The sterile smell of the hospital felt even more oppressive tonight. Alicia walked down the hallway with a heavy heart, her bag slumped over her shoulder. But as she reached Léo's room, she froze. A tall, imposing figure was already there, standing by the glass window that separated the sterile ward from the rest of the world.
It was Arthur. He wasn't wearing his tie, and his expensive shirt was wrinkled, but he looked more human than she had ever seen him.
"Mr. Carter? What are you doing here?" Alicia whispered, her heart skipping a beat.
Arthur didn't turn around immediately. He was watching the small boy inside, who was sleeping fitfully amidst a tangle of tubes. "I told you I'd make sure you got home safely, Alicia. But I realized your heart wasn't at home. It was here."
Alicia walked up to the glass, her fingers trembling as she touched the cold surface. "This is Léo. He's my everything."
"He looks like a fighter," Arthur murmured. For the first time, he let her see the pain in his eyes—a reflection of his own scars. "Leukemia is a cruel enemy. My family... we have connections with the best oncologists in the country. I've already sent his files to a specialist in Switzerland."
Alicia gasped, turning to him with wide eyes. "You did what? But... why? You barely know me."
Arthur finally looked at her. The cold CEO persona was gone, replaced by a man who looked deeply, painfully lonely. "Because I know what it's like to have something stolen from you while the world just watches. I know what it's like to be alone in the dark."
At that moment, Léo stirred inside the room. He opened his eyes, pale and tired, and saw Alicia. His face lit up with a weak but genuine smile. Then, his eyes traveled to the tall man standing beside his sister.
"Is he a superhero, Ali?" the boy's muffled voice came through the intercom system.
Alicia looked at Arthur. The man who could buy whole companies with a signature was now looking at a six-year-old boy with a tenderness that broke her heart.
"Something like that, Léo," Alicia replied, her voice thick with unshed tears. "He's a friend."
Arthur stayed with them for an hour, even playing a silent game of rock-paper-scissors through the glass with Léo. As they finally walked back to the parking lot, the tension between Arthur and Alicia had shifted. It wasn't just boss and employee anymore. It was two survivors recognizing the fragments of themselves in each other.