Callie’s wrist ached from carrying the bag for too long, so she handed everything over to Kieran.
He immediately took it, looking at her with eyes that resembled a puppy’s.
Callie continued walking forward, and Kieran and the others quickly followed behind.
She said, “Take me to see Nelson.”
The Oconnor Group was in a state of turmoil, and everyone in the building was on edge. When Callie set foot in this place again, a sense of long-lost familiarity washed over her.
She had thought she would never have the chance to return.
The top-floor office was brightly lit. The secretarial staff led Callie inside, and she immediately saw the towering stacks of documents on the desk, with various other materials scattered around.
No one had cleaned up the mess.
The office was empty, but the secretarial staff didn’t dare to go any further. They cautiously said, “Mr. Oconnor should be in the lounge.”
Callie took a deep breath and walked in.
The atmosphere inside was oppressive. The door to the lounge was half-closed, and it was dark inside with no lights on.
Earlier in the car, Kieran had sounded like a child complaining to a parent as he told Callie many things about Nelson.
How he negotiated with major shareholders, how he kept projects going under immense pressure, and how he stood firm against the media.
All of this required tremendous mental strength, yet Nelson bore it all alone without revealing anything while she was recovering.
“Callie… to be honest, if nothing had gone wrong on the wedding day, the Oconnor Group wouldn’t be in this position again. But that day, Mr. Oconnor still insisted we do everything to bring Joaquin back.”
“Callie, he’s been drinking a lot lately to cope with social obligations, and it’s caused stomach bleeding…”
“Callie…”
Standing at the door, Callie suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
The lounge was dimly lit, with only the outside lights filtering through the window and casting shadows in the corner. The man’s silhouette appeared particularly lonely and desolate.
He seemed to be searching for something, his hair tousled, breathing somewhat labored, not even noticing someone had entered.
Apparently unable to find what he was looking for, he tilted his head back slightly and sighed as if resigned.
Callie moved her feet, but as soon as she took a step, she startled him. He immediately turned on the light and asked, “Who’s there?”
The sudden brightness made Callie instinctively raise her hand to shield her eyes. When she lowered it, she saw Nelson’s surprised expression, though his face remained impassive.
Callie suddenly felt a bit flustered; the calmness she had built up over these days seemed to vanish.
“I ran into Kieran at the station,” she said, explaining her presence.
And what did Nelson see when he looked at her?
She appeared too thin and fragile. Yet standing there, she exuded a unique resilience and determination. She had seen it all in the world of chaos but remained clear-minded.
Yes, this was his Maeve.
No matter how her appearance changed, her essence never did.
Every time he saw her, Nelson regretted not recognizing her sooner.
He belatedly propped himself up, looking somewhat like a boy who had done something wrong. “Have you eaten? I didn’t mean for Kieran to follow you; I was just worried Owen might target you…”
As he spoke, he trailed off, unsure how to continue and gave up. “Did you run into trouble?”
Callie heard herself sigh inwardly.
She could never harden her heart against this man.
“No, Kieran helped me out of trouble.” Callie stepped forward and saw a large box in front of him. “What are you looking for?”