Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 323

School let out early today. Wren had originally planned to drop Leo off at home first before heading back to the office to grab some clinical presentation files. When Leo heard the plan, he hugged his backpack and stood outside the school gates, hesitating for a long time.

"Mom, can I come with you?"

Wren looked at him. "It might be a little boring."

"I can fill out my reading cards."

He pulled his backpack tighter against his chest, as if terrified of being an inconvenience.

Wren crouched down and adjusted his scarf for him.

"You can come. But there's one rule. While Mom is working, you have to wait in the lounge area. If you feel uncomfortable, you have to tell me."

Leo nodded. "I'll be very quiet."

"You don't always have to be quiet." Wren smiled. "Stellaris isn't the Langford Estate. No one is going to get mad at you for asking questions."

The child blinked softly.

That concept seemed entirely foreign to him.

The Stellaris building wasn't overly tall, its corporate logo emblazoned proudly on the glass doors. The receptionist recognized Wren, and when she spotted Leo, her eyes crinkled into a warm smile.

"You must be Leo. First time visiting Stellaris?"

Leo squeezed Wren's hand and mumbled, "Hello."

The receptionist pulled a Stellaris Visitor Pass from her drawer.

"Here's a little work badge just for you."

When Leo saw the word 'Visitor,' he instinctively looked up at Wren.

Wren said, "This just makes it easier for you to go in and out. It doesn't change your name."

The receptionist didn't understand the heavy context behind those words; she simply smiled and handed the sticker over.

But Leo nodded very seriously.

The Stellaris workspace was messier than Leo had imagined.

Not dirty, but the kind of chaotic buzz that came from people actively working. Desks were cluttered with files, coffee cups, and sticky notes. Whiteboards were covered in terms he didn't understand: recall mechanisms, patient consultants, pediatric manuals, clinical demos.

Maya poked her head out of a meeting room, spotted Leo, and immediately hid her coffee cup behind her back.

"Well, look who's here! Welcome, welcome, Stellaris' VIP guest of the day."

Phoebe walked past, smoothly dropping a reality check. "Hide the three bags of chips on your desk before you start welcoming people."

Maya glanced down and scrambled to shove the chips into her drawer. "That is research fuel, okay?"

Leo looked at them, unsure if he was supposed to laugh.

Wren led him toward the lounge area. "This is Maya Merritt."

Maya immediately clutched her chest. "Can we stick to Maya? 'Ma'am' is a direct assault on my youth and career."

Phoebe set a stack of files on a nearby table. "He's six and a half. 'Ma'am' is perfectly accurate."