CHAPTER 240: A FAMILIAR VOICE

Chapter- 240- A Familiar voice

Eight Years Later...

Logan’s POV

The moment I stepped off the plane and inhaled the warm, slightly dusty air of the city I once called home, something inside me shifted.

It was... strange. A quiet ache I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Bittersweet.

Nostalgia crawled into my chest like an old friend, reminding me of the boy who left this city years ago—shattered and heartbroken.

I adjusted my sunglasses, tightened the coat around my body, and walked through the airport terminal slowly.

People rushed past me, some dragging luggage, others running to gates. Kids clutched colorful backpacks, crying or laughing. Lovers were hugging goodbye. Friends were reuniting with teary eyes and wide arms.

Everything still looked the same.

Almost.

I paused right before the sliding exit doors and looked around.

"Oof... my bad," I muttered under my breath with a small, crooked smile. "Everything doesn’t look exactly the same after all. There’s a difference...."

"Who would’ve thought I’d be back here after all these years?" I whispered, my voice low and thoughtful.

Eight years.

Eight whole years.

It felt like a whole lifetime ago. Like a movie I once watched, blurry at the edges but unforgettable in the middle. I had left with nothing but broken pieces.

I was still soaking it in when I felt my phone vibrate in my coat pocket.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I quickly reached for it. When I saw the caller ID—"Little one"—a soft smile immediately tugged at the corners of my lips.

I pressed the green button and lifted the phone to my ear.

"Hello, my love," I said warmly, already hearing my own voice soften. "Big brother just landed."

"LOGAN!!!" a high-pitched voice screamed in excitement from the other end.

I chuckled instantly.

"I miss you already!" she added dramatically.

And then I heard another voice, deeper and full of warmth. "Both of us!"

I laughed, shaking my head again as I continued walking toward the exit.

That was Dad.

And my not-so-little-anymore baby sister.

"Come on," I said, still smiling. "I left this morning. You two are already acting like I’ve been gone for a year?"

"But we really miss you," my sister replied with the most theatrical sigh. "Like, really really. Are you coming back soon?"

I glanced around the terminal one last time, stepping out into the sunlit parking space just outside. "I’ll try, sweetheart. I promise. But big bro’s got some work to do first, okay?"

I reached for my sunglasses again as the brightness hit me full-on.

"Wait wait wait—aren’t you supposed to be in class or something?" I asked her suddenly, switching into full-on big brother mode.

There was silence on the line for two seconds.

Then—"Ugh, you’re such a mood spoiler," she said with a groan. "I don’t miss you anymore. Dad! I don’t miss Logan anymore!"

I laughed again, rolling my eyes like she could see me. "You still haven’t answered me. Why aren’t you in school?"

"Don’t tell me you didn’t know we’re on break already?" she shot back quickly. "I’ve been home for two days now, Logan! Two! And you were with us for a whole week. You mean you didn’t notice?"

"Hey hey, don’t come for me," I said, holding up my free hand in defense. "Even while visiting you and Dad, I still had meetings. I’m a CEO, remember? Who else is going to run the company better than me?"

"Ugh. Suit yourself, Mr. Important," she said in the most childish tone ever. "You couldn’t even say goodbye before leaving this morning."

I smirked. "Weren’t you sleeping like a baby? You always cry when someone wakes you up too early. You want me to be the villain?"

There was a pause.

Then she muttered, "Oop. You’re right."

I burst into laughter, and she joined me from the other end of the call.

"You better get me something when you’re coming back," my sister’s voice whined through the phone. "I miss Europe. Ever since Dad and I left, he hasn’t allowed me to come back, not even once."

I chuckled softly, staring out the window of the car that was taking me from the airport. "You sound like someone that’s been exiled."

"I have been exiled, Logan!" she snapped dramatically, making me roll my eyes. "Do you know how hard it is for me to stay away from the place I was born in? I literally grew up in Europe. It’s my home."

"You think you’re the only one?" I replied gently. "I was born here too. Lived here most of my life until... well, until I disappeared."

She was quiet for a second, then her voice came out softer.

"You left eight years ago without telling me or giving me any reason why. One day you were here, the next day you were gone. And Dad just said we had to leave too, five years after you did. No explanation.."

I sighed. My grip on the phone tightened slightly.

It wasn’t a topic I liked to talk about. Or think about.

I didn’t say anything. Because if I said something... everything I’d locked away inside would come rushing out.

My sister continued, her voice heavy with emotion. "Even after we moved away, I begged Dad to let me come back for just a week. One small vacation. But he kept saying no. No matter how much I asked."

I kept listening.

"He probably had his reasons," I finally said, low and unsure.

She groaned. "Ugh! That’s what you always say. ’He probably had his reasons.’ Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?"

I smiled sadly. "Nope. Because it’s usually true."

"Well, let me tell you what he told me," she snapped again. "Dad said Europe is cursed. He said no one in our family can ever find love here. That anyone who tries will only end up getting hurt."

Her voice grew small again. "He said the pain starts here. That nothing good survives here. And because of that, I’m not even allowed to fall in love in Europe. Not even dream about it."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t keep listening. If I did, she’d start asking the questions I never wanted to answer.

"Alright, kiddo," I said, forcing a light tone. "I’ll talk to you later."

"But—but—I’m not done talking!" she whined like a child, her voice frustrated and desperate.

"Kidd, bye," I said gently, cutting the call before she could say anything else.

I let the phone drop onto the seat beside me and leaned my head back with a long, tired sigh.

"Phew," I whispered to myself. "That was close."

I stared at the buildings passing by.

I glanced at my phone again before sliding it back into my coat pocket.

This was the first time I’d stepped foot in Europe since the day I left.

And now I was back.

Back in the place where it all started.

Why?

Work.

That’s the part I kept repeating to myself like a mantra. It was work. Strictly work.

I had a business meeting with some of my biggest European partners, and unfortunately, it wasn’t something I could send my PA to handle. They insisted I come personally, and I couldn’t exactly say no.

Even though I wanted to.

So badly.

My father didn’t want me to come either. He warned me again and again. "Don’t go back there, Logan," he said. "Unless there’s a reason strong enough to survive the past."

I told him I’d be fine.

I promised it would be a short trip. Just few meetings and it wasn’t like I would bump into someone I know.

I didn’t tell him that I was nervous.

Still, I came.

I had built something big—my own company. From scratch. With my father’s help, I finished college abroad, did my master’s, and built my foundation. And now, it was my duty to make sure it didn’t fall apart.

That was the real reason I agreed to return.

I arrived a little early for the meeting.

Instead of heading straight to my hotel to relax before the first meeting started, I stopped at the small coffee shop just around the corner. It was quiet, tucked between two tall buildings. Barely noticeable.

I was supposed to meet up with someone here at the coffee shop—someone affiliated with the main investors of the European expansion project we were discussing. Just a quick chat before the official meeting. Nothing serious. Just introductions, maybe talk numbers briefly, that sort of thing.

At least, that’s what the email said. The name hadn’t been mentioned—just a time, a place, and the phrase ’a key partner from a collaborating firm.’ I figured it was one of the newer stakeholders or maybe a representative from the tech side.

I stepped inside the coffee shop.

The shop had a calm, cozy atmosphere. Soft music played in the background. The scent of roasted coffee beans filled the air.

I picked a quiet table by the window and sat down.

A young woman in a black apron walked over with a gentle smile. "Good afternoon, sir. May I take your order?"

"Yes," I said softly, trying to smile back. "A flat white, please. I’ll be waiting here for someone."

"Of course," she said with a small bow. "I’ll bring it to your table shortly."

I nodded and thanked her, then pulled out my phone again.

But I wasn’t reading anything.

I was just... thinking.

What if I ran into someone I didn’t want to see?

Before I could spiral deeper into my thoughts, the server returned.

"Your flat white, sir," she said warmly, setting the cup gently on the table.

"Thank you," I replied, giving her a small smile.

I wrapped my hands around the cup and took a slow sip. It was still hot. Slightly bitter. But good.

I was about to look back at my phone when a voice came from beside me.

"You must be who I was meeting today. Hope i haven’t kept you waiting?."

I froze.

Why... why did that voice sound so familiar?