Max observed Edward quietly, taking a long pause now that they were the only two left on the call.
"You never stretch things without a reason, Edward," he finally said. "What are you thinking about?"
Edward exhaled. "It's a family matter."
For a brief moment, something glimmered in Max's eyes.
He straightened. "Then I won't say anything more. I have no right to interfere..." He hesitated, then added, "I just hope you make the right choices—as a leader."
Edward met his gaze. "I will make my decisions as a father." His voice was steady. "And when the time comes… I will be a leader."
Max watched as the young man he had once known had been replaced by someone sharpened by time, war, and experience. But those marks carried wisdom.
Edward hadn't simply aged. He had transformed into someone who, perhaps, understood the world even better than Max himself.
The screen went dark, leaving Max alone in the soft light of his office. A quiet sigh escaped him.
