Alexander's POV
The vehicle rolled through the gates and into the driveway of Birch Entertainment Company before coming to a smooth stop.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Sebastian sat beside me quietly while the engine continued humming in the background.
After several seconds, he finally broke the silence.
"Are you ready, Master?"
My gaze remained fixed on the building standing ahead. Its glass walls reflected the afternoon sunlight, yet all I could think about was the message on my phone.
More than fifteen years had passed since I last saw Raziel.
A faint smile touched my lips.
"If he wants to see me, he'll find me eventually."
Sebastian understood what I meant.
Even if I walked away today, Raziel would appear again. When we were younger, he had never been the type to leave things unfinished.
Sebastian nodded slowly.
I pushed open the car door and stepped outside. The cool breeze brushed against my face.
As Sebastian moved to follow me, I stopped and glanced over my shoulder.
"I'll handle this myself."
His expression tightened immediately.
"Master..."
"I'll be fine."
Reluctance flashed across his face. However, after a brief pause, he nodded.
"I understand."
I adjusted the button of my suit jacket and drew a slow breath before making my way toward the entrance.
The security personnel recognized me immediately and hurried to open the doors.
"Mr. Blackwood."
I gave a small nod and entered.
The spacious lobby looked as elegant as ever, but I barely paid attention to the surroundings. My focus remained elsewhere.
Before I could take another step, a familiar figure approached me.
It was Mr Charles Silver Birch, Seraphina's father.
The man's usual confidence seemed nowhere to be found. Instead, he wore a strained smile that looked forced.
"Mr. Blackwood."
I studied him quietly. Dark circles rested beneath his eyes, and the lines on his face appeared deeper than before.
News traveled fast.
He probably knew the recovered footage had already changed everything.
His smile stiffened beneath my gaze.
"You have a visitor waiting in the boardroom."
I said nothing. Several thoughts crossed my mind at once yet none of them mattered right now.
I had not come here for Charles Birch.
I had come for Raziel.
With that thought, I walked past him and headed toward the elevator.
The indicator light flashed above the doors followed by a short chime.
The doors slid open and several employees stepped out. The moment they noticed me, they immediately straightened.
"Mr. Blackwood."
"Good afternoon, sir."
I acknowledged them with a nod before stepping inside. The elevator was empty and the doors closed behind me.
I pressed the button for the third floor and leaned back slightly. As the elevator began its ascent, the silence became almost unbearable.
My reflection stared back at me from the polished metal walls. I looked older and different. The years had changed me in ways I no longer noticed.
Yet somehow, the message from a single photograph had dragged me back into the past.
I lowered my gaze.
Had I made the right decision by coming here? I honestly didn't know. Fifteen years was a long time. People changed.
The Raziel I remembered was a boy. The man waiting upstairs was a stranger.
A soft chime pulled me from my thoughts. The elevator doors opened. I stepped onto the third floor.
Immediately, something felt unusual. The entire floor was silent. My pace slowed slightly as I moved through the corridor.
The boardroom stood at the end of the hall. The large doors were already open.
As I approached, a strange feeling settled inside my chest. I became conscious of the way I was breathing.
I stepped into the board room. The massive conference table stretched across the center while sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
At the far end of the table sat a lone figure. The chair was turned away from me and all I could see was the backrest and a glimpse of a beige suit.
I continued taking short steps.
Before I could decide what to say, a familiar voice drifted through the room.
"Alex."
My footsteps stopped. The voice was deeper than I remembered yet unmistakable.
"It has been a long time."
The chair slowly rotated.
My eyes narrowed and for the first time in more than fifteen years, I came face to face with Raziel.
Black hair rested in short bangs across his forehead. His brown eyes held a calmness that revealed nothing.
A beige bowler hat sat neatly atop his head while a glass of water rested in his hand.
He swirled the liquid lazily before lifting his gaze toward me.
"You've grown taller", he said as a small smile appeared on his lips.
The comment would have sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else. Yet hearing it from him felt strangely natural as though the fifteen years between us had never existed.
Raziel placed the glass onto the table and rose to his feet.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. We simply looked at each other.
Two boys separated by time.
Two men standing on opposite sides of a history neither had forgotten.
A faint amusement entered his eyes.
"Did you miss me?"
The question hung in the air.
Before I could answer, he crossed the distance between us and placed both hands on my shoulders.
His grip was firm yet soothing.
And somehow...
That made everything even more unsettling.