Now, longing for that very light, he realized Alexis was no longer willing to bestow it upon him.

Clutching his chest, Leonel felt a deep pang of pain.

As he grappled with these thoughts, a sudden knock at the door jolted him back to the present.

Leonel went to open the door and saw Waylen standing there.

“Mr. Fowler."

Waylen glanced at him. He walked in at a deliberate pace, stooped over to retrieve the passport from the sofa, and commented, "You just returned a few days ago, and now you're departing again, huh?"

Leonel affirmed, "Yes, I'm planning to."

Waylen thumbed through the passport and casually probed, “Is it because of Alexis?"

To that question, Leonel had no response ready.

After a contemplative pause, he eventually confided, “No, it's my fault."

"Of course, it's your fault!"

Waylen retraced his steps to the door, closing it behind him before turning to confront Leonel.

"You charted the course of your life too early. Why don't you simply explore the world more and think carefully before making big decisions? Now, look where it has led you.

You're fully responsible for what had turned out between you and Alexis!"

Such matters always weighed heavily on a father.

After all, Leonel was akin to a son, a lad he had seen grow up into a man.

Waylen lit a cigarette; halfway through it, he spoke up.

“At first, when I aided the Douglas family and took you in, the primary reason was indeed your rare blood type. But ponder this, Leonel. Over the years, did I not treat you as my own, or did Rena not adore you like a son? She even yearned to love you more, yet I held her back.

I believed all four children in the family deserved equal treatment.

You shouldn't be the exception even if we felt bad for you."