Chapter 574 James' Departure
With a time difference of over ten hours between and the Country Z, they caught an evening flight and landed in Ivara City bright and early.
Alan was already there, waiting as they made their way out. He drove them home, dropping Patricia off first, then heading to James' place.
Pulling up at James', there was a moment's hesitation as James was about to get out, just staring out the window lost in thought. The atmosphere in the car was thick with unsaid words.
Alan could tell James had something on his mind but didn't push it, giving him space to open up.
Finally, James broke the silence. "I must go. It's all on you now. I'm counting on you to look after her and guide her."
Alan, emotional, felt his eyes mist over. "You really have to go?" he managed to ask.
James nodded. "Yes, I've got to."
Sticking around would only make things tougher when it was time to say goodbye. Patricia had just gotten over losing him once; he couldn't bear the thought of putting her through that again.
Alan nodded, his voice tight. "I understand. Don't worry about a thing. I'll take good care of Ms. Watson and the business."
Their goodbye was looming, and it was hitting both of them hard.
"Thank you," James said. "I'll leave after the Nexus Holdings deal is done. Just... don't tell her yet, okay?"
Alan nodded, his understanding clear.
James lingered in the car a bit longer, neither wanting to break the silence, both trying to etch this final moment into memory.
Tears finally broke free from Alan, blurring his vision. Despite James' usually cool exterior, Alan knew the depth of their bond went beyond boss and employee; it was more like brothers.
And as James sat there, not making a move to leave, Alan felt an even deeper ache, knowing how hard this was for both of them.
Unwilling to let the bitter atmosphere linger any longer, James swung the car door open and, without hesitation, stepped out and walked away. Alan stayed put, watching until James had completely disappeared from view.
Back at Patricia's place, it was a leisurely weekend morning, meaning no kindergarten for the little ones.
As Patricia walked in, she found the kids seated at the breakfast table. Maria and Declan were in their high chairs, with the nanny spoon-feeding them soup.
Spotting Patricia, all three kids dropped their spoons and rushed over, wrapping their arms around her legs in big hugs.
"Mommy, you're back! We missed you! Why didn't you let us know earlier? We could've come to pick you up with Alan!"
Patricia's her heart melted as she tousled their hair. "Mommy wanted to surprise you guys! Well, was it a good surprise?"
Randy and Fannie were all smiles. "Yeah, super surprising!"
Then Fannie exclaimed "You're just in time, Mommy! Randy's got a piano competition coming up, and we're all gonna cheer for him."
This news took Patricia aback. "Randy, you're entering a piano competition?"
She realized then how much she'd been missing, caught up in work and neglecting her role as a mom.
"I didn't want to bother you, knowing how busy you've been," Randy said.
Patricia gave Randy a tender look, smoothing back his hair. "That's amazing, Randy. It's not about winning; it's the experience that counts."
Randy nodded, his determination clear. "I know. The prize doesn't matter to me. I'm just excited to be part of it."
Patricia felt a tug at her heartstrings. Randy had seemed to mature almost overnight after Martin's accident, taking things in stride with a newfound maturity.
Maria and Declan , noticing Patricia, started waving and chanting, "Mommy, hug! Hug..."
Their simple plea melted Patricia's heart all over again. She leaned down, showering them with kisses, making them giggle with delight, drool and all.
Waston had gained a lot of weight after much attentive care. Although he was significantly smaller than Maria, he was gradually catching up to the normal size range.
It had been a while since the house felt this light and joyful, a welcome change from the solemn atmosphere that had lingered since Martin's departure.
After spending the morning at home, Patricia rushed back to the office, diving headfirst into her workload. Before long, they started testing the new system.
Three days later, right on cue, Maximilian showed up with his entourage, including his assistant and a couple of lawyers from Nexus Holdings. Patricia had Alan, James, and two of Langley Group's legal eagles by her side.
They went over the contract meticulously, ironing out any kinks in the terms. Once everything was squared away, both parties made it official with their signatures.
With that, the deal was sealed.
After wrapping up with Patricia, Maximilian checked on the system's test run and then hurried off to his next appointment.
Patricia, holding the signed contract, was beaming. "The company's done well this year. Let's make the holiday bonus for the team a bit more generous."
Alan and James caught each other's eye, but their mood didn't match Patricia's jubilance. They were more on the somber side, particularly Alan. With the Nexus deal done, James' departure was imminent, which was nothing to celebrate.
"We're going out tonight, my treat," Patricia said. "Order whatever you like. This is the biggest win since I took the helm at Langley, and you guys are a part of it."
James looked at Patricia, his expression a mix of fondness and sorrow. After a moment, he managed to say, "I won't be coming in after today."
Patricia's smile vanished as if she'd been jolted awake from a dream, her joy replaced with disbelief.
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