"She said that once, a long time ago, she loved someone who promised to come back."
The hangar became strangely quiet.
Richard turned away.
Charles stepped closer.
"Richard, perhaps we should discuss this privately."
But the billionaire raised one hand.
"Not now."
He looked at Victoria again.
"Where is your mother?"
Victoria lowered her eyes.
"She passed away last winter."
Richard's face fell.
"When?"
"Seven months ago."
He looked toward the floor.
For a moment, the powerful businessman seemed like an ordinary old man who had just received terrible news.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Victoria nodded.
"Thank you."
Richard looked at her again.
"Did she ever tell you why she left?"
Victoria reached into her handbag and removed a small envelope.
"She left me this."
The envelope was old.
Its edges were worn, and the paper had turned slightly yellow.
Richard recognized the handwriting immediately.
It was Eleanor's.
His hands began trembling.
"May I?"
Victoria handed it to him.
He opened the envelope carefully.
Inside was a photograph of a young woman standing beside a small airplane.
Richard stared at it.
It was taken almost twenty-five years earlier.
And standing beside Eleanor in that photograph was a much younger version of himself.
CHAPTER 3: THE LETTER
Richard slowly unfolded the letter.
The first line was enough to make his eyes fill with tears.
Richard, if you are reading this, it means our daughter has finally found you.
He stopped.
His daughter.
He read the sentence again.
Then he looked at Victoria.
"Is this real?"
Victoria nodded.
"My mother told me you were my father."
Richard stepped backward.
Charles immediately moved beside him.
"Sir, are you all right?"
Richard ignored him.
He continued reading.
The letter explained that Eleanor had met Richard when they were both young.
At the time, Richard was not yet a billionaire.
He was an ambitious aviation engineer working with a small group of investors.
Eleanor had been a flight operations coordinator.
They met during a difficult period in both their lives.
Richard was struggling to keep his business alive.
Eleanor was caring for her sick mother.
They fell in love.
For two years, they dreamed about building a future together.
Richard had promised to marry her.
But his business eventually attracted the attention of a powerful investor who offered him an opportunity overseas.
The opportunity came with conditions.
Richard would have to relocate immediately.
He believed the move would only last a few months.
He promised Eleanor that he would return.
But before he could leave, something terrible happened.
A business dispute erupted.
Richard was accused of stealing confidential engineering documents.
His investors threatened legal action.