Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 340

Daisy peeled an orange slowly, the rind curling back to release a sharp, bittersweet scent.

"Some did. Some didn't."

Leo looked up at her.

Daisy broke the orange in half and set one piece in front of him.

"But that's their problem to deal with. When you press pause, you're just telling people you need a little time."

Leo didn't eat the orange right away.

He looked down and drew his own wobbly little button on the paper. Beside it, he carefully wrote a sentence, mixing pinyin with characters where he didn't know the spelling.

*I don't want to smile right now.*

Daisy saw it. She didn't patronize him with a "good job," nor did she pry and ask "why don't you want to smile?"

She simply slid her paper over and added a sentence right next to his: *Then you don't have to smile.*

Leo stared at the words for a long time before picking up a slice of orange and popping it into his mouth.

Inside the conference room, Wren watched them through the glass partition.

She saw Leo quietly drawing. Daisy sat across from him, her cane resting nearby, not invading his space, touching his things, or forcing him into a conversation.

When most people tried to show Leo kindness, their immediate reaction was to smother him with it.

They threw toys, candy, promises, and overwhelming enthusiasm at him—far more than a child could ever catch.

But Daisy just gave him blank space.

A tiny corner of the world where he was entirely in charge.

Wren looked away and returned to her documents.

When Julian York arrived at Stellaris, it was nearly 6:00 PM.

He had just come off a long surgery, his white coat draped over his arm, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the exhaustion deeply etched under his eyes. The receptionist greeted him softly, and he gave a brief nod before glancing toward the lounge.

Daisy was leaning over the table, helping Leo color in his "pause button."

"Dr. York."

Julian turned around. "Did the paperwork go smoothly?"

"We just finished the third draft." She rubbed her temples. "The Ethics Board is demanding far more detail than we anticipated."

"Thoroughness is a good thing." Julian glanced at the whiteboard inside the conference room. "Once the pilot program expands, every extra clause you write today will protect you from future liabilities."

Wren nodded.

They stood side by side in the hallway, maintaining a polite, respectful distance. The evening sky darkened outside, and their reflections in the glass showed an empty space between them.

Julian noticed the file folder in her hands.

"Did you get into the Channing Road unit?"

Wren paused. "You know about that?"

"Phoebe mentioned it in passing." Julian didn't pry for details. "If you ever need help cross-referencing any old medical archives, I can help you check the timelines and project logic. If Langford Medical's old recovery data involved clinical trials, there will be paper trails in the medical registries."