Conrad''s face was clouded with anger. If it weren''t for the stinging pain in his wrist, he wouldn''t have believed that Sophia had just managed to pin him down. Taking a deep breath, he said icily, "Don''t ask me, I don''t know."


    Sophia, seeing his expression, turned on her heel and walked away-not towards the building, but straight for the association''s main exit. She should have known that even if she rushed over, there was no guarantee she''d run into the big shot. With a sigh of disappointment, she continued on her way.


    Conrad stood rooted to the spot, watching his cousin''s silhouette fade into the distance. His eyes were shadowed with a brooding darkness, yet he made no move to follow her.


    **


    Meanwhile, in a private room at a restaurant, David was chatting with James. "It''s been a year. How''s your health holding up, James?"


    James gave a slight nod, filling Mirabe''s coffee cup as he replied, "Thanks for your concern, David. I''ve been doing alright."


    David, though initially surprised, rxed when he nced at Mirabe. Of course, she was a miracle worker; he''d seen her healing skills firsthand. With a smile, he said, "Good to hear you''re doing well. I must admit, I''m still working on finding a remedy."


    At that moment, Mirabe was busy responding to a message on her phone. "Let''s meet another day," she typed back. Sophia had texted her aftering back empty-handed from the pharmaceutical association, asking to meet up.


    Hearing David talk about a remedy, Mirabe pocketed her phone and looked up, asking, "What kind of remedy are you working on?"


    "It''s for managing James''s health," David exined.


    Mirabe tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in thought as she nced at James. Did he really still need treatment?


    James, lounging casually in his chair, caught her gaze. Under the chandelier''s light, his features seemed even more refined and handsome. Beneath the table, he gently took Mirabe''s hand resting on his knee, lightly tracing her palm with his fingertips.


    Mirabe felt a slight twitch in her cheeks and turned her eyes away before addressing David, "He doesn''t need it anymore."


    She had already treated him with acupuncture. As long as he didn''t overdo things physically, his old issues wouldn''t resurface.


    David nodded, letting the conversation drift to other topics. Soon enough, the waiter arrived with their meals.


    Halfway through dinner, David took a phone call. When he returned, his expression was no longer as carefree, clearly something was up.


    Mirabe noticed and said, "If you have something urgent, feel free to go."


    David just chuckled and picked up his fork, saying, "It''s just a small hup with the medication supplies, nothing major."


    With that, Mirabe didn''t press further and continued eating. The three of them wrapped up their meal pretty quickly after that.


    *


    Once Mirabe and James were in their car, David got into his assistant''s vehicle, his face noticeably more serious. "Those supplies have always been kept in the warehouse. How could there be a problem?"


    The assistant, who had just returned from dropping Paul at the airport, shook his head. "The warehouse reported water damage."


    David frowned. "The rainy season around here is in May and June. Water damage now is practically impossible. Get someone to figure out who''s behind this mess."


    "I''ve already set things in motion, but three-quarters of the supplies are ruined. What''s left won''t cover the delivery due in two days," the assistant said, sounding worried.


    They''d never faced a situation like this before.


    David was quiet for a couple of minutes before asking, "Any stock left in the other warehouses?"


    "There is some, but not nearly enough to fill the gap," replied the assistant with a serious tone.