The next few days in Singapore moved at a gentler rhythm than Timothy was used to.

For once, he wasn't in a boardroom or buried under a dozen projections. Instead, he was standing by the window of the Marina Bay Sands suite, sunlight spilling over the skyline like gold dust.

"Timothy," Evelyn called softly from behind him. "Are you ready?"

He turned to see her standing by the door, simple but elegant as always, beige dress, light shawl, and that familiar poise she carried no matter where they went. Angela stood beside her, clutching a small sling bag and grinning ear to ear.

"Ready," Timothy said, pocketing his phone. "Let's make the most of the day."

Their first stop was Gardens by the Bay.

The air was cool under the vast glass domes, the fragrance of orchids and fresh soil mingling with the faint hum of the waterfall inside the Cloud Forest. Angela ran ahead, her voice echoing excitedly as she pointed to the misty walkway spiraling above the garden canopy.

"Kuya, look! You can walk on that bridge!"

Timothy smiled. "You sure you're not scared of heights anymore?"

"I'm not!" she said proudly, adjusting the strap of her camera.

Evelyn chuckled softly beside them. "She's been waiting for this since we left Manila."

"I can tell," Timothy replied, watching Angela hurry up the walkway stairs.

They followed her slowly, Evelyn's pace steady and graceful. From the top, the city stretched out in a panoramic view.

Evelyn leaned on the railing beside him. "Singapore really knows how to balance everything," she said. "Beautiful and cleaner."

"If only Manila could be the same," Timothy sighed. "Well, it'll take time."

His mother gave him a knowing look. "It will, I have hope after all."

Below them, Angela was laughing, taking pictures with tourists, her energy like sunlight itself. Evelyn smiled at the sight.

"She looks so happy," she said. "You've given her a good life, Tim."

Timothy didn't respond right away. He just watched his little sister waving at them from below, and for a brief moment, the weight of the world felt lighter.

By afternoon, they visited Sentosa Island.

The sky was a clear blue, the ocean shimmering like glass. They walked along Palawan Beach, shoes off, sand cool beneath their feet. Angela built a sandcastle near the shore while Evelyn and Timothy sat under a shaded umbrella, the sound of waves soft against the wind.

Evelyn opened a bottle of water, her expression thoughtful. "You've been quieter than usual," she said gently.

Timothy smiled faintly. "I'm just thinking."

"About work?"

He shook his head. "Not exactly. About… what comes next. Hana's handling Helios, and once that's done, we'll be entering a completely different industry. Nuclear energy isn't just another venture, it's a national-scale project. If I push this wrong, I could cause waves across multiple governments."

Evelyn took a sip of water, studying her son carefully. "Sometimes you forget you are speaking to your mother. You know I have no clue what you are talking about."

Timothy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…sorry about that. It's kind of becoming a habit for me."

Evelyn smiled gently, her eyes softening as she looked at her son. "It's alright," she said. "You've always been like this, lost in your thoughts. Even when you were a boy, you'd take apart the radio or the old fan just to see how it worked. I guess some habits never change."

Timothy laughed quietly, his gaze shifting toward the waves. "Maybe. But back then, breaking things didn't cost millions of dollars."

Evelyn chuckled. "True. And back then, I didn't have to read about you in business columns."

That made him grin faintly. "I didn't think you still read those."

"Of course, I do," she replied. "Even if I don't understand half of it. 'TG Mobility acquires this,' 'TG Holdings expands there'—it's all just words to me. I only care if you're eating, sleeping, and not forgetting to call your family."

Timothy smirked. "I do call. Sometimes."

Evelyn gave him a pointed look. "Once a week is not 'sometimes,' Tim."

He raised both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll call more often."

Angela, sitting a few feet away, was busy lining seashells in a neat row beside her sandcastle. She looked up and grinned. "Brother's always busy, Mom! He's like one of those people on TV who build robots and stuff!"

Timothy laughed. "Robots? That's giving me too much credit."

"But you do build things," she insisted, puffing her cheeks. "You're always on your laptop doing secret work!"

Evelyn laughed softly. "He's not a secret agent, Angela."

"I didn't say he was!" she said with a playful pout. "But I know it's something really important. You're always serious when you work, Kuya."

Timothy smiled and reached over, brushing some sand off her hair. "Let's just say I'm helping make the world a little better."

Angela tilted her head. "Better how?"

He hesitated. His little sister had no idea what he really did, how many industries TG Holdings had quietly reshaped, how many contracts, patents, and assets now bore his signature.

"Better in small ways," he said finally, keeping his tone light. "Like building things that make life easier. Safer."

Angela smiled, satisfied with that answer. "Then you're a hero, brother!"

Evelyn smiled warmly, shaking her head. "You see what she thinks of you?"

Timothy looked at his sister, who was already back to sculpting towers in the sand, humming to herself.

"She's too kind," he murmured. "But maybe that's reason enough to keep going."

Evelyn glanced at him, her expression soft but serious. "Just don't lose sight of what really matters while you're at it."

Timothy looked out toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to dip low. "I won't. I promise."

The ocean breeze carried the faint scent of salt and summer. The world seemed distant—his meetings, his plans, even Helios. Everything could wait for now. He took a slow breath, grounding himself in the moment.

Angela's laughter filled the air again as she tried to protect her sandcastle from the rising tide.

Evelyn laughed beside him, shaking her head as she called out, "You'll lose it if you build too close to the water, dear!"

"I'll rebuild it!" Angela shouted back proudly.

The sky burned orange now, streaked with gold and violet. And for that evening on Sentosa, that was enough.

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