Chapter 138: Lunch with Ian
Elena hurried toward Leo’s school, her steps quick and anxious.
"Oh, God..." she muttered under her breath. "I shouldn’t have spent so much time checking that file."
She had stayed back at the office to review an urgent document and had completely lost track of time.
As she crossed the school gate, she saw parents leaving with their children. The courtyard buzzed with cheerful chatter.
Her eyes searched the crowd. But Leo was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" she murmured, panic creeping into her voice. "Is he still inside?"
She quickly headed toward the academic building. Just then, she spotted a teacher walking down the corridor.
"Ma’am."
The teacher stopped and turned around. "Yes?"
"I’m Elena Rowan," Elena said hurriedly. "I’m here to pick up Leo."
Recognition dawned on the woman’s face. Evelyn had already informed the school about Elena.
She smiled. "Oh, Mrs. Rowan."
"Where is Leo?" Elena asked anxiously.
"He already left."
Elena froze. "He... left?"
"Yes."
Her heart lurched. "How could he leave? Who took him?"
"He left with his father."
"What? His father?" Elena echoed, caught off guard. "You mean Dr. Ian Whitmore?
The teacher nodded. "Yes."
Elena stared at her in disbelief.
Ian?
She hadn’t expected him to come during working hours just to pick Leo up.
Wasn’t he supposed to be completely devoted to his career? The man who had neglected his family for years? What had changed?
A trace of doubt crept into her mind. ’What if someone pretended to be him?’
She looked at the teacher seriously. "Are you certain it was Dr. Ian Whitmore?"
The teacher hesitated for a moment before replying honestly.
"I can’t say I know him personally. But Leo recognized him immediately and happily called him ’Daddy.’ Otherwise, we would never have allowed him to leave with a stranger."
Elena’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She realized this was entirely her fault.
If she had arrived on time, none of this would have happened.
"I’m sorry," she said apologetically. "I’ll call and confirm."
She stepped outside the building, worry still weighing heavily on her mind.
’What am I going to tell Evelyn? She trusted me with Leo. She’ll be worried... maybe even angry.’
The thought made her stomach tighten.
"I don’t even have Ian’s number."
She bit her lip, racing her mind. "Right... Elias probably has it."
She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone. Just as she was about to call him, Leo’s voice made her head snap up.
"Aunt Elena."
"Leo!" Relief flooded her face.
She hurried toward him, crouched down, and wrapped him tightly in her arms. "I was looking everywhere for you."
"Daddy came to pick me up," he said excitedly. "He took me to an ice cream shop. I had chocolate ice cream."
Seeing his bright smile, Elena couldn’t help smiling too. Then she noticed a tall figure walking toward them.
Ian stopped a few steps away.
"I’m sorry," he said sincerely. "I wanted to spend some time with Leo, so I picked him up."
Elena blinked, caught off guard. She had expected Ian to be proud and distant. Instead, he apologized without hesitation.
For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.
"It’s alright," she said with an awkward smile. "Actually... I was the one who arrived late."
After a brief pause, she added gently, "But next time, could you let me know beforehand? Otherwise, I’ll end up worrying."
Ian looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough."
He took out his phone. "Give me your number."
They exchanged contact information.
Just then, Leo tugged excitedly on Elena’s sleeve. "Aunt..."
"Yes?"
"Daddy asked if I could have lunch with him." His eyes sparkled with anticipation. "I want to go."
Elena looked from Leo to Ian. She didn’t miss the warmth in Ian’s eyes as he looked at his son, nor could she ignore how genuinely happy Leo seemed.
After a brief hesitation, she smiled. "Alright. You can go."
Then she looked at Ian. "But bring him home before sundown."
Ian chuckled softly. "Of course. I’d rather not face Evelyn’s wrath."
Elena couldn’t help laughing.
Once again, Ian surprised her. He appeared serious and reserved, yet he had a quiet sense of humor she hadn’t expected.
The more she interacted with him, the less he resembled the image she had formed after hearing Evelyn’s side of the story.
Perhaps there was far more to this man than she had realized.
"Why don’t you join us?" Ian suggested.
"Yes," Leo bounced excitedly. "Come with us, Aunt. It’ll be fun."
Elena smiled awkwardly. "I don’t want to intrude. Besides, I still have work waiting for me at the office."
"You won’t be intruding," Ian assured her. He glanced at his watch before adding, "And it’s lunchtime. I’m sure your boss won’t object if you take an hour to eat."
Elena laughed softly. "Alright. I’ll join you."
They stopped by the nearby restaurant.
The little boy climbed onto his chair obediently, swinging his legs as he looked around with curious eyes.
A waiter approached with the menus.
Ian calmly ordered.
"For my son," he started. "One mushroom cream soup, but not too hot. A small chicken sandwich with the crusts removed. One plate of butter pasta, extra cheese, no mushrooms. A mango smoothie, less sugar..."
The waiter noted it down.
Leo’s eyes sparkled. "Daddy, you remembered."
Ian looked at his son and gave a faint smile. "Of course."
He reached over and gently ruffled Leo’s soft hair. "How could I forget what my little man likes to eat?"
Leo grinned happily.
Elena, however, remained silent. She hadn’t expected Ian to remember Leo’s food preferences.
She couldn’t hide her surprise.
She had assumed Ian barely spent time with his family.
From everything Evelyn had told her, he had always been buried in work, constantly traveling or staying late at the hospital.
She had imagined a distant father who hardly knew his own child.
Yet reality painted a completely different picture.
Ian knew exactly what Leo liked...
Even details as small as removing the crust from his sandwich and asking for less sugar in his drink.
Those weren’t things someone could guess.
They were the habits of someone who had paid attention.
A question slowly surfaced in Elena’s mind. ’Did Evelyn misunderstand him all along?’
Ian paused briefly as he glanced at Elena. "What about you, Elena?"
Elena blinked, coming out of her thoughts. "Um... Anything is fine for me."
He turned back to the waiter. "One creamy mushroom fettuccine. Not too heavy on the cream. Grilled herb chicken with sautéed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Black coffee after the meal."
"Yes, sir."
The waiter nodded before leaving.
Elena stole a glance at Ian.
He was patiently helping Leo unfold his napkin before pouring him a glass of water, reminding him to drink slowly.
There was nothing forced about his actions. Everything came naturally.
The image before her didn’t match the man Evelyn had described.
For the first time, Elena couldn’t help wondering if the story of Ian and Evelyn was far more complicated than it appeared.