Free Web NovelChapter 260: Exact blue eyes
The little girl stumbled back slightly, blinking her big blue eyes in confusion.
Then I heard it.
That voice.
The voice that had haunted every dream and every sleepless night for the past two years.
My heart started beating wildly even before she came into view.
"Aimy?"
I looked up instinctively.
"Where are you ba—"
The rest of her words died in her throat.
Our eyes met.
And she froze.
For a moment, everything around me disappeared.
The hallway.
The people.
Everything.
All I could see was her.
That familiar face.
The face I had spent two years searching for.
The face I had only allowed myself to see in dreams.
The brown eyes that had once looked at me with so much hope...
And later with so much pain.
Alicia.
My grip tightened involuntarily.
Could it really be her?
Was I imagining things again?
"Chairman Blackwood."
An older voice broke through the haze.
I tore my gaze away and turned slightly.
An older man was standing beside me.
He extended his hand with a warm smile.
"I’m Herbert Whitmore."
I instinctively shook it.
Before I could respond, a small voice rang out beside us.
"Uncle! I was looking for you."
My gaze immediately shifted.
The little girl had already wandered over to Evan.
The president’s reserved expression softened noticeably as he took her hand.
Herbert chuckled.
"It seems you’ve already met my granddaughter."
Granddaughter.
The word hit me like a bucket of ice water.
For the first time since seeing her, I looked away from Alicia and focused fully on the child.
Granddaughter.
The little girl was standing beside Evan as though she belonged there.
As though she’d known him her entire life.
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
Meanwhile, Herbert stepped forward.
"This is Director Alicia, my niece."
My eyes returned to her.
She still hadn’t moved.
She looked just as shocked as I felt.
"She’s the one in charge of this partnership."
The others must have sensed the strange atmosphere.
Evan frowned slightly.
"Chairman Blackwood, is everything alright?"
I looked at him.
Then at the little girl still holding his hand.
Then at Alicia.
Finally, I forced myself to speak.
"Everything is fine."
The lie tasted bitter.
I turned toward Herbert.
Then back toward Alicia.
"It’s nice meeting you, Director Alicia."
I extended my hand.
For a moment she didn’t react.
She simply stood there staring at me.
Herbert glanced at her.
"Alicia?"
He lightly touched her arm.
"Are you alright?"
That finally seemed to bring her back to reality.
She nodded faintly before looking at me again.
A brief hesitation crossed her face.
Then she placed her hand in mine.
The moment our hands touched, my entire body went rigid.
Warm.
Soft.
Familiar.
The exact same hand I had held countless times before.
For a split second, I forgot how to breathe.
She was real.
She was standing right in front of me.
Not a memory.
Not a dream.
Not another dead end.
Real.
"Welcome to Whitmore Industries, Chairman Blackwood."
Her voice sounded strained.
But at least she managed to speak.
I couldn’t.
All I could do was stare.
My fingers remained around hers longer than they should have.
Long enough that I noticed the slight tension in her shoulders.
Long enough that she gently tugged her hand back.
Only then did I release her.
Immediately, she turned toward the little girl.
"Come on, baby. Let’s go to Aunt Anna."
The little girl pouted.
"But I want to stay with Uncle."
My gaze snapped toward Evan.
Alicia looked equally helpless.
Evan crouched beside the child.
"Be a good girl and listen to your mum, alright?"
Mum....
His voice was gentle.
"Once I’m done, I’ll come see you."
The little girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You promise?"
A faint smile appeared on Evan’s face.
"I promise."
Only then did she finally let go of his hand.
She walked back toward Alicia.
Without thinking, my eyes followed her every step.
The dark hair.
The blue eyes.
The tiny features.
The way she instinctively reached for Alicia’s hand.
My chest tightened.
Alicia briefly glanced at me.
For just a second.
Then she looked away.
"Excuse me."
She turned to Herbert.
"I’ll take her to Anna and come back."
Herbert nodded.
"Of course."
Without another word, Alicia took the little girl’s hand and hurried down the hallway.
I stood completely frozen.
Watching my wife walk away.
With my daughter beside her.
"This way, Chairman Blackwood. Let’s not keep you standing here."
Herbert’s voice broke through my trance.
I forced my gaze away from the direction Alicia had disappeared and followed everyone into what appeared to be the main conference room.
The room was spacious and elegantly furnished, with a long polished table occupying the center. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the town beyond, allowing sunlight to pour into the room.
"Please, have a seat."
Evan gestured toward one of the chairs.
We all took our seats.
"What would the chairman like to drink?" Herbert asked politely.
But my mind wasn’t even there.
All I could think about were those blue eyes.
Those familiar blue eyes.
The little girl.
The way Alicia had held her.
The way she had called her "Mummy."
The way she had looked exactly,
No.
I clenched my jaw.
"Black coffee. No sugar."
Karen’s voice suddenly rang out.
Only then did I realize everyone was staring at me.
Karen offered an apologetic smile.
"The chairman is simply exhausted from the trip."
Understanding immediately crossed Herbert’s face.
"Oh, in that case perhaps he should rest first. We can begin the official process tomorrow."
Karen turned toward me.
"Is that alright, sir?"
"Yes."
I stood almost immediately.
"Let’s go."
The others quickly rose as well.
Just then the conference room door opened.
And she walked in.
Our eyes met instantly.
Alicia froze.
For a brief moment the entire room seemed to disappear.
Everything.
Only her remained.
She looked exactly as she had two years ago.
Yet somehow different.
More matured.
More confident.
Alive.
"Director Alicia."
Herbert’s voice broke the silence.
"Can you check in again with Chairman Blackwood’s accommodations, just to be sure?"
"Sure."
Her answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
She turned almost immediately and left before anyone could say anything else.
I watched her disappear beyond the doorway.
Again.
Just like two years ago.
"Chairman Blackwood?"
Herbert’s voice pulled me back once more.
I blinked and nodded. frёewebnoѵēl.com
We exchanged brief farewells before heading toward the elevators.
The ride down felt strangely long.
Everyone around me discussed tomorrow’s schedule, inspections, and partnership arrangements.
Their voices sounded distant.
Muted.
As though I was hearing them through water.
All I could see were those blue eyes.
Those familiar blue eyes.
The exact same shade.
The exact same shade that stared back at me every morning whenever I looked into a mirror.
My daughter.
The realization struck me again.
Not a possibility.
Not a suspicion.
Not wishful thinking.
My daughter.
The elevator doors opened.
We walked through the lobby and headed toward the waiting cars outside.
Without realizing it, my eyes scanned the surroundings.
Searching.
Hoping.
But neither Alicia nor the little girl were anywhere in sight.
An uncomfortable emptiness settled in my chest.
We got into the cars and drove away.
