and fulfill the request?"
"Yes, and we'll go together. You, me, and Shawn."
"But—"
"Don't overthink it. I told you I'd take care of everything and ensure it was all under control. There's nothing to worry about. Now, finish your breakfast, and let's go. You'll be late if you keep daydreaming and thinking about all this." Hugh picked up his coffee cup and took a slow sip. Meanwhile, Serena finished her sandwich, eating it all.
"Daddy, I found it!" Shawn came in holding Hugh's car keys in his hand.
"Good boy, let's head to school before you're late!" Hugh took the car keys from Shawn's hand. He lifted Shawn, carrying him. Serena got up and followed them from behind. The three of them then set off in the car.
As usual, before dropping off his wife at her workplace, Hugh and Serena always made sure to take Shawn to school first and ensure he arrived safely.
"Remember to be a good boy and not misbehave, okay?" Hugh advised. Shawn simply nodded in response to his father's words. "Alright then, go in."
Shawn hugged Hugh, and Serena took turns giving them each a kiss on the cheek. After saying their goodbyes, Shawn walked into the school with the teacher and his classmates, waving to them.
Serena and Hugh smiled as they waved to Shawn. Once their son had entered with the other students, Hugh and Serena continued their journey to the office where Serena worked. As usual, Serena's arrival, always accompanied by her husband, never failed to make the other office employees envious. Their relationship seemed so intimate and harmonious, even though their marriage had been going on for five years.
"Don't forget to accept their request, okay?"
"Okay, I will definitely accept it."
"There's nothing for you to worry about because I'll always protect you." Hugh kissed Serena on the forehead and hugged her before they parted ways. Serena entered the building of EliteEdge Business Partners, the business firm that had been sponsoring her as a business consultant. After that, Hugh continued his journey to his workplace. On the way, he took something from the dashboard drawer of his car—a hands-free device, which he put on. As soon as he pressed the button on the device, he was immediately connected to someone on the other side.
"Sea, I need your help."
***