Amber, noticing Derek, sighed internally, her warmth towards Adam momentarily replaced by a cold exterior as she braced herself for the encounter, "Derek," She greeted, her voice laced with a forced politeness that barely concealed her irritation.Derek, barely acknowledging Adam, turned his full attention to Amber. "Amber, darling, I wasn’t expecting to find you here, and certainly not in such... company," he said, his eyes flickering disdainfully towards Adam.Adam clenched his fists at his sides, feeling a wave of frustration, he could sense Derek’s attempt to belittle him, and it took considerable effort to maintain his composure."Oh, Derek, always a pleasure to run into you unexpectedly," Amber replied, her words dripping with a touch of sarcasm she hoped wasn't too evident.Derek, oblivious to Amber's discomfort, continued, "I must say, I’m surprised to see you with... What was your name again?" he asked, turning to Adam, his tone dismissive, as if Adam's identity was of li

Meanwhile, back inside the restaurant, Amber turned to Adam with a sigh,"I want to apologise once again for all that drama. Derek can be... overbearing at times." She frowned as she recalled his verbal assault and bad behaviour, however, she was reassured that Adam didn't make Derek into dog pie, which would have been both entertaining and terrible to see.Adam waved off her apology,"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just glad it didn't escalate further." He rolled his shoulders, releasing some of the built-up tension from squaring off against Derek, A part of him still felt riled up, but Mira's calming presence had helped diffuse the situation."Shall we try enjoying what's left of our evening?" Amber suggested, her smile returning, "I believe I still owe you a nice meal."Adam returned her smile warmly, and gave a brief nod, "That sounds wonderful. And thank you, for standing up to Derek as well."After their brief exchange, the tension from the confrontation began to ebb

Adam’s question caused Amber to squeal loudly as she bounced on her feet while still seated, Adam shook his head in mild chastisement at her antics, and a small blush appeared on her face. Adam’s face and his previous question brought a smile to Amber’s face, causing her to grin from ear to ear. She hadn't expected him to give in so easily, and the thought pleased her to no end.Her face lit up, as she still grinned from ear to ear, with her eyes sparkling within them, forgetting her manners, she sagged against the chair, her face was a mix of excitement and relief, "The first step," She began, lowering her voice although it was steady with newfound confidence. With the smile still intact on her face, she lifted her eyes to gaze at him,"Is to set up a meeting with my team. We need to lay down the groundwork, discuss our resources, and outline our immediate objectives."Adam nodded, the gears already turning in his head,"And the research? How far have you gotten?""We've collected

The sight of the frail man lying on the bed sent a pang to Adam’, a heart, “Mr Sage Robinson, what happened in my absence?”Adam soliloquised loudly to himself in the quiet room, his voice echoing as he did, knowing he wouldn't get his answers right away, he concentrated on the job before him, keeping his questions and worries at bay. He worked meticulously as he mixed potion after potion, herbs after herb trying to heal Sage. He soon finished preparing all the necessary potions to help Sage Robinson with and gently seeped some into his mouth and ears as well, he first had to dispel the poison before he administered the herb that was to heal Sage of his ailment, the fiery sale had to be on hold for now. Done with the first half of his job, Adam waited for Sage to wake up, and as he did, his mind buzzed once again with questions and suspicions, he was still perplexed with what he had met, after his warnings to Sage, the man had still remained careless. For a split moment, he thought

Derek grumbled to himself with his fists clenched tightly, Adam’s appearance had made bile rise in his throat, and he glared at the man with reddened eyes that shown with hatred,The eyes of the man beside him traveled in Derek’s direction, and he gulped just as his body turned white as a sheet, he hadn't expected to see Adam at this event and didn't know Mira had invited him, for if he had known, he would not have honoured Madam Ruth’s invite.Brendan was shaken to the core, but tried to hide it and man up, after all, he was in the midst of great and strong people who could crush Adam at first glance like the big that he was,Feigning ignorance, he tried to mask his fear and asked Derek in an unsteady voice,“W-who’s that man? You seem not to be a fan”Derek ignored him, as he got to his feet and purposely strode towards Adam’s direction, while Brendan trailed a little behind him. With a disdainful smirk on his lips, Derek addressed Adam scornfully,“Well, well, well, if it isn't Ada