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
"How...?" Derek's voice trailed off as he struggled to compose himself, his gaze shifting from Adam to Mira and then to Amber. "How does a pauper like you get the attention of not one, but two of the most desirable women here? Two hotties?" His tone was laced with bitterness, the words dripping with venom as he failed to conceal his growing resentment.Adam, sensing Derek's growing hostility, remained calm. He understood now that Derek's arrogance stemmed from insecurity, an inability to accept that respect and affection couldn't be bought or bullied into existence."It's simple, Derek. It's about authenticity and genuine connection—qualities that seem foreign to you. People aren't trophies to be won or assets to flaunt. They're to be cherished and respected." Adam said arrogantly and mockingly.Derek's face turned a shade redder, his fists clenching at his sides. The mocking demeanor he carried earlier had now completely evaporated, replaced by a visible agitation."Authenticity? Ge
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
He leaned on the table as he waited for her to speak, Amber expelled a breath before she spoke up, her eyes lighting a little,“Have you ever wondered or thought about going into making drugs?”Adam’s head flinched a little to the back as he stared at her, he couldn't help but wonder what had brought about the question,He arched his brow but said nothing as he waited for her to keep on going,“So I've been thinking, our company would like to branch out into the medicine world, and I'd like for you to head the place, not only that, I think it'd be a great idea to take over Markus’ illegal company, I'm certain you can turn their illegal pharmaceutical business into something better.”Adam leaned into his seat and gave a disbelieving chuckle before he raised his brow at her and then shook his head,“And how about Vance?”He questioned lightly, Amber rolled her eyes and hissed before she waved her hand dismissively,“Oh, that Lizard? There's nothing he can do, and he knows it. I'm all a
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
After Adam had escorted Amber out of the restaurant, he headed out to go see Sage Robinson in regard to his health, he didn't want to admit it but after hearing Amber's feedback on Sage’s health, he had been a little worried.Just as he got to the entrance of the building, he met a man who looked awfully familiar by the door, his eyes met those of the man whose eyes he could see a mix of shock, defiance, and fear in them, but Adam couldn't place how he knew the man but couldnʼt shake off the feeling that the fellow looked familiar.“tsk”The fellow said and brushed past him, disdain and anger clear on his face. Unbothered by the man’s attitude, Adam trudged to his destination, dismissing the man. He nodded his head at the maid who bowed,“Where’s Mr Sage?”He inquired of the maid who led him to the inner chamber of Sage’s house, on getting to the room, his lips pursed and he raised his eyebrows as his eye squinted, Sage Robinson laid weakly on the bed and barely acknowledged Adam.Wit
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
Adam tried concentrating as Sage was still speaking,“...Nathan Walsh was one of the few men who supported my decision to bring you to the group to take over from Old Thompson and myself, especially when it looked like I had no spare life left”The old man chuckled lightly at his own joke and Adam broke into a small smile. The face of the man he had met at the door was the opposite of who Sage was making him out to be, the man at the entrance had been nothing but hostile to him, that look wasn't one of a supporter but an arrogant and disdained person.As though his brain and mind were in alliance with his thoughts, his eyes went wide and he gasped a little, as he suddenly remembered why the man had felt familiar; and that was because he was familiar, it was the same man he had seen at the restaurant with Cecil, the one who Cecil had claimed to be her ‘man’.Something wasn't adding up, and knew he had to be careful and on his toes, himself as well as Sage Robinson. There was something