Evelyn's POV 

The hallway outside was empty and for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, the applause felt hollow without him there to witness it. 

I nodded politely to the board, took my seat, and tried to push the thought of him out of my mind. But his absence lingered like an unfinished sentence, leaving me with more questions than answers. 

Why did he leave? Why was he watching in the first place

I had to find him and ask these questions myself. “Can I leave, Dad?” I excused myself. “I need to take a tour of the company but I’ll be back shortly,” I added, hoping to avoid further questions....