"Passing through, huh?" Mirabe teased with a yful smirk.


    Caught in his little lie, James stayed as cool as a cucumber, his chiseled profile glowing with a gentle warmth. "Well, what if you''d said no? That would''ve been pretty embarrassing."


    Mirabe rubbed her hands together, her skin looking even more radiant against her red wool coat. "With food involved, I usually don''t say no."


    James wasn''t surprised by her response. After all, she was not only a bit of a money lover but also quite the foodie.


    A few minutester, they pulled up to the restaurant.


    Standing at the entrance, Mirabe seemed lost in thought as she stared at the sign. This ce couldn''t possibly belong to the Davis family, could it?


    Seeing her zoning out, James, who had parked the car ande over, called out to her, "Mia?"


    Mirabe snapped back to reality, shook her head, and looked at him.


    They entered one after the other, greeted by a server whose warmth was just right -not too overbearing, not too cold.


    As soon as they settled into a private booth, the kitchen sent out their dishes. The cuisine was delicate and light, with a plethora of ingredients that were both bright and refined, a real feast for the eyes.


    The table wasden with such tempting dishes that Mirabe, who had been living off the bone broth Delh had been bringing her for days, didn''t hesitate. She grabbed her fork and knife and dove right in.


    James watched her with a soft smile, enjoying the quiet butfortable atmosphere.


    Halfway through the meal, James set down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a napkin, leaned back, and just watched the young woman across from him eat.


    When she was nearly done, he reached for the coffee pot beside him and filled her cup. "I''ll be leaving town for a few days. If you run into any trouble, give me a call, or you can reach out to Wyatt."


    Mirabe looked up at James and nodded. "Okay."


    After setting down her fork, she didn''t go back to eating. Instead, she tapped her fingers lightly on the table and nced at her watch. "I should head back."


    "Alright." James got up, retrieved their coats from the rack, handed Mirabe hers, and then put on his own.


    Mirabe thanked him.


    Soon, they were outside the restaurant, where the wind was picking up and the sky threatened rain.


    Mirabe wrapped her coat tighter around herself and got into the car.


    Minutester, they stopped outside the hospital. Before getting out, Mirabe unfastened her seatbelt, turned to James, and said earnestly, "Stay safe."


    James met her gaze, and after a brief pause, his eyebrows lifted slightly, his voice warmed. "Yeah."


    Mirabe coughed slightly. "I''m off then."


    With that, she opened the door and stepped out, her figure slender and straight,


    her red coat like a zing me that seemed to dispel her usual icy aura.


    James watched her until she disappeared, then drove away from the hospital.


    *


    Mirabe entered the hospital''s lobby and pressed the button for the elevator.


    The elevator was on its way down, and in less than a minute, it dinged open. Mirabe, hands in her coat pockets, exuded a casual vibe.


    Inside was a middle-aged man in a ck overcoat, radiating an imposing presence, his face stern with a hint of menace.


    Mirabe nced at him, her expression unflinching. She subtly stepped to the side, allowing him to exit first with a polite nod.