"Well then, I excuse myself." Aiden smiled as he left the room. He intended to meet his daughter before leaving and let her study with her new friends.
Aiden's steps suddenly halted when he saw Rhys standing in the corridor, looking panicked and confused. Not seeing Loui with him, Aiden quickly approached. "Rhys!"
"Aiden, it's urgent!" Rhys approached with a worried expression. "Loui is missing."
"What?" Aiden widened his eyes upon hearing the news. "I had left my stuff in the car, and I intended to go get it. But Loui didn't want to and insisted on waiting here, so I asked him to sit here for a while I left. When I came back, he was gone."
"Gosh, you shouldn't let your guard down. Loui is a kid who can't keep quiet. Now let's go find her before she does something that could harm her!" Aiden and Rhys began searching for Loui around the school. After a while, with no sign of her, Aiden suggested they split up to locate her faster.
They separated and searched in different directions. Just as Aiden's concern grew, he finally found his daughter. "Loui!"
Attention immediately shifted towards the sound's source. As they turned, they saw Aiden hastily approaching his daughter. Aiden quickly knelt in front of her, embracing Loui tightly. "You really scared Dad." Aiden murmured softly. Loui just smiled while reciprocating the hug.
"I just wanted to explore my new school."
"Next time, don't go alone like that, okay? What if someone kidnaps you?" Aiden interrupted their hug, looking closely at his daughter. Loui nodded. "I promise I won't do it again."
"Good, Dad is relieved to hear that."
While Aiden conversed with Loui, it was different for Serena, Hugh, and Shawn, who were standing there watching their reunion. Serena's facial expression did a 180-degree turn upon seeing Aiden there.
Why is he here? That thought crossed her mind.
"Babe?" Hugh, noticing Serena's expression, immediately pulled her arm, snapping Serena out of her thoughts. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing." Serena shook her head.
"Now let's go inside the classroom. You need to meet your new friends and teacher," Aiden said as he stood up, holding Loui's hand. However, as he rose, he fell silent when he spotted Serena standing there. The same expression of surprise appeared on his face. "You."
Aiden approached Serena, diverting everyone's attention to the two of them. Seeing Aiden getting closer, Hugh immediately pulled Serena's hand, bringing her closer to him. He was just trying to protect Serena, unsure whether Aiden was a friend or foe.
"Do you remember me? We've met before!" Aiden spoke.
Hugh was about to ask Aiden, but his words were halted as Serena embraced his hand, signaling that Aiden wasn't a threat. As Hugh looked at Serena's face, he could see her conveying that there was nothing to worry about. "I remember. You're the man from the funeral, right?"
"Exactly! Thank goodness, I thought I got the wrong person." Aiden smiled.
"Do you know him?" Hugh whispered. Serena simply nodded, then whispered, "I'll explain later."
"It's quite a coincidence that we meet again after so long. Thanks to the advice you gave back then, I found the courage to break free from my family's constraints. I'm truly grateful to you."
"I'm relieved to hear that you've found a better life. Back then, I just gave advice, and I never thought you'd follow it."
"By the way, what are you doing here? Are you here to drop off your child?" Aiden shifted his focus to Shawn, who was still in Hugh's arms.
"Yes, it's his first day of school."
"Oh, wow! What a coincidence! My daughter Loui is also starting school today."
"Really? That's unexpected."
"In that case, it seems like Loui can be friends with your son. Hopefully, they can become good friends."
"Yes, that would be nice."
Aiden then talked to Loui, asking her to introduce herself to Shawn. Hugh initially hesitated to let Shawn fall from his arms. He didn't want Shawn to get too close to Loui, he was sensing something odd. Hugh still didn't know who Aiden was or what he was like. It was their first meeting, and Hugh had to be cautious. But after Serena persuaded him, Hugh softened and allowed Shawn to introduce himself to Loui.
After that, they escorted Shawn and Loui to their respective classrooms; luckily, their classrooms were placed side by side. Once done, Hugh and Serena quickly said their goodbyes and left. Meanwhile, Aiden, who just remembered about Rhys, intended to contact him to let him know that he had found Loui.
*
"That man, who is he?" Those words immediately escaped Hugh's mouth as they arrived in the car, heading home. Due to yesterday's incident, Serena couldn't go to the office. Fortunately, as a business consultant, Serena didn't have to be at the office all the time. Today, she intended to work from home until the situation felt safer.
"He's just an acquaintance. Actually, I don't even know his name because this is only the second time we've met. The first time was five years ago, and we met at a funeral."
"A funeral? What were you doing there?"
"I was visiting the grave of a friend. It was the anniversary of his death, and as usual, I came to pray. On my way back, I accidentally ran into him visiting his in-law's grave. We ended up chatting, and he shared the challenges he was facing with his wife, who was pregnant at the time. Somehow, in the midst of it all, he suddenly mentioned feeling extremely restricted by his parents, who were overly controlling, and he was genuinely confused about what to do. As our conversation unfolded, we ended up sharing our own experiences. Then, he sought advice from me on how to break free from his parents' constraints," explained Serena. Hugh remained silent, listening attentively. After hearing Serena's explanation, Aiden and Serena's meeting seemed like an ordinary, coincidental encounter. However, for some reason, Hugh couldn't shake the strange feeling he had had since he first met Aiden.
Hugh felt a complex emotion that was hard to put into words—a sensation akin to when he first met Rhys.
"Why do you ask? Are you suspicious that the guy has something to do with the person who's been targeting me?"
"It's possible."
"Hugh, don't be like that. I'm sure that guy is a good person."
"How do you know he's a good person? You've only met him twice."
"Because I can see through his eyes that he's a good person. The feeling I had when I met him is the same as when I first met you. Back then, I could immediately tell from the look in your eyes that you were a good person." Serena smiled, somehow reminded of the moment they first met.
"So, that's why you were so calm even when you saw me covered in blood holding a gun?"
"Yes. Back then, I was a bit scared to see you covered in blood with a gun in your hand. But for some reason, looking into your eyes, I could instantly tell that you were a good person. I could feel it."
"That's ridiculous. If I had killed you, maybe you wouldn't dare to say that."
"I can say this because I know you won't kill me. The proof is that, until now, you've been protecting me and Shawn." Serena smiled widely, locking eyes with Hugh, who was now silent. Hugh was left speechless upon hearing her words.
Serena then shifted her attention to the window, enjoying the beautiful scenery passing by along the road.
You're truly a woman full of surprises... Hugh silently observed Serena while trying to keep his focus on the road ahead.
*
"So, you don't want me to drive you?" Rhys asked Aiden. They were now in Loui's school parking lot. Once Aiden mentioned that he had found Loui, Rhys immediately went to Loui's classroom. He was relieved to see Loui safe and sound. Right after seeing her, Rhys and Aiden were about to leave.
"Well, I don't want to make you even more late. Besides, we'll be heading in different directions. I'm going to my dad's house."
"You're going to see him?" Rhys inquired. Aiden just nodded in response. "That's why you can go to the office, and I'll continue the journey with a taxi."
"Alright, if that's what you say. I'll leave first. Just send my regards to the old man." Rhys stepped into his car, taking the driver's seat. Meanwhile, Aiden chuckled at his words.
"Do you still hate him to this day?"
"Don't you hate him too?" Rhys threw out a rhetorical question that instantly left Aiden silent.
"Well, I get it. Even though he's my father, he's still annoying. I can't blame you if you hate him, because I feel the same way as you do."
"He is annoying, and I said that just because I didn't want to upset my mother. As you know, that woman is just as annoying as your father!"
"I understand. They do have similar traits." Aiden chuckled. "I'll convey your regards to him, even though I know you didn't mean it sincerely, but I'll still pass it on."
"This is why I never feel bothered when I'm around you. You're an understanding person. Okay, I'm off!" Rhys stepped on the gas pedal, leaving Aiden, who was now waiting for a taxi to take him to his father's house. While waiting, he kept watching Rhys' car move farther away until it eventually disappeared from his sight.
On the way, Rhys couldn't focus at all. For some reason, he couldn't get the image of the woman he accidentally saw at Loui's school out of his mind. He saw a woman walking with a man towards the school gate when Rhys was about to meet Aiden in Loui's classroom. "Is she really Serena?"
***